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Owen: Me, too.
He didn’t text again, but it was plainly obvious what was happening.
Somebody turned us in.
Grabbing my bag, I hurried out of the classroom and went to Owen’s office to wait for him. He showed up five minutes before nine, done with his first class of the day.
“So, I guess we’re found out,” Owen said when he saw me.
He opened his office long enough to drop his briefcase inside and grab the sweater that was hanging over his chair.
It was one of the ones that had the cute little leather elbow patches.
“Shit!” I hissed under my breath, surprised at my own language. “What are we going to do?” I asked him.
“Ask for leniency,” he said before motioning me to go ahead of him down the hall.
We walked together towards the Dean’s office. “We’re an engaged couple, after all. Maybe that’ll mean something to them.”
“God, I hope so,” I breathed, feeling my nerves pinken my face in a perpetual blush.
At the office, we didn’t touch or even look at each other as we waited for the Dean. They made us wait almost twenty minutes before Angela the secretary told us to go back.
“It’ll be ok,” Owen whispered as we went.
The Dean, who I hadn’t personally met before, was sitting in his chair with steepled fingers, watching us as we came in. I took one chair, and Owen took the other, sitting back and looking relaxed as we waited for the Dean to speak.
“I’ve had troubling news reported to me this morning,” he said slowly, looking from me to Owen.
“What news is that?” Owen asked, lifting a brow like he wasn’t speaking to his superior.
“A concerned young woman came to me today just after I arrived and told me that her friend was dating her professor.”
Tears burned in my eyes, because I knew exactly who that ‘young woman’ was. Clea was a bitch!
“Ok,” Owen drawled.
“On top of that, I saw you two arrive together at school this morning. The evidence is pretty damning.”
“Sorry, but you pulled us in here because a jealous young woman told you I’m dating my student, and I picked my TA up for school on such a chilly day? I prefer not to let her walk to campus when it’s cold. She could get sick, then I would get sick.”
The ease in which he lied was kind of astounding. To be fair, not much of it was actually a lie so much as twisted truth.
“Are you denying any relationship with this young woman?” he asked Owen, looking directly into his eyes with that familiar look principals give to naughty students.
Actually, all of this felt a bit like being pulled into the principal’s office.
Owen didn’t even hesitate when he said, “No. I’m not denying anything. What I do know is that girl you’re referring to has been giving Mia a hard time, and has been making her life difficult. Also, a professor driving his TA to school shouldn’t be a red flag. That’s just ridiculous.”
The Dean’s head was spinning. I could tell by the accusation in his confused eyes.
“You’ve been dating a student then?” he demanded. “One of your own English majors, and your Teaching Assistant to boot! Have you no decency?”
Owen’s brow rose again.
“Decency?” he asked. “We’re both adults. We can date whoever we want. Besides, Mia isn’t my girlfriend. She’s my fiancée.”
Now the Dean’s head looked like it was going to pop.
