his fedora on his head.
– I’m sorry, she blubbered, her fingers over her nose, trying to stem the tears.
– Looks like you need a tissue, he said, and began patting the pockets of his blazer. – Aha! Found one!
He brandished a mangled shred of Kleenex. – I only blew my nose in it once, he said. – In this corner. You can use any of the other three corners. Go ahead. Looks like you need it.
She dabbed her eyes and wiped her nose. Handed the tissue back. She took a deep breath.
– I don’t want to hear about your problems, he said. – Sorry, but I must be frank.
He scuttled away through the door leading to the stairs.
Edith claws through the chlorinated water in the university’s Olympic-sized swimming pool. She squints though her goggles. Seven-thirty-five a.m. Soon it will be 8 a.m. and her day basically gone. Wasted!
Because her book will come out just in time to list it on this year’s AAO, a published book the holy grail for a high VI, at least ten VI, or maybe even eleven VI, and Dean Vermeulen and his punching bag will not refresh her. Her book will unfresh her.
She pushes silver bubbles out of her nose. Her hands droop toward the pool floor.
She wishes she could drunk dial and weep and rave on the phone to Coral like she used to. But that would be dysfunctional. And Vivianne says no. And Coral’s been away.
Coral’s coming back. Coral might already be back. Coral is a passionate person. Edith worries that Coral’s returning passion might affect Edith’s AAO score. The dean grades on a curve.
That murky, bumping sound of water spilling into Edith’s ears.
She should be catching up on her critical theory, not frolicking in pools in the middle of the day. Like she’s a Lady Who Lunches. A Lady Who Laps.
She pulls herself up the metal stairs from the water up onto the pool deck, water streaming from her ears, her goggled eyes foggy.
She raises her arms like she’s just won a race. She exercised!
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