Page 13 of The New Place

“I’d really love to talk with you about the opportunity,” Beverly says.

She’s expecting him to say yes. Clearly. To the conversation and to the job both. Of course she is: it’s Newbury University. You don’t just say no to that. Or stonily ignore it like Abbot is doing.

“It was really so great to meet you,” Ned says and sticks his hand out to Beverly, hoping if he does it with enough gusto, she’ll go along with it.

Thankfully, she shakes his hand again, so he can turn the momentum to Chris before any more invitations come, each harder to slip out of than the last. “A drink would be great, but my dog is stashed at a friend’s place, and I have to pick him up before he chews too many sneakers.”

“Just bring him over with you,” Chris says, and damn, this man never makes anything easy, does he?

But Ned is well-versed in all things Chris. “I would if I didn’t need to catch up with this guy too, while I’ve got a chance. Steve, we’ll walk you out?” As excuses go, it’s a shitty one, since he can see Steve at the office. But Ned pulls Chris into a back-slapping hug that serves as a definitive goodbye. Better to cap this conversation right here and rescue Steve along with Abbot. Which is generous of Ned, really, when he’s losing his best pitcher.

Ned catches Steve’s eye as he steers Abbot toward the door. Don’t blow this, he tries to convey with a silent look.

“Absolutely, new campuses are always a maze,” Steve says as he catches on. “And are we talking batting order?”

“We need to discuss the bullpen, if you’re trying to jump ship.” Ned ushers him and Abbot down the hall ahead of him.

“I love the idea of a baseball team,” Chris murmurs behind them.

“You know, at some point you and Peggy are going to have to put down the recipe book, and she’ll finally have to teach you how to hit a ball,” Ned says, slipping his hand into Abbot’s.

Nothing. Barely a faint squeeze against his fingers. Thanks for offering a surprise job at a world-class university people spend their whole careers aiming for, Abbot could have said to Beverly. Ned glances back, half sure Chris will lob another invitation after them, or that Beverly will loudly retract her offer in the face of Abbot’s response to her generosity.

Though, no. Abbot knows her, and she knows his family, and so she knows how he is, clearly. How he clams up and takes time to emerge from his shell, and she’s not fazed by it.

“Steve, you can’t up and leave Adams,” Ned says when they make it outside. “What the hell, man?”

“Listen, you absolutely weren’t supposed to be here tonight. Not that I’d figured out how to avoid the boyfriend-to-boyfriend news pipeline. But you aren’t supposed to know about me interviewing at Callahan, alright?”

“I thought you were happy at Adams. And Jess was too.”

“We both are, but the wife says we gotta go, so we gotta go. Look, can you forget everything about this? It’s already so awkward. Spousal hires always are, and I really don’t need the entire department knowing I have a foot out the door.”

“I won’t tell anyone at work. But why? Just up and leaving? It doesn’t make sense.”

“Jess found a great position up here.”

“Jess has a great position.” Ned squints at him in the wash of light glowing over the campus paths. “Callahan isn’t the place for her research. Adams is a better spot for her.”

“We’re feeling like Portland is the place to be.”

“Your entire family lives in Boston. Jess’s too. Nobody moves away from free childcare.”

Steve smiles, but it’s weak. “We want a bigger yard.”

“So move out to the suburbs.”

“Too long a commute.”

“Adams lets us work from home,” Ned counters, and then he presses, because this is fishy as hell. “Why are you possibly leaving?”

“Just a new job. Seems to be going around, yeah? That Beverly is at Newbury now?”

“Yeah, and she offered Abbot a position.” Ned turns to him. “That was wild.”

“She what?” Steve asks. “At Newbury? Oh shit, Henry. That’s incredible.”

Ned jostles Abbot’s hand, swinging it between them to get his attention. “You are going to take it, right?”