“Sure is.” Her smile became strained in the awkward silence that followed. “Are you eating alone?” she asked, finally breaking it.
“Yep. Would you like to join me? I was going to e-mail you about the assignment, so this works well.”
She held a hand out. “Sure. Why not?”
I kept my eyes on her as I pulled my chair back and sat. She took her seat, and we reached for the menus at the same time. It felt like a staring contest, and I wondered who was going to break first.
I knew why she was here, and it sure as hell wasn’t because it was on her way home.
My phone buzzed in my hand, but I silenced it with a press of the power button. I wanted to vomit, but the adrenaline pumping through my veins was keeping me sane.
We placed our order with the same young guy who’d led me to this table. I put my menu back in its holder and met Banks’s eyes.
“Professor, why don’t you just cut to the chase? We both know this is not coincidence.”
She sat back and folded her arms across her chest, regarding me for a moment. “Maybe you’re smarter than even I thought, Darcy.”
“If I were that smart, I wouldn’t be here right now, would I?”
“True, true.” She tapped blood-red nails against her chin. “I’m assuming you’ve figured out that I’m aware of your relationship with Jordan Keaton.”
No point in lying now. If she’d been in his e-mail to send me the summons, she knew exactly the nature of our relationship.
“Yep.”
“It’s illegal.”
“Yours wasn’t exactly within the boundaries of the university’s rules.”
“But my relationship with him doesn’t have the potential to land him in jail.”
Fuck. “Why are you here? What do you stand to gain from exposing this?”
“Nothing,” she admits. “I simply wanted to inform you that I’ll be meeting with the director of the university tomorrow morning before classes begin. I wouldn’t show up with much of your things for your classes. According to the guidelines, you’ll both be suspended temporarily with immediate effect, and it’ll be on your permanent record.”
The one that would carry through to Harvard with me… Not that it would matter. I wouldn’t stand a chance at Harvard now.
“Fair enough.” I clasped my hands on the table in front of me. “How did you find out?”
“He was unusually distant and dismissive of my advances. Coupled with the numerous times I saw you entering his office, it was a short leap to assume something was going on. I happened to be alone in his office on Friday when I took the opportunity to snoop a little. I found the contractual agreement drawn up between the two of you.”#p#分页标题#e#
“And the e-mail today?”
“I borrowed his log-in details. You’re a wonderfully fast responder, Miss Hamilton.”
“I’d take that as a compliment if I didn’t want to ram my purse into your face,” I muttered.
What? I was facing suspension anyway. She had proof of our relationship. I was going down swinging.
She had the audacity to wink at me before pushing her chair back. “I’m sorry this happened, Darcy. You’re one of my best students.”
I took a deep breath. “Is there nothing I can say to make you change your mind about reporting it? Even if the relationship is over?”
She slowly shook her head. “I’m fully aware, as you are, that it isn’t the first time he’s done this. I don’t believe he should be allowed to get away with this any longer. I am truly regretful that you’re the student who must be caught in the firing line.”
“I understand.” And I did. Whether her reasons were true or not—and I suspected there was a good deal of jealously driving her motives—it made sense. She was, technically, right.
And, while I didn’t believe he would do it again—at least, I hoped I would be the last one—she didn’t know that.
She put some money on the table in front of me before walking away. My stomach was rolling too much to eat, so I threw my own money down and walked out of the diner, my drink untouched on the table. I saw our food be put down just as I got into my car.
Ah well. At least I wasn’t hungry anymore…
I checked my phone. I had two missed calls from Jordan and an e-mail. I broke with tradition and texted him instead, letting him know I was on my way.
I didn’t see his response as I pulled out of the lot and onto the interstate. I did my best to keep my mind clear as I drove to his house.
I had no idea how I was supposed to word this. He couldn’t have known already or he would have said something, surely.