Unexpected

Chapter 17

“I know but imagine how much more attention I’d be getting if people thought we were still dating, although I guess the general public might think that. Although probably not, the two things I read, besides that big thing from the lady that was there at the same time, were all about calling it a vacation fling for Alex, which I guess it was.”

“I still can’t believe neither of you ever brought it up -- you’re a far stronger woman than I am, Charlie.”

“No, just the opposite. If I weren’t such a wimp, I would have said something. Because, Jesus, of course I wanted to keep dating him, even knowing that long distance doesn’t work, even knowing that we live in two totally different worlds. But the truth of the matter is, I didn’t want to say it, to ask him to be with me and have him tell me no to my face. Because that… that would have really, really sucked. Way more than the just not knowing does, I’m sure.”

“That makes sense, I’m sorry I pushed you about it.”

“No, it’s a reasonable thing to say. And I never want you to feel like you have to hold back with me, no matter how bad it is”

“Well, in that case, I do have something else to talk to you about, and it isn’t good.”

“Shit, what is it?”

“I’m really worried about you and the Corporations sections of the exam. I think you're going to have a super hard time cramming all that into your brain in such a short amount of time -- I know I’ve told you this before but you really should have taken that class. That and wills and trusts.”

“God, you scared me, you brat! I know what you’re saying but I’ve heard from people that sometimes it’s easier to grasp the major concepts if you never actually took the class. So many people have told me that if you just take a good bar preparation course and really study the material, you wouldn’t even need to have gone to law school to pass the bar, it’s that good.” The real reason I hadn’t taken so many of the courses that were covered on the bar exam is that, until our third year, I wasn’t planning on taking the bar at all. I’d gone to law school knowing I never intended to actually practice law so I didn’t think I’d need to take it, but every single person I talked to said that I really should just take it, while I was in school mode and could actually focus enough to pass it, that I might want it at some point in my future. As everyone else I knew was sitting for the bar, I decided to listen to the voices of reason and take the damn thing.

Maggie sighed, shaking her head ruefully. “Well, that’s a relief since I’m pretty sure I slept through a few of these our second year.”

 

Wanting a break from the monotony of studying everyday at the law school, nevermind how sick I was getting of all my classmates curious looks and whispers, I decided to study the next day at a nearby Barnes and Noble. I figured I could get there early, grab a good table at the Starbucks inside, and get lost in my outlines. I had earplugs so I didn’t think anything would distract me and I could buy a coffee so I wouldn’t technically be a freeloader. Maybe if I made good progress, I’d even treat myself to a cookie, or even better, a new book for when this god-awful test was over. As big of a fan of my e-reader as I was, sometimes I still liked to just buy a good old fashioned book to get lost in.

I began to realize that escaping to B&N had been a bad idea after I’d been there for about an hour. It’s amazing how distracting just the feeling of several pairs of eyes focused on you for extended periods of time can be. I saw a college-aged girl take what she thought was a discreet picture of me with her cell phone, then noticed a crowd of people gathering outside the tiled area that designated the cafe area of the store, looking and pointing at me as they chatted. Determined to get some good studying in, I tried desperately to tune it all out.

The breaking point came when a gaggle of giggling teenage girls came up with a couple of different magazines that had pictures of me and Alex on the cover and asked for my autograph.I declined as politely as I could and packed my crap up to get out of there.

Before leaving the store, I put on my oversized sunglasses to somewhat hide my red face and the tears that were starting to well in my eyes. Thank God I did, because when I stepped out the door…

Flashes exploded in my face and microphones, video cameras and what seemed like a million people surrounded me.“Are you going to see the Prince again?” “Have you spoken to Prince Alexander recently?” “Are you two dating?” “Was he a good kisser?” “Is he going to come visit you?” “Are you going to move to England?”

I froze for a moment, then bolted to my car, which thankfully was parked near the exit to the parking lot. The reporters continued to yell questions at me, but stayed out of my way as I backed out and headed for home, as fast as the speed limit would allow. If this had happened at any other point in my life, I would have sped like a madwoman, however, it was always in the back of my mind that if you got any sort of ticket prior to getting your bar results, you had to write to the bar association and explain what had happened, which could jeopardize your ability to be admitted to the bar. Despite everything else that was going on, after everything I’d been through, I was determined to pass that stupid test.

Driving home, I tried to process what the hell was going on. It was mind boggling that anyone could possibly be that interested in me, regardless of who I was caught kissing. I tried to calm myself down with the thought that surely the press’ interest couldn’t last.