Nero chuckled with her and shook his head “Such is life- it’s all swings and roundabouts and sometimes you’re on the unpleasant end of a marketing campaign gone wrong.” He shrugged but he held the same amusement she was showing “Don’t tell anyone, I hope you can keep a secret.” He told her, lowering his voice conspiratorially “But I’ve always been a Pepsi guy.”
Lottie leaned in closer as he lowered her voice before letting out a loud laugh at his confession. “Your secret is safe with me,” she agreed, still chuckling. Reaching the front of the line she ordered her latte before turning to him, “Can I get you a Pepsi or a coffee for saving me a huge amount of hassle….and the great storytelling?” She patted her pocket where her student ID was now safely stored again and happy not to have to go through the headache of having to replace it.
“Fifth, I just completed my bachelors degree and decided to do my Masters. I’m hoping to have it done within a year, but I figured if it takes two then I’ve got time. What about you?”
“Starting a masters, you must be keen. I’m just going into my third year so a little bit to go yet. Are you working along with your masters or a full time student?”
He chuckled “Many times. The first few were in disbelief. Picture it.” He invited her “In class, he’s been going on about ads and the sanctity of brand recognition for 40 minutes already. He knows the ad is dropping and makes us do a countdown to the new coke ad release.” Nero rolled his eyes at the memory, as he had done at the time “The ad drops… and there’s silence. Not everyone in the room got the significance of how bad she’d just ruined her own image with the misplaced cultural reference. The professor is confused by it. We watch it three more times before he looks up who the girl is, to find her to be just a media influence and saw the backlash. His heart was crushed that coca cola would do this to him. The net ten watches he critiques every frame of the ad and on the eleventh watch he converts to Pepsi.”
Lottie’s laughter increased as she heard the rest of the story. “I have to admit to feeling a little sorry for your professor. To have all your hopes and excitement not only crushed but publicly in front of his whole class can’t have been easy. Especially if humiliation isn’t a turn on for him!” Shaking her head with amusement she looked up at the man, “And did you switch brands on the basis of that tragic advert too?”
Tillie nodded and laughed a little bit. “Yes, I would not want crystallization to erupt in my pastries unless I was making rock candy.” She giggled a little bit more thinking about it.
“I’m not sure there is much of a market for rock candy pastries. Think of the dental bills!” Lottie added, laughing harder.
“Did you give it? Because either you did, and it wasn’t a good enough reason, or you didn’t,” Cade replied tersely. “As the professor, it’s kind of his prerogative to accept your work or not. Late or not. And to not accept reasons for not completing the assignment. But if you’re really that pressed about it and think he’s being unfair, the University has a grievances board you can take it up with and possibly even offer that compromise.”
Lottie’s eyes narrowed as Cade began to justify the professor’s actions. “Whose side are you on here? I didn’t ask for a lecture and no I didn’t ask for permission in advance, the start of my trip was rather…. unexpected. As far as I knew I had done everything necessary and now this.” The idea of going to the board didn’t appeal to her at all. She needed to keep a low profile, not sure the university would be particularly impressed with her reason for leaving so abruptly. “I can’t imagine there’s a compromise to be made. It’s shut up and do it or leave.”
“There were definitely times I wanted to, but I’m not one for confrontation.” Nadia nodded, that was exactly how she had decided to live her life after college. “Sometimes the wind blows you to the most amazing places, I must say.”
“That’s what I’m holding out for, an incredible gust that will blow me somewhere amazing but I guess only time will tell. First I need to get through this year and this extra work,” she explained again, waving the letter slightly and bringing them back to the original point. “I should go and make contact with this professor anyway, see what joy he has in store. It was nice to meet you though.”
“So? What’s the problem?” Pan laughed. “You can knock that stuff out in your sleep, can’t you?” He did understand, really. Any extra school work was a pain when you were trying to catch up. “He holding your grade or something?”
“Yes I can do it but the point is it’s extra work for no reason,” she explained in a slower voice. Laughing at the question she shook her head, “Not exactly my grade, do the assignment or repeat the year!”
Lottie's wild adventure 