Chapter 36
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SIX
ANNIE
"Back away from the student."
I burst into tears as the dean inserts himself between Professor Parks and me. Parks cornered me in his office between a bookshelf and the wall when I tried to stand up to leave as he kept making gross insinuations. I tried to move around him but he pushed me back from the door.
"I think you need to be taught what kind of respect I'm due."
The fly of his pants hangs open as Professor Parks glares at the dean. "How dare you interrupt my office hours with a student." Spittle flies from his mouth as he looks wild-eyed over the dean's shoulder at me.
With a squeak, I dodge behind the dean's back to be out of view. I never want the professor's gaze on me ever again. Just being looked at by him feels dirty and makes me desperate for a shower. If I thought the first time in his office hours went badly, this time is incomparable. He stopped pretending this whole thing was ever about my education the moment I tried to assert myself and ask for another professor to verify my grading.
I can't believe I ever doubted myself.
" This is not what office hours are for," the dean grounds out from behind clenched teeth. "Campus security and the police are both already on their way. This is a legal matter now."
"That's bullshit! What the hell do you think happened? I'm merely conferencing a student who's gotten the wrong idea." Professor Parks trying to turn this around on me isn't the least bit surprising.
The dean scoffs. "Your fly is still down, professor ."
Based on the vitriol in the dean's voice, I don't think he'll be referring to Parks as a professor for much longer.
The dean doesn't turn around as he addresses me, "Annie, please step out to Professor MacNamara who is waiting outside. She'll escort you to my office while we sort out getting resources here to talk with you. On behalf of the college, I am horrified by what you've endured today."
"Uh, thank you," I mumble. I wanted to be believed; I didn't realize I would get to feel so validated when the truth about Professor Parks came out.
I stumble quickly out of the office and out from Parks' view. Just around the corner of the doorway outside, a woman I recognize is waiting. Miles has pointed his favorite professor out to me in passing before. He trusts her, which feels like enough for me to trust her too.
"Annie," Professor MacNamara says softly, "let's get you somewhere quiet, okay?"
I nod, too numb to form any words. Her kindness is so appreciated as she walks protectively at my side.
The plain white walls of the English department offices give way to a whole different style of decor when we reach the dean's suite. Glass panels separate us from his area, his name printed on the door with his office's contact information posted underneath.
I'm sure the dean doesn't take many impromptu meetings.
When we walk in, a gray-haired assistant sits poised at the wooden desk in front of us. Her sharp gaze quickly gives way to a sympathetic expression as she takes the two of us in. Her burgundy sweater is buttoned neatly, her hair in a perfect coif. Her desk is just as organized, I note with envy. Notepads lined up at right angles within easy reach. Her phone and desktop computer are perfectly aligned in case she has to take a call in the middle of replying to an email. A coffee cup sits on the other side of her computer, the college's logo facing out proudly.
I focus on the small details in the hopes that having something else to focus on will help ease my racing heartbeat. I don't think I've managed to inhale one normal breath since stepping foot into Professor Parks' office.
"Another student is still in the dean's office," the assistant says, her expression apologetic as her shoulders sink several inches. "You're welcome to use the seats right there though." She gestures to the waiting chairs stationed against the wall facing her desk.
Professor MacNamara hums. "We're all here for the same reason. I'm not going to leave anyone sitting out exposed in the open while the situation is dealt with out there."
"Of course." The assistant bows her head gracefully. "You won't meet any resistance from me on the matter."
"Thanks, Mari." Professor MacNamara looks at me. "This way, Annie."
She ushers me past the assistant's desk to the dean's personal office. His name is engraved on a gold plaque that hangs by the door. The professor knocks twice and then pauses before opening the door slowly.
A woman with platinum blonde hair faces away from the door, her body hunched over in one of the seats in front of the dean's desk. She abruptly falls silent mid-whimper when the door opens, slowly turning to look at us with red-rimmed eyes. Even with her makeup smudged around her eyes and her skin pale with dark circles under her eyes, I recognize her almost immediately from class.
"Brooklyn?" I step forward, worry for her overriding my nerves about what nearly happened to me.
She sniffles. "You know my name?" Her face scrunches as a bigger sob escapes her. She gulps air like she can't get enough as she stands, so unsteady on her feet that she stumbles before catching herself on the edge of the dean's desk.
"We're in the same class," I explain, holding my hands out and taking a few cautious steps backward as if I can calm her like she's a wild animal.
Professor MacNamara closes the office door and looks between the two of us. "Both of you were in the same course?"
"Yes," Brooklyn answers for us both. To me, she says, "I remember you. You tried to go to the office hours together and I was a bitch to you. I can't believe you remember my name." She glances at MacNamara. "Sorry about the language.
Professor MacNamara waves off the apology. A bit of colorful language is probably the least of her concerns right now.
"I worried about you," I admit softly to Brooklyn.
"You were right to." She wipes at her eyes with her sleeve. I try not to stare at the makeup stain left behind on the light pink sleeve of her v-neck shirt. "I thought Professor Parks thought I was special . How stupid is that?" She sobs again.
"You are not stupid," Professor MacNamara tells Brooklyn with passion in her voice. "A predator makes you feel special so that you lower your guard. Their entire plan relies on their ability to charm someone into doing something that would otherwise be out of character. That man's decision to target you doesn't reflect on you at all . The only one stupid in this scenario is the tenured professor who takes advantage of his position as a role model to young English students so that he can prey on them."
I know her words are directed at Brooklyn, but I need to hear them just as much. I can feel tears prick at the inside corners of my eyes. In a minute, Professor MacNamara is going to have two sobbing college girls on her hands.
Brooklyn sucks in a shuddering breath as she nods timidly. "I didn't even care about saving my GPA," she admits with a wince. "I just loved that an attractive older man was interested in me. He made me believe we were building a relationship and we only had to keep it a secret until he wasn't my professor anymore. He told me he couldn't wait until I graduated and we could get married ," she spits the last word with venom.
The angrier she seems to get, the more her crying subsides until the only sign of her crying is the tear stains left behind on her cheeks. She seems furious as she gathers herself.
I don't even know what to say. Professor MacNamara seems at a loss for words now too.
"Imagine my fucking surprise when I went to the health center thinking I might have a UTI and had a goddamn STD instead!" Brooklyn screeches the words so loudly that I recoil a little from the power in her voice.
The dean chooses the wrong time to return to his office. He clears his throat uncomfortably from the doorway as we all turn to look at him when the door hinges squeak to announce his arrival. I'm relieved to see him because Brooklyn just introduced a plot twist to her situation with Parks that I am not prepared to deal with. Based on MacNamara's dropped jaw, I don't think she knows how to respond either.
"I see we're all acquainted here," the dean says stiffly. "I intended to try to respect the privacy of you both but I see that ship has sailed." The dean looks apologetically between us both.
"No." Brooklyn shakes her head emphatically. "I don't want privacy. I want to see this man burn. What does the college plan to do about this asshole now?"
Speaking of privacy... oops.
I retrieve my long-forgotten phone from my pocket and am torn about how to feel when I see the screen is locked. I'm glad he didn't overhear the private information Brooklyn is emotionally spewing, but I didn't expect him to have hung up either. He obviously stayed on the phone long enough to get help or the dean wouldn't have known to storm into Parks' office the way he did. Miles was nowhere to be seen though when Professor MacNamara walked me here. Where could he have gone?
The dean is entrenched in a conversation with Brooklyn about how the college handles matters of personnel misconduct. I use the opportunity to move closer to Professor MacNamara.
"Do you know where Miles Morino is?"
She glances at me over the rim of her glasses. "You have him to thank for this. He was adamant I listen in on your meeting with Professor Parks and once I realized what I was hearing, I summoned the dean. I'm not sure where Miles went, though. He disappeared after making sure the police were called and that campus security showed up."
"Oh, okay."
He really left. I guess I hoped maybe the staff made him leave to handle all of this without an audience. He didn't even bother to text to let me know he would be gone. Could he not stand the thought of facing me after what he overheard?
My stomach is twisting itself into knots. After all of the fake dating that has turned into some semblance of a real relationship, I dared to get my hopes up about where we stand. But maybe... Maybe he won't be able to look at me the same after this. This has all been more than he signed up for, after all.
I feel lost and confused. I haven't even started to process what's happening here and what almost happened in Parks' office. Yet, here I am more worried about whether Miles likes me enough to deal with the aftermath.
If this were a romance novel, Miles would be right by my side, supporting me through all of this so that he could get the chance later to admit the dating has all been real in his heart. That we're more than a fake dating arrangement turned friends-with-benefits situation.
This is what I get for reading so much. Life isn't a romance novel and Miles is nowhere to be seen. I guess the lines aren't so blurry between us after all.