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Four weeks.
Katie paced outside the computer sciences building.
She'd handed in her finished project four weeks ago and still hadn't heard a word about it. Everyone else had but not her. And she knew, for a fact, she was the only one in her class who had handed it in on time. What the fuck was her professor's deal? Why did he torture her like this?
Well, no more. She'd had enough.
Katie halted facing the building. Her shoulders squared. Fists clenched at her sides.
She'd given everything up for this fucking class. Even after handing in her project, she’d avoided Amber and everyone else while she caught up on the classes she'd put off over spring break to finish her game.
Marching down the hall, Isaac cheered her on in the back of her mind. He'd been doing that a lot lately. And it hadn't been the distraction she always feared it would be. Instead, he was the only positive voice she'd had in her head in a long time. She only wished it had been real and not only in her head. But it had been a month since he'd given her his number and she hadn’t used it. Certainly, he'd moved on. It would have been foolish for her to think he hadn't.
Katie stood with her hand on the knob of the professor's office door.
She'd given up everything.
Katie flung open the door.
She wouldn't let it be for nothing.
"Ms. Fosberg. Is everything all right?"
"No. Everything is not all right. Why haven't you graded my project? I worked my ass off to get that thing done by the deadline and I know for a fact, I'm the only one who did. You've been harder on me than any of your other students all year, even though I'm the best one you've got. Well, I'm sick of it and I'm not going to take it anymore. You owe me a grade and a God damned good explanation."
Professor Willmott froze looking over the top of his reading glasses. After a moment, he removed them and said, "Well done, Ms. Fosberg."
"What?" Katie asked unable to think of anything intelligent to say. He'd completely blindsided her with his reaction. Had he not heard her?
"You never disappoint, Ms. Fosberg. And I have to say, I'm increasingly more impressed with how you handle every new thing I throw at you."
What the hell is going on? Sure, she'd fought hard not to disappoint him but he'd always acted like she'd been nothing but a disappointment. And she'd felt far from impressive.
Katie's legs gave out, she plopped down in the chair behind her, on the other side of his desk. "I don't understand."
"You were right to demand an explanation. I do owe you one."
Katie sat straight, her spine turned to steel. "Damn right you do. After everything I've done. I knew it couldn't be but your silence had me convinced I'd done something wrong. I thought I'd failed."
"Quite the contrary. You're one of the best students I've had in a long time."
"Then why have you been so hard on me?"
The professor eased out of his big leather office chair. Standing beside his solid oak desk, he lifted one hip to sit on the corner before folding his hands in his lap. "Because I wanted to know how far you could be pushed before you broke."
"Well, now you know." Katie fought to keep the steel rod in her spine from snapping. She'd broken once. She wouldn't again.
"Yes. And now I know that instead of accepting defeat and giving up, you stand your ground when you know you're right. That's exactly the kind of person I need."
How many more curveballs could he throw? She'd always thought his ego was too big to say anything so complimentary to anyone, but especially her. Yet, he'd been nothing but complimentary since she walked in the door. And after she'd picked a fight?
"Could you maybe tell me what this is all about soon? At this point, I'm not even sure I barged into the right office."
The professor stood and walked back to his seat. He may not have hated her but he still seemed to enjoy torturing her.
"Right." He leaned back in his chair lacing his fingers over his paunch belly. "Here it is. And it's not easy for me to admit." He took a deep breath. His hands rising and falling with the curve of his stomach. "I'm not as young as I used to be. Our oldest just gave birth to our first grandbaby."
"Congratulations." Though she'd meant it—truly wishing him all the best—her stomach churned. This man, the same man who looked down on her for putting anything above her work, had a family. He went out on dates. And now, what? Was he seriously talking about being overwhelmed and not having enough time to spend with an extended family when she wasn't even allowed one night out?
