Beautiful Secret (Beautiful Bastard 4)

I knocked on her open door, relieved when she looked up at me and smiled widely.

“Niall!” She stood, making her way around her desk to give me a firm hug. Maggie had never been a hand-shaker, but with determination had trained me over the years to give in to her affections.

When she pulled back, I asked, “I was hoping you’d have a few moments?”

“Of course.” She smiled. “Your email did make me curious with its complete lack of detail.”

“And . . .” I began, “if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, we could grab a coffee?”

Her eyebrows rose, eyes twinkled with interest. “It sounds like this is not a strictly professional call?”

“It’s not. But . . . it is, too.” Sighing, I explained, “I’d just prefer the flexibility.”

She laughed, retrieving her jumper. “Well, this is a shock of a lifetime. A personal discussion with Niall Stella. I can certainly make time for that.”

We walked to a small café on Pembroke Street, using the trip to catch up a bit on the past two years. The topic of Ruby’s future hung heavily around me, and despite Maggie’s best efforts at small talk, my answers to her benign questions were tight and brief. I was relieved when we reached the café and ordered tea and croissants, before sitting at a small corner table.

“So,” she started, smiling across the table at me. Steam curled up from her cup. “Enough small talk, I gather. What’s this visit about?”

“It’s about a student who has applied to your program, who was an intern at Richardson-Corbett.”

She nodded. “You mean Ruby Miller.”

“Yes,” I said, surprised that she knew immediately whom I meant, but then realizing I’d said “who was an intern.” Clearly, Maggie had read Tony’s letter. “I didn’t work directly with her. As you know, she reported to Tony.”

“I got his letter,” she confirmed with a frown. “He didn’t think all that highly of her.”

My blood ran hot and I leaned closer, realizing as soon as she glanced at them that my hands had formed tight fists. “Well, that’s just it,” I said. “I think he may have thought rather too highly of her.”

“Bloody Tony.” Maggie’s expression cleared in comprehension. “And you were the distraction Tony mentioned.”

“Please understand,” I said, with urgency, “I wouldn’t ever speak to you about this matter if I didn’t feel that it impacted a professional decision on your end. Tony handled this terribly. As did I, I suppose. But in this instance, I worry that you would miss out on a wonderful student if you heeded Tony’s advice. Ruby is bright and driven.”

Maggie studied me, sipping her tea. “May I ask you a personal question?”

Swallowing, I nodded. “I’ve imposed on you simply by coming here. Of course, ask me anything.”

“Are you coming here because Ruby deserves a spot in my program or because you’re in love with her?”

I swallowed and struggled to maintain eye contact as I admitted, “Both.”

“So the affection wasn’t only one-sided.”

“It was, and then it wasn’t. I didn’t know she had feelings, and she admitted them only after I had some of my own.”

She nodded, looking past me at a line of students marching past the café. “I’d never expected you to ever speak on behalf of a girlfriend. I’m not sure if I’m more surprised or thrilled for you.”

“She’s not,” I managed. Maggie turned her face up to me, confused. “She isn’t my girlfriend anymore,” I clarified. “The loss of her job, the loss of her spot in your program, my inability to handle emotions all that well . . . I suspect in the end it made her reprioritize.”

“ ‘Reprioritize’? The ‘loss of her spot in my program’?”

“Tony thought it wise to send Ruby a copy of the letter he wrote for the application. Given that Tony is your former student and completing an engineering internship is generally a critical requirement for your consideration, she said she suspected she wouldn’t get in.”

“Niall,” Maggie began, setting down her tea. “Excuse me for being blunt, but please do not insult me by suggesting I would cast away a good student for having a crush at work.”

“Not at all, Maggie, I—”

“Or for being young and unable to always put aside personal for professional. I appreciate you coming here, but the net effect of that was my satisfaction over seeing you actually in love with a woman, not help for Ruby. Ruby’s application is brilliant. Her other letters of recommendation are positively glowing. Her grades are perfect, test scores put her at the top of her incoming class. Her personal statement was one of the best I’ve ever read.” Leaning in, Maggie shook her head at me. “You see, her spot was never jeopardized by Tony’s letter. Do you think I’ve known a different Tony than everyone else these last fifteen years? He’s a brilliant engineer but a complete arse.”