She ran blindly out of the library where she had been trying to call Rust. She glanced at her cellphone display. When she had been trying to call Rust, her phone had vibrated many times, indicating that there were other callers trying to get through to her. She now looked at the missed calls.
Michaela – twice.
An unidentified number which had the prefix of the university. She didn’t recognize the number at all. She wondered if it was Carlo, using a landline.
Damn Carlo. She was sure he had something to do with all this. But Rust and she had goaded Carlo, knowing full well he was in lust with her for some inexplicable reason. And now Carlo had had his revenge in a roundabout manner.
She could well picture Carlo going up to the Dean: “Dean Whitehouse? I have something to tell you. It’s about one of your Professors. He has been fucking one of your students, Kate Penney, in public places. You see, he’s an exhibitionist and a sadist.”
Should she call the number back? She should give Carlo a piece of her mind. Yes, we were cruel, but there was absolutely no need to ruin his life!
Her decision was made for her when that number rang again. With trepidation, she picked it up.
“Hello?” Her voice croaked.
“Ms. Penney? Kate Penney?” said an unfamiliar female voice.
“Yes?”
“I’m Ellen Thatcher, calling from the Dean’s office. He would like to see you right away.”
Kate swallowed the lump which had suddenly bolted into her throat.
“Yes. I’ll be there,” she whispered.
4
Dean Whitehouse sat across from her at his large mahogany desk, cluttered with photos and awards and a laptop and files and everything else. Kate noted that the work space afforded to him was no larger than the size of a US letter. How did the man get any work done?
The Dean said in a very concerned tone, as though he were speaking to a child, “Did he force you in any way?”
“No. No, he didn’t. Please . . . he didn’t do anything of that sort.” Kate had to try very hard to keep from stammering. “In fact . . . I was the one who chased him. I . . . seduced him. He didn’t want to have anything to do with me until I made him.”
“Are you sure of this? You are very young, Ms. Penney.”
“I’m not. I’m at the age of legal consent . . . so it’s not as if he’s doing anything wrong. Please . . . can you reinstate him?”
“He was violating one of our campus rules. No fraternizing with any of the students.”
“Other campuses don’t have this rule.”
“Ours does, and Professor O’Brien knew this when he applied to join us.”
“Yes, but – ” Kate was desperate, and she didn’t know what to say. Rust O’Brien had broken a rule, and the penalty was dismissal. There is no way a court of law could overturn that. It was in his contract.
“Ms. Penney, I hope you will understand that you have violated a campus rule yourself. This would be a black mark against you, and if you accumulate three of these, disciplinary measures will be taken against you, which may include expulsion.” The Dean’s demeanor was very grave. “Do you understand, Ms. Penney?”
“Yes,” she said in a small voice.
“Good. You may return to class.”
She knew she should be relieved, but she wasn’t, really. She knew she was being dismissed, and so she got up, slinging her bag across her shoulder.
“Ms. Penney?”
She turned.
“Technically, you are free to continue your affair with Rust O’Brien now that he has been dismissed from this university. But I sincerely hope that you would think twice before you do so.”
Was there no end to the obstacles strewn in their path?
“Why do you say that?” she said.
The Dean’s blue eyes lighted upon hers.
“You are very young, Ms. Penney. You have your whole life ahead of you. You deserve someone who will cherish you, not use you as a plaything to be discarded when you have outlived your usefulness. Rust O’Brien is that someone, Ms. Penney. He won’t be the man that you will marry and have children with. He won’t even be someone you’ll wake up next to in half a year.”
She winced, especially when he said ‘children’. She licked her lower lip. “What makes you so sure he’s what you say he is?”
“Because I know men like him. He can only break your heart, Kate Penney. I’ve seen your grades. You’re a bright girl. You have a good future. Don’t mess it up over a man.” He eyed her meaningfully. “Do you understand?”
“Yes. Thank you, Dean Whitehouse.”
“I hope I won’t be seeing you again in my office, Ms. Penney.”