Janille poked her head around the corner of his office door. “You need to rearrange your schedule for tomorrow?”
Merran blinked at her. Even after six years of working with her, she could still take him by surprise. “I don’t even want to know how you know that.”
A hint of a smile twitched at the corner of her mouth. “When Alarin Raderth called earlier, he told me what he wanted.”
Merran grinned and relaxed. “And here I thought precognition was one of your talents.” He sobered. “Yes, I need you to reschedule the Atheran ambassador and the school administrators. As a matter of fact, let’s just cancel the Atheran ambassador for now. She’s going to ask me for something I can’t give her anyway, and she needs to be told no once in a while or she’ll start thinking I’m a pushover.”
“Certainly, sir.” She backed out of the room and closed the door behind her. Merran sighed and returned to his work for the day.
Across campus, Tamara wandered aimlessly, her mind running over Greg’s words from the day before until she became thoroughly sick of her own thoughts. She found herself standing in front of her friend Kari’s dorm. Pushing her thoughts away, she entered and climbed the stairs to Kari’s third floor room, wondering if her friend had gotten back on campus yet.
The door stood wide open. Inside the room, Kari was diligently pulling clothes out of a huge trunk and organizing them in the drawers of her dresser.
Tamara stepped into the doorway. “You’re back!”
Kari jumped, then glanced over her shoulder and grinned. “Apparently, since I’m here. I told you I was coming back today.”
“I know. That’s why I ended up here. How was your summer? I haven’t talked to you in months!” Tamara walked into the room and hugged her friend.
“Months? More like a week, Tam. As for my summer, it was soooooo boring, like I told you over the phone last week. You’re lucky to live in Denver. You can’t believe how small Allensville can seem once you’ve lived in Denver.” Kari turned back to her trunk. “No men to speak of. Or any kind of social life. If it weren’t for the occasional trips into Boston, I’d have gone nuts.”
“Like we do anything in Denver anyway. How often do we leave the campus?”
“Allensville isn’t even as big as this university.” Kari made a face. “At least there is a city outside of the three thousand people who go here.”
Tamara settled on Kari’s bed, just bursting to tell her friend about her new friends. “Well, it wasn’t all that exciting around here this summer, either. Until a couple of weeks ago. It’s going to be a really interesting semester, Kare.”
“Ohhhh, really? So what happened during the new student seminar that’s going to last the entire semester?” Kari stopped unpacking for a moment to stare down at her friend. “I know that look. Spill it.”
“Oh, there just happened to appear on campus four of the most gorgeous, sophisticated guys you ever did see.” Tamara wiggled her eyebrows, a grin pulling up one side of her mouth. She exaggerated the number of guys a little bit—considering the ambassador wasn’t really a student.
“Is that all? From where? I didn’t think there were any sophisticated, gorgeous single men in the entire city. They’re all gay, taken, or otherwise hopelessly unavailable.” Kari turned back to unpacking. “Maybe Denver’s not any better than Allensville after all.”
Tamara bounced a little on the bed. “Did I say anything about available?”
“Then why are we having this discussion?”
“Because they’re all really hot.” It felt odd to be talking about them with Kari, but she knew her friend would never forgive her if she didn’t tell her at least some of what had been happening. She didn’t have to mention her own personal drama. “I mean it. Think Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom. Richard Gere from twenty years ago.”
Kari turned around to stare at her. “A combination?”
“No, no. Cute like them. Movie star cute, I mean.”
Kari put her hands on her hips. “Movie star cute, huh? But they’re here, on campus. How unavailable are they?”
That was the reaction she was looking for. “One is gay. The other one has a long-distance relationship. The other two are available, though. Sort of. One is a kid. A freshman. The other has a 120-hour-a-week job, so I don’t know what kind of boyfriend he would make. He’s not actually really on campus, or a student. But I tell you, they’re still pretty fine.”
Kari laughed and sat on the bed, giving up the attempt to unpack. “That’s encouraging to know. Movie star gorgeous guys that aren’t especially available. So spill it, girl. Have you met any of them? How well do you know these guys, or are they just people you just happened to see as you checked them in?”
Tamara grinned mischievously. “Well, we went out for drinks and dinner.” She’d also been hanging out with them for the past two weeks, but it made a better story the other way, so she didn’t tell Kari everything.
“All of you?”
“Yes.” Since Justern and Mellis had never rejoined them, it really had been just her, Merran, Greg, and Alarin that night. Merran had footed the bill without any indication as to the cost of the meal, but the glimpse she’d caught had staggered her.
“Four guys and you. Hmm.”
“Actually, it was only three of them. The freshman was off seducing someone else.”
Kari’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Tamara grinned.
“Do I get to meet them? Or are you just planning on hoarding them all to yourself?”
“Two of them have anthro studies class with us tomorrow. You’ll get your chance.”
Kari got to her feet and pulled another pile of clothes out of her suitcases. “Do these two happen to be one of the available ones?”
“Uh, one is.”
“The freshman?”
Tamara’s grin widened.
“Ah. Who’s the other one?”
“The one with a long-distance relationship.” It was odd describing the Azellians instead of naming them, but she felt an odd possessiveness toward them suddenly. Where’s that coming from? she asked herself. I don’t have a monopoly on Azellian contact with humans. Why do I want to be the only one they meet?
A spark of interest stirred in Kari’s eyes. “How attached is he?”
“Don’t know.”
“Well, we’ll just have to find out, won’t we?”
Tamara changed the subject, really not liking Kari’s interest in Alarin; although, as she’d told Kari, he did have a girlfriend on Azelle. “Are you ready for diplo studies this year? Can you believe we have Professor Bennington? He’s supposed to be the toughest prof on campus!”
Kari let her change the subject. She gave her an odd look. “You’ve never had trouble with any professor in your life, Tam. Why are you worried about it now?”
“I don’t know. I just … Pam just freaked me out with her descriptions of him last year.”
“Yes, well, Pam is lazy and likes to sleep her way into grades, Tam. Bennington is not about to hand out grades just because you wear short skirts to class. Unlike some of the others we won’t mention.”
Tamara coughed. Kari had never liked Pam, although Tamara got along with her well enough. The part about sleeping her way to grades was just a rumor, mainly because Pam did very little work in most of her classes yet mysteriously seemed to pass anyway. “Speaking of Pam, the Azellian embassy’s supposed to have a gathering Friday. Do you think we should go?”
“Hell yeah. Especially if it gets us in good with Bennington. Despite what Pam tried to make us think last year, what I heard is that he’s got a soft spot for people who are dedicated, and spending time at an embassy is definitely dedicated.” Kari turned to face Tamara. “Now what I want to know is how in hell did you manage to hear about a party at the Azellian embassy? They’ve got legendary parties!”
“Those four gorgeous guys? There’s a small detail I didn’t tell you. They’re Azellian.” Tamara couldn’t seem to stay awa
y from the subject, despite her best efforts.
“All of them? What about the one with a 120-hour-a-week job?”
“Him too. He’s … an embassy worker. That’s how I found out about the party Friday at the embassy.” For more reasons she didn’t quite want to analyze, she didn’t tell Kari just who that “embassy worker” really was.
“Wow. Tamara’s got an in with four gorgeous Azellians. You know Jenna hooked up with one of the embassy workers last year. Don’t ask me how they met, or what lies she told him about her age, but she managed to go out with him for a month.”
“Jenna? Holy crap. I didn’t know that. What happened?”
“They are a bit funny about long-term relationships with humans, she says. This is Jen we’re talking about, though. She may just think that because she was trying to hide the fact that she thought it was more than it really was and she felt stupid about it. Anyway, he broke up with her.” She raised an eyebrow and grinned mischievously. “She did say it was the best sex she’s ever had in her life, though, and she’s been chasing it ever since. Don’t tell her about these gorgeous Azellians, or you’ll find yourself pestered to death with Jen trying to use you to get back into a pair of Azellian pants.”
Tamara tossed her head. “If the rumors are right, she might even have a chance, but I wouldn’t count on a long-term thing with any of them.”
Kari gave her a long look. “Or maybe they might be more interested in you?”
“Yeah, right. Not in this lifetime.” She didn’t mention her suspicions that one of them might be.
“You never know.” Kari dumped the now empty suitcase onto the floor. “Are you doing anything tomorrow?”
“After I get back from dinner, I’m free. They probably won’t bury us in homework this first week. I do have to go home for dinner, though.”
“That’s kind of a pain.”
“My mom was just diagnosed with cancer, so I’m trying to spend as much time as I can with her.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Tam.” Kari joined her on the edge of the bed. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. She’s starting chemo and radiation tomorrow. From what Mom and Dad told me, they’re confident the treatment will work.” Tamara lifted her chin, trying to believe it. Her fears would come roaring back if she didn’t.
Kari made a face. “Shit, Tam. I really am sorry.”
“Let’s talk about some other stuff … please.”
“Sure. Did you hear from Alice at all this summer?”
They drifted off into other realms, and Tamara was able to forget about Azellians and sick mothers for a little while, focusing instead on classes that would begin the next morning.
The next day arrived too quickly. As on all first days, Tamara received lots of syllabi listing what she was to accomplish for the next three months. Her diplo studies class wasn’t as bad as she’d expected—although Professor Bennington did promise to be a difficult teacher.
“You will all be expected to read three chapters and do an essay on them for the beginning of next week,” he said near the end of class that day. “And if any of you get motivated and want to really learn about diplomacy, you are encouraged to visit the embassies. We have three of them located very near the campus. The Azellian, Atheran, and Dorbin embassies are all within walking distance. All offer a wonderful opportunity to expand your knowledge and practice diplomatic skills. I will also entertain the possibility of students doing an internship this semester with any one of these embassies.” He scanned the room. “If any of you can manage the difficult diplomatic task of getting the Azellian or Dorbin embassies to accept you as an intern, you will get an automatic bonus to boost your final grade.”
Tamara and Kari exchanged glances. That carrot was a juicy one. A boost to final grades from a difficult professor? Tamara’s mind raced over the possibilities as the professor ended class and they started collecting their books.
“That’s not a fair challenge,” Kari groused as she collected her books at the end of class. “How in hell are we supposed to get in at either of those embassies? Ambassador Corina and Ambassador Ki’i will never accept a human intern. You know Professor Bennington and this department have been trying for years. How are we students supposed to accomplish something that even diplomats haven’t managed to do so far?”
Tamara bit her lip. A tiny germ of a thought played at the back of her mind. “He’s not telling us we have to, Kare. He’s just dangling the possibility of extra credit out there for us to drool over.”
“Drool’s right. Boosting your final grade? That’s pretty awesome extra credit!”
“But it’s actually not a bad one. Just think about it. If one of us were able to get Ambassador Corina or Ambassador Ki’i to agree to something the whole Diplomatic Studies Department hasn’t been able to do for years? It would be a diplomatic coup … and well worth any grade.” Tamara took a deep breath and dropped her voice. “Listen. Now would be the perfect time to try, at least with the Azellian ambassador. He’s trying to get his exchange program off the ground. That means he’s going to be more open to the idea than he ever has been in the past. It would be a wonderful experience for those of us interested in Azelle to learn more about it through an internship. Since we’re invited to a party there on Friday, maybe we should feel him out then and see whether he’d be open to the idea.”
Kari stared at her as they walked out into the hall. “You aren’t serious!”
Tamara stopped just outside the door to the classroom. “‘I’m dead serious, Kare.”
“You are on enough of a friendly basis with the ambassador to actually go up to him and ask about an internship? Is he even going to be at the party?”
Kari’s disbelief overrode Tamara’s desire to hide the fact that she knew the Azellian ambassador. “That embassy worker I met before classes started? I never did tell you what his position was, did I?”
Kari stared at her—her mouth open. She snapped it shut and shook her head. “You’ve got to be kidding! You are telling me you met the Azellian ambassador and hung out with him? The guy with the 120-hour-a-week job? He’s one of the group who wants to be friends with you?”
“He did tell me to call him Merran.” Amused, but somewhat insulted by Kari’s reaction, Tamara scowled at her friend. “Don’t look at me like that, Kare. He’s not all that much older than we are.”
“Uh, you’re just messing with me.”
Tamara shook her head. “No, I’m not.”
“I don’t believe you.” Kari started walking again.
“Don’t believe me then. You’ll see Friday.” Tamara walked with her. “I may even call him before then and see what he says.”
“Now I know you’re not serious. You can just … pick up the phone and talk to the ambassador? Of Azelle? Yeah right.”
“I did it before. I can’t imagine I suddenly can’t now.” She kept her attitude off-handed, as though calling the Azellian ambassador were something she’d do easily, without thought, although the reality was somewhat more complex than that. “Where are you headed?”
“Azellian language studies.” Kari looked at her. “Do you honestly expect me to believe some people never get to talk to the ambassador at all, yet you can call him whenever you want?”
“That’s what I’m saying. Well, I don’t know if I could call him whenever I want. He’d probably have to return my call or something. But he probably would return it personally.”
They walked into the Azellian language classroom, getting there with a group of others. “If you’re so certain you can get this internship, you should see if you can get extra credit in this class, too,” hissed Kari as they settled into their chairs. Tamara nodded, liking the idea.
She was rusty after a summer of not speaking Azellian at all, despite her recent exposure to it. None of the Azellians had spoken it much in her presence, since they were all too fluent in English to make it necessary to speak Azellian to her. The class took a lot of concentration, alt
hough she did have more of a motivator to learn it than she ever had before.
After class ended, Kari watched as she went up to the professor. “Professor Madrinn?”
The pretty young woman, not much older than Tamara herself, looked up from where she was writing on a pad of paper. “Tamara. What can I do for you?”
Tamara smiled and shifted positions. “I’m—I’m really interested in learning more about the Azellian language. Would you have any suggestions for extra things I could do? I struggled with it a bit last year and I’d like to work through some of the difficulty I’ve had.”
The woman smiled, her blue eyes warm. “Of course! One of the best things to do would be to spend time with Azellian speakers. There are four Azellian students on campus this year, you know. See if any of them will spend time with you.” She pushed her pen and paper away. “Or, if you’d rather, visit the embassy. There are liaison officers there whose job it is to establish contact with humans, to foster understanding between the two cultures. Learning each other’s language is the beginning of such an effort. Throughout the year, I’m planning on having my more advanced, interested students meet regularly to discuss popular Azellian fiction. It may be a bit out of your comfort level, but you are welcome to join us and listen in on our discussions … and to read the same books.”
“Would an internship be a good way to learn Azellian?” Tamara asked ingeniously, trying not to seem as if she had been leading up to that.
“It could be, but I don’t know that I would start with that.” The professor frowned thoughtfully. “Most of the Azellian staff speaks English quite fluently. Unless you were quite aggressive about insisting on Azellian being spoken to you, you might not find it to be so. A trip to Azelle would be the final test, of course, and once you have reached a sufficient level, that would be the optimal way to pursue it. Have you thought about participating in the return exchange?”
Tamara nodded. “Oh yes. I think that might actually be a goal in the next couple of years. I’m a diplomatic studies student.”
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