The Truest of Words

by Georgina Guthrie

  “Try to follow along, Travis.” I adopted a falsely sincere tone. “It’s critical that you Swiffer on Mondays, and don’t forget to water the plants on Wednesdays. Oh, and this is crucial…” I grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled a map on it. “Northrop Frye Hall is here.” I jabbed my finger on a big square on the left side of the page and drew a dotted line down the middle of the map, my hand shaking with restrained fury. “This is Starbucks. Venti, extra bold, with a splash of low-fat milk.” I pushed the piece of paper down the counter. “I think that covers it. Knock yourself out.”

  I dusted off my hands, grabbed my purse, and tossed my office key on the desk before heading for the door, turning as I pushed it open. Travis was staring at me idiotically, but Elaine was fuming, her facing starting to turn purple. She was a vision of apoplexy.

  “Oh, and don’t worry. I won’t need a letter of reference,” I said through gritted teeth.

  I couldn’t be sure, but I think smoke came out of her ears.

  Chapter 8

  A Vulgar Comment

  A vulgar comment will be made of it…

  …And dwell upon your grave when you are dead;

  For slander lives upon succession,

  For ever housed where it gets possession.

  (Comedy of Errors, Act III, Scene i)

  HOW FOOLISH OF ME to think Armstrong would let me leave without giving me a piece of her mind. Before I’d reached the stairs, she was behind me and grabbing my arm to stop my descent.

  “Take your hand off me,” I said as calmly as I could.

  “Trust me, I have no desire to touch you, you little tramp,” she hissed.

  Tramp?

  “What is your problem?”

  “My problem? Ha! You’re quite the actress. Sweet as pie last week, when it was obvious you had no desire to be here once David had left. Your true colors are showing now, though, so run along, Aubrey. Go crying to your sugar daddy. He’ll take care of you. But I think what you’re doing is disgusting. A married man, twice your age? Not to mention the Provost of one of the most prestigious universities in the country. You both make me sick,” she spat.

  She turned and stormed back into the office, slamming the door and making a big production of locking it. “Don’t even think of coming back in here,” her flashing eyes said. As if I could move, even if I’d wanted to.

  The floor seemed to be listing beneath my feet as I processed what she’d said. I was so stunned, it was a wonder I didn’t faint.

  How could I have been so stupid? She had no idea about my relationship with Daniel. But the momentary relief I felt was quickly quashed by another horrid realization: she thought I was having an affair with David!

  If her accusation wasn’t so shocking, I might have laughed. Holy shit. Was she on drugs?

  David was going to have a cow. I needed to talk to him. Now.

  Somehow I made it down the stairs without keeling over. I regained my wits as I reached the sidewalk between Old Vic and Northrop Frye and quickly formulated a plan.

  First, I ran to Jackman to change my shoes, grateful that everyone was asleep so I didn’t have to explain my newest bizarre life-crisis.

  Then I trekked to David’s office.

  “Provost Grant will see you now.”

  I crossed the waiting room where I’d sat for fifteen minutes, trying to figure out how best to break the disgusting news. His secretary ushered me into his office. David took off his glasses and tossed them on his daybook, standing as I approached his desk.

  “This is a surprise, Aubrey. You didn’t hint yesterday that you’d be coming by this morning.”

  “I didn’t actually know…” I turned, watching the secretary pull the door closed behind her.

  “I’m so glad you were able to join us for tea,” David said.

  “I had a nice time. Thank you for including me.”

  “It was our pleasure. Patty certainly enjoyed having you there. She might be your biggest fan.”

  I smiled unconvincingly, and he examined my face.

  “Is everything all right?” He frowned at his watch. “It’s nine thirty. Shouldn’t you be at work?”

  “You’re right. I should be. I was just there, in fact. That’s why I’m here…” He looked confused. I couldn’t blame him. I wasn’t making any sense. “David, I think you should sit down.”

  He sat, his face draining of color. “Is Daniel okay? I’ve been worrying about him ever since you two drove off in Brad’s truck yesterday—”

  “Daniel’s fine. He’s on his way to the cottage. I’m sure everything’s fine. I’ve heard nothing to suggest otherwise.”

  “So, what is it, then? Something’s obviously wrong.”

  I clenched my hands in my lap. “I have something to tell you. You’re not going to be happy…”

  “Aubrey?” he prompted. “You’re not…You and Daniel haven’t…You’re being careful, right?” He looked at my stomach meaningfully.

  “Oh, no.” I waved my hands in the air. “It’s not that. Nothing like that.” His shoulders slumped, a relieved expression crossing his face. “No,” I continued, “it’s…well, it’s Elaine Armstrong.”

  “Elaine? What about her?”

  “She hasn’t liked me since day one. I couldn’t understand what her problem was, but I found out today.”

  “I don’t understand. What could she possibly have against you?”

  “It’s actually against you, too,” I said, biting my lip anxiously. “You see, she thinks we’re having an affair.”

  “She what?”

  I nodded. “She thinks we’re involved.”

  He put his glasses on, as if clearer vision might facilitate his understanding of what I was saying.

  “This is absurd. Why would she make such a ludicrous claim?”

  I sighed and recapped the episode at Starbucks, and how I’d wrongly assumed she’d been talking to Aaron O’Connor about Daniel and me. Then I attempted to explain her reasoning, applying her accusations to David instead.

  “She thinks you’ve been buying me clothes. She called you my sugar daddy,” I said, squirming. The connotation of the term was heinous.

  He shook his head again. “Why would she jump to the conclusion that I’ve been buying you clothes? That makes no sense.”

  “I suppose she finds it strange that we’re in touch even though our employee-employer relationship is over.”

  “Again, that’s no basis for assuming we’re having an affair!” His face reddened as the implications of what I was saying started to sink in.

  “It sounds like she and Aaron have been seeing what they want to see. He did admit to trying to dig up dirt on you. During the phone call I overhead, she mentioned the evening of your reception at Old Vic. I thought she was talking about Daniel looking at me strangely, but she must have been referring to you.”

  “I was anxious that night about you and Daniel hiding your feelings. I found myself watching both of you,” he admitted.

  “Aaron O’Connor misinterpreted those looks. He thought you looked guilty and self-conscious.”

  “It’s still an enormous leap to make based on a few uncomfortable glances,” David said. “How did the idea even occur to him?”

  “I think I know the answer to that too. Aaron has a son—”

  “Yes, I’m acquainted with Travis. He was a student at Vic. I had a run-in with him and one of his roommates a few years ago. They’d urinated in the stacks at the library. They were so drunk, they didn’t even realize where they were. Some books and flooring needed to be replaced. Aaron wasn’t too impressed with that incident.”

  I blushed. I remembered the night in question. I’d broken up with Lyle a few days before it had happened. Smartest move of my life.

  “The roommate was Lyle Kennedy, right?”

  “You knew him?”

  “Uh…we sort of dated for a while. It didn’t last long. He was a bit of a mess.”

  “Not your finest hour?” David asked.
>
  “Definitely not.”

  “I suppose that’s neither here nor there. What’s Travis got to do with this?”

  “Apparently, Travis saw me getting out of your car one night. He must have told his father what he saw. Or what he thought he saw.”

  David shook his head. “I’m not following. When did you get out of my car?”

  “You drove me home after dinner at your house in February,” I reminded him. “It was around ten o’clock? Daniel was asleep in the back seat.”

  “Oh, of course.” His eyes drifted as he remembered the evening in question.

  “According to Travis, we were affectionate.”

  “Affectionate?” David asked, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

  “You clasped me by the shoulders when you were saying good night. I only remember it because afterward I felt so horrible about not having told you that Daniel was my TA, but then you squeezed my shoulders, and it was kind of like you were saying, ‘No harm done.’ I felt so much better.”

  “Good grief, Aubrey. Squeezing someone’s shoulders is hardly adultery!” he exclaimed.

  “I know that, and you know that,” I said. “But when you’re grasping at straws? Aaron was trying to find something—anything—and when he came up empty, Travis might have piped up and told him what he’d seen. You brought me home late at night, you caressed my arm—or whatever they thought that was. What if he and Elaine started watching you…watching us…and drew whatever conclusions suited them?”

  He rubbed his face with one hand. “This is just…I can’t even…”

  “I know. It’s crazy. And you know what? When you called last week, she listened to our whole conversation. I knew she was there, and I didn’t disguise how happy I was to hear from you. I wanted her to know I missed working for you. My side of the conversation might have sounded incriminating. I was kind of pouring it on.”

  He expelled a giant breath and fell back in his seat. “I won’t stand by and let them sully my name, not to mention yours. They’ve got to be stopped.”

  “Do you want to talk to them now? I’ll come with you if you want…”

  “No, when I talk to Elaine, I want Gwen there. And Travis as well.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing heavily. “I can’t believe this…”

  “She hired him, you know. Travis? He’s my replacement.”

  “That smacks of nepotism. He’s essentially her stepson.”

  “I gathered from the phone call I overheard this morning that she and Aaron are involved.”

  “For a couple of years, now,” David confirmed. “Well, if Travis is your replacement, he’ll be at Vic on Wednesday morning. I’ll clear my schedule and make sure Gwen’s available. Can you join us for a meeting?”

  “Of course. What about Daniel?”

  “Daniel doesn’t need to be involved. In fact, I don’t want him anywhere near there. Can I leave it to you to explain this mess to him?”

  “Do you think he’ll take it all right? It won’t upset him, will it?”

  “He cares for you a great deal, and Elaine is being unusually cruel and slanderous. He’s bound to be upset. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll have an anxiety attack, if that’s what you’re concerned about. Tell him to give me a call if you’d rather, but given how close you two are becoming, it’s best you learn how to deal with his…emotional tendencies.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  As my thoughts drifted to Daniel, I realized history was repeating itself. A false accusation was again being leveled, only this time it wasn’t Daniel being accused: it was his father.

  Daniel didn’t get home until early evening, by which time I was fast asleep on his living room couch. He woke me with a gentle kiss on the forehead.

  “Hey there, sleepyhead.”

  I sat up and snuggled into his arms. “Hi, I’m glad you’re home. What time is it?”

  “Five thirty.” He pushed himself off the couch and headed for the kitchen. “I think I deserve a beer after the day I’ve had. Can I get you something?”

  “Vodka and soda?” I asked.

  “Wow, straight for the big guns.”

  A few minutes later, he returned with our drinks, mine with a twist of lemon and lime perched on the rim of the glass. He flopped on the couch beside me and tapped his glass against mine.

  “Cheers.”

  “Cheers, sunshine.”

  “Any particular reason why you feel the need to drink vodka on a Monday evening?”

  “My day wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.”

  “Stressful shift? Did you get a cramp from Swiffering? Or did one of the plants take a turn for the worse?”

  “You think you’re pretty funny, don’t you?”

  He shrugged and smiled, resting his beer on his thigh. “I have my moments.”

  “If you must know, I’ve handed the Swiffering duties to someone else,” I said, taking his hand and squeezing it gently. “For good.” He sat up. Now I had his attention. “Elaine hired a replacement. I’m not staying on to train him.”

  “Really? That’s amazing. Wait, how come you’re not training him? Did she tell you she didn’t want you to come back?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Okay…”

  I took a deep breath and explained the whole story. I concluded with my panicky trip to visit his father. He listened without interrupting, his eyes widening and his fingers tightening around mine as the story unfolded.

  “So, your dad figures he’ll take your mom with him to confront Elaine on Wednesday, along with that shithead, Travis.”

  “Wow.” He brought his hand to his mouth in disbelief. “I can’t…This is just…Holy shit.”

  “I think that’s exactly what your father said. Except for the ‘holy shit’ part.”

  He moved his hand over his eyes, his fingers sort of squeezing at his temples. I let him be for a minute, allowing him to absorb everything I’d told him. When his shoulders started to shake, I felt a flutter of panic in my stomach.

  “Daniel?” I gently rubbed his back.

  He moved his hand away from his face and looked at me, and then he started to laugh uncontrollably.

  “You shit!” I exclaimed, shoving his shoulder. “I thought you were having an anxiety attack!”

  “I’m sorry…I’m sorry,” he said as he gasped. “Holy fuck, this is too funny.”

  I crossed my arms while he giggled his ass off. When he’d run out of steam, he reached for my hand.

  “I’m sorry, it’s just that this is—”

  “Absurd?”

  “Totally. She’s certifiable. You and my dad? Jesus.”

  “Yep.”

  “I’m sure it was awful for you, but, fuck, I wish I’d been a fly on the wall. You lost it, eh?”

  “Pretty much. I hate confrontations like that, but I was so angry. It’s fair to say I snapped.”

  “When you talked to my dad, how was he?”

  “He kind of wigged out. He’s livid, but he didn’t make me feel bad or anything.”

  “Wow,” he whispered. “This is perfect—poetic justice, plain and simple. Now he’ll know exactly how I felt when Nicola falsely accused me.”

  “I don’t blame you for getting some satisfaction from this, but don’t forget, I’m stuck right in the middle of it.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be insensitive. Forgive me?”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  I was trying to keep things light, but he should have been more concerned about my welfare. He examined my face.

  “So, I was passed out in the car when we drove you home that night in February. I missed all the action. Exactly how affectionate were you?”

  “Daniel!” I smacked his arm. “Your father’s reputation is on the line. As is mine.”

  “Ouch!” He laughed and rubbed his arm. Then he composed himself, trying his best to appear contrite. “Okay, I’m sorry. No more jokes. I promise.”

  “Thank you.�
�� I was beginning to wonder if a panic attack might have been a preferable reaction.

  “I can’t believe Elaine and Aaron have been so focused on my dad, they’ve been oblivious to what was going on right under their noses between us. We couldn’t have planned it better if we’d tried.”

  “I don’t think I would have planned this. This is a serious accusation.”

  “You’re right.” He patted my leg. “The whole fucked up scenario must appeal to my love of dark humor. I guess I should call him.”

  He crossed to the breakfast bar, blowing me an air kiss as he waited for his dad to answer the phone.

  “Hi, Dad, it’s me. How are things there?” he asked. “Yes, she just told me the whole story. It’s preposterous. It’s almost laughable.”

  He winked at me. Almost laughable. Right.

  “How’s Mom?” he said, joining me on the couch again. “Huh, that’s understandable.”

  He took my hand and squeezed it.

  “I’m sure…Yes, it must be very frustrating, you know, being accused of something you didn’t do.”

  His lip twitched. He was trying his damnedest not to break out laughing again, I was sure of it.

  “No, of course I do. This concerns Aubrey, too. I’d love nothing more than to throttle Armstrong with my bare hands, not to mention this Travis. I’d happily kick his ass. And don’t even get me started on Aaron. I have a meeting with him soon to discuss class evaluations and my placement for September.”

  He rolled his eyes, retrieving his hand and holding it up to make a chirping gesture. His father was ranting.

  “I’m sure you will, but just remember, Dad, if you rip her head off, she’ll probably grow two new ones…”

  Chapter 9

  Full of Ire

  The accuser and the accused freely speak:

  High-stomach’d are they both, and full of ire…

  (Richard II, Act I, Scene i)

  “ARE YOU OKAY?” Daniel asked, peering into my eyes.

  “I’m nervous. I’m looking forward to your dad tearing a strip off Armstrong, but it could get ugly.”

  “Luckily, you’re not going into this alone. And I’ll be right here when you’re done. Okay?”