Page 113 of Teach Me Your Ways

“This is absurd,” Carver snapped.

“You’re willing to sacrifice your career to protect a student?” It was the same woman I knew without a doubt was not on my side.

I nodded. “In a heartbeat.”

There was another moment of low whispering.

“That’s commendable, Professor Stone,” Seraphina said. “Your actions, while misguided, show integrity in protecting a student. I see that.”

I dared to let hope filter but knew it could be a double-edged sword.

“We have someone who’d like to speak on this,” Seraphina said with a soft smile.

That was unexpected. Was it going to be one of my many hypothetical concubines?

“Lina, please stand,” Seraphina said.

My head jerked around. Lina was wearing a pretty and very conservative outfit, nothing like what she normally wore. The dress looked like something Princess Catherine would wear or Audrey Hepburn. She looked nervous. Was she about to throw me under the bus? I stared at her, willing her to look my way, but she wouldn’t. That told me everything I needed to know.

Lina was one of those people who would lie like a dog to get what she wanted. She was going to claim I had seduced her or some shit. I sighed and rested my elbows on the table. Being a bartender wasn’t the worst thing in the world. It might even be fun.

“Thank you,” Lina said softly. “I wanted to say that Professor Stone isn’t some reckless rule breaker. He’s a professional. He’s very serious about his job and protecting his students. He saved my life.”

She paused for a moment, overcome with emotion. He mother watched on sympathetically. “Go on, Lina.”

“I made a mistake on a recent dive. Went into a shipwreck I had been told to stay away from. I got turned around. Lost. My oxygen ran low and I couldn’t find my way out. Professor Stone came and rescued me, with some help from my fellow TA, Cecily Monroe. He saved me.”

Her voice cracked. She glanced at me.

Well, fuck me. That’s not what I expected.

“He’s not just an academic. He cares. He taught me how to dive. He made time for me. I know this isn’t just a career. He gave me a second chance at life. And trust me when I say he would have had every right to leave me in there. I was horrible to him. I threw myself at him and he wouldn’t even look at me. He was the consummate gentleman.”

She offered me a small smile that looked like an apology. I smiled back as she sat down. At least I had made a good impression on one of the Reeses.

“Professor Stone, I appreciate everything you did for Lina, and I’m grateful she’s safe,” Seraphina’s voice cut through the room. Her tone said she wasn’t persuaded. I wasn’t surprised. “But my obligations are first to the integrity of this university. A student-professor relationship undermines everything. I can’t vote against consequences.”

Was this it? Was I about to lose everything? The room felt claustrophobic. I regretted the tie. Why the hell had I worn the damn thing? A tie wasn’t going to change anyone’s mind. I started making a mental checklist of the things I needed to collect from my office, assuming they gave me the chance to clear it out before they threw my ass off the campus.

Then I saw Cece stand in the crowd. I didn’t know she was in the room. She wouldn’t look at me. Again, I couldn’t decide if that was good or bad.

“I’d like to say something too,” Cece said.

Seraphina motioned for her to speak. Everyone shut their mouths and all eyes were on Cece. Including my own. I couldn’t look away. She was beautiful. Her hair was in a braid down her back. She wore a blue sweater that made her eyes pop. She had on a skirt that flowed mid-length and wore boots with a small heel. I hadn’t seen her in almost a week. Until that moment, I hadn’t realized how much I missed her.

And then she looked at me.

Oh shit. Don’t do it.