by Ali Parker
My mouth was hanging open. I probably looked ridiculous, but it was just too incredible to believe. “Jail? Extortion? I don’t understand.”
“I wasn’t the first person he tried to blackmail. He’s been doing it for years. A student who had been blackmailed went to Alan’s wife for help. Fast forward to today and the dean is under arrest. He isn’t going to be extorting anyone for a very long time.”
“And Alan knew about all this? He was a part of it?”
He nodded. “Yes. He never wanted to get another degree. His wife made him go undercover. There is a camera in the dean’s office. He knew it was there, so all the video they’ve obtained will be legal to use against him.”
“Why would he commit a felony on camera?”
He grinned. “Because he thought it didn’t work. I have a feeling he purposely broke it. It was fixed and the police have been monitoring him. Today when I went in there, he asked me again for money.”
I let out a breath. “Holy shit. I don’t even know what to say. This is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.”
He laughed. “I know. I was in shock. I wasn’t sure if I was going to get arrested.”
“I can’t believe Alan never told us!” I said a little irritated.
“He couldn’t. He didn’t want to risk me acting different or saying the wrong thing. They had to let it play out.”
I shook my head. “I almost quit. If they hadn’t busted him when they did, I would have quit for nothing. Wait, the police know it was me?”
“Alan knows it was you. I’m not sure if the police know.”
“Oh God. I hope they didn’t get an analyst to play that tape and enhance it and do all the things they do. I will never be able to show my face in this town again.”
He chuckled. “I don’t think the police give a shit about the tape. They were after the dean. Not us. Not the sexaholics who were banging in the library.”
I groaned. “That sounds so bad.”
“I think it sounds awesome. I might just have to put a library in at my house. If books do it for you, I will buy ten thousand and line the walls in my bedroom.”
I burst into laughter. “You’re crazy.”
“I’m being real.”
“Are you expelled, then?” I asked, just remembering the whole reason he’d gone to the dean’s office. “Did he already put in the paperwork? If he did, I think we can get it reversed. Extenuating circumstances. They can’t expel you.”
“I don’t think I’m expelled,” he said. “We didn’t get a chance to get that far before Alan and the cavalry showed up.
I smiled. “You’re not expelled, and I’m not fired. Does this mean we can go back to life as usual?”
He shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”
I jumped to my feet and threw myself at him. “Oh my God! I can’t believe it’s working out like this. My life never works out for the good. There’s always so much loss and drama. This doesn’t seem real.”
“It’s real. Although, Alan did say we need to write up official statements.”
“I can do that. I can’t believe Alan is a super spy!”
He laughed again. “I know. I was shocked as hell as well. I should have known something was off. What dude his age with several degrees already, wants to go back to school when he could be out enjoying life?”
I raised an eyebrow, looking at him. “Um, I know one guy.”
“That is totally different, and Alan is older than I am.”
I grinned. “Are you going to continue your classes?”
He blew out a breath. “I honestly don’t know. I’m going to have to think about it.”
“Well, I guess I can unpack my box,” I said, reality starting to sink in.
“I can’t believe you were packing up and going to quit,” he said with astonishment. “For me?”
“Yes. You were willing to give this all up for me. I needed you to know I would do the same for you.”
“Thank you. That means a lot.”
I gave him a quick kiss. “You’re very welcome. Now, neither of us has to give up anything.”
“Let me put that picture up where it belongs,” he said, pulling it from the box.
I watched as he put it in its rightful place. It felt good to be able to unpack. Another thought stole through my head. “What if the new dean that comes in picks up where Dean Johnson left off? He could be just as strict. If Dean Johnson left a list of unresolved matters, we could still be in trouble.”
“I doubt that,” Christopher said confidently. “I hope the new dean coming in realizes the old dean had a serious stick up his ass.”
I giggled. “Me too. I wonder if things will change.”
“They will likely change for the better. The school is going to be faced with some serious repercussions. They aren’t going to do anything that makes them look bad. They’re certainly not going to get rid of their best professor.”
I nodded. “You’re right. I think we should celebrate.”
“Oh,” he said that sexy grin on his face. “What’d you have in mind?” he asked, his voice husky as he stepped closer to me.
“I was thinking we go out and celebrate. How about a nice dinner? You, me, and Olin if he’s up for it.”
“I think that sounds like a great plan.”
I wrapped my arms around him. “I can’t wait.”
“I should probably get home.”
“I’ll call you later,” I told him.
“Are you going to stick around for a while?”
I nodded. “I’ve got some tests to grade,” I said with a smile.
He gave me another quick kiss. “Then I will let you get back to work.”
He left me alone in my office. I still had a job. A job I knew I could only love more now that I didn’t have to worry about the dean. I just prayed the new dean coming in would be much more relaxed. I was looking forward to a bright future.
I quickly unpacked my box and sat down to begin grading the tests. Grading tests had never felt so damn good. I had an awesome job and an even better boyfriend. Yes, I was calling him my boyfriend. We both cared a great deal about each other. Dean Johnson had no idea, but he had helped us grow in our relationship. He had forced us to show each other just how much we cared for one another.
Maybe I’d send him a thank you note in prison. The thought made me laugh out loud.
Chapter 68
Christopher
I grabbed Leila’s hand and pulled her towards the mini Ferris wheel. She was giggling, resisting at first but eventually following along. We climbed in the seat and were quickly buckled in before the car started to move forward while the next couple boarded.
“I don’t know if I like heights,” she told me.
“I guess we’re about to find out,” I answered.
She was smiling big. “This is nuts.”
“This is fun. Look, there’s Olin!”
“Olin!” she shouted his name, waving her arms.
Olin looked up at us and grinned, waving back as the car went up a little higher. It wasn’t long before the ride began to move, taking us high above the fair. We had done dinner and happened to see the rides and tents set up. It was irresistible. Even Olin had been on board to come along.
Once the ride was over, we made our way over to the bumper cars where we were supposed to meet Olin. “He looks like he is having a good time,” Leila commented.
I watched Olin laughing as he rammed a young woman in another car. It had been a long time since I’d see that laughing face. “He is. This is good for him. You’re going to be very good for him.”
“I’m glad he decided to come along tonight,” she said. “I know it isn’t cool for teens to hang out with old people on a Friday night. It’s pretty awesome that he did.”
“I think he wanted to check out the nightlife in Houston,” I joked. “It has nothing to do with wanting to hang out with us.”
“Either way, it’s pretty awesome.”
; I grinned. “It really is.”
Leila and I stood back from the crowd. Olin headed our way with the young lady in tow. “Dad, is it cool if I head back and stay with a friend tonight?”
I looked at the girl, then him. “A friend?” I asked with raised eyebrows. I considered myself a cool dad, but I was not about to let my sixteen-year-old have a sleepover with a girl.
“Not her. This is Emma. We go to school together. Emma’s friend Jessica and her boyfriend are going to a movie.”
“And you know the boyfriend?” I questioned, not trying to interrogate him, but I needed some facts.
Olin nodded. “Yes, dad. We all go to school together.”
“Fine. Have fun and check in tomorrow before you go out to do whatever it is you have planned.”
Olin grinned. “Thanks, Dad. It was nice hanging out with you, Leila.”
“Bye, Olin. I had fun tonight.”
We watched the young couple walk away. “Well, I guess we’re on our own. It was only a matter of time before he ditched us.”
She laughed. “It looks like he may be interested in her.”
“It didn’t take him long to get over the last one,” I muttered.
“At that age, I don’t think it ever does.”
“So, since I’m going to be all alone in that big house tonight, we could have our own sleepover,” I said, my voice low.
“Oh, that sounds like a very good idea.”
We stayed at the fair another thirty minutes before heading back to my house. She settled in the living room while I poured us a couple of glasses of wine. It was nice to sit and unwind after a wild week that had been full of ups and downs.
“Do you feel like you’re letting out one long exhale?” she asked, sipping her wine.
I chuckled. “Yes. This week has been intense.”
“I’m still in shock. Hell, the whole school is in shock. Things are kind of in turmoil. The rumors are flying.”
I grimaced. “About us?”
She laughed. “No. No one knows you were the one that tipped the case. As far as I know, my involvement is unknown as well. Although, if this thing does go to trial, we’re both going to have our names and faces out there.”
I shrugged, not giving a shit about who knew we were together. “That’s okay with me. I don’t mind. I don’t think it’s going to be big news for long. It will die out eventually.”
She chewed on her bottom lip. “I’m going to have to put on a brave face. The other professors are going to be looking at me with that chiding, shame on you look.”
“Why would they? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“The library. The relationship. I’m sure they’ll see it as scandalous.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “I have a feeling at least half of your colleagues are doing things that are just as scandalous. We can insist your name be kept out of the papers. Technically, it was me who was blackmailed.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. We’re in this together. I’ll just have to suck it up and wear the proud scarlet letter on my chest.”
“You’re not an adulterer. I’m not married. I’m widowed. We did nothing wrong.”
She blew out a breath. “I know that, and I shouldn’t care what other people think. I’ll be fine. Everything is just kind of messy and crazy, and I hate that kind of chaos.”
“But not us,” I said. “We’re good, right?”
“We are good.”
I leaned over and dropped a quick kiss on her cheek. “Good, because I don’t want to lose you after going through all of that.”
“You’re not going to lose me,” she assured me. “We did go through a lot of trouble to be together. You’re not getting away from me that easily.”
The way she said it warmed my heart. I liked being gotten. It made me feel like the other half of a whole. I liked being a part of her whole. I liked having her stand beside me. We were going to be a formidable couple.
“Alan called earlier. The dean is out on bail, but he’s facing some pretty steep charges.”
She nodded. “Good. The more I think about what he did to us and all those other students, the more pissed I get. He is a cold, ruthless man. I can’t believe they let him post bail. His money isn’t even his. His money comes from hardworking people who want an education. It’s just not right.”
“He’ll pay for what he did,” I assured her. “Alan said the case is solid. He can enjoy his last days of freedom. His assets will be seized eventually. Alan’s wife is going to sue his estate to try and get back some of the money her clients have paid. They expect more people will come forward once this thing really starts picking up traction.”
She nodded, still sipping the wine. I knew the look on her face. She was in deep thought about something. I waited for her to say what it was.
“And you?” she finally asked. “Will you be picking up where you left off with your classes?”
I sighed. It was something I had been thinking about quite a bit. I had to do a lot of introspection into my life and what I wanted. “No.”
She turned to look at me. “Really? You can’t let one bad dean ruin your idea of a good education. I promise, he does not represent the entire school. The rest of the professors are great—most of them.”
I smiled. “It has nothing to do with the dean. It’s about me.”
“You don’t want to go to college?”
I shook my head. “Not anymore. I don’t need to. I was looking for something. I found it. There are other things I would prefer to do with my time.”
“What were you looking for?” she asked.
“I was looking for understanding. I needed assurance that things were okay for Carlie.”
She looked confused. “I’m not sure I understand.”
I hadn’t talked about Carlie much with her. It was time I opened up a little and explained to her what I was feeling. “When she died from a car accident, I had this feeling I had failed her. I felt horribly guilty, like I hadn’t protected her. I looked at pictures of the accident, and I felt physical pain. I wondered if Carlie had felt pain. Had she felt fear? I’m not a religious person. I knew very little about death and the afterlife or any of that. People kept telling me she’s in a better place. I couldn’t take that at face value.”
She slowly nodded. “You were looking for proof of a better place.”
“Yes. I wanted evidence that she was whole and beautiful and feeling no pain wherever she was at. Throughout the initial days and weeks after the accident, people were offering me hope. I don’t know if they realized it, but they would tell me I would see her again when I died, or she’s in heaven looking down on you. Lots of people said she was Olin’s guardian angel now. I obsessed on it. I realize now I obsessed on all the platitudes because I needed to feel confident she wasn’t lying in a casket writhing in pain.”
“Oh, Christopher,” she said reaching out to touch my arm. “I can’t imagine how hard that must have been for you.”
“I went to a couple of different churches after she passed. I was looking for answers and figured religion would have it. That was a mistake. I spoke with one pastor, or priest or whatever he was. I didn’t tell him about Carlie. I asked general questions about death and what happened after. He had me convinced Carlie was in hell because she hadn’t been saved. We had never gone to church or been religious. She wasn’t a bad person, but she wasn’t necessarily a Christian. It damn near killed me.”
“Oh, my goodness, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I’ve come to terms with it. My searching for answers is over. I have peace about her passing. I don’t have any concrete evidence to prove any theory, but I know she isn’t in pain.”
She smiled. “What brought you to that point?”
“You.”
Her eyes widened. “Me?”
I nodded. “In my quest to find the answers about life after death, if there is such a thing, I found you. Yo
u came into my life and made me see that I was still alive. I didn’t die. I had a life to live and I shouldn’t squander it. I know Carlie wouldn’t have wanted me to sit around and be miserable. I would have driven myself crazy trying to find answers to a question that has been asked since the dawn of time. It was arrogant to think I would somehow be the guy that found the truth.”
She laughed. “I don’t think it’s arrogant at all. You’re an intelligent, driven man and if anyone is going to find it, it would be you.”
“Thank you, but I’m not looking. I found what I want. I know you were put in my life for a reason. There’s a small part of Carlie in you.”
“Really?” she whispered.
“You have the same kind, gentle spirit she did. There is an innate kindness within you that I was naturally drawn to. I think I might love you.”
I thought her eyes would pop right out of her head. “What?”
I smiled, shaking my head. “No, that’s not true.”
Her shoulders slumped and she pasted on the smile I had come to know as fake and forced. “Oh.”
“It isn’t true that I think I love you because I know I love you. I love you, Leila. I didn’t think it was possible, but here it is.”
Her face was difficult to read. The tears welling in her eyes were not. I took her glass of wine and put it on the table beside mine. I turned to face her, taking both her hands in mine. “Christopher, I don’t know what to say,” she whispered.
I smiled, a little bummed she didn’t say it back, but confident she would one day feel the same. “Don’t say anything.”
I leaned forward and kissed her. It was the start of something new. I kissed her, feeling my heart opening in full bloom after being closed off and locked down tight for so long. I had been afraid to love again. I didn’t want to love and lose someone again. I realized at some point that loving someone and living a life with them and maybe one day losing them was better than never loving at all.
Chapter 69