Page 44 of Wrong For Me

“It would be forty percent,” I argue.

“Oh, right. With yourhelpfor a portion of it,” she sneers. “Why do you think I need a babysitter?”

“Dr. Hernandez said—”

“She said it would be beneficial for me to work with you,” Rose says heatedly. “Not that I needed your supervision.” She clears her throat. “Why are you so convinced I can’t do this work? I got into the program on my own merits, Leo. They don’t usually let students work on their master’s and doctorate at the same time. Doesn’t that tell you that I’m qualified?”

That makes me pause. I’ve spent all this time being annoyed that I was going to have to work with another student, when that’s far from my strength. The fact that it’s Rose I’m working with only irritated me more.

But if I’m honest with myself, a big part of my annoyance was the fact that Rose somehow managed to do something I hadn’t been able to. She got into the concurrent master’s/doctoral program when I’d been denied. And there’s a part of me that assumed right off the bat that she’d only been able to do it because of her connections. It’s easy to get your way when your father is rich and one of the most famous men in the music industry.

On the other hand, there aren’t many people I respect more than Dr. Hernandez. And I would bet every academic scholarship I’ve ever earned that she would never agree to work with someone who isn’t qualified.

“We each take forty percent on our own” I say. “The remaining twenty, we do together.”

She’s quiet for a minute and I wonder if she’s thinking, like I am, that this scenario will require us to spend even more time together. It’s probably a terrible idea. I could barely handle sitting next to her in a lecture hall, I definitely don’t need—

“Fine,” she agrees. “That sounds fair. We’ll each have an opportunity to work independently and also collaborate together.”

Collaborate. We did a pretty good job of that in my bed.

And then she tossed you aside,I remind myself.

“Wow,” I say, forcing memories of my bed from my mind. “Did we actually just manage to compromise?”

She laughs again, the sound reaching deep into my chest. “I guess we did. Maybe there’s hope for us yet.”

Shit. I know she just means our relationship as colleagues, but it’s hard for me not to give those words a deeper meaning.

“Maybe,” I agree, voice a shade too husky. Jesus. I need to get off the phone.

There’s another beat of silence, longer this time, and I can’t help but wonder what she’s thinking. Finally, she clears her throat. “So, I’ll see you for Hernandez’s first lecture in the morning?”

“Sounds good,” I tell her.

Another pause. Her voice is softer when she says, “Well. Good night,Mr. Malone.”

I can’t fight my smile. “Good night,Rose.”

I’m still smiling long after we hang up.