Her friends were impossible, but she was glad to have them. They’d been tight ever since their first unsure days of college, when they were still figuring things out. Regina was the bombastic ass-kicker, Paula was the dreamy writer who always landed on her feet, and Victoria kept everyone in line with an organized plan. “I need you to get serious,” she said, raising a brow at Paula.

Paula put her hands up in defense. “What’s the plan, Vicki?”

“Better yet?” Regina interrupted. “What’s holding you back?”

Victoria shrugged. “It’s not professional and it’s not me. I reached out to him to start a project for the department, not to have some...sordid affair.” The fear of losing herself in anything other than work was very real for her. There were too many things she needed to accomplish in her career. For four years, she’d struggled to make a new name for the Pembroke University English department. Before her, Jennifer, and Alison had started, two more men had filled their positions and the department had lacked in diversity. When Victoria had arrived, she’d been anxious to revamp their program with new courses. Over time, she had learned just how slow the wheel turned regarding university policy. It wasn’t a sprint, but a marathon. And she couldn’t reduce speed for a man, no matter how beautiful he was. Or how powerful his hands felt as they held the small of her back.

“Well, you can pump the breaks and go back to just working any time you want,” Paula said, eyeing her. “You don’t have to do anything.”

“That’s true, girl. What do you want to do?”

Victoria looked at them both and then down at her wine. “He’s so attractive...”

Regina sat on the edge of her seat. “And?”

And she wanted to climb him like a tree. “And I have to think about it. What he’s asking is...a little bizarre.”

“So when was the last time you two spoke?” Paula asked.

“At the library.”

“But that was last night,” Paula said. “No emails or no texts?”

She shook her head. “I haven’t had time to deal with it. And if I had to guess, he’s got his hands full with his twelve-year-old niece.”

“Yes,” Paula said. “You said something about a sister and niece?”

“His stepsister is in Europe at the moment and he’s keeping her daughter.”

“Oh my god, I’m getting sexy single dad vibes.” Regina giggled.