𝑺 𝑬 𝑹 𝑬 𝑵 𝑰 𝑻 𝒀 (18+)

Twenty-nine

                             S E R E N I T Y

                                         ♥

Texts from Jane Huston always made my stomach flutter, but this one had it doing flips. She reached out to me about a Conference she was hosting on the death of literature. I assumed she just wanted me to be in attendance but she actually asked me to be a guest speaker. I didn't know what I had to offer a room full of starving and underappreciated writers but she seemed to think I had a great deal of knowledge to share.

I wasn't terrified of public speaking but that didn't mean I was jumping at the chance to lecture large crowds. I would much rather have written out my thoughts and passed it around but Jane turned the idea down immediately. Her words exactly were, "a young girl as confident as you needs to build up her public speaking abilities. You never know when you'll be put in a position to defend yourself. Would you rather choke? Or clear your name without incident?" I had no clue how the conversation took a legal turn but she had a point. So I agreed.

The conference would take place at around six in the evening an hour after I'd get off of work. I was hoping Noah would let me leave early considering I'd have to spend at least two hours figuring out just what I was going to say. I hadn't written anything important in two years. The most I had to offer was an excerpt from my senior book analysis on The Great Gatsby. I was just like them, desperate for inspiration and seriously rethinking their degree.

Noah was particularly busy that day which meant he was aggravated. He'd been working on something for the past couple of days and didn't want to be disturbed. The most we would say to each other was hi and bye. I didn't think he would say no to my half-day proposition but to appeal to that sweet tooth of his I bought him a chocolate chip muffin along with his usual coffee.

He glanced at the pastry then back up at me with a smile on his face, "what do you want now?" Busted. "What is that supposed to mean? Maybe I just wanted to bring you a muffin today. Can't I do something nice?"

He took a bite of the chocolate chip muffin followed by a sip of his coffee. Thanks to that sweet tooth of his, he almost forgot I was in the room altogether. "I appreciate it, but you've never gone out of your way before. Usually when you want something you hop up on my desk or ask too many questions. This time it's a muffin, you must want something big."

I was going to have to switch up my methods, "if we're pointing out tells when you feel any negative emotion you pinch the bridge of your nose. And when you want something you're extra nice, almost performative."

There were so many more tells I could've pointed out but that would've taken all day. My absolute favorite was the smile that slowly spread across his lips when he didn't want to laugh at something. And when he couldn't hold it in any longer, he'd crack, a hand on his forehead to shield himself.

"Nevermind that, what do you need Serenity?"

"Jane is hosting a conference tonight at six and she asked me to be a guest speaker. It was kind of sudden, so I need the day. I have no clue what I'm going to say and I don't want to look stupid in front of all those people."

His eyes narrowed and his arms crossed. He couldn't possibly be fixing to say— "okay."

I'm not sure why I ever worried, the phrase no was a rarity from him these days. "Thank you. I'll stay until two, and then I'll be out of your hair."

I began walking to the door but Noah called me back, "If you don't mind...I'd like to come to the conference."

It slipped my mind that this was something he would've enjoyed. Our shared love of books was what brought us closer, to begin with. Maybe it was the sex, but it started in the library. That counted for something.