He could only imagine how all of this was playing out in her head. He didn’t even want to fathom the level of hurt she was feeling. How could he make her understand the hell he was going through being unable to stop her pain? How useless he felt when all he wanted was to protect her? The feelings were foreign to him, which made expressing the emotion even harder. The words hadn’t been there and so he had yelled instead, screaming at her like a crazed banshee. He couldn’t fault her for walking away.
He stood in reflection, weighing his options, pondering what he needed to do next. His feelings for Joanna had become an albatross around his neck, breaking every one of his professional rules. It was the elephant in the room waggling its trunk for attention. He was falling for her and unable to stop himself from tumbling into the rabbit hole. Now, as he stood thinking about her, he wasn’t sure he wanted to stop, believing that for the first time he might be able to fall and land on his feet instead of crashing and burning at the bottom of a black hole.
As he stripped out of his clothes and headed for the shower, the realization that things had changed definitively suddenly came to him. He and Joanna were suddenly broken before they’d even been able to proclaim themselves together. It had only taken a split second for the universe to turn them upside down and now she was furious with him. But she couldn’t be as angry as he was with himself. He’d put doubt where none had existed, and he reasoned that now she didn’t trust him. He needed to fix this and for the first time, he wasn’t certain he could.
What if this was the end for them, before they’d even enjoyed a beginning? What if she refused him, wanting nothing to do with him? What if she didn’t imagine them together, fighting a good fight? What if all his worries were for nothing and Joanna wasn’t concerned for him at all? His list of what ifs was suddenly miles long and for the first time, Mingus was feeling insecurities he’d never before known. The wealth of emotion was overwhelming and cut deep to the quick of everything he’d ever thought about himself.
Standing in the spray of hot water he pondered the ramifications of everything that had happened. He thought about Joanna and made lists in his head of things he wanted for his life. Suddenly he realized he wasn’t willing to lose her. He refused to let her go, even though he wasn’t even sure if he had her. He prayed it wasn’t too late. Suddenly the decision of what he needed to do was easier than he would have ever imagined. He hurried to finish his shower and get dressed.
Chapter 12
Joanna was pacing her living room floor when the doorbell rang. She’d worn a dull path along the hardwood floors, moving from her bedroom to the kitchen and back. She was dressed and ready to head to the board meeting, but fear had reared its ugly head, holding her hostage where she stood.
When the bell rang a second time, someone leaning persistently against the buzzer, she moved slowly to see who it was. Admittedly she was fearful of being ambushed. The media and protesters at the end of her driveway were like vultures ready to pick her to pieces. They were intent on being ugly and she didn’t put anything past the lot of them. Although she’d braced herself for anything, she wasn’t at all prepared to find Mingus on the other side of the door.
He stood imposingly, his hands clasped behind his back. He wore a navy meticulously tailored wool-and-silk-blend suit, paired with a white, collarless dress shirt and black leather dress shoes. He looked quite dashing and his presence suddenly had her gasping for air. The shock that washed over her expression hit like a sledgehammer and moved Mingus to laugh.
“Do I look that bad?” he asked.
Joanna shook her head. “No, you actually look that good.”
He smiled. “May I come in?”
She hesitated. “Why are you here, Mingus?”
“I am here to take you to the school board meeting. You really didn’t think I would let you go alone, did you?”
“You really don’t have to—” Joanna started before he interrupted.
“No, I don’t. But I want to. And about what happened. It won’t happen again.”
“If that was supposed to be an apology, it really sucked!” She finally gestured for him to step into the foyer, closing the door behind him.
He smiled. “You’re right. It was bad. Let me try again. I can do better. I came here prepared to beg.” He gestured with his head toward the living room sofa. “May I sit down?”
Joanna shook her head. “No, you can’t.” She crossed her arms over her chest, the look she gave him defiant.
Mingus gave her a slight nod, his smile widening. “I want to apologize. I didn’t mean to hurt you, Joanna. And I certainly shouldn’t have yelled at you the way I did. It was disrespectful and was not a reflection of how I feel about you.”
“I really thought you knew me, Mingus. I swear on everything important to me that I did not take any photographs or send any nude pictures with my phone. But you made me feel...”
Mingus took a step toward her, resting his hands on her shoulders. “I really am sorry. If I could begin to explain to you what I was feeling, I would. I just didn’t know how to handle the emotion and I took my frustrations out on you. I was wrong.”
“You hurt my feelings.”
“Baby, I swear on my life it will never happen again.”
* * *
Joanna stood staring into his eyes, a wave of emotion flooding through her spirit. Whether she was ready to admit it or not, she needed him. No matter how much she might have wanted to protest, she wanted him. And she was finding it very difficult to still be angry after he had just called her baby.
Mingus persisted. “Will you forgive me?”
Joanna turned, reaching for her purse and jacket. She spun back to face him, tears misting her eyes. “I’ll think about it,” she said as their gazes connected.
Mingus smiled. “Will you do me one more favor?” he asked, his brows raised.
She felt herself falling headfirst into the seductive look he was giving her. “What’s that?”
Mingus stepped forward, meeting her toe to toe. He eased an arm around her waist and gently pulled her to him. She gasped, air catching in her throat, and her body began to quiver from his touch. He eased his other hand to the back of her head, his fingers entwining in the length of her hair. “Think about this, too,” he whispered and then his kissed her, capturing her mouth beneath his own.
The silence on the car ride to the public hearing at the Chicago Board of Education building on Madison Street was jaw-dropping. Mingus maneuvered his car through traffic, his expression smug as he stole occasional glances in her direction. Joanna stared out the passenger-side window, still lost in the heat of Mingus’s touch. That kiss had left her shaking, her knees quivering and her heart racing. She couldn’t not think about it if she wanted to.
His kiss had been everything she’d imagined and more. It was summer rain in a blue sky, fudge cake with scoops of praline ice cream, balloons floating against a backdrop of clouds, small puppies, bubbles in a spa bath and fireworks over Lake Michigan. It had left her completely satiated and famished for more. Closing her eyes and kissing him back had been as natural as breathing. And there was no denying that she had kissed him back. She hadn’t been able to speak since, no words coming that would explain the wealth of emotion flowing like a tidal wave through her spirit.
They paused at a red light. Mingus checked his mirrors and the flow of traffic as he waited for his turn to proceed through the intersection. Joanna suddenly reached out her hand for his, entwining his fingers between her own.
“I’m still mad at you,” Joanna said.
“I know. I’m still mad at myself. I just felt like I was failing you. You need results and I’m not coming up with anything concrete. I want to fix this and suddenly I didn’t know if I could. I felt like I was being outwitted. Like someone’s playing this game better than I am, but it’s not a game. They’re playing with your life and I don�
��t plan to let them beat either one of us.”
“From day one you believed me. Most didn’t and, to be honest, I don’t know that anyone else does. But not once have you looked at me like I’m lying or that I’m crazy. This afternoon, you yelling at me felt like doubt, and I couldn’t handle you doubting me. It broke my heart.”
Mingus squeezed her fingers, still stalled at the light, a line of cars beginning to pull in behind him. “I don’t doubt you, baby. But we need to figure this out and, frankly, we’re running out of time.”
The honking of a car horn yanked his attention back to the road. He pulled into the intersection and turned left. Minutes later he slid into a parking spot and shut down the car engine. Joanna was still staring out the window.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Joanna nodded and gave him her sweetest smile. “Yeah. I was just thinking that I really like it when you call me ‘baby.’”
* * *
The garden level boardroom of the Board of Education was beginning to fill quickly. The evening’s meeting was a public forum, allowing comment from educators, parents and members of the community about the issues on the agenda. Speaker registration had started an hour earlier and the public comment segment of the hearing would conclude after the last person who had signed to speak had been given an opportunity to voice their concerns.
Joanna knew the comment segment could easily go on longer than the scheduled two-hour meeting if public sentiment was running high. This night didn’t feel like it was going to be an exception. She and Mingus took seats toward the back, but with unobstructed views of the seven board members who sat on a semi-round dais at the front of the room.
It didn’t take long before someone recognized her, hushed comments and blatant stares welcoming her presence. People were whispering, some pointing, others sneering as they eyed her with visible disgust. She was feeling self-conscious and ready to make an exit when Mingus draped an arm over her shoulder. His touch was calming and she lifted her chin a little higher and pulled her shoulders back with his quiet encouragement.
Angel suddenly slid into the seat beside her, wrapping Joanna in a warm hug. “You look great!”
“Thank you! I have missed you!”
Angel waved a hand at Mingus. “How are you?”
He nodded his head. “Fine, thank you. It’s good to see you again.”
“So, what’s new since I’ve been gone?” Joanna asked.
“The same story, different day. One of those little demons stole my wallet this week. I left the room for five minutes and he took it right out of my desk drawer.”
Mingus suddenly leaned into the conversation. “You don’t lock those desks?” he questioned.
Joanna shrugged. “We do. Most of the time. But occasionally, depending on the class, a few of us have been known to not bother.”
“It’s usually not a problem,” Angel interjected. “I can count on one hand the number of students I wouldn’t trust. This one surprised me. Apparently he did it on a dare.”
Mingus nodded slowly. Joanna sensed that he was filing the information away. She made a mental note to ask him about it later.
Valentina Donato was suddenly standing beside them. She greeted Joanna and Mingus politely, extending her hand to shake his. “How are you, Joanna?”
Joanna gave her a slight smile and responded, “I’m doing very well, thank you for asking.”
“Hopefully this will all be over soon and we can get you back into the classroom. You’ve been missed.”
“Thank you. I’m confident that I’ll be vindicated and my name cleared,” she said, hoping her tone sounded as sure.
Valentina smiled, her thin lips lifting ever so slightly. “I’ll keep you in my prayers, Joanna,” she said as she turned to find a seat on the other side of the room.
“Well, that wasn’t chilly at all,” Angel quipped. “Her sincerity is just so heartwarming!”
Joanna giggled, her eyes rolling skyward. “Give her a break, Angel. At least she spoke. That’s more than I can say for the rest of these hypocrites.” She nodded toward a science teacher, the coach and Marion Talley, who stood off to the side huddled in conversation.
“Every one of them is hateful,” Angel whispered. “And devious. You can’t trust the lot of them.”
Minutes later John Talley, the Board of Education president, called the meeting to order. The board members dealt with a flurry of paperwork and administrative details as the standing-room-only crowd waited with bated breath for the community comment portion of the agenda. There was a brief discussion on teacher tenure and they tabled a vote on expanding the roles of special coordinators in the elementary schools. It was boring at best and Mingus tuned the noise out as he stared around the room, studying the crowd.
Many were circling like sharks in infested waters, churning around in a murky blood bath. Because of her tenure and the board’s relationship with the teachers’ union, Joanna’s termination was not automatic or final until she was found guilty of the charges, either by admission or trial. The union had challenged her employment status, pending the trial results since she had not admitted guilt. They were fighting on her behalf for continued paid leave. The board could opt to table that discussion, as well, but it was clear the community wasn’t going to walk away without its opinions being heard. It seemed to be the only issue of concern to most of them.
Mingus shifted his focus, tuning in to the board president, who had mentioned Riptide High School and its current climate. John Talley was a small man, stout and round with a sizeable beer gut. His wore a sweater vest over a short-sleeved white dress shirt and khaki slacks that pulled awkwardly though his thighs and legs. Balding, he’d become adept at coming over the remaining strands of hair on his head, his sandy-blond locks covering the growing bald spots.
“We will be calling a special meeting to discuss the school’s future,” Talley was saying. “We’ve received a generous offer to purchase the building and land and in light of the school administration’s current legal issues, as well as the continued accreditation issues, I for one believe that we should consider cutting our losses.”
One board member bristled with indignation. “The school is a community fixture. Why is this even a discussion?”
Another board member spoke. “Because we know that the budget isn’t going to allow us to keep all of our schools open. It’s just a fact of the current economy. If not Riptide, then one of our other schools will eventually have to close. Either way, the decision is not going to be easy and families are not going to be happy.”
One of the female members interjected, raising her hand for attention. “I want to know more about the offer. Is that something that will have to be presented to the community for their input?”
John Talley shrugged. “I think it’s something the board should consider and address prior to any public discussions. I will say that we do have Frank Sumpter here with us tonight. Mr. Sumpter is a lawyer for Kaufman and Associates, the legal firm representing the Tower Group. The Tower Group is the company wanting to buy the land and building where Riptide High School sits. I’m sure he’d be willing to give us a brief statement.”
Another on the board, a man with a head of reddish-blond hair and a ruddy complexion, shook his head. “That’s a bit presumptuous, I think. We’ve had no discussions about which schools we will be closing. I think we should table this issue for a special meeting.”
“That’s not true. It’s all we’ve been discussing for the last six months. If you had been here, you would’ve known that!” another interjected.
There was a brief heated exchange between the two men before John Talley regained order. He tapped his gavel against the table. “Clearly we’re not going to get anywhere with this tonight.”
One of the women raised her hand. “I make a motion to table the discussion until a later date when we can in
vite Attorney Sumpter back to speak with us.”
“I second that motion,” said the man who’d been accused of not attending meetings.
“Then we’ll move on,” John Talley snapped. He shot a look across the room, shrugging his shoulders slightly.
Mingus followed where he looked and suddenly sat forward in his seat. Standing with John’s wife, Marion, toward the back on the other side was the stranger he’d seen with Kyle Rourke that night in the strip club. Once again, the man was meticulously dressed in an expensive suit, but this time looking more at ease with his surroundings. Mingus suddenly had questions, wondering why lawyer Frank Sumpter was in bed with a small-time criminal and with the Talleys. What did they all have in common? And what did it have to do with Joanna?
Joanna’s palm lightly grazed his back, the look she gave him questioning. He gave her a slight smile and sat back. At the front of the room Talley had shifted the discussion to the petition submitted by the teachers’ union on Joanna’s behalf. Tension suddenly bristled through the room like an electrical current gone awry. Mingus felt her body tense as she leaned into his side.
“Is this not a personnel issue?” a board member asked. “And should it not be private?”
“I agree,” said the guy who’d been accused of being absent.
“The vote and the board’s decision will be private,” Talley said, “but the issues surrounding Ms. Barnes’s suspension are of major concern to the community and the general consensus of all is that we should address those concerns. There has been a violation of public trust created by the alleged abuse of a student at Riptide High School, and all the events that have followed have led to diminished confidence. It’s become a distraction from our primary focus of preparing students for higher education and eventual success. It’s my understanding that the union, as well as Ms. Barnes, are in agreement.”
Joanna’s eyes were suddenly blinking rapidly. She didn’t recall having that conversation with anyone from the teachers’ union. She made a mental note to discuss that with Ellington when she saw him next.
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