On the Record (Record #2)(54)

Liz was floored that Dr. Mires had gone to that much trouble for her. Dr. Mires insisted that Liz had earned such a position. Nancy had been so impressed with her work on the colloquium in the spring that it had made it an easy choice. Liz would be flying up to New York at the beginning of September for her first meeting.

Fall rolled around all too soon and she kissed Hayden good-bye and returned to Chapel Hill for her senior year of college. She had a busy year ahead of her. It made her a bit dizzy to think about it: editor, internship with the New York Times, research hours with Dr. Mires, not to mention that she was still taking a full load of classes, had a boyfriend, and had tried to keep up with regular tennis lessons. She wasn’t sure she was going to have any time to breathe, let alone think. Of course, she couldn’t complain; she had basically gotten everything that she wanted.

Liz walked into the newspaper office on the second floor of the Union on campus. It felt a bit surreal to have spent so much time away from the place over the summer. She had practically lived there the three years prior.

It was the first week back to school for her senior year. The paper had already gone out and only division leaders had to be in the office that afternoon. They had the full meeting for everyone interested in working on the paper that evening. Liz had prepared for it best she could. She just hoped she had half of Hayden’s charisma.

She walked into her new editorial office and sighed. It was one of the few offices in the building that had a door and a lock that actually worked. It felt a bit surreal to be in here again; she had commandeered the office last summer while Hayden had been away.

She ran her hands along the desk that she knew she would never be able to keep as clean and meticulous as Hayden did. She had helped him move his stuff out of the office this summer, and it had barely taken any time, even though he had occupied the space for a year and a half. By the end of the first week, she knew it would be a mess that she would never be able to get back under control.

A knock on the door jolted her from her thoughts. “You’re early,” Savannah said with a smile.

Liz checked her watch. Still thirty minutes before the meeting. “I’m editor. I’m supposed to be early. What are you doing here?”

“I just got out of class. You’ve had Professor Mires before, right?”

“She’s my advisor,” Liz told her.

“Is she as difficult as everyone says she is? Her classes are always packed, but I know a bunch of people who want to drop because she grades unfairly.”

Liz snorted. “She just makes you earn your grade. It’s worth it to be on her good side. She helped get me an internship with the New York Times for this year.”

“Nice. It’s who you know, not what you know,” Savannah said with that knowing Maxwell glint in her eye.

“Usually,” Liz confirmed with a shrug. If anyone had connections it was Savannah Maxwell. “How was your summer?”

She shrugged, but had an unmistakable giddy smirk across her face. “Pretty good.”

“And what’s his name?” Liz asked, leaning back against the desk.

“I mean, I’m talking to this guy named Forrest,” she said, the look disappearing.

Uh-huh. That clearly wasn’t who had caused her to get all flustered.

“Forrest and Savannah. Not getting much more Southern than that,” Liz joked, wondering if she should push for the real story.

“It’s not serious or anything. He’s just a guy I met at the gym.”

“Did you see Lucas this summer?” Liz asked, diving in.

Savannah’s cheeks colored, but she clearly tried to play it off. “Yeah. Some. Over the Fourth of July my family goes to Hilton Head, and his family came with us this year.”

Liz already knew about the Fourth of July, of course. Brady had postponed going to Hilton Head last summer to stay with her an extra day. She was glad Savannah had had a good time.

“Right. And you still like him?” she asked her friend.

“I don’t really know. I’ve known him . . . forever. I don’t think he feels the same way about me.”

“Have you looked at you recently? He would have to be dumb or blind or both not to be interested in you, Savannah,” Liz said. She knew Lucas had to be into her. The guy was related to Chris, Brady’s best friend, so he couldn’t be stupid.

Savannah laughed. “Thanks for the ego boost. He’s dating someone else, though.”

Liz deflated. Damn. Savannah seemed so happy about him. “Really? That sucks.”

“I mean . . . don’t tell anyone,” Savannah said, biting her lip conspiratorially. “He kissed me on the beach.”

“Oh my God, really? What happened? When did it happen? Did you kiss him back? Did it go further?” Liz asked, going into full-on girl mode in a matter of seconds.

“We kissed in the sand for like two hours at sunset. It was incredibly . . . insane. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“So, why isn’t he interested in you? I’m so confused.”

Savannah shrugged with a sigh. “He said that he didn’t think we should keep doing what we did that night. He goes to Vandy, so he probably wouldn’t want to do the distance thing. And the part where he has a girlfriend . . .” She trailed off.

“You’re Savannah Maxwell. Said girlfriend might as well not exist.”