Monday’s Meeting
732 Words
The Dean’s office smelled like lemon polish and old leather.
Elena sat on the edge of the chair, hands clasped so tight her knuckles were white. Across from her, Adrian stood, not sitting. Like he didn’t deserve to be comfortable in this room.
Dean Morrison was in her 60s, sharp eyes, and a reputation for ending careers with one sentence. She’d read the emails Adrian sent her. She’d seen the photo.
“So,” Dean Morrison said, setting the printed email down. “Blackmail. Marcus Vance. Let’s start with you, Ms. Rivera. Why were you in Dr. Cole’s office at 8:47 PM on Thursday?”
Elena swallowed.
“For help with problem set seven. My laptop crashed. He let me use his computer.”
“And you stayed two hours?”
“It took that long to rewrite the whole thing,” Elena said. “I showed him my work as I went.”
Dean Morrison turned to Adrian.
“And you allowed this, Dr. Cole?”
“Yes,” he said evenly. “She’s at risk of losing her scholarship. I wasn’t going to turn her away.”
“Policy says office hours end at 6 PM. Policy says faculty should not be alone with students after hours.”
“I know,” Adrian said. “I made a judgment call. I would make it again.”
The room went quiet. Elena looked at him. He wasn’t defending himself. He was defending her.
Dean Morrison sighed.
“I’ve spoken to Marcus Vance. He denied sending the messages. But IT confirmed the emails came from his university account.”
Elena’s head snapped up.
“So he’s suspended?”
“Suspended pending investigation,” Dean Morrison said. “And Dr. Cole, you’re getting a formal warning for violating policy. No suspension, but one more incident and you’re on leave.”
Adrian nodded once. “Understood.”
“Ms. Rivera, you’re cleared. Your scholarship is safe. But no more after-hours meetings. Use the library, use the tutoring center.”
Elena nodded. Relief hit her so hard her knees felt weak.
“Meeting adjourned,” Dean Morrison said.
As they walked out, Adrian didn’t look at her. He kept his eyes forward, jaw tight.
“Are you okay?” she asked once they were in the hallway.
“I’m fine,” he said. “You are what matters.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one I can give you right now.”
He walked away before she could say anything else.
---
Elena didn’t see him for three days.
No office hours. No email replies. His door stayed closed.
On Thursday, she found a note under her dorm door. No signature. Just a time and a place:
Library. Study Room 3. 7 PM.
She was there at 6:58 PM.
He walked in at 7:00 PM, closing the door behind him.
“I shouldn’t be here,” he said immediately.
“Then why are you?”
“Because I can’t stop thinking about you walking into that meeting alone.”
His voice was lower, rougher.
“You could have lost everything because of me.”
“I didn’t,” she said. “And you didn’t let that happen.”
He stepped closer, stopping just before it would be too close.
“Elena, I’m engaged.”
“I know,” she said. “I saw the photo.”
“That should be the end of it,” he said.
“It isn’t,” she whispered.
For a long moment, neither of them moved. The only sound was the hum of the library AC.
“I’m going on leave next semester,” he said suddenly. “Research sabbatical. I won’t be back until fall.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“So you understand,” he said. “This can’t happen. Not while I’m your professor. Not while I’m engaged. But when I come back… I don’t know if I’ll be able to pretend I don’t feel this.”
Her heart was pounding so loud she was sure he could hear it.
“What if I don’t want you to pretend?”
He closed his eyes, like her words physically hurt him.
“Then you’ll ruin both our lives,” he said quietly. “And I won’t be the one who does it.”
He left before she could answer.
- Writer
