Everything in Between (17 page)

“
Professor
,” Birgitte began again. “It has come to our attention that you and Mr. Kish are involved in a highly improper relationship.”

“No, we aren’t,” Zae responded as Chip said, “Our relationship is totally proper.”

Zae narrowed her eyes at him behind her glasses.

“What I mean is that Zae—Professor Richardson, that is—and I aren’t doing anything in violation of school rules,” Chip explained.

Birgitte fussily adjusted the floppy white bow at the neck of her prim white blouse. “A witness has provided a sworn statement that you and Prof. Richardson spent a goodly amount of time—”

“ ‘Goodly?’ ” Zae repeated. “Who are you, Charles Dickens?”

“Prof. Richardson, this is a serious charge,” the dean said.

“You and Mr. Kish spent a goodly amount of time behind closed doors in your office,” Birgitte continued. “Sounds were heard that the witness determined to resemble those of…” She reddened and pushed her half-rimmed glasses higher on her nose. “Two people
in flagrante delicto
.”

“In what?” Chip laughed.

“Bumpin’ booties,” Zae said.

The dean mopped his head with his handkerchief. “Professor Richardson, making light of this accusation won’t lessen its magnitude.”

“Further,” Birgitte went on, “the witness swears that he saw the two of you dining together in the cafeteria—”

“I didn’t know there was a rule against eating,” Zae interrupted.

“—and that your daughter, Prof. Richardson, assaulted him with a beverage when he asked her if you and Mr. Kish were in a relationship.”

“My daughter hasn’t assaulted anyone in a very—” Dawning washed over Zae. She sat up in her rigid, hard-backed chair and leaned over the table. “Your witness is that reprobate Elton Dye, isn’t it? My daughter spilled a drink on him. That was two weeks ago, and it never would have happened if Elton Dye hadn’t come to her table at lunch to harass another student.”

“Miss Todd, we’ve had two complaints against Mr. Dye and the regular semester hasn’t even started,” the dean said. “Perhaps we should have investigated the complaint further before inconveniencing Mr. Kish and Prof. Richardson.”

“I feel it best to address all accusations of teacher-student love affairs expeditiously,” Birgitte said. “After what happened with Professor Stoudamire and the Scott girl last year, we can’t afford to be too careful.”

“Frank Stoudamire and Amanda Scott were caught boinking on the roof of the gym by everyone on the west side of the science building,” Zae said. “Amanda crashed a faculty function and accused him of knocking her up! You’re comparing my friendship with Chip Kish to Frank Stoudamire and Amanda Scott?”

“There aren’t degrees of improper fraternization,” Birgitte stated with a haughty grin. “You either are or you aren’t.”

Zae turned on Birgitte with a stern eye and stiff forefinger. “Let me tell you something, Jessica Fletcher…” she started.

Chip quieted her with a gentle hand at her back. “Prof. Richardson and I are well acquainted with each other.”

Birgitte all but licked her lips.

“I’ve been her karate teacher for several years,” Chip went on, deflating Birgitte’s triumphant expression. “I’ve taught all three of her children as well. Prof. Richardson and I have mutual friends, and we occasionally attend the same social events. I don’t know what your witness is referring to in his statement regarding questionable sounds coming from Prof. Richardson’s office. I’ve only been there once, on the first day of her summer Comp II class six weeks ago. I went there to get her signature on a transfer slip. Given our history, we both thought it improper for me to have been assigned to her class. You can check with Dr. Bligh or the registrar’s office, and you’ll see that I’m not one of Prof. Richardson’s students.”

“We’ll certainly do that, Mr. Kish, and thank you for that information,” the dean said. He appeared willing to let the matter drop, but Birgitte wasn’t so easily convinced.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re in Prof. Richardson’s class or not,” she said. “The regular semester begins next week, and as long as you are a student at Missouri University—”

“I’m not,” Chip said. “Today is my last day here.”

“Mr. Kish,” Birgitte sighed in exasperation, “you are listed in our enrollment for the fall.”

“Then you’d better update your records because I withdrew my acceptance three weeks ago. I’m not registered for any fall classes. I’m going to Washington University this fall.”

“I’m terribly sorry to hear this,” the dean said. “May I ask why you’ve chosen to leave MU?”

“With my GI Bill, Washington University gave me a better financial aid package,” Chip said.

“I see,” the dean said. “Well, given the situation, Prof. Richardson, I believe there is no situation. I apologize for any inconvenience we’ve caused you today.”

Refusing to apologize, Birgitte grabbed her folders and papers and stormed from the office.

“I can’t believe you let her pursue this, Hirsch,” Zae said once the heavy door closed behind Birgitte. “You know me better than that.”

“We have to consider every accusation,” the dean replied. “I just wish there was a way to unring the bell when charges prove to be unfounded.”

“You might not be able to unring the bell, but you can deal with the bell ringer,” Zae said. “Elton Dye lied.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time, I’m afraid,” the dean said. “He was involved in a scheme selling essays to students last semester, but we didn’t have enough evidence to expel him. The best we could do was disallow his grade in the class in question.”

“Which is how I ended up with him in my class,” Zae said.

“Pardon me for asking, if I’m out of line,” Chip said, “but why was that Todd woman so anxious to see Prof. Richardson guilty of breaking a rule?”

“I gave her grandson a D in my American literature class a few years ago,” Zae said. “The boy attended MU for free because his grandmother works here, and he thought he should get good grades for free, too.”

“Prof. Richardson turned the boy around,” the dean said. “He’s one of our finest students now, and he’ll likely graduate with honors in June. Unfortunately, Birgitte still bears a certain level of ill will toward Prof. Richardson.”

“Prof. Richardson is an excellent instructor,” Chip said.

“MU is lucky to have her,” the dean said.

“Me and all my publications,” Zae remarked. “This tête-a-tête might have gone differently if I didn’t have a new article coming out, right, Hirsch?”

“Azalea, please don’t think—”

She stood, smoothing her hands over the front of her black dress. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a class to prepare for.” She stooped to retrieve her briefcase, then walked out of the room.

“She’s quite a remarkable woman,” the dean said as he, too, stood and gathered his paperwork. “All the best to you, Mr. Kish, at Washington University.”

Chip walked the dean to the door, and shook his hand.

“Off the record, may I ask the real reason you decided to transfer?”

“I applied to MU and Wash U at the same time, but MU accepted me first. I figured I’d get a leg up by taking a couple of interim classes, but then I got the acceptance from Wash U. One of the instructors I teach karate with goes there and he likes it well enough, so I thought it would be a good fit for me, too.”

“It’s a fine school. But is that the only reason?”

“You’re sure this is off the record?” Chip said.

“Strictly between you and me.”

“I’m going to Wash U for the reason you just said.”

The dean’s bushy white eyebrows rose in confusion.

“Because Prof. Richardson is a remarkable woman.”

* * *

Zae paced the airy room Cinder and Gian had designated for the nursery. The heels of her black pumps caught on the old white sheets being used for drop cloths. “Did he think I wouldn’t notice that he wasn’t on campus next week?” she asked. “He waited until the last possible minute to tell me that he wasn’t coming to MU for the regular semester, and even then, he didn’t tell me. He told Dean Sheppard!”

Cinder sat back on her heels. Tilting her head to one side, she studied the grass and rocks she had just painted near the baseboard. “It’s not like he’s going to Mars. Washington University is in Clayton. He’ll only be twenty minutes away.”

Zae almost stepped on Cinder’s palette. “That’s what pisses me off!”

“Why?”

“Because…” Zae threw up her hands in frustration and defeat. “Because…twenty minutes is too damn far away.”

“Is it now?” Cinder asked knowingly.

“I really, really l—”

“Love him?” Cinder cut in.

“—
like
having him around. The more I like that feeling, the more it scares me.”

“Why?”

Zae went to the window. The leaves of the sweet gum trees crowding the front lawn had begun to turn, but plenty of summer remained in the air. A strong breeze set the sheer curtains dancing, and Zae took a deep breath of the refreshing August air. “Because I know I couldn’t survive losing him,” she exhaled.

“I think his slut days are behind him.” Cinder put the finishing touches on the scales of the baby dragon she’d painted. “He hasn’t so much as looked at another woman since the wedding.”

“I don’t mean like that.” Zae choked back the grief climbing into her voice. “I’d get over him leaving. I couldn’t survive losing him.”

Cinder sat down the palette and went to Zae’s side. “The way you lost Colin,” she suggested gently.

Zae nodded. Hurt formed a lump so hard and deep, she couldn’t move words past it.

“There’s always risk involved, when you love someone.” Cinder put an arm around Zae’s waist. “You have to decide if the reward is worth the risk.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to do. I haven’t fooled around with him in weeks, not since—”

“He dunked you in the whirlpool,” Cinder finished.

“I miss him,” Zae stated passionately. “Last weekend when I was sick, he came to do laundry, and all we did was sit on the sofa and watch movies with CJ. He didn’t even make a move on me. And then today, I find out he’s leaving MU. He might not be seeing anyone else, but he sure doesn’t behave as if he wants to see me.”

“You’d be surprised at what he wants. Talk to him.”

“I’m not going to beg him to be with me.”

“Is that what you want? To be with him?”

“No.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“There is no problem.”

“If that’s the case, why did you come over here to complain about him leaving MU?”

Zae pulled away from Cinder. Hands on her hips, she scowled and said, “I came over to visit my good friend and to see how the nursery was shaping up.” She glanced around the room. “I like the dragons and fairies you’ve painted in the reading corner, but I still hate the paint you picked out. Vanilla Crème…blah.”

“I got the impression that you’d recently become quite fond of Vanilla Crème.” Biting her lower lip to suppress a grin, Cinder returned to her palette.

“That’s nasty.”

Cinder laughed.

“Can you stay for dinner tonight?” Cinder asked.

“What are you having?”

“Pot roast over garlic mashed potatoes.”

“I guess I could stay. I have to leave around eight, though.”

“Friday night movie with CJ?”

“Nope,” Zae said, popping the end of the word. “The kids are performing at Del Brown’s tonight. I have a date.”

Cinder covered her palette and dunked her paintbrush into a tin of water. She stood and cleaned her paint-speckled hands on her oversized paint smock, one of Gian’s old dress shirts. “Who is he?”

“No one you know.”

“Then tell me his name.”

“His name doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I go through with it.”

“Is he blackmailing you?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why do you have to go?”

“Because I want to.”

“You don’t sound like you want to.”

“Okay, I need to.”

“Why do you need to?”

“What are you, five years old? What’s with all the questions?”

“What’s with all the secrecy?”

“It’s not a big deal!”

“Then tell me who it is.”

“Mr. Same-Time-Next-Year!”

“I thought he lived in New York,” Cinder said.

“He’s in town representing his university at a few high schools here,” Zae said. “He’s been trying to visit for two years and he finally found an excuse. I’m really not in the mood for him.”

“Gian and I would love to hear the kids at Del Brown’s, so let’s make a night of it?” Cinder suggested. “Tonight is Sionne’s birthday, and I know he asked for the night off because he had plans with Dawn. Cory will be there, too. You won’t have to be alone with Same-Time-Next-Year. And I’d definitely like to get a look him.”