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Jonah’s going away again. I’m glad he told me. I feel a pang at the thought of being without him, even for a few days. And yet I’m slightly freaked out that I already want him around all the time. “Thanks for letting me know. How long will you be gone?”
“About a week and a half. Do you think you could get some time off?”
“Wait. What?”
“I was asking if you’d like to come with me. ”
“To Scotland?”
“An island just off the coast of the Highlands. ” Jonah acts like he just invited me to the movies. “I realize it would take a couple of days for you to get things in order and join me—and I’ll be working—but we’d have some time away from it all. ”
I can’t think of what to say. “I’m sorry, you surprised me. Seriously, you want me to come meet you across the Atlantic in a few days?”
“On the Isle of Skye. It’s a beautiful place, Vivienne. Stark and wild. Not everyone appreciates it, but I suspect you would. ”
“But—a transatlantic flight—”
“It’s on me,” Jonah says. “I have the miles. ”
You shouldn’t waste them on me, I nearly say, before I remember that one news story I read about his family. His late father was one of the founders of Oceanic Airlines. Not only is Jonah not short on money, but he also probably gets to fly himself or his friends for free whenever he wants.
That makes this invitation less of a splurge for him—but no less of a leap for us both.
I laugh in surprise. “You really know how to step it up for the second date. ”
“I realize it’s unusual. But I wanted to ask. ”
This is impossible, of course. I have a class to help teach, a dissertation to write, Shay to look after—
But a reckless whisper in my head answers, You’ve covered tons of classes for both Marvin and Keiko; they owe you, big-time. You ought to turn your dissertation over to your advisor for a preliminary look soon anyway. Shay’s not due for nearly another month. Arturo and Carmen are taking good care of her—Rosalind too—
Somehow I find myself saying, “Let me see if I can reschedule some things. ”
“You’ll come?” Jonah sounds surprised, but in a good way.
“If I can make it work. ”
He speaks with a knowing, arrogant assurance that should infuriate me. Instead it curls my toes within my ballet flats. “You can. ”
“We’ll see!”
Five minutes later, as I walk into the departmental office, Kip glances over from his computer, eyebrow arched. “Well, well, well. I hear you’re painting the town red these days. ”
“Huh?”
“A friend of mine who waits tables in the area reported seeing you and Jonah Marks strolling along Congress this weekend. Quite lovey-dovey, at least for Professor Marks, which means he seemed to acknowledge you were there. ”
Does he have spies everywhere? The “campus Sauron” comparison is starting to feel a little too accurate. “Yeah, we went to dinner. ”
“If he’s treating you right, I withdraw my earlier objections,” Kip says as he types something so quickly his orange nails fly across his computer keyboard. “But let it be known, if he breaks your heart, he’ll regret it. ”
From anyone else, that would be pure bluster—some guy threatening to punch Jonah out, knowing full well this battle will never take place. From Kip? It means Jonah could find himself reassigned to a smaller office, denied a campus parking sticker, and God only knows what else. Could Kip derail Jonah’s chance at tenure? I wouldn’t put it past him. “Hey. Jonah’s been great, okay? No need to break out the nuclear option. ”
“Yet,” Kip says with relish. “He remains under watch. Is he taking you on some other outing soon? I want to spy on you. ”
Note to self: Never set up one of our “games” at any location where we could run into Kip. “Actually, now he wants to take me to Scotland. Can you help me clear next week?”
I really should’ve pulled out my phone before I said that, because the look on Kip’s face would make the greatest Vine ever.
“Wait. Hold everything. ” Kip clasps the desk as if he thinks he might fall down. “Did you say he wants to take you to Scotland?”
“He’s going tonight, but he wants me to meet him over there in a couple of days. Probably I could leave on Saturday, if I get somebody to cover my classes early next week. But getting out of the departmental meeting, making sure I can move my appointment with Dr. McFadden—”