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“What about?”
“Remember how I told you that someone outed my pen name?”
“Yeah.”
“Well…now social media is all agog about the contents of the book. They think I must have gotten my information at some underground club or something.”
Though I’ve been curious, I’ve resisted the temptation to search for Hunter and his pen name on social media. He’d hate that, and I don’t want to upset him.
“I see. The NDA.”
“Right. Not just the NDA, but rumors are flying that I engage in illegal and immoral activities.”
I drop my jaw. “Hunter, why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was hoping it would go away on its own.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“May I go to the meeting with you?” I ask.
“God, no.”
“But I want to be there. I’m part of your support system.”
“You’re sweet to want to go. It would be different if we were married, or—”
I widen my eyes.
He went too far.
He fingers the 14-karat gold chain around my throat. It’s a simple style, sixteen inches long, with a crystal heart dangling from it.
It’s my collar.
I never take it off.
“I’ve never collared a woman outside the club before,” he says.
“I know.”
“But I collared you, and I want you to know I’m in this for the long haul.”
“I am too, Hunter.”
“This is a commitment from me,” he says. “And Frankie, I’d put a ring on your finger right now if I had one. But this collar, to me, means the same thing.”
I warm all over. “Hunter, I didn’t mean to—”
He quiets me with two fingers against my lips. “You’re not pushing me into anything. I love you, Frankie Thomas. I’d love for you to be my wife if you’ll have me.”
I jump into his arms. “Of course I’ll have you. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. You’re everything I never knew I wanted.”
“I feel exactly the same.” He draws in a breath. “If you come with me today, you’ll come as my fiancée.”
“Thank you. Thank you for letting me come and support you.”
“They may say some terrible things about me. None of which are true.”
“I understand that.”
“All right. Let’s go.”
…
“Dr. Stone,” a gray-haired man with a rumbling voice says when we enter the conference room. “And who is this with you?”
“This is my fiancée, Francesca Thomas. She’s here to support me.”
“Very well. Ms. Thomas, you may take a seat next to Dr. Stone right there.” He indicates two seats on the opposite side of the table.
“Have you brought counsel?” the man asks.
“Counsel. Are you kidding me?” Hunter shakes his head. “I haven’t done anything wrong. I wrote a book that was illegally distributed before publication, and whatever allegations are spreading like wildfire over social, I assure you they are without merit.”
“Very well. This meeting will come to order.” The man pounds a gavel on the conference room table as if he’s some kind of judge. “My name is Forrest Tucker, and I am legal counsel for Mellville University. To my right is the dean of students, Leslie Nelson, and to my left is Linda Burnett, chairperson of the Department of English and Literature.
“Dr. Stone,” Mr. Tucker says, “you’ll be happy to know that we’ve uncovered the source of all of this unpleasantness.”
“Oh?” Hunter raises his eyebrows. “Who is responsible, then?”
“A senior by the name of Lukas Moore. He’s a student intern at your publishing house, Beck and Gold. He admitted to illegally distributing your manuscript.”
“Good. I’ll be suing him.”
“You are certainly free to do so, but we’ve already dealt with the situation. He’s been dismissed from Beck and Gold, and he’s been put on probation here at the university.”
“Probation? He should be expelled.”
“He’s a senior, Dr. Stone,” the dean of students says. “He’s almost ready to graduate.”
“And you think I care? He violated my privacy, and he broke the law.”
“You are certainly free to pursue your own remedies against Mr. Moore,” the dean says. “This is what the university is doing.”
“And you agree with this, Linda?” Hunter glares at the department chair.
“No, I don’t agree,” she says, “but I was outvoted.”
“Let me guess,” Hunter says. “This kid’s some kind of legacy, and his family gives Mellville a lot of money. Am I right?”
Silence.
Yeah, he’s right.
The attorney clears his throat. “What’s more important at the moment, Dr. Stone, is the social media scandal concerning your illegal and immoral activities.”
“All allegations are completely false.”
“We all know that,” he says. “The issue is that our phone lines and email have been blowing up with communications from angry parents who want you fired.”
“Then fire me.”
I grab his arm. “Hunter, no!”
“Frankie…”
“He’s the best professor you’ve got. Just look at his reviews on RateMyProfessors.com. He’s brilliant, and you’d let him go because of some gossip on the internet?”
“Ms…Thomas, is it?” the attorney asks.
I nod.
“We don’t want to lose Dr. Stone. But we need to figure out a way to put out this fire.”
