“Mmhmm,” Carolyn murmured absently, savoring each word as it curled off the page and down her throat like warm honey.
Bob lowered his geography book and peered at the spine of Carolyn’s book. “What are you reading?”
The title on the spine of the book was The Federalist Papers.
“Number 84. Hamilton’s denial of the necessity of the Bill of Rights,” she said.
Bob arched an eyebrow. “Really? I’ve seen you speed through textbooks before. And America has a Bill of Rights, doesn’t it? So this Hamilton guy had it all wrong.”
“Mmhmm,” Carolyn agreed.
Bob poked the dust-jacket on the book experimentally. “So why are you reading his stuff if he was wrong?”
“’S important to know.” Carolyn closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Bob eyed her for a long moment. Something wasn’t right; she only read her ‘novels for fun’ this slowly. “Really?” His tone was loaded with skepticism.
Carolyn opened her eyes and looked at him, blinked as if she were just coming to proper awareness. “Really. Lawyers need to know both sides of every argument.”
“Right,” Bob said, tone still skeptical. “You’re not doing homework, are you? We had a deal - we both get our homework done before soundcheck and then after the show we can go get dinner together.”
“Together with your brothers,” Carolyn said. She closed her book and grinned. “I’ll tell you what - how about we take a quick study break?”
“What kind of study break?” Bob asked.
Carolyn leaned up and kissed him.
The book slid from her grasp and landed on the floor, open to the page she had been reading.
O my America! my new-found land, / My Kingdom, safeliest when with one man manned, / My mine of precious stones, my empery, / How blest am I in this discovering thee!
John Donne had little to say about the Bill of Rights.
Dan poked his head into Carolyn’s hotel room. “Hey, can I borrow one of your textbooks about English common law?”
Carolyn looked up from where she was savoring a volume of Blackstone’s Commentaries. “Which one?”
“Any one. My assignment is about the development of English courts.”
“Sure. I’ll bring one down to you in a minute,” Carolyn said. “It’ll take me a moment to find the right one.”
Dan eyed the stack of textbooks on the table. “I can just grab it - no need to stop studying. Which volume?” He started toward the table.
Carolyn sat up. “Seriously. I’ll bring one to you.”
Dan blinked at the vehemence in her tone. “Uh...okay. I’m rooming with Scott. Bye.”
“Bye,” Carolyn said. She took a deep breath. She really needed to find a better hiding place for her preferred brand of poetry.
(488 words; quote from John Donne's Elegy XIX)
1 comment:
Ohhh, nice twist on the vices theme. I can so picture that. I also like how she hides it, both in her stack of books and by a false dust jacket.
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