Her face was competent. It was Angela's demeanor that was attractive; lovely, even. A photo could not capture her essence, but a conversation left you wanting more. In some bygone age, she would have seemed a witch, for you could approach her with a firm grievance, and by the time she finished speaking, her spell would convince you that she was in the right, and that you were glad of it.
And, unlike the beautiful woman, her charms affected both sexes equally. At times, having spent a while away from her, some might wonder why they regarded her so highly. Still, Angela was also brilliant. It is hard to find fault with someone who is rarely wrong, especially when disagreeing with her in person would seem uncouth and callous.
There were a scarce few who had tried; those whose job required them to confront her, for example. Other people who were present for those occasions simply jumped to her support. The recording of Angela's third doctoral thesis seminar was amusing, actually. Once her presentation was complete, she didn't actually have to defend her positions at all. The reviewing academics, none of whom were truly on the same intellectual level as she, took turns posing the typical difficult questions and answering them. The question would be asked by one professor, her soft smile would say "I guess I shouldn't expect you to grasp it," and another professor would attempt an answer. She would then politely correct them both, and everyone in attendance would nod ascent.
And so it was not merely unusual, but practically unthinkable that her funding extension request had been denied by the board, in her very presence. That the board's primary advisor was Angela's lover, Paulo, and that he had sat there in support of their denial was inexplicable.
Inexplicable, at least, to Ben.
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