“Please tell me.” Martin’s voice was calm, his eyes aflame with rage on her behalf. “I’d like to hear all about it. In detail.”
Annette and Alfred hadn’t approved of the next bit. They’d wanted to descend on the school system and fix everything in one fell swoop, but Rose needed to do this her way. A way that felt fair for everyone involved, including other teachers who lacked her connections.
A way that required some trust on her part, a willingness to make her private concerns public, and the ability to request assistance from strangers and colleagues.
God help her.
One. Two. Three.
She let Dale hang for a full thirty seconds before speaking again, a move Martin rewarded with a caress at her waist.
“Come Monday, I’m registering a formal complaint with Superintendent Jones and human resources about Dale’s use of derogatory terms for our students, his abuse of supervisory authority, and several instances of unwelcome physical contact with a coworker and subordinate. Namely, me. Next week, I plan to visit other secondary social studies teachers and discover whether they have similar complaints to make.” She stroked the corner of Martin’s mouth, which had dropped open in shock. “I’ve discussed the matter with the teachers’ union, and I’ve consulted with a lawyer, in case any retaliatory measures result from my actions.”
Annette and Alfred’s attorney was prepared to represent additional complainants too. And given what the woman charged per hour, law was yet another line of work Rose and Martin should have considered. Not that she or the other teachers would be allowed to pay for any necessary legal services.
When that subject had arisen, Annette had swooned onto a settee in a very unconvincing faint, while Alfred clutched at his chest and called out for heart medication. Rose had told them they were both ridiculous, and then agreed to let them cover all legal fees, because a teacher’s salary couldn’t pay for a lawyer as sharp-eyed as theirs.
As Dale sputtered, Rose kept speaking to Martin.
“I suspect that during the investigation, Dale will no longer have any supervisory authority over me whatsoever. Tess and Keisha will have to ensure I’m acting in accordance with all reasonable rules and regulations promulgated by the school system.” She paused to let Dale steep in his fear and rage, his hands balled into shaking fists. Then she cast him a desultory, dismissive glance. “Fair warning, Mr. Locke. Prepare for stricter oversight at best, unemployment at worst.”
Someone had come up alongside her. When Rose turned her head, Tess was eyeing Dale as if he were a cockroach they’d found in Wednesday’s chili special. Her tennis coach boyfriend loomed next to her, mouth tight as he regarded Dale with equal disfavor.
“I’m delighted to hear all this, Ms. Owens,” the principal said. “I’ve had concerns about Mr. Locke’s conduct for years, especially in reference to you. I’d already planned a long conversation with our superintendent this summer. It appears that conversation will occur sooner rather than later.”
Tess smiled then. It wasn’t pleasant.
“We’ve interrupted Mr. Krause and Ms. Owens enough for one night, I believe. They’re here to chaperone our students, not chat with administrators.” She tilted her head to the side. “Besides, Mr. Locke, you should meet one of my teachers. She’s not in the social studies department, but I’m sure she’d appreciate talking with you.”
Then Tess and her boyfriend herded a fuming, red-faced Dale toward—
Oh, Rose loved their principal.
Candy Albright. Tess had brought Dale to Candy Albright.
Rose turned away and exhaled slowly. The first confrontation—the most satisfying—was done, but she had more confrontations to come. Many of them would also play out in public.
There would be gossip. Judgment. Snide comments.
A different woman wouldn’t give a fuck. Rose did.
But she had the unwavering support of people who loved her. Their affection would cushion the forthcoming blows and help heal her inevitable bruises. And both Margie and Annette had taught her well. Rose could quash the pretensions of the cruel through sheer, stony pride or with a single, icy stare.
She’d survive.
No, more than that. She’d thrive.
“You didn’t need me at your back, but I was glad to be there. And that’s where I’m staying during the whole complaint process, no matter what happens.” Martin tugged her into his arms and surrounded her with his body, a protective gesture of the sort he’d had to stifle in front of Dale. “Rose, I can’t imagine how hard all this has been for you. You’re incredible.”
“It’s only going to get harder, once the news becomes fodder for school gossip.” She ducked her chin to rest it on his shoulder, and he rubbed slow circles on her back. “But you’ll be there to help. So will Keisha and Tess. Annette and Alfred too, of course.”
“I will be there. Always.” Martin’s chest vibrated against her with each quiet, firm word. “Annette and Alfred must have been delighted to assist you with the AP program. Beside themselves, actually.”
Delightedundersold their reaction. In their glee, they’d even let Rose pay for dinner that night without any argument, as a thanks for requesting their help.
It was a landmark moment in her relationship with them, really.
“Pretty much.” Beneath Martin’s tender touch, her muscles released their tension, and she let him bear some of her weight. “Frustrated too, though. Annette wanted to march into the superintendent’s office and get Dale fired on the spot, to spare me hassle and preserve my privacy. But I managed to convince her I should go through the system instead.”
