Page 5

Violet grimaced. She hated when Diane talked about her like that. It carried so much undertone about meaning, a meaning that had never come to fruition. For all the years she’d pined after Diane, they’d never once done anything that would push them toward more than mere friendship. That was probably Violet’s fault in the long run, since she’d never brought that line of conversation up, too scared it would ruin a good thing.

“Not really next door,” Violet interjected. “I lived down the street, but we met when we were kids and have been best friends ever since.”

“Yes, friends.” Diane slid Violet a look, a simmering one, the same one Violet had dreamed about for years but had never fully experienced.

Lando looked between the two of them, her gaze flicking back and forth as if she could read the tension in it. Violet’s lips parted as she focused on her student again. “We started officially chasing storms when I was in graduate school.”

“Sounds like an interesting story,” Lando commented. “But I think it’ll have to wait for another time. I have to get to work.”

“Oh.” Diane pouted, her lips pursing together.

Violet held back her disdain for the moment. “Well, I was glad to see you in my classes again this quarter.”

“Yeah, teach. You, too.” Lando knocked her chin up, grabbing the paper she’d put on the desk at some point. Violet wasn’t sure because she had completely missed it. “In the fall?”

“In the fall,” Violet answered, not saying anything more than that.

Lando left, and Diane turned to Violet, a saccharine smile on her lips. “She’s interesting.”

Violet refused to acknowledge her.

“We should invite her along, see if she wants to join us.”

“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Violet murmured as she sat back in her chair to look over the maps flashing across her screen.

“Why not?”

“I think our team is fine the way it is.”

“Vi,” Diane’s tone dropped, and she sat on the edge of the desk, crossing her legs and tilting her chin down. “If she’s as good as you said she is…”

“That was for her benefit.” Violet left it at that. It was a true enough statement. She always wanted to uplift her students when she could, and Lando was her most dedicated that semester. However, she wasn’t going to explain why to Diane, and she certainly wasn’t going to lie and tell Diane that Lando wasn’t smart.

“Oh.” Diane pouted again. “Are you ready to leave tomorrow?”

“Not really. I’ll pack tonight.”

Diane snorted. “Always last minute for you.”

Violet shrugged. “If you want it to be less than last minute, scram. I’ve still got to finish some grading and put in the final grades for the registrar.”

“I never understood teaching.”

“You never had to,” Violet clenched her jaw. That was borderline rude, and she hoped Diane didn’t push at it. “Was there something you needed?”

“Just checking to see if you were ready.”

“A phone call would have sufficed.”

“But then I wouldn’t have met the wonderful Lando.”

Violet snorted. “Her name is Heather.”

“Heather?”

“Heather Sutherland. She goes by Lando.”

“Suits her.” The wistful tone in Diane’s voice took Violet off-guard, and when she glanced up at her friend, the faraway look meant trouble.