Thursdays. However, the day seemed to last longer than normal because he had some quiz grading to do before he went home for the day. He knew that he would be too distracted by his house guests if he dared take the work home. By early evening, an unexpected visitor arrived as he continued grading at his desk. Paige appeared at his office doorway with a sly grin and wearing a pair of form-fitted blue jeans and turtleneck sweater.
“Hey, tiger,” she greeted in a perky voice. “So, this is Professor Central, huh? You about to finish up for the day?”
He smiled up at her from his chair. “Hey, Paige. Yeah, this is the place, my home away from home. Thankfully, I’m almost finished. What brings you around?”
She shrugged. “I’m just wondering if you might want to run an errand with me after work.”
He was intrigued. “Okay, I’ll bite. Where to?”
She leaned against his door frame and adopted an innocent expression. “Oh, nothing major, really. But while I’m thinking about it, would you mind loaning me your car keys?”
“What?”
But she merely held out her empty, open palm. Then she snapped her fingers impatiently. “Come on, come on. Keys, please.”
He laughed and tossed her his car keys, which she snatched out of midair and turned to leave. “Thanks! I’ll be right back, so just stay put.”
He chuckled and shook his head as his mysterious friend disappeared from view, followed closely by sound of the nearest exit doors abruptly opening and closing. Her actions had piqued his curiosity, but he returned to grading quizzes so they could leave soon.
Minutes later, she returned with a satisfied expression, but he noted she was without the car keys in hand.
“Hey, what about my keys?” he asked.
“Oh, Gil’s taking your car back to the estate,” she replied off-handedly. “I sure hope he doesn’t get my directions confused. I mean, I printed off a Google map for him, after all.”
“Gil was here?” he asked. “Didn’t he want to go with us on the errand?”
“Nah, but then, you know how Gil is,” she replied evasively as she plopped down in the guest chair beside his desk and inspected the items and décor in his office.
Actually, I don’t, he mused, but let the topic drop for the time being.
“Go ahead, finish grading. Let me watch the young history professor in action,” she urged while perusing the titles of books on the nearby shelf.
He shook his head slightly, and then shrugged and returned to grading. Within another thirty minutes he had finished and stacked the quizzes into an orderly pile. As he filled his backpack with take-home items, Tanisha stopped by his open office doorway on her way out of the building.
“Goodnight, Caleb,” she offered as she shifted her leather satchel to her left hand while reaching into her shoulder purse for her car keys.
“Oh, Tanisha, there’s someone I want you to meet,” he beckoned, rising from his desk and gesturing to Paige.
Tanisha smiled at him and took in Paige more fully as her attention shifted. Paige’s bright blue eyes stared into Tanisha’s with amusement as a smirk played across her face at the woman’s mild surprise. However, Tanisha maintained her cool sense of grace and immediately extended her right hand to take Paige’s in a polite grasp.
“Paige, I’m proud to introduce you to my friend and colleague, Dr. Tanisha Browning,” Caleb offered. “She’s our highly regarded Professor of Women’s History. She’s also a priceless mentor to me since I started at the college.”
He turned his gaze to Tanisha with a wide grin and offered proudly, “Tanisha, I’m happy to finally introduce you to Paige Turner. She’s like an adopted sister to me and one of the dearest people in my life.”
Paige’s eyes darted to him for only a split second at the grand introduction, but quickly refocused her attention back to Tanisha.
“Well, I’m pleased to meet you, Paige,” the petite, hazel-eyed professor offered with an appraising smile. “Caleb neglected to tell me that he had an adopted sister.”
“It’s a dynamic title, of sorts,” Paige replied as the two women released hands. “That’s to say Caleb and I are like family, and he’s also very dear to me.”
One of Tanisha’s eyebrows rose ever so slightly. “Oh, I see. I thought at first you might be related to Katrina.”
Paige frowned with genuine curiosity. “Really? Why would you think that?”
“Although there’s a difference in height, I sense you both have similar qualities,” Tanisha observed with a glance at Caleb, who by that time