Page 3 of The Marriage Deal
"Yale?"Jess had been working here about the same time I came, and as far as Iknew, wanted to continue working here.
"Shoot, I didn't tell you. I was at Ren Faire last week and hooked up with this guy who turned out to be a Yale professor. They have an opening in their history department, and he wants me to apply. I will have a job with benefits. None of this adjunct bullshit."
I blinked, surprised by her forwardness. Jess was not the type of person to cheat, let alone have one-night stands atconventions, of all places."You're applying for a job you got through sleeping with a guy?"
She frowned."I didn't sleep with him. What do you mean?"
"You know what hookup means, right?"
"Shoot."She slapped her forehead."I mean, hook up. Link up. Talked to each other and became friends. Not sleep, oh my god. Who do you think I am?"
I suppressed a giggle."I had to ask."Jess's penchant for misusing colloquial language made her fun to be around. We became friends when she sent a mass email to her students telling them they should make sure their papers should be 'pressed' when they submit them. She meant for them to be well done. But when her students responded with laughing emojis, she asked the only black woman on the faculty south of forty why. She was so embarrassed when I explained what pressed means in AAVE, and she's never used AAVE again. But that did not mean other slang terms were not victims of her butchering.
Another student asks Levi a question that snatches my attention. A young woman with brunette bangs and red streaks in her hair asked, "In your book, The Fall of the Plantagenets, you say that Richard III killed the princes in the tower?" What do you think about the new evidence that shows one of them was killed by Margaret Beaufort and the other survived."Icouldnotseeher, but Icouldhearthe smirk in her voice. Oh no. This was going to be bad.
"Well, my thoughts on that is it's bullshit,"Levi said.
Nervous laughter rumbled through the audience.
The girl crossed her arms."So you think we should disregard the evidence based on what? Because you don't like that it conflicts with your theory, or becauseit wasa woman who came up with it?"
Oh, No. No no, no, no.
Levi's eyebrows shot up."I would have thought that a feminist such as yourself would not take the claims of a fan club of a problematic medieval king so seriously. Claims that blame a woman with little motive, means, or opportunity to commit this crime are flawed. The king, however, had every reason to want them gone and is a strong suspect."
The girl's voice shook slightly as she spoke."You cannot still believe that Richard had anything to do with—"
"I don't need to believe it. Show me actual proof, not a bunch of letters."
She snorted."No wonder you were humiliated."
"Getout of my class."His voice was stone cold.
The girl remained seated. The room was so silent, youcouldheara pin drop. Again, the girl had her back to me and, frankly, the entire class, but she was so still that Icouldonly imagine the shock on her face.
"I am not in the habit of repeating myself, Miss Victoria.Getout of my class, or I will fail you."
The girl finally galvanized into action, got up, packed her bag, and rushed out. As she passed by me, I was sure Isawtears streaming down her face. Levi got back to teaching the class as though nothing had happened. Jess sucked in her breath."That was dramatic."
"Yeah, he's still touchy about the interview."
She drew her head back."Really? That was months ago. Your professor has a tough exterior, but he can be sensitive sometimes."
"He is not my professor."
"Oh, youknowwhat I mean. We all have a crush on him. At least yougetto work beside him all day."
"I don't!"The class ended, and the rush of students getting out drowned my vehement denouncement of the accusation.Jess was already making her way to Levi by the time I finished my sentence, leaving me to scurry behind her.
Levi was shutting off his laptop when we reached him. He had that slightly annoyed look he usually put on when something was bothering him. That student must have gotten to him. He was usually terse when he got into one of his legendary moods.
Jess, the least emotionally intelligent person Iknew,sawthis and blurted,"I wouldn't let a curious studentgetto me. Kids say the darndest things, am I right?"
Levi stared at her.
Ignoring the silent warning, she blasted through,"All I'm saying is, we allgetproven wrong from time to time. It's the nature of history. New evidence comes along and changes our perspective. But that interviewer was out of line. They should not have made you out to be—"
"A fraud?"Levi's voice was so cutting that Ifeltas thoughit wasme he was addressing.
