Impossible To Resist (BWWM Romance Book 1)(89)
He watched her go and the expression on his face shifted from one of utter shock to one of complete dismay.
***
Harold sat in the austere and richly appointed front office of the dean of the college, his hands folded together between his knees. He’d dressed in the only suit he owned; it was old, but it was clean and pressed. His hair was combed back and he had a tie on.
He glanced over at the secretary for a moment as she typed away on her computer. She had told him that the dean would be with him shortly. He looked around him at the walls of dark wood, the bookcases that stood with books lining their every shelf, the fat leafed green plants that mocked the slowly dying trees of autumn outside. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to relax himself and keep his nerves still.
The office was silent except for her typing. He sighed again and looked up at the big grandfather clock standing against one wall. He’d been waiting twenty minutes and each one felt like an eternity.
Finally, the door behind the receptionist opened and the dean walked out and smiled at him in greeting. Harold rose to his feet and walked toward the Dean with his hand outstretched.
“Good morning, sir, I’m Harold Marshall,” he said politely, feeling that he had never been more out of place at any point in his life.
The dean nodded and shook his hand. “Good morning, Mr. Marshall. I’m Dean Hargrove. Please come in. May I have Jeanie get you some coffee or water?”
Harold shook his head. “No, sir. Thank you. I’m just fine.”
The dean nodded and closed the door behind them. They walked to his desk together and Harold waited quietly to be invited to sit down. The Dean looked at him and nodded, indicating the chair beside which Harold was standing silently.
“Please have a seat, Mr. Marshall.” Harold sat stiffly and kept his eyes on the dean.
“What is it that I can do for you today?” Dean Hargrove asked as he sat opposite Harold.
Harold cleared his throat and felt like he was embarking on an impossible quest. “I’m here about my daughter, sir.”
The dean nodded patiently. “Yes?”
“Well, sir, it seems that one of your instructors has seduced her and has coerced her into having an affair with him, and I’m paying a fair amount of tuition for her to attend here for an education that she can use to make a good life for herself, not for her to get hauled into her professor’s office for an indiscretion. Something has to be done about this,” he stated firmly.
He might feel intimidated by the old school, the wealth of the head of the school, the vast education around him that he knew nothing about, and the total unfamiliarity of the environment around him, but he wasn’t about to let any of that stop him from taking care of the mess his little girl had gotten herself into.
The dean’s mouth fell open slightly and he stared at Harold, livid. “One of our professors here is involved romantically with your daughter?” he asked as if he might have misheard Harold.
“Yes, sir,” Harold replied simply.
Dean Hargrove sighed heavily and shook his head. “I’m gravely disappointed to hear it. We have a zero tolerance policy for things like this at this educational facility. Do you know the name of the professor by chance?”
Harold nodded. “I do. His name is Connor James.” It had been tempting to him to go see Professor James on his own, but he wasn’t a rule breaker and he understood that there was a procedure for dealing with everything, including situations like the one his daughter was in.
Dean Hargrove rubbed his forefinger over his lower lip as he shook his head. “Ah yes… our handsome young media professor.”
Harold blinked in surprise. “Young, Sir? I was under the impression that he was quite a bit older than my daughter.”
The dean looked up at him. “No, not really. I believe James is twenty seven or so. He’s not that much older than most of the students here, but he is quite a handsome fellow, and there are many in the student body, and if I was being honest, on staff, who tend to go after him. I’m not surprised that he is being reported for an affair, I guess it was bound to happen, but I am surprised that it took him being here this long before it did happen.”
Harold furrowed his brow, looking at him in confusion. “This hasn’t happened before with him?” he asked curiously.
The dean shook his head. “No, no this is James’ first offense of any kind with the college. He’s been a model professor up until now. I actually rather like him, and I’ll be sorry to have to discipline him in regards to this, but we must stand by our rules and regulations, Mr. Marshall.”
He looked at Harold and pursed his lips, speaking delicately. “Have you spoken with your daughter about this situation at all?”
Harold nodded. “I did indeed, sir. It was the first thing I did. She understands how serious it is. I’ve told her she is to have nothing whatsoever to do with him again.”
The dean nodded. “It’s likely that she will be facing some sort of discipline as well. I hope that you understand that, Mr. Marshall. Affairs are two way streets, and both parties will be under investigation on this, and pending the final report, both of them will receive disciplinary action.”
Harold nodded. “I understand, sir.” He was sorry to hear it, but not surprised. She had made a mistake and there were consequences to face for having done it.