Page 24 of Love in the Stacks
His eyes are shining, and I feel a pang of longing in my chest.
“How many grandchildren do you have?”
“Six now,” he counts. “My oldest daughter has three little ones. My son has two. And my younger daughter and her husband had their first in November.”
I smile and nod.
“I’m glad you came by,” Dr. Parker adds. “I was thinking of starting a project to organize my personal papers going back as far as the founding of Harkness. That’s something the library might be interested in, yes?”
I clear my throat. “Yes, absolutely. We don’t have an archivist or any archival collections at the moment, but I can’t think of a better starting point than your personal papers.”
He nods. “I’ll talk to Herb. I’m sure there’s something I can do to lobby the board for funds to hire an archivist.”
His statement, said nonchalantly, gives me pause. I’ve had inklings before that Dr. Parker, despite his “honorary” status, still wields a good amount of authority at Harkness, but this is the boldest statement he’s made to that fact, at least in front of me. I wonder just how involved Dr. Parker still is in the college’s decision making.
Dr. Parker eyes me knowingly. “Anything else I can do for you today, Adam? How are things with your girl?”
“I don’t have a girl,” I protest.
“Not yet, but you’re trying to woo one, aren’t you?”
“Uh, in a manner of speaking.”
“And how’s it going?”
“Not great,” I admit. “She’s reserved. I’m still trying to work my way from coworker to friend, but her walls are pretty high.”
“Hmm,” Dr. Parker muses. “Has she let you in at all?”
“Actually, yes,” I concede. “A little bit here and there. But then it’s like she realizes she’s doing it and shuts down.”
Dr. Parker’s eyes flash. “One thing I’ve observed in life,” he says, “is that often the people with the hardest defenses are the ones most worth knowing. For whatever reason, it sounds like this young lady has learned not to trust others with her vulnerabilities.”
I nod. That sounds right. “So, what can I do?” I ask.
“Give her every reason to believe that you are in her corner; that you’re trustworthy. But let her come to you.” He nods thoughtfully.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t pressure her. Don’t push her. Just be there, quietly and steadily. She’ll notice. And you’ll be the first person she thinks about when she’s ready to open up.”
Chapter twelve
Adam
In mid-January, Nicole pops into the doorway of my office, her hands grabbing either side of the frame as she leans forward. Her eyes sparkle, and her mouth twists up in a bright grin. We’ve been back to work for just a couple of weeks.
“What are you doing tonight?” she asks, her eyebrows quirking upward. The neckline of her mint green shirt dips down into a V, teasing the slightest hint of cleavage. Her black pants cling to her hips before flowing down around her ankles. My stomach flips over as I slowly bring my gaze back up to her face. She’s watching me, waiting for my response.
“Nothing,” I shrug. Well, not nothing. I plan to sit on the couch with my dog’s head on my lap as I playCivilization, but I know most people would not consider those “plans”, and besides, I’m guessing she’s asking for a reason, and I want to know what it is.Anything with her or having to do with her would absolutely trump my current plans.
“Awesome. I’m going to this thing called Soapbox over at the amphitheater on the island. Do you want to come?” She looks eager and hopeful, and I want her to look at me like that always.
“Yes,” I answer quickly, my head bobbing up and down.
She pauses, her eyebrows pulling together. “Don’t you want to know what it is first?”
Oh, yeah. I guess the social convention here would be to find out more before agreeing. “What is it?” I ask, knowing that even if she says it’s a seminar about the history of clowns, my answer won’t change.
