James nced ahead and said, "Don''t go running to her for everything."


    Curtis hunched his shoulders and murmured a quick "Oh," letting the conversation drop.


    **


    Meanwhile, Wyatt reached out to Grant and set up a meet-up spot. By the time Wyatt got there, Grant was already waiting.


    "This is what Ms. Mirabe asked for," Grant said, handing Wyatt a box.


    He''d hoped to finally meet the ''Vice President'' that the president always talked up. But, s, the VP was tied up with other things. Still, when he saw Wyatt, he was taken aback.


    Wyatt looked bookish, sure, but there was something about him that set him apart from the usual crowd.


    Grant''s curiosity about the Vice President''s background was piqued.


    "Thanks," Wyatt said, taking the box.


    "Oh, and Ms. Mirabe''s membership card isn''t ready yet. I''ll drop it off when it''s done," Grant added politely.


    Wyatt, having tagged along with James to the Pharmacists'' Guild a couple of times, hadn''t crossed paths with Grant before. The mention of Ms. Mirabe''s membership card sparked his curiosity. "What membership card?"


    "It''s the Vice President''s membership card," Grant replied.


    Vice President?


    The title sounded pretty high up, and Wyatt was intrigued. Fiddling with the box, he couldn''t resist asking, "What kind of Vice President?"


    Grant hesitated, seemingly surprised that Wyatt wasn''t in the loop. With a smile, he said, "You might want to ask Ms. Mirabe. I''m not supposed to say."


    Wyatt, curious as he was, epted Grant''s response with a nod. "Alright, I''ll pass on your message."


    "Thanks," Grant nodded back.


    Wyatt waved and headed to the curb, hopping into his car.


    After watching Wyatt drive off, Grant pulled out his phone and shot a message to Mirabe, filling her in.


    **


    Back at the university.


    Mirabe returned to theb from a restroom break, hesitating at the door before stepping inside.


    Jessie noticed and, with a knowing smirk, said, "Mr. Ben''s already gone."


    It was funny; every time Mr. Ben showed up at theb, Mirabe would vanish into the restroom, only reemerging once he left.


    "Oh," Mirabe said, touching her nose, and then finally walked in.


    Jessie rolled her chair over, fixing her gaze on Mirabe. "You don''t seem to be a fan of Mr. Ben, huh?"


    Mirabe raised an eyebrow, "It''s not that I dislike him. I''m just not used to the scent of his cologne."


    "Cologne? What cologne smell?" Jessie wondered, recalling Mr. Ben''s faint fragrance. "Isn''t that his cologne? It''s not bad, is it?"


    Mirabe shrugged, keeping it casual, "Maybe."


    Jessie made a mental note to pay more attention to the scent the next time Mr. Ben visited.


    Mirabe turned back to herputer, diving into her calctions.


    Her restroom detour had set her back, so she picked up the pace, data flying across the screen.


    As Jessie returned to her seat, she noticed this: "???"


    This was aplete 180 from the slow,puter-illiterate person she''d seen before.