Page 35 of Falling for Mindy

“I’m sorry to hear that. If you get any more information on her welfare, follow up on it in your observation. I’m sure Adeline is working closely with you on this issue. If I can be of assistance, feel free to have her contact me,” I said carefully. She nodded.

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” she said.

Mindy was visibly upset, but I couldn’t tell what was causing it—distress over her missing client, or the fact that I’d made it clear I was done being alone with her. Whatever personal relationship we had was at an end. It was the only right thing to do, since I had given in to temptation and failed to do the right thing at every other turn. It was the only choice I had left. I wanted her to see that, and to know it wasn’t about how I felt toward her personally, that it was the only way to hold on to my self-respect and to be a decent professor of women’s studies. I had to give her up, at least for now. But any sort of conversation like that, any clarification was another improper interaction between us and I couldn’t risk it. If I couldn’t say it in front of the damn Chambers kid, it wasn’t going to be said.

CHAPTER 21

MINDY

Kyle was done with me. He couldn’t have made it any clearer if he had told me to never look him in the face again. My chest hurt and I felt like I had to swallow all the time to keep from crying. He was going to include Jeff in our meetings from now on. Did he think I was going to throw myself at him or something?

Getting a substitute to cover his class? When I went to class on Monday morning, I had been concerned when I saw another instructor there. I thought maybe something had happened to Kyle, that he was sick or hurt. But then Professor Ahmed told us that he was covering the course for two weeks or until further notice while Professor Quinn dealt with some personal business off-campus. That sounded like a cop-out to me. Was I really that hard to be around that the man had to get someone else to teach his class? That was what really offended me. I wasn’t going to make a scene. If he believed that about me, he didn’t know me at all.

Then to top it off, during the meeting about our internships, Kyle was so detached, and barely even looked at me. I was miserable in there and couldn’t wait to leave. Every time Jeff said something I wanted to smash my laptop over his head. He was totally relaxed, joking around, filling us in on the details of his internship. Jeff wasn’t uncomfortable. He hadn’t fucked his professor and then gotten dumped.

I was really only mad at myself. Kyle couldn’t jeopardize his job by continuing to see me. I realized that. It just hurt me way more than it should have. Shuffling across the parking lot, I noticed it was getting dark. My phone beeped with a message alert. I figured it was Katie, but when I checked, it was a number I didn’t know. Clicking the alert, I saw the message come up on my screen.

It’s Alicia, new number. Sorry about the disappearing act. U have been so kind to me. Just wanted u to know I am ok.

I breathed a sigh of relief and answered. Glad ur good. and sent it back.

Finished Outer Banks need new season! she messaged back, and I relaxed even more, knowing for sure it was really her and not someone pretending to be her.

Lmk if u need anything, I messaged back, besides new season of OB.

I will ty, she answered.

When I got home, I definitely felt better knowing Alicia was okay. If she’d had to move suddenly or change numbers, at least she was keeping ahead of her ex and could contact me. I had to trust her to handle this her own way. No matter how much I wanted to help her, I hated to admit Kyle was right about this one. She had to be confident in her own ability and I had to keep from trying to be a savior.

Katie was stirring the taco soup in our Crock Pot and setting out tortilla chips when I walked in. She dished up supper while I opened a bottle of wine and poured two glasses.

“This is just what I needed,” I told her.

“You say that all the time,” she replied.

“Yeah, cause it’s true,” I said, sipping my wine and taking a spoonful of soup, “you know this is how I know it’s fall. It may not be cold out in Berkley, but soup for supper, hot coffee in the mornings…I think I’ll get a pumpkin this week.”

“So you can throw it out when it rots? You never decide what to carve so it just sits there like a weird dirty centerpiece on the table.”

“I wash it! It isn’t dirty. And the cute gourds I got last year lasted a long time.”

“I got rid of them when they started to stink because you never know when to let it go,” she teased.

“Fine, I’m still getting a pumpkin.”

“I know you are, but I love you anyway. Just none of that Smells of Autumn essential oil you bought that one time. All my clothes smelled like a pie for weeks,” Katie grumbled.

“How’s your project coming?”

“My teacher’s being an ass,” she said. “He doesn’t like my ideas. It’s my project and it’s supposed to communicate something I feel passionately about. How does he know what I’m passionate about? This isn’t something an old man should have an opinion on,” she said.

“As a women’s studies major, I agree that he shouldn’t try to tone police or edit your topic because it’s an expressive discipline. As your sister, I’d say you need to follow the guidelines on the syllabus so you pass his class. Assholes are allowed to give grades out,” I said.

“You are such a mom,” she rolled her eyes. “Are you sure you’re only twenty-three? Because I’m pretty sure you can ask to talk to the manager at this point.”

“I’m not a Karen. It’s not my fault you bring it out in me,” I laughed.

“You’re not acting like yourself. You just agreed with me that you were acting like a Karen. Where’s the sister who will fight to the death over principle?” she accused.

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