“Okay. I promise I won’t.” Because I’m quitting my job, and you’ll never see me again. Caitlyn had to tell Ruth somehow, but the words didn’t come.

  Ruth slapped her thighs with both hands. “Well then. Now that I know what you can do, I’m not going to let those skills go to waste. I’d like you to work with me on our retention strategy. We’re trying something new this year, and I need to know if it’s effective. Maggie will get you the data you need.”

  Caitlyn imagined having a wealth of student data to slice and study in different ways. It was a sociologist’s dream, and she had to say no. Why is Ruth making this harder? “That sounds amazing. But the thing is—”

  “Don’t give me excuses. I know you can do it, and I need your help. You bailed me out today, but I have to do something about enrollment. I need hard data on the attendance initiative so I can show the whiners that it works.”

  Whiners meant faculty. There was that attitude again. This was Caitlyn’s last chance to say something, and she decided not to waste it. “Look, presenting data isn’t going to get the faculty on your side. If you want them to support your initiatives, you need to include them in the planning. Otherwise, you’ll always be the out-of-touch administrator encroaching on their turf.”

  Ruth blinked at her. “Where is this coming from? I didn’t think you were on their side.”

  “There are no sides! That’s what I’m saying. Sure, you have a few jerks like Steve, but you also have professors who care. They’d be willing to help if you approached them in the right way.”

  “And what is the right way?” There was an edge to Ruth’s tone, but her gaze was curious.

  “You need to bring them in at the beginning. Ask for their opinions. Instead of ordering them to take attendance, tell them the problem and come up with a solution together. You’ll get buy-in if they feel like they were part of the process. Plus you’ll be a lot more popular if faculty know you respect their experience—and their expertise.”

  For a moment, Ruth didn’t speak, and Caitlyn worried she’d said too much.

  “I never thought my assistant would tell me how to run my college,” Ruth said finally.

  Caitlyn flinched. “I’m sorry—”

  “I especially never thought she’d be right.” Ruth regarded Caitlyn with something like wonder.

  “Oh.” Caitlyn offered a shy smile.

  “The question is what to do about it.” Ruth picked up her iPhone and tapped the screen. “I’d like you to schedule a meeting on Monday for the two of us. Right now, I’ve got a hold on my calendar until eleven. You can schedule it for nine or ten, whichever you prefer.”

  “I…” I won’t be here because I’m resigning.

  “I need to map out a strategy for faculty engagement on the retention issue, and I’d like you to help. There’s no need to prepare anything in advance. We can brainstorm together and go from there. I want you to be a thought partner with me on this.”

  Partner. Ruth—the president of an entire college—wanted Caitlyn to work with her as an equal. Caitlyn had a wild urge to give Ruth a hug.

  “But…” Caitlyn whispered. It was excruciating. Ruth’s proposal was like a dream, and she had to quit instead. But she didn’t have a choice, did she?

  Ruth looked up from her phone. “Don’t be scared. I know this is outside of your normal duties, but I need you. You seem to have insight into how the faculty think, but you’re not faculty yourself—and you’re not one of the administrators who constantly sucks up to them. You’re someone I can trust. You proved that today. So, can I count on you?”

  I’m moving away.

  I found another job.

  She meant to say it. She really did. But what came out of her mouth was, “Yes. You can count on me. I’ll be there.”

  * * *

  Caitlyn found her mom curled up on the couch, knees pulled up to her chest. Her anxiety is bad today. For the hundredth time, Caitlyn wished her mom would see a psychiatrist, but it would be pointless to bring it up again.

  “Hi.” Caitlyn squeezed her mom’s shoulder and sat on the other end of the couch. “Did you talk to Chloe and Nick?”

  “Chloe told me she’s staying in Colorado.” Her mom didn’t look up. “She said you already knew.”

  Caitlyn winced. That explained it. “Yes, but only since yesterday. She said she wanted to tell you herself.”

  At last, her mom raised her head. Worry lines creased her forehead and the skin around her eyes. “I’m concerned.”

  “I know. Did you see Nick? What did you think?”

  “He seemed nice, I guess. It’s hard to say. They told me he’s going to pay for everything. I guess he’s not concerned that she’s leaving her job after less than two months.”

  “Um, about that.” Caitlyn shifted to the side and pulled her legs onto the couch. “Chloe asked me to resign at the end of the day, but I didn’t. They’re expecting me—well, Chloe—at work on Monday.”

  “What?” Her mom sat up. “You’re going back next week?”

  “Maybe?” It came out in a squeak. “Yes. I said I would.”

  Her mom’s eyes brightened. “Oh, this is good. If you hold on for another week, Chloe will have more time to think. Who knows, by this time next week, she could be on her way home. Whatever she’s saying now, it’s much better for her to be employed.”

  “Uh-huh. Right.” Except the longer Caitlyn spent working with Ruth, the harder it would be for Chloe to take her place. What a mess. How had she gotten in so deep in only a week?

  “So, are you going to tell Chloe that you haven’t quit yet?”

  “Yeah.” Caitlyn let out a long sigh. “I can’t exactly hide it. She’ll notice when she keeps getting paid. In fact, I’d better call her before she posts photos of Colorado on Instagram. I’ll do it right now.”

  “Good idea. And maybe—I know we can’t push too hard, but maybe you can talk to her about coming back.”

  “Okay.” Caitlyn got up and walked toward the stairs.

  “Caitlyn?”

  “Yeah?” She turned around.

  Her mother gave her a grateful smile. “I appreciate you doing this for your sister. And for me. I know it’s a lot of work and not what you wanted to be doing this summer. But it means a lot to me.”

  Caitlyn managed a lopsided smile before she turned around, hoping her mom didn’t detect the guilt in her eyes. She didn’t want to explain that she wasn’t staying for Chloe, but for Ruth—and for herself.

  * * *

  Caitlyn decided a conversation like this should be face-to-face or at least the closest substitute. She settled on her bed with her laptop and held her breath as she tapped the video icon.

  After a few seconds, Chloe appeared in a kitchen, wearing a sleeveless top with hoop earrings and her hair in a messy bun. Her cheeks were rosy, and her smile was carefree. “Hey! We’re making dinner, but I can talk for a minute. What’s up?”

  “We? Is Nick with you?”

  “Hi, Caitlyn,” a male voice said. The picture blurred, and Nick appeared, chopping zucchini on the counter. He set down the knife and approached the camera. “Wow. You look like Chloe.”

  That’s what identical means. “I guess I’ll take that as a compliment. What are you making?”

  “Flat bread with pesto and vegetables.” He gestured proudly at the pile of chopped vegetables behind him. “My personal recipe.”

  “Sounds great.” Caitlyn tried to assess the man who had inspired Chloe to leave her job and family behind, but she couldn’t glean much.

  Chloe turned the camera back to herself. “Nick is an amazing cook. Plus he’s a vegetarian, so everything’s healthy.” She raised a glass of red wine to her glossy lips, completing the picture of a leisurely summer evening.

  “That’s good.” Caitlyn couldn’t help the pang of jealousy as she watched from her childhood bedroom. It had been ages since Caitlyn had been on a grown-up date with anyone. With her future in limbo, she had no idea when dating would even be a realistic possibility.

  “So, how did it go with Ruth?” Chloe asked. “Was she pissed? I bet she was.”

  “Um, about that…” Caitlyn tensed, preparing for her sister to flip.

  “What?”

  Just say it. “I didn’t quit.”

  Chloe giggled. “You couldn’t face her, huh? I know she can be scary. Don’t worry—I can send her an email from here.”

  “No. I’m saying I don’t want to quit.”

  “Wait, what?” Chloe’s smile collapsed. She turned her head, looking past her phone. “I’m going to the living room.”

  The camera captured a short hallway and then a navy-blue couch. Chloe plopped down and held her phone in front of her face. “What do you mean, you don’t want to quit?”

  “Um.” Caitlyn’s voice cracked. She swallowed, but her mouth and throat were dry. “Your job is actually interesting. I’m learning a lot about how a college administration functions, and Ruth—well, we’re getting along better than I expected. So if you don’t mind, I’d like to take your place a little longer.”

  Chloe looked baffled. “You…what? Did Mom put you up to this? I know she wants me to come home, but she can’t expect you to—”

  “No. This is coming from me. I really want to stay for a little while longer.”

  “Wow. I never imagined you’d like it there.” Chloe’s forehead creased. “I don’t know what to say. You did me a big favor by taking my place, especially after you went through a hard time with the job market. If you’re getting something out of it, of course I want to support you. It just complicates things for me. Like, I can’t post any pictures of me and Nick on Instagram because I’m not supposed to be in Colorado.”

  Caitlyn had expected an argument. Instead, Chloe was already entertaining the idea—for Caitlyn’s sake, not her own. She’s a good sister.

  Guilt gnawed at Caitlyn. She’d spent the past few hours thinking of herself, trying to figure out how to persuade Chloe to allow her to stay so she could impress Ruth. She should have been thinking about Chloe too.

  Wait, that’s it. Maybe the arrangement could benefit them both. “How about this? We can split your salary. You keep half of your net pay and send me the rest. That way, you’ll still have an income in Colorado, and I can keep helping Mom with expenses.”

  Chloe perked up. “Really? You’d do that for me?”

  “Of course! It’s a good deal for both of us. You deserve some of the pay since it’s your job, after all.” Plus you won’t be financially dependent on Nick. Even if Chloe didn’t come back to Linvale, helping her maintain some independence was a worthy cause.

  “Well, okay. If you really don’t mind, we can keep up the twin switch a little longer.”

  “Thank you.” Caitlyn exhaled as some of the stress left her body. “I appreciate it.”

  Chloe shook her head. “I can’t believe you’re thanking me for the chance to work at my crappy job. I guess you’re more interested in higher education than I am.”

  Caitlyn leaned back against the headboard. “Honestly, it’s a fascinating place. I could do a sociological study of how faculty function as a collective, and the incentives—”

  “Stop! This is getting too nerdy.” Chloe laughed. “So, how long are you thinking of staying there anyway? Another week, or…?”

  “Let’s just see how it goes. For both of us.” Of course, she couldn’t hang out in Chloe’s job indefinitely. But it was only June.

  “Okay. Well, the extra income will be nice. And Miguel will be happy too.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “He likes you. He lit up my phone about quitting, but he also said he would miss talking to you.”

  “I like him too. Actually, most of your coworkers are nice. But what’s the deal with Gary Baker? When you told me about him, you didn’t mention his creepy crush on you.”

  “Oh, him.” Chloe made a grossed-out face. “Soon after I started, I realized he’s more agreeable when I’m nice to him. Unfortunately, he gets…excited.” She pointed to her mouth in a gagging motion.

  “Well, as the new you, I seem to have inherited his affections. How nice were you, exactly? And is really worth it to avoid listening to a few voice messages?”

  Chloe shrugged. “Maybe not. Just ignore him, I guess.” She sat up with a cheery smile. “Well, I’d better get back to helping Nick.”

  How convenient. “Okay. Have a nice dinner. I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  Caitlyn ended the call and flopped backward onto the mattress.

  Relief coursed through her as she stared at the ceiling. Pulaski gave her a real, if temporary, sense of purpose, and she was grateful she hadn’t already lost it. Most importantly, she wouldn’t be forced to let Ruth down—at least not yet.

  Chapter 10

  I need caffeine. Ruth had only been at the office for ten minutes, but already she regretted her halfhearted resolution to cut back. As she scrolled through the usual onslaught of Monday morning emails, her thoughts were sluggish and uninspired.

  A soft tapping sound interrupted her stupor—either a weak knock or her imagination. Could it be Chloe? They had a meeting, but it wasn’t scheduled for another thirty minutes.

  “Come in!”

  The door opened, and Chloe and took a tentative step into the office, wearing a loose magenta dress with sandals, her hair secured in a low ponytail. Her face looked soft and open.

  Ruth spotted the reason. No false eyelashes today. She realized she was staring and tore her gaze away. “Good morning.”

  “Sorry to interrupt.” The sandals squeaked as Chloe shifted from one foot to the other. “I know you said not to prepare anything for our meeting, but I was wondering if there are any documents I should print for reference—such as the standard faculty contract or the course schedule. Or anything else that might help.”

  Once again, Ruth marveled at the change in Chloe. A few weeks ago, she hadn’t even looked up from her phone when Ruth passed by the desk. Now she hovered and asked for extra work. “This is more of a brainstorming session, so we shouldn’t need reference materials. But I wouldn’t mind an iced latte.” She opened her wallet and retrieved a few bills. “It’s already hot in here. Would you mind taking a quick walk and getting something for both of us?”

  “Oh gosh. You don’t have to pay for mine.” Chloe clasped her hands behind her back and bit her lip. “In fact, it’s my turn to pay.”

  “Nonsense. I’m not such an awful boss that I’d let my employee buy me lattes.” Ruth held out the cash with a firm nod. “Consider it a tip for the errand.”

  Chloe accepted the money with a sheepish smile. “Okay. Thanks.” She scurried out and closed the door behind her.

  Ruth smiled to herself as she returned to her email. Knowing that caffeine and Chloe were on the way, she already felt more energized.

  Twenty minutes later, Chloe returned with Ruth’s iced latte.

  “Thank God.” The ice cubes sloshed gently in the cup, and beads of condensation slithered down the sides. Ruth lifted the straw to her lips and sucked in a generous sip. “Ah. Heaven.”

  Spots of pink had appeared on Chloe’s cheeks. She took a teetering step back. “Well. I guess I’ll wait at my desk.”

  Ruth chuckled. “Okay, okay. I can tell you’re ready to go. Let’s start.” She pushed back her chair and stood.

  Chloe brightened. “I’ll grab my computer.” She returned a moment later with her laptop and an iced latte of her own.

  “No whipped milkshake today?”

  “Oh. Um.” Chloe glanced at her drink. “I got tired of those.”

  “There’s no need to be nervous.” Ruth winked. “This might even be fun.”

  That earned a smile. Chloe walked over to the table and started to sit.

  “Actually, you can sit over there, in front of the board.” Ruth gestured to the white board that hung on the far wall.

  “Oh, okay.” Chloe quickly resettled.

  Ruth set her drink on the table but remained standing. She uncapped a dry-erase marker and began to scribble on the board. “We have two related problems—low enrollment of new students and low retention of existing students. We’ve made progress on recruitment, thanks to a new director and increased outreach at the high schools. But retention hasn’t budged. As you pointed out on Friday, we need a strategy that includes faculty from the beginning. So what are our first steps?”

  Chloe rested her elbows on the table. “I know it’s a cliché in academia, but I think we need to form a committee.”

  “Oh God, another committee.” Ruth let out a long-suffering sigh. “We already have so many. But I suppose you’re right. We need to engage the faculty consistently and in person.”

  “You can call it a working group if that makes you feel better. Or a task force.”

  Ruth grinned. “An action team?”

  “A project crew,” Chloe countered.

  “Mission club.”

  Chloe tapped her chin. “A goal gang?”

  Ruth chuckled. “That’s the one. But only between us. We’ll call it a working group in public.”

  “Fair enough.” Chloe’s eyes sparkled.

  It was refreshing to joke with someone at work besides Piper. Ruth had to watch her words around most administrators and faculty since anything could be taken out of context and used against her. But Chloe had proved her loyalty last week, and that meant Ruth could relax a little.

  “So how do we pick the faculty? I don’t want—well, you know.” Ruth took a sip of her drink.

  “Steve Stubbons and his asshole friends?”

  Ruth stifled a spit-take. “You said it. Not me.”

  “Why don’t we ask for volunteers? We might get a few spies or people who want to complain, but I bet there are people out there who want to help. They just don’t get asked.”