His careless comment has me clenching my jaw so hard I’m afraid I’m going to break a tooth.
“Well, I’d better get going.” He stands up. “You must have plenty of things to do. I still remember how chaotic it gets when classes start. Thanks for your help, Alistair.”
“Any time.”
I’m still reeling minutes after Forrester’s departure. Fuck. If this conversation wasn’t a clear sign that I have to get my shit together, I don’t know what is.
I need to get out of here, but I still have stuff to do. In my inbox, there’s a brand-new message from a coworker with the subject line “Huge favor.” Curious, I click on it. Vivian never really asks for favors unless she’s in dire need.
Scanning the message quickly, I realize that’s the case. Her mother suffered a heart attack this morning, and Vivian flew to Houston to see her. She’s wondering if I can cover her biweekly class and help with the project she’s leading, the Annual Film Festival. I’ve always been involved in the past, this year being the only time I didn’t volunteer thanks to my messy personal life.
The email came with an attachment, a list of all the students who volunteered to help. Vivian isn’t expecting me to say no.
I shake my head. This is what I get for always being the dependable guy.
Naturally, I’m going to say yes, but a sliver of apprehension takes hold of me. I open the document she sent, quickly scan through it, and then curse under my breath.
Chiara is on the list.
22
Chiara
Last week I signed up to help with the Annual Film Festival organized by the school. Every year they focus on a specific country, and this year is Italy’s turn. I couldn’t pass it up. My film history teacher, Mrs. Weiland, is spearheading the project.
I’m excited as I head to the kickoff meeting. But the moment I step foot inside the lecture hall, the grin I had on my face wilts to nothing. Instead of finding Mrs. Weiland, Alistair is in her place.
What the hell is he doing here?
He turns around and stops talking. My steps falter, and I clutch the strap of my backpack tighter. Unprepared for this unexpected encounter, I’m not quick enough to put on an indifferent mask. In fact, me standing rooted to the spot is not helping my case either.
“Miss Moretti, please take a seat.”
“Am I late? The email Mrs. Weiland sent said four o’clock. It’s ten to.”
“No, you aren’t late.”
The corners of his lips pull up in an attempted half smile. His eyes are soft as he watches me, and my stupid heart rejoices.
I force my legs to move, sitting in the nearest chair, which means front row and much too close to Alistair.
“Hey,” Valerie greets me.
Jesus, I was so stunned by Alistair’s presence that I didn’t even notice I took the seat next to hers.
“Hi.”
Alistair looks down at the sheet of paper in his hand and says, “It seems everyone is here. As I was explaining before, Mrs. Weiland had a family emergency and asked me to cover her classes and take over the Annual Film Festival project.”
My heart begins to beat faster in panic. Film history is a biweekly class. How am I going to deal with seeing Alistair more than once a week?
He approaches my chair, and I immediately tense up. He frowns slightly, which tells me he noticed. Cazzo.
“Here’s the list of tasks. Your name is already assigned to them. Would you mind?”
He gives me the stack of papers, again watching me as if I’m on the verge of breaking.
Oh God. Is he feeling guilty?
With a nod, I take the stack from his hand, careful not to brush my fingertips with his. I keep one copy and pass the rest to my neighbor. While the list of tasks is being distributed, I glance quickly at them to see what I have to do. I gasp out loud when I see my name next to interviewing the cast and the director of one of the movies showcased in the festival. That’s the best task on the list, in my opinion. Did Alistair do this to redeem himself?
I look up to find him watching me closely.
“Ugh, I can’t work on the archives. I’m highly allergic to dust,” a guy complains. “Can I do something else?”
Alistair frowns at him before glancing at the list again. After a moment, he says, “You can help with the setup and cleanup during the event.”
“Oh great. Labor work. Why can’t I be the one interviewing the movie cast?” He turns to me, glowering. “I’m on the school paper, after all.”
My spine goes rigid right before I open my mouth to reply, but Alistair beats me to it.
“I’m not responsible for the tasks’ assignment, but I stand by what Mrs. Weiland has in place.”
The guy looks pissed, but he doesn’t argue further. As for me, I’m glad Alistair didn’t assign the interview to me. I don’t want any favors because his conscience is too heavy.
“We still need someone to handle the archives,” he says as he looks around the room.
No one volunteers though. Since I already got the best assignment possible, I raise my hand. “I don’t know what it entails, but I’ll do it.”
