After arriving at his office, President Burke started cordially, “How was everything when you went back the night before yesterday, Wendy? Did everything go smoothly?”
She gently shook her head and gave him a smile. “Yes, everything went well. My head hurt after I woke up the next day, but everything else was fine,” she said.
“Heavens, it was so scary the way you acted after you got yourself drunk. I don’t believe I’ve met anyone bolder than you, to be able to point at and yell Master Henson’s name so brazenly like that,” he said.
“It does seem that… alcohol brings out the courage in some people,” she muttered sheepishly.
“What an interesting child,” he guffawed.
“Anyways, is there anything I can do for you, sir?” She asked.
“Ah, have you heard the news about how the university plans to make promotional pamphlets yet?” He asked.
“I’ve heard a few people mention it during noontime,” she said and nodded.
“Alright then. The reason I called you here was to ask if you’re interested in participating,” he said.
She stared at him, puzzled. “What is it that you want me to help out with, sir? Do I need to make any preparations? I’m sure I’ll be up for the task,” she replied.
“You needn’t burden yourself with such trivial matters. What I wanted to ask you was that you join the program as one of the student representatives,” he guffawed.
“Huh?” She gasped. She gave him a nervous giggle after and quizzed, “But I’ve already graduated from the university, sir, so how can I be a student representative?”
“The university wants to find students who have a good image and scores well as a representative, which is why many professors brought up your name at the meeting today. Moreover, you just graduated this year and is now working as an assistant professor on campus, so we thought you couldn’t be a better fit for the role,” he explained.
She shook her head instead. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m afraid I have to respectfully decline. I don’t intend to join the program at all,” she apologised.
He stared at her. “This woman was something else,” he thought. People would kill for an opportunity like this. He planned to give her this opportunity for Howell’s sake, but to think she’d turn down his offer so quickly?
“Now, now, there’s no need to be hasty. We decided to put Master Howell as the male representative as we thought the both of you showcased the best image for the university. Plus, since you two know each other, you two should naturally get along well, no?” He elaborated.
After hearing him say that, a thought flashed through her mind. “How about this, sir? I’ll join if Howell agrees to it too. But if he doesn’t, could I trouble you to scout for someone else?” She hurriedly asked.
It would look bad on her if she directly turned him down, but by pushing the responsibility onto Howell, and if he turned him down instead, she felt that this could lower her risks of her offending him.
He nodded and chuckled after that. “It’s a deal then, because he’s already agreed to it,” he revealed.
She was so shocked she couldn’t keep her mouth closed. “Ah? No way!” She muttered.
She didn’t peg Howell as the type to participate in this kind of thing.
“He didn’t agree to it at first, but after knowing that he was only needed for two photos, he agreed but on one condition,” President Burke continued.
“And what’s that?” She asked.
“He requested for him to add two people of his choosing to participate in the upcoming basketball competition,” he said.
She looked at him, dumbfounded. Were the stars out of whack, or was she pretty unlucky lately?
“Then it’s settled, Wendy. You should head back earlier. As for the photoshoot, someone will inform you about it at a later date,” he said.
She merely nodded in reply with a strained look on her face.
Should she start going to church to pray more often now?
Just as she took a few steps out of his office, she bumped into a woman.
After walking past the woman, the woman abruptly stopped in her tracks. She turned around and asked in a gentle manner, “Aren’t you Miss Evans?”
Wendy turned around as well to see a face she wasn’t familiar with. “How come she knows my surname?” She thought to herself.
“And you are…?” She trailed off, confused.
“Don’t you remember me? I’m the president’s daughter, Nancy. We met two nights ago at the clubhouse where you had dinner with my father and Master Henson,” she explained.
Wendy wondered to herself. Did she see such a woman at the clubhouse then?
“Don’t you remember? You were intoxicated and you called me a ghost,” Nancy said annoyedly.
“So sorry, Miss Billy. I got pretty drunk back then and had spouted a lot of nonsense,” Wendy apologised hurriedly while bowing her head repeatedly.
Nancy then patted her shoulder and chided her, “It’s unsightly for women who can’t hold their liquor to drink so much. Better drink less next time, or else you’ll regret it.”
“Thanks for reminding me,” Wendy said awkwardly.
With that, she motioned to Nancy that she wanted to leave, but Nancy suddenly said, “I heard that you have a pretty good relationship with Master Howell.”
Nancy suddenly said, “I heard that you have a pretty good relationship with Master Howell,”
Wendy stared at her. “Why would she bring up Howell? Could it be that they know each other?” She thought.
Seeing how her confused she looked, Nancy added, “Oh, you misunderstand me. I heard about him from my father as he brought me along to the dinner with you and Master Henson two nights ago. I was wrong for assuming that my dad was spouting nonsense.”
“I’m on good terms with Howell. The president took me out for dinner because I had a connection to him, so he wanted to use me as a pawn to get some money out of Master Henson,” Wendy said with a grin.
“What’s your relationship with Master Henson, then?” Nancy probed as she inched closer to her.
“It’s ok,” she gulped.
Nancy then grabbed on to her wrist and said excitedly, “My father initially planned to introduce me to Master Henson two nights ago, but because you were drunk, he didn’t get the chance to. Him and I are university alumni, and I happen to like him a lot, so if you see him, can you introduce me to him?”
As Wendy stared at Nancy’s face, she feared that what she felt wasn’t as simple as mere infatuation.
And what was the president thinking of, introducing his daughter to Henson? Could it be that he wanted to cling to Henson?
The mere thought of it was enough to make her feel uncomfortable.
“Henson was clearly a vixen himself, to be able to attract so many women to his side. And he has the nerve to call me a social butterfly?” She huffed to herself.
Seeing as Wendy had her head in the clouds, Nancy patted her a few times. “Miss Evans?” she called out her name.
Wendy finally came back to her senses. “Yes?” She asked.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing, just work matters,”
“Then, please remember to introduce me to him as soon as you can.”
“Ah… Let’s talk about it the next time we get the chance,”
“Of course more chances will arise in the future. In fact, this chance will come sooner than you think. My dad told me that the university had invited Master Henson over as a guest speaker for the department of business and management, and that he planned to conduct a course on starting and managing a business. Now that he’s agreed to it, they’re currently waiting for him to set a time,” Nancy said giddily.
Wendy was surprised to hear this piece of news. Henson didn’t mention this to her at all.
The more she talked about it, the more excited she got. “So, that would mean I could get to see him more often on campus. And by the time that happens, so long as you pull some strings with Master Howell too, I’ll get more chances to interact with him,” she said.
“He plans to become a lecturer? Are you sure this is Master Henson we’re talking about? What would he even lecture about at such a young age? Wouldn’t he be wasting his student’s time at that point?” Wendy asked incredulously.
Even if the university wanted to butter him up, they didn’t have to do it in a way that would waste so many student’s precious time, right?
It seemed like the new president wasn’t anything special after all.
After hearing that, Nancy snickered at her with a look of disdain on her face. “It appears that you don’t really know Master Henson after all,” she sneered.
Wendy glared at her. What did this have to do with her not knowing Henson well?!