Page 51 of Learning Curves

So, they went to work with hangovers, and on the outside, it looked like any other day. No one seemed to know that either of them was leaving, and she and Michelle weren’t telling anyone yet. For now, they went about their days as usual.

After what Michelle had said last night, Audrey entertained some hope that Stuart would ask to see her again so he could rehire her, but it didn’t happen. He smiled politely at her when they passed each other in the hall, but that was the extent of it.

That afternoon, instead of tea in Michelle’s office, they left campus together and went to Michelle’s house to apply for jobs.

Audrey updated her résumé and prepared to send it out to colleges and universities all over the country the way she’d done last year.

As exhausting as it had been, it had led to her job at Northshire, and now she had a full year’s teaching experience and a letter of recommendation from her department chair to add.

“Just throwing this out there, but the University of London has an opening for an art history professor,” Audrey said after they’d been seated side by side in Michelle’s living room for an hour, with Muse curled cozily between them.

“Are you suggesting it for you or for me?” Michelle asked, looking sexy as hell in her reading glasses.

“Either. Both. We should both apply, I think.”

“Perhaps.” Michelle’s lips twitched with a suppressed smile. “Or maybe just you.”

“Are you really finished teaching?”

“God, I hope so,” Michelle said. “And I’m starting to think you’re more interested in moving to London than I am.”

Audrey stuck out her tongue. “What can I say? You planted the idea in my brain. I’m applying for the job.”

“All right.” The smile bloomed then, transforming Michelle’s whole face. “I think London might suit you. And speaking of London, I received the official invitation to Kate’s daughter’s wedding. You’re invited as my plus-one. What do you say?”

“I say yes, of course,” Audrey said. “I’d love to go to Gemma’s wedding with you.” She couldn’t wait to meet Kate in person, but at the same time, she couldn’t help wondering how she was going to pay for an international trip right now.

“Are you sure?” Michelle asked. “Because you don’t look sure.”

“I’m sure I want to go.” Audrey exhaled, meeting Michelle’s concerned gaze. “I’m just worried about money.”

“I understand,” Michelle said. “But I’m going to RSVP yes for us both and hope the money aspect works itself out before we need to book our flights.”

“I hardly recognize this optimistic side of you.”

Michelle shrugged, still smiling.

“Michelle, what do you want, really ?” It had been bugging her ever since their worlds got upended yesterday. Michelle seemed way too calm about the whole thing, and Audrey still didn’t know what Michelle actually wanted to do next.

“Just you.” Michelle reached out and gripped her hand.

“Well, you and access to art. Ideally, I’d love to stay right here in this house and write books while you teach at Northshire.

We could travel in the summers, tour museums and exhibits all over the world.

My god, the research I could do! But I’ll be happy in London or Boston or wherever we land.

Right now, I’m open to anything. I think I’m overdue for a change .

.. a good change. But it doesn’t have to be a change in location.

A career change is what I truly needed.”

“So you really want to stay in Vermont? Because yesterday, you said you hate it here.”

“ Here is relative. I hate my current job, but I love this house, and there’s plenty I like about Vermont too.

I love being where you are, but I hate being near my parents.

So London?” She shrugged. “I think I’m content to visit.

I meant what I said about wanting to travel.

If we stay in Vermont, I’d love to spend our summers abroad. ”

“That sounds perfect to me,” Audrey told her. “As long as you’re happy.”

“I am,” Michelle said, and it was hard not to believe her. Somehow, quitting her job had really transformed her mood. She’d been positively beaming all day. “It seems that starting my career over at forty-five is actually quite exciting.”

“You’re such a weirdo.” Audrey kissed her cheek.

“I’m your weirdo.” And that line, spoken in Michelle’s posh British accent, was maybe the funniest thing Audrey had ever heard.

So they applied for jobs together in the evenings and otherwise carried on with their lives. Over the rest of the week, Audrey sent out dozens of résumés to colleges and universities she was interested in working for, including the University of London.

Michelle seemed to be taking a different approach, reaching out to various professional contacts, although Audrey wasn’t sure exactly what kind of position she was looking for. So far, Michelle had been fairly tight-lipped about what she might do next.

But she’d been steadfast in her assertion that whatever happened next, she and Audrey would face it together, and that attitude had been life changing for Audrey.

She’d spent so long surrounded by people who prioritized their own needs over everyone else’s that she’d started to think that way herself. Michelle had shown her a better way.

By the following Monday, a full week after Audrey had lost her job and Michelle had quit hers, they’d settled into a new normal.

They were basically living together at this point, alternating between their two houses, with Audrey searching tirelessly for a new faculty position while Michelle worked on her book and sent out her own job feelers.

Audrey had just returned from her morning ceramics class when Michelle tapped on her open office door. “Got a minute? I have news.”

Audrey stood from her chair. The look on Michelle’s face made her think it was good news. “For you? Always.”

Michelle gave her a kiss on the cheek right there in her office with the door open, and Audrey loved it.

They hadn’t announced their imminent departures from the department yet, but they’d decided it was time to go public with their relationship, because who cared?

Audrey no longer feared job retribution if Stuart found out. He’d already let her go.

“I’ve been in contact with an acquaintance who works for McGraw Hill,” Michelle said. “They’ve offered me a contract to write two textbooks for them over the next year. If that goes well, there’s the potential to extend my contract.”

“Oh wow. What kind of textbooks?”

“History, of course,” Michelle said, her eyes sparkling. “I think I’ll enjoy this.”

“That’s so great!” Audrey pulled her in for an impulsive hug. “So this is what you’ll be doing for the next year?”

Michelle nodded. “For at least a year, and I’ll still have plenty of time to work on my own book projects. Best of all, the position is remote. I can work from anywhere.”

“It sounds perfect. I’m thrilled for you.”

Their arms were still around each other, and Michelle spun her in a circle, as exuberant as the young Dr. Thompson from Audrey’s memories.

“Will you stop feeling guilty about me quitting my job now? I’m excited about this.

It’s not my dream job, but it’s a stepping stone, and it might even look good to publishers when I’m ready to submit my novel.

I’ll write textbooks while I try to get my fiction career off the ground. ”

“Yes,” Audrey said, smiling. “I’ll stop feeling guilty about it now.”

“You’ll find something soon, too, and once we know where you’ll be working, we can decide where we’ll live.” Michelle winked. “Maybe even London.”

Audrey nodded, biting her lip. It really sucked that they couldn’t stay right here.

She loved this university and especially the classes she got to teach here.

She’d come to love living in Vermont, too, and while she would embrace London if that was where life led them, she’d rather stay here, as long as that made Michelle happy too.

As they parted ways to teach their next classes, Audrey forced herself to stay optimistic about the future. Her career was just getting started. There would be more campuses, more classes, more opportunities, maybe even better than what she’d had here at Northshire.

“I heard a rumor about you.”

Audrey sat across from Mercy in the break room and popped the lid off her salad container. “Oh yeah? Which one?”

Mercy’s eyebrows rose. “Is there more than one rumor circulating about you right now?”

“Honestly?” Audrey sighed. “I can think of at least two, and I’ve been looking for the right time to tell you about both things.”

“Okay.” Mercy drew the word out. “So tell me.”

“First, I’m dating Michelle.”

Mercy grinned, pointing her fork in Audrey’s direction before she jabbed it into her lunch, some sort of pasta dish that smelled amazing.

“That’s the one I heard, and I’m glad it’s true.

She seems happier lately, and I assume that’s your influence.

In fact, I think you two might be perfect for each other. ”

“I think so too.” Audrey’s cheeks were hot. “We’re really happy together ... actually, we’re head over heels in love with each other.”

“Hell, yes.” Mercy gave a little cheer. “Good for you. That’s great news.”

“Yeah, so things with Michelle are great, but things with my job are not so great. I’m actually leaving at the end of the semester.”

Mercy sat back in her seat, lips parted in shock. “No! Why?”

“They couldn’t renew my contract. Budget cuts.” She wrinkled her nose. “It wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it sucks. I really loved teaching here.”

“Dammit, I loved you teaching here too.” Mercy stabbed angrily at her pasta. “It was so nice having a friend in the department. I’m sorry. Have you found a new job yet?”

She shook her head. “It’s only been a week, but I’m applying for everything I can find.”

“What about Michelle? I assume you’re looking outside Vermont, since there isn’t much else around here. Are you two open to trying things long distance?”