She'll teach him how to "round the bases," but they absolutely can't fall for each other!
Jamie Thorne grew up deeply religious but now that he's getting his PhD in religious studies, he's rethinking everything he ever knew. When he meets Agnes Brig...
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Agnes shoved her bag over her shoulder and slammed the car door. It wasn't yet noon on a Saturday but already, traffic snarled around Pierce University's campus, preventing anyone not headed for a tailgating party from making their destination. The spot she had eventually found was on the other side of campus from where she was supposed to be, but if she hurried, she wouldn't be late.
She guzzled some coffee as she went, wondering what idiot had scheduled graduate student thesis seminars for a day when the football team was playing one of their first home games. She wanted to be anywhere but here right now. Preferably back in her campus apartment kitchen, trying the new recipe she'd been reading about last night. If it was a success she would build her next dinner party around it. Just the thought of the sticky, savory rice from the cookbook's photos made her want to do a little dance of excitement. But that would have to wait. Education first, dinner parties second, she reminded herself.
As she crossed the green lawns of the commons her phone buzzed, displaying her mother's face.
"Hey Mom," she said cheerfully when she answered.
"Hi Ags, what are you doing on this beautiful morning? I hope I didn't wake you up!"
"No, just heading to a seminar."
"A seminar? But it's Saturday!"
"Yeah. I know. Dr. Langdon wants me to do it. She said it would be good for me and she's the one handing out research assistant jobs, so I'll do whatever she wants." She didn't add that she was worried Heather, her classmate who seemed to live in the labs, might be a better fit for the position.
"I thought you'd be headed to something fun! I know there's a game today. Aren't you going? You loved going to games at Benson. You were always tailgating and having a blast."
Agnes sucked in breath through her nose. It had been years since she'd tailgated, or partied but it was just like her mother to think that was all she still did. Suddenly, all the effort she had put into finishing strong her senior year, and getting into a research psychology PhD program like the one at Pierce University seemed pointless. If her mom couldn't even tell how much she'd changed how was anyone else supposed to take her seriously? She felt even more tired than she had five minutes ago.
"Well, that was undergrad, Mom. I have a lot more stuff I have to focus on now. But I am actually going to the game after the seminar. Madison got some great seats. And she really wanted something that would distract herself from that asshole she dumped so I said I'd go. But I'm not tailgating."
"Didn't you say he was another Gender Studies major? And he cheated?"
"Men are often assholes, especially the highly educated ones."
"Oh, Ags, don't say that. Your father is very educated and he's not an asshole."
It was true. Her dad was one of the kindest guys around. But that didn't mean other men couldn't be assholes. Hadn't she proven that to herself enough times?
