The Rede Breaker

Chapter 10: Professorial Ambition

The next couple of days pass without incident.

I continue to study my Book of Shadows for any mention of the name Anarch. I haven't traveled back to his realm since I learned his name. My dreams have become more placid in the absence of all the chaotic night adventures.

Maybe falling off that cliff knocked some sense into me.

Aside from a bit over hovering from both my roommates, my waking hours are peaceful.

Though peaceful, I cannot stop thinking about Archer, or rather what I saw in his head. The vision I had with Archer is an unwelcome distraction. There are layers to the visions I'm not sure I want to dig deeper into.

And then there is the obvious.

Archer is a handsome man. He is kind and respectful. He's also a doctor. I am not looking to date again but something keeps putting us in the same places. I am starting to wonder if I'm forming a little crush on our good doctor.

On a brighter, less boy-centric note, Prophecy University has reached out for an interview on the position I applied for. The dean requested I meet with him today. It is hard to focus on anything other than rehearsing answers to questions I'm not even sure will be asked.

I decide on wearing a pair of slim black slacks and a white button up, with a black vest. I find my empty messenger bag and stuff a few occult books as well as my laptop inside to make it appear I am more professional than I actually am.

It has been some time since I've interviewed for a job. Hell, I've taken odd jobs from the council for ages now.

Sierra offers to make breakfast. I am far too nervous to eat anything. I manage to eat a couple of bites of the omelet before I launch into hypothetical questions with Sierra.

After breakfast, Eric and Sierra wish me luck as I head out the front door. My heart is warmed when even Collins shows up to see me off.

The drive to the University takes upwards to fifteen minutes. It feels like it takes forever. Traffic is heavier than I anticipated but I arrive with five minutes to spare.

A quick grooming and another layer of ChapStick and I exit the car. I follow a group of students who are heading towards the main campus.

The campus is larger than expected. The quad acts as a crossroads to the main campus. I spot five visible buildings. The campus map assists me in finding the administration building.

When I arrive at the administration building, a perky older woman with darker hair greets me. Her retro half-moon pink glasses catch me by surprise. She correctly guesses I am there for the interview.

I am thankful I do not have to explain myself. I am a bundle of nerves.

She recognizes how nervous I am as she asks me to have a seat on one of the chairs in a row along the wall in front of her desk. She hurriedly calls the dean to inform him I am waiting.

In preparation, I list all my best qualities. It slips my mind not to grasp my resume so roughly until I hear a soft crunch. The woman at the desk, Pam, flashes a gentle smile and tells me not to be nervous as the door opens and a man in a tweed suit appears.

Dean Jaffe is on the shorter side. His chocolate hair is greying on the sides and in his circular beard. He tucks a small Star of David in his button-up before bellowing a greeting to me. I stand to greet him and he shakes my hand with vigor. I get the sense he is unintentionally rough.

Dean Jaffe welcomes me into this office, which is furnished as if he has inhabited the office for quite some time. Besides the odds-and-ends, there are pictures of his wife and four kids along with his diplomas from Northeastern.