by Parker, Ali
“Oh God,” Leila groaned. “Nowhere is safe.”
“You go first,” I told Leila.
She nodded and headed out. Alan and I talked for a couple of minutes before we headed out as well. Leila had taken a booth in the back of the restaurant. I slid in beside her, keeping a respectable distance between us.
“How are you both doing?” Alan asked.
“How much do you know?” I asked him.
He shrugged. “I don’t necessarily know anything, but I have some ideas.”
I looked at Leila. “All of it?”
She sighed. “We have to be honest if we want to find a way out of this.”
I agreed. I turned to look at Alan, hoping I could trust him. “That video you were talking about; that was us.”
Alan grinned. “Well, well, well.”
“It isn’t like that,” Leila interjected.
Alan held up his hands. “No judgment here. My wife and I have been known to walk on the wild side now and again.”
“I was identified, but Leila’s identity is still unknown,” I explained.
“For now,” she chimed in. “It’s only a matter of time before they check the other cameras and realize it’s me.”
“The dean claims the offense is worthy of expulsion. Leila is worried she will lose her job as well.”
“I know I will lose my job,” she insisted.
Alan wrinkled his nose. “Is there a written rule about this?”
“Yes and no,” Leila answered. “There was a recent scandal involving another professor and a student. The dean fired him.”
Alan nodded. “I see.”
“He expelled me, unless I pay a donation to the school,” I said.
Alan’s brows shot up. “A donation? To him or to the school?”
“The school.”
“But how would you get the money to the school?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I didn’t question him about the details. I wasn’t thrilled to be squeezed for money. I’m a wealthy man. I’ve been hit up for donations quite often, especially when my son got into trouble. A donation is a pay-off and I will admit, I have used my money to get a free ticket out of situations in the past.”
“Do you think your wife can help us?” Leila asked.
“What is it you want her help with?”
“Can she save my job and keep him enrolled?” Leila asked. “He can’t legally get away with this, can he?”
“I’m not entirely sure. I will talk to my wife, but I’m not sure you really have any options here.”
I refused to roll over for Leila’s sake. “How can he fire her for a consensual relationship between two adults? If I’m expelled, it should solve the matter.”
“He’ll say it’s the air of impropriety,” Leila mumbled. “That’s the word he kept throwing around before.”
He took a deep breath. “You said there was a recent incident?”
“Yes,” Leila answered. “Over the winter break, a student claimed her professor was essentially demanding sex in exchange for a good grade. The professor in question is married. He claims the girl came on to him and when he didn’t give her the grade she thought she deserved, she went to the dean and raised a fuss.”
“And the dean talked to you about it and made it explicitly clear that he did not condone these relationships?”
Leila nodded. “Yes. He said it created scandal and gave the university a bad name. I tried to reason with him simply because I don’t necessarily share his point of view. I think two adults that happen to like each other and want to be together should be allowed.”
Alan nodded his head, but I could see by the look on his face he wasn’t hopeful. I had known it would be a long shot, but for Leila’s sake, I was willing to try. I didn’t want her to suffer. I could have told her I wasn’t interested. I shouldn’t have asked her to lunch and continued a relationship with her when I knew she had initially been against it because of this very reason.
“Well?” I asked. “What do you think?”
“I think that even with my kickass wife on your side, you’re likely to both lose. Leila, you would likely be terminated. If he can’t legally fire you for that, he’ll find another reason. You could try and sue for wrongful termination, but I don’t know if that would work. I’m sure my wife will know more than I and I will definitely run it all by her. If she thinks there is a chance, I will have her reach out—assuming it gets that far.”
“But how can he expel Christopher?” she asked.
“That’s an easy one. Sex in the library is definitely an offense that could get him expelled. Again, if it isn’t, it is easy to make something up.”
She groaned, rubbing her hand over her face. “I can’t believe this. I’m jobless. I’m unemployed.”
The strain on her face and the worry in her eyes pulled at my heartstrings. She didn’t deserve to lose everything. “I’ll take the fall,” I said. “You told me from the very get-go what this could lead to and I wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“No!” she gasped. “That isn’t true. Like you said earlier, I was a very willing participant. This isn’t your fault. There should not be anything wrong with this. You’re not a child. I’m not a child. No one is being hurt. I can’t give you a good or bad grade!” She slapped her hand on the table, her frustration evident.
I put my hand on hers. “It’s okay. We’re going to get through this together. I don’t need to take classes. If I want to further my education, I can take online classes. I don’t believe the dean’s threats. He doesn’t have that kind of power. He can’t blackball me from going to college. That’s stupid. If he crosses the line, you better believe I will sue his ass for defamation.”
“My wife will definitely get behind you on that one,” Alan said.
“I’m not going to let you do it,” Leila insisted.
“You could pay him,” Alan offered. “You make the donation, and all of this goes away. I’m guessing his donation demand might be in the six-figure range or very close to it. Are you willing to part with your hard-earned money?”
“I can’t do that,” I mumbled. “That goes against everything I believe in. I know blackmail when I see it. I will not be a victim.”
“I agree,” Alan said. “But if you don’t pay, you’re expelled. There’s no guarantee Leila still won’t get fired. You’re in a damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation.”
“Exactly,” Leila said. “It isn’t going to do us any good for you to walk away. We’re both screwed. Don’t pay him and don’t give him anything. Maybe he’ll just forget any of it ever happened.”
“That’s not going to happen,” I told her. “I will make sure he doesn’t fire you. I can be very persuasive as well. His power is withholding an education. My power is my connections. I will make him understand that everyone will know what kind of school he’s running.”
Leila smiled, leaning over and giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. “You’re crazy and I’m so glad I met you, even if the world is crumbling around us.”
“You two,” Alan said with a smile. “I thought I saw some fireworks between you. I’m happy for the both of you. Is this a real thing?”
I looked at Leila. She smiled. “It is very real.”
“Good, good,” he said nodding his head.
“I’m going to head back to campus and talk to the dean,” I told them.
“Christopher, please, let’s talk about other options,” Leila begged.
“I don’t see any other options. I’ll tell him to expel me. I won’t be giving him any money or telling him who you are. If they haven’t figured it out by now, they aren’t going to.”
“But what if they do?”
“I’ll tell him it was someone I snuck onto campus. I’ll make it very clear that she isn’t a student and her identity doesn’t matter.”
“What if he doesn’t believe you?” she questioned.
“I’ll make him believe me. For that, I will wr
ite a check. I have no problem buying your security, but I won’t pay him to save myself.”
“You can’t do that,” she moaned. “I hate that this is a thing.”
“It’s all right. I’m looking forward to all the extra time I’m going to have. I’m going to go fishing. Hell, maybe I will buy that boat now.”
I hoped I was putting on a brave face. I didn’t want her to feel guilty. When it was me voluntarily falling on the sword, it felt right. I got up from the table.
“Call me as soon as you’re done meeting with him,” she said.
I smiled. “I will. Try and relax. Everything will be okay.”
“Good luck,” Alan said, waving as I walked away.
I headed out to my truck. It sucked that I wasn’t going to get to pursue that religious studies degree, but I was oddly at peace with it. I accepted it wasn’t going to happen. Again, I wasn’t sad. It felt right to do something good for Leila. I got to be the hero. Heroes got all kinds of gracious, sexy thank you sex. I couldn’t help but smile at the idea.
I drove to campus and parked in the visitor parking lot. I grabbed my student ID and headed towards the admin building. The guy was a snake, in my opinion. I was going into the meeting with a very different outlook. He didn’t intimidate me, and I would make sure he knew.
He had tried to bully me, and I didn’t like that. I was not to be bullied. I could be just as intimidating. I didn’t have anything to lose.
Chapter 65
Leila
I looked at Alan and shrugged. “Well, I guess that’s that,” I said.
He smiled. “You two make a great couple.”
“Thank you. I feel like I’m in a bit of a Romeo and Juliet situation. He’s the forbidden fruit.”
“Or you’re the forbidden fruit.”
I had to laugh at the thought. “I suppose you’re right. So, how did you know?”
“Know about you and Christopher?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“I didn’t actually know, but I did have my suspicions. I wasn’t lying when I said the sparks were flying between the two of you. I recognized the sparks. My wife and I are like that.”
I smiled. “That’s very sweet. Is she retired?”
“She’s retired until she’s not.”
I laughed. “Until someone brings her a case she can’t resist.”
“You’ve got it. I love to watch her work. She just glows. I think I was hoping your situation would be something she could help with. I’m still going to run it by her. She’s the legal mind, I’m not.”
I smiled, but there was something else that was still bothering me. “How did you know that we might need some legal advice?”
I thought I saw a flash of guilt or that look that said someone was busted. He squirmed in his seat a little. “I might have seen the video,” he whispered.
My eyes bulged and I felt my cheeks turn about twelve shades of red. “You saw the video?” I gasped.
“A link was sent to me.”
“What the hell? Why? How?”
He shrugged. “It was anonymous. I mentioned the video to Christopher yesterday. That was before I had watched it and recognized him. I kind of guessed it was you but didn’t know for certain.”
I blew out a breath. “I’m embarrassed. Please don’t think this is normal behavior for me. It was the first and only time I’ve ever done anything like that.”
“It’s okay,” he assured me. “I didn’t watch the entire video.”
I shook my head. “I can’t believe all of this is happening. I should stop him.”
“I don’t think he would appreciate that. He wants to do this for you. Let him do it.”
“He’s throwing away his future,” I said.
“I think Christopher has a pretty bright future already,” he said with a laugh. “Another degree isn’t something he needs. He wants it. He needs to stay busy. I think he took more classes not because he wants the education, but because he wants to be near you.”
I waved a hand. “No, no. He likes religious studies.”
“I think he loves you,” he replied.
“No. Definitely not.”
He chuckled. “I think he does. I’ve seen that look in a man’s eyes. He’s into you. I think that man would walk through fire for you.”
“You’re very sweet, but we’ve just started this thing,” I said, but somewhere in the back of my mind I wondered if it could be true.
“I think you two are onto something.”
“How much do you know about him?” I asked.
He sighed. “I know he lost his wife a year ago. A year is a long time for a man to be alone. I don’t think he ever would have gotten involved with you if he wasn’t ready to move on. He chose you. That says something. You’re a special woman.”
I was blushing again. “That’s very kind.”
“I’m serious,” he said. “I’m a very straight man, but I know a good-looking guy when I see one. Christopher is attractive, kind, funny, and wealthy. Do you know how many women would be in line to get their hands on him? He chose you.”
When he put it that way, I felt very special. I couldn’t remember a time I had ever felt truly special. “Thank you. For everything. Will you please talk to your wife on our behalf? If there is any chance we can come out on top in this, it would be great. I would appreciate any help. In an ideal world, I would keep my job and Christopher would get to continue going to school.”
“I will talk to her. I will beg her. I will promise her diamonds. If anyone can find you a win, it’s her.”
I loved how he spoke of his wife. It was a true love situation. I wanted my future husband to think of me the way he thought about her. He had her on a pedestal. He revolved around her. It was sweet and endearing.
“Thank you again for taking time to come by. Hopefully, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You will,” he said.
We walked out and parted ways. Instead of going back to campus for my usual office hours, I headed to the coffee shop. I wanted to fill Kami in on all that had happened. She was sitting at a table, her laptop open in front of her.
“Hey,” I greeted.
“Hey, you look, um, better,” she said as if she was searching for the right word.
“I feel better,” I said, sitting down at her table.
“You talked to him,” she grinned. “I was right.”
“Yes, you were right. I was wrong. I freaked out over nothing.”
“What happened?”
“He thought I turned him in,” I said incredulously. “Can you believe he thought I would do that? I mean, I know we don’t know each other all that well, but that is some messed up stuff. I would never do that to anyone.”
“So, he got in trouble?”
“He got expelled.”
“Holy shit, for real?”
“Yes. Well, he didn’t get expelled immediately. The dean gave him the option of paying him hush money in exchange for my name.”
She blinked. “Hush money?”
“The dean called it a donation to the school, but Christopher thinks he was blackmailing him.”
She grinned. “He didn’t give up your name, did he?”
“No, he didn’t.”
“Told you,” she sang the words. “I told you so, I told you so.”
“Gloating is not an attractive quality on anyone.”
“I don’t care. I was right.”
“Fine, you were right,” I mumbled.
“Is he going to pay him?”
“No. We talked with another guy whose wife is a lawyer, hoping we had some legal ground to fight back, but we don’t. Alan doesn’t think we have a chance to sue to keep my job and Christopher enrolled. He thinks the dean would just find another legal reason to get rid of us. Christopher has decided to take the fall for both of us.”
She grimaced. “He is going to pay him?”
“No. He’s not going to pay or give up my name, which means he’ll be expelle
d.”
“Is that going to stop the dean from investigating?”
“Christopher is going to tell him I’m not a student.”
“Do you think that will work?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I have no idea. I hope so. Kind of. I feel horrible that he is taking the fall. It doesn’t feel right.”
“That’s a good man,” she commented. “He’s your knight in shining armor.”
“He really is,” I said, unable to stop from smiling. “I don’t know how to thank him. I don’t want to thank him. I feel horrible.”
“Because you get to keep your job while he takes your punishment?”
I scowled at her. “When you put it like that, yes.”
“That’s the only way to put it. Are you sure it’s worth it?”
“My job or my relationship with Christopher?”
“Your job,” she answered. “I think you have to know by now the relationship with Christopher is definitely worth it.”
“Is my job worth it?” I repeated the question, mulling it over.
“Yes. Is it? You and Christopher have worked things out. He’s wealthy and obviously very into you. Why do you need the job?”
“Uh, to pay my mortgage,” I quipped.
I could see her wheels turning. “I know you’re independent and you are a strong woman, but what are you going to do if this guy wants to take things to the next level?”
“What level?”
“Like moving in together, sharing a household.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
She held up a hand. “Okay, okay, let’s try a different scenario. You get a different job.”
“Why would I get a different job?”
“You’re worried you’re going to be found out. I know you and if the dean doesn’t eventually find out your name, you’re going to give yourself away. The guilt will make you crazy. The love you have for your job isn’t going to be there. You will learn to hate the job. You’ll resent it. He might just end up resenting you.”
Her last sentence was what I was hung up on. I knew he was a good man and would always do the right thing, but that didn’t necessarily mean he didn’t have feelings about making the hard choices. “I know,” I agreed. “I know. I told him that. He says he won’t, but I think he will. Imagine we are together two years down the road. I’m going to work, loving my job and he’s at home doing nothing. He’s a very smart man. He needs constant input. He will never be happy doing nothing. He will resent my happiness.”