Goddess by Kelee Morris Read Free Book Online Page B

sharp jolt though my body. I wasn’t sure why. “The crown you showed me?”
    Dr. Stewart nodded. His eyes drifted subtly downwards. My cheeks flushed at the memory of my dream. “You can understand why Nina was so intrigued by your tattoo,” Dr. Stewart said. “It was a very odd coincidence that, 6,000 miles and two millennia removed, she would meet someone who bore the Magoan goddess symbol.”

 
    CHAPTER 4
     
    As I walked home from campus, I phoned Matt at his office. “They offered you the job on the spot?” he said after I told him about the interview.
    “They need someone right away,” I said, even though they hadn’t told me that. “I was their best candidate.”
    I could feel Matt frowning at the other end of the line. “How are you going to have time for this?”
    “I’ll make the time. Matt,” I said. “I need this. I need to do something for me.”
    ~*~
    That afternoon, I rummaged through the cupboards trying to find something halfway nutritious to turn into dinner while doubts pinged like shrapnel against the inside of my skull. Why had Dr. Stewart seemed so distant, but at the same time wanted so much to hire me? Was it because of my tattoo? But we had both agreed that it was a coincidence.
    As I pulled out myriad varieties of macaroni and cheese—shells, Velveeta, organic—another thought sent a tingle down my spine. Ashland Stewart’s strong hands and penetrating eyes had slithered deep into through my subconscious.
    Did he feel the same way?
    I immediately dismissed the idea. That was the kind of silly fantasy I had indulged in when I was a teenage bagger at the IGA. I would imagine Robin Zander, Bryan Adams, or some other 80s musical heartthrob suddenly appearing in my checkout line. He’d stare at me while I bagged his Doritos and six pack of Coke. (No beer, because Cliff, our balding, tobacco chewing assistant manager, would have to bag that for me.) As he accepted his purchases, his hand would graze mine. His eyes would tell the full story. The tour bus was waiting outside. He wanted me on it. I would be his, to satisfy his needs and mine. He would whisk me away from Bicknell, Indiana forever.
    “Can I have some money?”
    I turned to see Lily standing in the doorway. She was dressed in black leggings and a cute blue sweater. “What for?”
    “A movie.”
    I found my purse on a chair in the living room and came back with my wallet. I handed her $20. “Who are you going with?”
    “Just some friends.” She stuffed the bill in her jeans.
    “Not Chase?” I knew this was an awkward way to bring him up, but it was better than nothing.
    Lily glared at me. “I hate Anna.”
    “What’s Anna got to do with it?”
    “I left my phone on the table and when I asked her if she looked at it, she said yes. She doesn’t even have the intelligence to lie about it.”
    “She just never worries about hiding things.”
    Lily frowned, as if the concept were impossible to grasp. “I can’t believe I have two more years to endure this.” She turned to leave.
    “Lily, I wasn’t trying to accuse you of something. We’d just like to meet him at some point.”
    “Fine, whatever.” And she was gone.
    ~*~
    I followed another winding asphalt path that led to the rare books library. I had been to the university’s main library several times. Monolithic and impersonal, it was all concrete and hard edges. Its only personality came from the books it contained. I didn’t realize that its predecessor still existed. The path deposited me in front of an imposing, neo-Gothic building. Its enormous stained glass windows reminded me of a cathedral, which was likely the architect’s intention. It was built at a time when books were honored and worshipped as more than just another form of media to be consumed.
    My footsteps echoed in the high-ceilinged lobby as I crossed to the reception desk. Magnificent chandeliers hung overhead. Nina waited there, greeting me with a smile. An attractive young woman