Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 71647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 287(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
“How? Knowing Ezra has nothing to do with your Physics grade.”
“My father disagrees and he’s rather smart about—”
“Shakespeare, you’re on. I need to take this robe off and cool down before—Mallory.” Ezra’s royal robes twisted around him as he spun to face her. “Uh, what are you doing here?”
She pushed his jersey at him, fluttering her eyelashes behind her thick glasses. “I’m here to check in for volunteer duty and to return your jersey. Dad offered to bring it to the office for you but I wanted to personally thank you for your help. Did you get the roses?”
Ezra’s mouth hung open for a beat. “You sent those roses?”
“Yes. Well, Dad’s secretary did. I forgot that you haven’t been working for him this month. Jules would have spilled the beans and you probably would have called me, but that’s okay. I’d like to personally and formally thank you in person for helping clear the path for my transfer to USC.”
Ezra shook his head vehemently. “Honestly, I didn’t do anything.”
“Nonsense!” A slick-looking older man pushed past the curtain barrier and patted Ezra’s back, flicking the feathers on his hat. “Check you out! You’re a star. I gotta give you credit, Ezra. You really throw yourself into an assignment, man.”
Ezra sputtered. “Yes, but I—”
“Dad, this is Professor Galymer,” Mallory interjected.
The man thrust his hand at me. “I’m Tag Rossman, Mallory’s dad and Ezra’s boss. He told us about your involvement in the Renaissance fair, and while it’s not usually our cup of tea, this is fun. We were happy to donate to the cause.”
“Donate?”
“Yeah, between you and me, it’s a beneficial arrangement for all. One of the board members at USC is a big animal rights activist. He loved that Mallory was involved by association with your cause. It’s a nice feeling to kill a couple of birds with one stone…or a few grand,” he added with a smug laugh.
“Oh, right. Thank you for your philanthropy,” I replied numbly.
“You’re welcome, Professor.” He nodded in acknowledgment, then punched Ezra’s bicep and winked. “See you at the office tomorrow. Let’s go, Mallory.”
Mallory hung back and sidled next to Ezra. “Dad told me that you were concerned about our age difference. It doesn’t bother me. I’d be happy to go to dinner with you sometime.”
She smiled sweetly and kissed his cheek, then waved good-bye to me.
Ezra took his hat off and raked his fingers through his hair, turning to be sure we couldn’t be seen or overheard from behind the oak tree. “None of that was what it sounded like.”
“I was your assignment?”
“No. I didn’t take an assignment. I just—”
“You helped my student transfer schools. Her boss gave money to the HRS. You knew, and you never mentioned it. That’s what it sounds like.”
He growled. “No, no. That—no. I mean…yes, he asked me if I could finagle a meeting with you or whatever, but I told him that wasn’t in the cards ’cause A, that’s creepy and B, you were busy here, so—”
“You suggested volunteering instead,” I replied matter-of-factly.
“No!” He sighed in exasperation. “I told Mallory to ask you herself. And I told you about that.”
“Was that before or after you gave her your jersey?”
I half expected Ezra to snark that I sounded like a lawyer, grilling him for a crime he hadn’t committed. And maybe he hadn’t done anything underhanded, but it felt wrong to me…like I was caught a web.
It took me a moment to realize this was a taste of reality. The boss who pulled strings, donated money to win a coveted seat on a board, and rewarded loyal employees.
This was Ezra’s real world. I didn’t belong here.
“Holden, I didn’t plan any of that. He asked, I said no. When Mallory followed me, I told her to talk to you. I haven’t been to the office in a month. I didn’t know about the donation or his seat on the board. I didn’t even know about the roses.” He licked his lips and threw his hands up in frustration. “Does it matter anyway? I mean…everyone got what they wanted. She’s transferring, her daddy got the board seat he wanted, and HRS got a windfall. Win, win, win.”
“And you’ve secured your position at the firm,” I commented dully. “Congratulations.”
He had the grace to look abashed. “That wasn’t my intention. You know that.”
I did. I knew it.
Ezra wouldn’t hurt me. He wouldn’t use me for personal gain. He wouldn’t put me in an uncomfortable situation or make me a pawn in a game I didn’t know the rules to. Not on purpose, anyway.
But there were no rules here. He’d done me a favor, but he didn’t owe me anything. He had a job, a new place to live, and a life waiting for him. Geez, he might even start dating the boss’s daughter. And that would be okay…because he wasn’t mine.