Emily

  Chapter 2

  They had waited about ten minutes when David Alexander finally arrived, angry at not being able to find a parking place. “I shouldn’t have to park three blocks away,” he grumbled.

  Emily and the other members of the class had all heard of him, and they were ready to be impressed by the famous news crusader. He lived up to his billing; his rumpled hair and clothes made it look as though he had been up all night, working on an important story.

  In fact, wearing khaki pants, a wrinkled denim shirt, and a loosely knotted tie, David Alexander didn’t look like any university professor Emily had ever known. He didn’t seem very friendly, either. He fixed the waiting students with a steely gaze that seemed to say, You’re beneath contempt and lucky to have me here.

  Seeing him for the first time, Emily thought, He must be the most conceited person in America. Does he really believe America is hanging on his every word? I’m glad he had to walk three blocks.

  But even so, she felt herself being pulled in by the power of his personality and his rugged good looks.

  On the morning of the first class, while still ranting about the parking situation, he spilled coffee on his shirt, which caused him to unleash a string of swear words.

  One of the class members, a young woman, got up to leave.

  “Where are you going?” David Alexander challenged.

  “I’m in the wrong class,” she said.

  “What class do you want?”

  “Any class but this one,” the girl said with an air of self-righteousness.

  David Alexander watched her go then shook his head in disgust. “Utah,” he muttered. “Why did I ever agree to come here? I must have been out of my mind.”

  He dunked half a donut in his coffee while he gave an introduction to the class. By the time he remembered to retrieve it, it had broken off and fallen into his coffee. He swore again. Another student, this time a young man, left the class.

  He fished the fragments of donut out of his cup with a spoon and then took a sip of coffee. “If you all want to drop the class, be my guest. Do what’s best for you. But before you do that, give me a few minutes of your time.”

  He set his coffee cup down on the table and glared at them. “I don’t know if you have any interest in history, but right now you’re looking at someone who knows what it’s like to see history unfold. I was the one who covered the standoff in Syria. How many have seen me on TV?”

  Most of the people in the room raised their hands.

  “I’ve done one-on-one interviews with the President and most of the leaders in Congress. I’ve talked to heads of state, movie stars, entertainers, and serial killers. The news is my life. I can’t promise you this will be like your other classes, but I can promise you I’ll do my best. I’ve never done this before, and I’m sure I’ll never do it again. But if you’ll let me, I’ll give you the benefit of my experience.”

  He’s good at what he does, Emily thought. She could see how he used his husky voice to good advantage. His skill at making eye contact made each of them feel as though he was talking just to them, and that he was sharing something with them that he’d never told anyone before.

  The next time the class met, their numbers had dwindled to six students.

  “I see we’ve lost a few more,” he said. “Anyone else want to drop out?” he asked.

  No one moved.

  “Well, then. Let’s get to work.”

  He had each class member read from a newspaper article, as if they were a newscaster. He had Emily go first.

  She thought she was doing a good job until he called out, “Stop! Do you know anything about what’s happening in the world today? When’s the last time you read the New York Times or the Washington Post? ”

  She gave him an embarrassed smile. “