“You ready?” Jake asked.
I looked up from the table where I sat with my notes spread out. “Yep. We better get over there. She’s chomping at the bit.”
Jake laughed. “I’m surprised she is actually waiting for us to go with her. She was pretty fired up last night.”
I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, she is hoping your legal loophole will be her saving grace. There is a lot riding on this. Do you really think it will work?”
Jake nodded. “If the dean refuses to reinstate Tessa, we’ll take it up the chain. She was right, the rules and code of conduct say nothing about a relationship between an assistant and a teacher. She isn’t your student. She takes none of your classes. There is no violation per the rules. There is no potential gain or power. There cannot be a conflict of interest. The dean doesn’t have a leg to stand on.”
I prayed he was right.
My brother, in full lawyer mode, started pacing the length of my small table. “Furthermore, the fact she made a decision without questioning you or Tessa and based it all on the gossip of one young and disgruntled student is even more reason she must overturn her initial decision. There was no investigation. She took the word of one student who had no proof. I have never heard of anything so preposterous. Where is the evidence?” He shouted the last bit.
I had to laugh. He was good. Really good. Law school had paid off for him, and he had found his calling. I imagined lawyers would be looking for the exit when he showed up in court across the table from them. He was a force to be reckoned with.
“I’m glad you’re on my side,” I told him, meaning every word. “Okay, I’m ready. Let’s head over to Tessa’s and pick her up.”
She yanked open the door the second my car came to a stop. She was very eager to get her day in court—or at least face the woman who was attempting to disrupt her life.
“Hi,” I said, giving her a quick kiss. “You ready?”
“Yep, let’s go get the bitch.”
I leaned back and laughed. “You are one fierce woman!”
We piled back into the car, with Jake taking the backseat. We chatted about the weather and n
othing in particular on the drive over. Tessa was wringing her hands.
I reached over, and placed my hand over both of hers. “It’s all going to work out.”
“I hope so.”
The three of us walked into the administration office, setting the tongues to wagging. Ladies who worked in the office were trying not to look directly at us, but their effort was ridiculous. It was obvious our story had spread throughout the office and likely the whole campus. Teaching students who thought of me as a lecherous predator was not going to be easy. There was also the fact that one of those students had turned us in. She had felt it was her business to run to the dean with some bullshit story, just to get back at me.
“You’ll be meeting in one of the conference rooms,” we were informed by a young woman who looked a little too eager to do the dean’s bidding.
Tessa was dressed in a black pencil skirt and white silk blouse. She looked like she could be the lawyer, and I couldn’t help but watch as she followed behind the woman, her shoulders back, and her head held high as passing students turned to point and whisper.
I gave my best professorial scowl, but it only served to heighten the whispers.
Let them talk.
“In here.” The woman pushed open the door to a room with a large table in the center, and a whiteboard at one end of the room. There were eight chairs positioned around the table, which made me a little nervous.
Our escort left, shutting the door behind her.
I turned to Jake, who looked cool as a cucumber. “What the hell? Are they planning an ambush?”
He smirked. “Don’t panic, it’s meant to intimidate. They could bring in twenty people, and it wouldn’t matter. Tessa was right all along. The law is on our side, and their own rule book backs up our case. Have a seat and don’t let them scare you. Push back. Show them you are confident and let them be worried. We got this,” he stressed.
“I’m ready. She doesn’t scare me,” Tessa said, pulling out a chair at the head of the table. It was a calculated move. She was putting herself in the position of authority, and I was very proud of her.
The door swung open, and Dean Scribbs walked in, followed by a short, stout elderly man.
“I am Mr. Hendricks. I represent the school and will be handling the majority of any questions you may have. Dean Scribbs is here as a courtesy; please keep that in mind,” the lawyer said, attempting to shut us down before we even got started.
Jake stepped forward and introduced himself. “Dean Scribbs can either be here or not, that is her choice. She is, however, the one we will be taking to court if this isn’t resolved to our satisfaction today.”