coffee, which they both agreed was more richly flavoured, and didn’t sell out to simply give patrons a bigger caffeine shot. She thanked him and quite loudly informed Bridget he was a keeper before laughing at her friend’s embarrassment and moving on to other customers and the duties of running her cafe.
‘What are you thinking about, Ross? Me, I hope.’ The low, elegant voice of her boss and Dean of the School of Sciences, Dale Whittier, scraped across her skin like nails. She instantly tensed as he continued, ‘We do have your tenure review at the end of the semester, after all.’
Jerking her head around to face him, she controlled her instinctive shudder. From the moment he’d come onboard at Pinewood, he’d made subtle insinuations to her that skipped just to the edge of harassment but never quite crossed over. He’d hover a tad too close. Brush her in ways that if she addressed them would make her look over-reactive and paranoid.
To look at him, one would never suspect him of something as low as sexual harassment. He was handsome in a distinguished sort of way. Tall and lean, with salt and pepper hair. He dressed like the academic he was with lots of tweed and sweaters paired with cords, but he was never lacking in female company. Their department mixers often saw him with one beautiful female or another.
Rumours abounded of affairs with students as well as faculty members. He certainly wasn’t so lacking in companionship as to make him desperate. Still, he rankled her. She was always left feeling as if she had a trail of slime over her body wherever his eyes had been. And they were everywhere, including her chest at this very moment. His scrutiny made her want to cover herself from his sight.
‘Did you need to speak with me, Dean?’
She’d learned to be very careful in how she interacted with him. Remarks like “Did you need me?” or “Do you need to see me?” – simple things she would have said to anyone else – had been met one too many times with “Yes, very much so” and a lingering, implication-filled silence.
She’d learned to give him no openings.
His icy blue eyes met hers and she controlled the need to look away from him. You didn’t show weakness to predators. Ever.
‘Yes, Ross. I wanted to let you know I’ve called a staff meeting Monday morning at 8 a.m. I expect you there.’
‘What’s happened?’ she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
‘Just show up, Ross.’ He raked her over one last time before turning and leaving her alone.
Feeling like she needed a shower, Bridget ran through all the reasons she stayed here at Pinewood when she felt like a mouse in the lion’s den. Sure, she was only weeks away from gaining tenure, but was it really worth it when Dean Whittier was so repulsive despite the pretty package? Yes. She loved teaching chemistry, loved her students and the life she’d built, but how many more veiled suggestions could she really take?
‘Professor Ross?’ Her mental debate was thrust aside, however, at Skyler’s timid greeting.
Lurching to her feet, she rushed to Skyler, practically pulling the girl into her office. She was dishevelled and looked stunned. Her blonde hair was falling out of the elastic band she’d used to pull it back and her brown eyes were almost vacant.
‘Are you OK? Talk to me, sugar.’
Skyler fell into the visitor chair that Bridget guided her toward.
‘Skyler?’ Bridget knelt beside her and took her student’s hand. It was ice cold.
For several moments, she just sat there staring over Bridget’s shoulder and then it was like a veil fell down over her face. It hardened and her eyes snapped to Bridget’s.
‘Professor Ross, I need to know if I can take the mid-term on a different day. I’ll take it early if necessary.’
‘Why?’ Bridget stood and moved to lean against her desk. Her Spidey senses were jangling a mile a minute and she knew in her gut there was more going on here, but it was up to Skyler to confide in her.
She looked directly into Bridget’s eyes, replying, ‘I have a medical appointment I can’t change.’
‘Skyler.’ Bridget’s tone was sharp. ‘You can be honest with me.’
A wave of pain flowed across Skyler’s face, distorting her features, but she schooled them quickly.
‘I am, Professor.’ Her words were tinted with a bitterness that made them crack.
At a loss, Bridget said, ‘Bring me confirmation of the appointment and you can take the mid-term the day before.’
‘That’s fine.’
‘Very well. I’ll see you at 10 a.m. Don’t be late.’
Skyler sat for several more moments before her eyes welled with tears. She nodded once and then left without another word.
Bridget watched her leave with a sinking feeling in her stomach.
Skyler Brooks couldn’t believe she’d allowed this to happen. So much for a genius level IQ. She’d been as dumb as a fence-post and now she was stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place.
It
A man with an ego that big had no room for anyone else in his bed. Initially, she’d been so flattered by his attention she’d practically thrown herself at him. Now, she couldn’t get far enough away.
She had to stop and grab the wall, collecting herself as a wave of nausea so deep it almost knocked her to her knees ran through her. Leaning against the painted cinderblocks, she took several long, deep breaths. Saliva welled in her mouth and she tasted a bilious tang. She would be damned if she’d puke in the middle of the hallway. Swallowing frantically, she bolted for the nearest ladies’ room.
Throwing open the door, she threw her backpack to the ground and flung herself into one of the stalls just in time. Fortunately for her, there was nothing in her stomach to bring up, having already brought up the salad she’d had for lunch before Professor Ross’s class. Her entire diaphragm clenched and held as she heaved and heaved, bringing up nothing but bile. By the time the spasms stopped, she was panting from the exertion. Hot tears sprang to her eyes as she hugged the cool porcelain, waiting to ensure no more would be coming up.
She’d confronted him, told him she was pregnant. She’d expected it would force him to finally let her go. He wasn’t the sort who would want a child.
Nothing had prepared her for his response.
Rather than abandon her as she’d hoped, he’d picked up the phone and coolly arranged for her to have an abortion. There’d been no more emotion in his voice than if he’d been ordering lunch or hiring a rental car. When he’d hung up the phone, he looked at her with such disdain her skin had crawled.
‘You
She’d gaped at him, at a complete loss.
‘Do you understand me, Skyler?’
‘You can’t force me to do this. What if I want to keep it?’
He’d stood then and moved over to where she sat slumped in the chair closest to the door. Leaning over her shoulder, he’d been close enough that she could smell the tang of coffee on his breath and the scent of his cologne. He’d grabbed her breast and squeezed hard, forcing her to arch. She cried out and he only squeezed harder.
‘You don’t get it yet, you little slut, do you?’ He’d grabbed her ponytail and pulled her head back so that their eyes met. ‘You’re nothing but a piece of pussy to me, but I’ll not have you ruining that pussy as long as I feel like using it. Nor will I have you trapping me with a brat. You
Squatting in the stall of the ladies’ room, Skyler began to laugh. Shows what he knew. She already wished she’d never been born.
Gathering herself, she stood on wobbly knees. She flushed and waited for a few more deep breaths before lurching to the sink. Her skin was flushed and her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen from crying. She looked like hell and felt worse.
After splashing cold water on her face, she ripped several paper towels out of the dispenser and blotted before balling them up and shoving them into the trash can. One more deep breath and she turned and
