The Smartest Girl in the Room (35 page)

She shrugged. "Not everything changes. But
Mitch, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for a
while."

"Yes?"

"Did you ever track down the girls who took
the pictures of you and your frat brothers?"

He put his arm around her. "Do you want to
talk about some girls who took advantage of me when I was
inebriated, or do you want to do something else?"

She put her hand on his cheek. "Now what did
you have in mind, Mister Graham?"

He pulled her closer. "I’m sure I’ll think of
something," he said before he kissed her.

They stayed on the bench for hours until
Emily realized she was hungry. They took the train to the North End
and she took him to a little restaurant that looked like it was a
remade bar out of an old Western. She laughed while he ate his big
bowl of pasta. "What? I’m a growing boy with a big appetite."

"Promises, promises."

At four-thirty he asked, "And for
dessert?"

"I don’t think I’m going to find anything
vegan here, unfortunately."

He raised his eyebrows. "The cupcakes are
vegan."

"Yes, but they’re at your place."

He waited a moment. "So I guess we’ll have to
go back there."

She put her finger on her lips. "That’s a
long way to go for a dessert."

"Oh, but they’re really good."

"I know, I made them."

He smiled. "But you haven’t eaten them in my
apartment."

They walked to the train station. He kissed
her hand and she stroked his face. She leaned in. "Haven’t you had
cupcakes at my place? You didn’t think they tasted good there?"

"They were very good," he whispered. "But I
have something at my place that will make them taste even
better."

"And when," she whispered back, "did you
become such an expert on cupcakes?"

"I’ve been thinking about them for a long
time now."

She put her arms around his neck and kissed
him. "And what else have you been thinking about?"

He rubbed her back. "What do I have to do to
get you to make cupcakes for me for the rest of my life?"

~~~

When they were back at his place, Mitch took
her hands. "Just... stand right there." He grabbed his iPod and
scrolled through for a few seconds. "There." He put it into the
speakers.

Paul Anka came on and crooned the song she’d
mentioned that night on the bench. Her face tingled. He remembered.
"Oh, very classic," she said when he put his arms around her.

His hands slid down to her hips. "I try."

"What are you trying now?"

"To get you to dance with me."

"So ask me."

"Will you dance with me?"

"I would love to."

She put her hands on his shoulders. He led
them around the room, first taking little steps, then letting his
strides grow. She didn’t usually like to be led, but he moved
well.

"Song's over," he whispered a few minutes
later.

"So it is," she said shyly. "Now what?"

His cheeks turned red. "Oh, I don’t know. I
thought... maybe, if you wanted to..."

She traced down the center of his chest. "Of
course I want to."

"But?"

She swallowed. "I don’t want to worry that
I’m being compared to someone else."

"Didn’t I tell you once before? You’re in a
class by yourself." He stroked her hair. "But what about me? Do you
know how hard it is to have to compete with stars?"

"You remembered that?" she asked
incredulously.

"Now how," he asked as he leaned down to kiss
her, "could I forget something like that?"

~~~

She could tell by the way he undressed her
that he had thought about being with her as much as she had thought
about being with him. But the way he touched her and the way their
bare skin felt next to each other was something that couldn’t be
planned or rehearsed.

Hours later, they saw the sun begin to peek
through the window. They lay in bed, under the sheet, as they had
at the end of their yoga class.

"What are you thinking about?" he
whispered.

"Stars," she murmured sleepily.

He kissed her neck and she turned over to
him. She kissed him then touched his face. "What are you
thinking?"

"What am I going to say to convince you not
to leave?"

"Well, Professor Hazlett is giving me a few
weeks off."

"I meant something a little more
permanent."

"Hmm," she said thoughtfully. "I might have
to have you negotiate with Zainab. I still have a lot of back rent
I need to work off."

He turned onto his back and pulled her on top
of him. "I bet she’d let you go if you kept her stocked in
cupcakes."

"She’s more about scones and brownies."

"Give me your recipes and I’ll bake them for
her."

She kissed his forehead. "You’d do all that
baking just to keep me here?"

"I’d cook anything anyone wanted to keep you
here."

Sleepy, she closed her eyes. "If I move in
with someone else those guys are not going to let me live it
down."

She didn’t hear his answer before she drifted
off.

Later that morning they lingered in bed, the
shower and in bed again. It was two in the afternoon before they
could go out. Mitch would have been happy to have stayed in bed all
day, but Emily insisted on getting some food.

They ended up in Chinatown because Emily had
heard about a dim sum restaurant that had some vegan offerings. "I
can’t think of a better way to celebrate graduating than getting
some rolled rice noodles and almond Jell-O with you."

Mitch sat down and laughed. "I would expect
nothing less from the woman whose idea of a good date is a cheese
sandwich."

"Cheese sandwich," Emily mused as she opened
her menu. "One more thing that turned out to be bad for me."

Mitch was quiet after ordering. Emily looked
at him sipping his tea and smiled.

"Yes?" he said, raising his eyebrows.

She blushed. "You are so unfair when you draw
attention to your eyes."

He took her hand. "Why?"

She stroked his fingers. "Because you know I
can’t think straight when I look at them."

"Then you’re in trouble, because my plan is
that you’re going to have to look at them for the rest of your
life."

The food came before she could answer. She
looked away and cut into a noodle with her fork. "You know, I
haven’t had these in ages."

He took a bite out his. "These are really
good." He took another bite. "I think you should learn how to make
them."

She looked up. "Excuse me?"

"I’m going to law school in the fall.
Probably won’t be able to afford dim sum- in the middle of the
week- like this very often. But it would be a shame not to have it
at all."

She swallowed. "I see. And you can’t learn to
make it?"

"I can cook, but I think you’ve proven you
have more skills."

"Skills are acquired."

"This is true," he nodded. "But, like I said,
I’ll be in law school."

"Uh huh."

He smiled. "Yep."

"Is there something you want to ask me?"

"Will you marry me?"

"What?"

"Well, you said it yourself: if you move in
with someone else, Zainab’s never going to leave you alone about
it."

"So I should marry you? After one night?"

He smiled. "It has actually been more than
six months."

"Sort of. But even that is considered a very
short engagement."

"By whom? And why should I care what they
think?"

"Your food’s getting cold."

"I’m not eating until you give me an
answer."

"If you’re not going to have time to learn
how to make a dim sum dish, what makes you think you’ll have time
to be married?"

"Priorities?"

"Don’t you think marriage is harder than
cooking?"

"Much. But I know for a fact that being
without you is much harder than being with you."

"So what’s wrong with dating? You stay where
you are, I stay where I am and when you’re out of school we can see
if you still want to get married."

"Why are you worried I’m going to change my
mind?"

She leaned back in her booth. "You’re going
to meet all kinds of people in law school. You can’t know whether
you’re going to look at one of them and wish you could be with them
instead of me."

"I do know." He took her hand and kissed her
fingertips. "I’ve known since the night I met you but I couldn’t
get out of my own way. It doesn’t matter who else I meet."

"I don’t believe you. I think you think this
is a great idea right now, but by the end of the summer you’ll
change your mind."

He grinned. "What makes you think I want to
wait until the end of the summer?"

Two days later, Emily hung up her phone.

"What did Miranda say?" Mitch asked as he
kissed her neck and shoulders.

Emily put her arms around his neck. "She
didn’t believe me at first."

"Yeah? What did you say to convince her?"

She smiled. "I told her I finally did the
smart thing."

"That’s what I think," he whispered.

"Well, good. Now she’s going to throw us a
reception."

He pulled her close to him. She wondered if
they’d make it out to that pretty beach outside of their bed and
breakfast today. "You’re not going anywhere near her house and that
creep."

She sat on his lap. "Is that an order?"

He sighed after a moment. "You know I can’t
think when you look at me like that, much less give orders."

"Then it’s settled. The party is in three
days."

He kissed her tenderly. "You are not fair,
Mrs. Graham. You know I’d do anything to make you happy."

She kissed him back and forgot all about the
beach. "Then don’t change a thing, Mr. Graham."

This book is dedicated to Liseli Mulala, who
makes my memories of college and the years after much fonder than
they would be otherwise. Thank you for being a good friend and role
model.

Emily has Zainab, Jessie and Miranda. Over
the years, the people who have played their roles for me are Odessa
Cozzolino, Karen Idra Kaiser, Makeda Warren Keegan and Amy Briggs
Bledsoe. Thank you, my dears- your support over the years has been
invaluable.

I am very lucky to have the best, most
supportive sisters I could ask for: Suzanne Nam, who spent many
hours giving me her well-thought out critiques of early drafts,
Penelope Nam-Stephen, who was the first person to read this story,
Courtney Nam, for being ambitious and good-natured, Elizabeth Nam,
for her adventurous spirit, and Katy Nam, who reminds me every day
why it’s important to be able to speak our truth.

Thanks to my father Kenneth Eui-un Nam who
shocked me when he said writing would be a good career after all,
and my mother Eileen Prince who reminded me to follow my dream.

I was just one of thousands with a story
until I was fortunate enough to meet Heather Rick, who knew exactly
which parts needed a little polishing and which needed to be cut.
Finding Keri Knutson resulted in a gorgeous cover that made me feel
like my story was now a genuine book. And thanks to Harold Werling
for formatting my book so people could read it.

Many, many thanks to my beta-readers: Sheryl
Light, who read everything I gave her and was always willing to
talk issues through; Nicole DeSmet, who took time out from her busy
job at the to read my manuscript; Allie Gillies, who read my story
not once but twice; and Erin Cawood, who decided that helping a
fellow writer was worth taking time away from promoting her own
book.

In addition to Erin, I want to thank the
other indie authors who extended a helping hand and offered advice
and support: Al Boudreau, Lisa Stull, Lisette Brodey, Sarah
Woodbury, Claudia Hall Christian and every single writer on the
wonderful Indie Writers Unite! Facebook group. When that many
talented people want to know what you’re waiting for, listen.

Thank you to my wonderful family in Korea,
who inspires me to do better than I think I can: Nam Si-Uk, Kim
Eun-San and Nam Jeong-Ho.

My wonderful children Samantha, Jazmyn, Jacob
and Simon everyday help me find stories old and new (and now that
they’re a little older, I have a little more time to write them).
Finally, thank you to my husband Michael, who has believed in my
stories from Day One.

An excerpt from the next book in the New
Pioneers series...

If anyone is going to understand a sudden
elopement, it’s Miranda. That’s what her parents did…

~~~

It was Israel, 1984, another long summer
night. Summer heat was so comforting and dry, unlike the
oppressively sticky heat of the Massachusetts beach town he had
left just a few weeks before. He smiled. Not that he'd paid much
attention to the humidity.

The jeep rolled through the sand, bouncing
and jarring every few feet. But Asher Harel hardly noticed. The
other guys were cursing under their breath about having to take the
night shift, but Ash kept feeling the letter he’d just read and
then fingering his ring.

He still needed to pinch himself when he
thought of Tatiana. She was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.
She was like something out of a fairy tale with honey blonde hair,
the greenest eyes he’d ever looked at and skin that remained
luminous despite hours in the sun. She was a miracle of nature.

He'd thought so when he first saw her in
Faneuil Hall that day. Spring was just starting- at least, what
they called spring in Massachusetts. Ash felt a chill and looked at
his tee-shirt. Most places, he could wear a tee-shirt in the
spring. He didn't want to buy one more thing he'd have to pack up,
but he needed another layer. "Excuse me?" he said to several of the
passersby before they walked away. Ash snorted a little bit. People
were much nicer last year in New York. He looked around at the
stores, unsure of which one he should go into.