Kingpin (Court University 2)

“Yes, Professor?” Even saying the words killed my head, and I did take the sunglasses off so he didn’t think I was making some kind of weird statement. Gratefully, he seemed to not notice my change of style or the fact I’d worn sunglasses in the middle of the hallway. Messenger bag on his arm, he was probably headed to teach a class himself in this building.

“I don’t want to keep you, but I have a question,” he said, tugging that bag further up his arm. “And actually, I can walk with you for a bit. I’m headed in that same direction for a class.”

He obviously knew where my instruction room was, and taking him up on that walk out of merely obligation, I did go with him. All the film and art classes were in this building, so I shouldn’t be surprised to run into him. He looked at me. “I was just wondering what that message was about you recalled?”

“Recalled, sir?”

He nodded, his look curious. “The, um, email? It came in pretty late last night. Around eleven or so? Anyway, I saw it come in last night, but since I was headed to bed, I didn’t check it. Woke up this morning and it was gone, so I assumed you recalled it.” He frowned. “You don’t remember?”

And then the visions clouded by vodka and tonics came rushing back to me—me sending an email to him about my student who’d been terrorizing me. Also me, sending that very same email to the one who’d been terrorizing me, and actually, the whole thing had been for him. I’d CC’d Professor Douglas only so he’d know what an absolute jerk LJ was.

The panic chased its way in a charged heat through my chest, my swallow hard. “Recall? As in…”

“You took it back?” Really curious now, Professor Douglas lifted his head. He pushed hands inside his pockets. “What did it say, Ms. Coventry?”

“What did it say?” A nervous laugh as I didn’t exactly remember, but even if I did, I wouldn’t be rehashing that now. I recalled it being pretty vulgar and very sophomoric. Something about a turd? I shook my head. “You know what, I did send you an email.”

“You did?”

“Yep, but the thing was, I wasn’t done with it. It was about some classwork I wanted to go over with you. Classwork.” I sounded as about believable to myself as a sinner in church, but Professor Douglas had no reason to doubt me. I mean, why would I lie to him?

His head tilted. “All right. Well, what was it about?”

We’d gotten in front of my classroom at this point, and thank God for that. I had a reason to go. I put my hand on the knob. “You know what? I’m almost done with it, and as soon as I am I’ll send it right over. Got class now, but I’ll send it as soon as I can.”

I pointed to the door for emphasis, the need to go, and he nodded.

“Of course. I’ll let you get to it, and I’ll be expecting that email later then.”

I was sure he was, but gratefully, the issue wasn’t something that required my immediate attention. He started to go, but then raised his hand. “One more thing. Were you able to take care of that issue with Mr. Johnson? I’d like to think he’s been taken care of in regards to an option to make up for his midterm.”

My eye definitely ticked, my smile forced. “I did take care of it, Professor. I assigned him a suitable extra credit assignment.”

“As well as ample time to complete it, of course?”

Eye ticked once more. “Yes, sir, and he did agree to the terms. I assumed the conditions were manageable for him.”

The man visibly sighed when I said that, completely pathetic and a new kind of crazy I couldn’t believe I was seeing. LJ held a tight fist over this man. Well, at least when it came to how he most assuredly smoked up his evenings, judging by what Davey and Griffin said. That was none of my business, but him asking me to do the things I was doing when it came to LJ did. It was completely unethical, and as far as I knew, no one else was getting special treatment but him. Professor Douglas flattened his tie. “Very well. You can proceed and have a good class. Also, don’t forget to send me that email when you get a chance. I’m quite curious about it now.”

Knowing I’d have to make something up, I waved only too casually, another forced smile, before pushing my sunglasses over my eyes and dodging into my classroom.

Only after I had the blinds closed did I take the things off, tossing my bag on the podium before palming my face. I had maybe three minutes before students would start arriving, and I started to prepare when I noticed a body sitting in the back of the classroom.

I jumped literally out of my pumps, stumbling off one when a set of lustrous eyes and a coy smile stared back at me.

LJ was actually here today, here first, and sitting in the back of the room with one of his kicks propped up on the chair in front of him. He had a backwards cap on, his fingers to his lips as he jerked his chin in my direction. “Beauty queen.”

I sighed as I realized I dropped all my crap too. My bag and all my papers for class were scattered across the table below the podium.

Shaking my head, I bent to pick it all up. “You scared the crap out of me.”

“Clearly,” he said, unmoved in my periphery. I had no idea why he’d showed up today, obviously to continue torturing me. First, he pretty much gets Sinclair to break up with me. I didn’t know how exactly the breakup was his fault, but there’d been no talks of “breaking up” before the incident in my office, and now this with him showing up out of the blue.

I tapped my papers together on the table, ignoring LJ before setting the papers off to the side and logging in to the computer. It was set up to the room’s audiovisual system, and I might play some clips today from the film reviewed this week. I say might because really the concept of lesson plans at all hurt my head. I was going to do what my body allowed.

Clearly seeing me fumble around stuff, I heard a chuckle from the back of the room. LJ still hadn’t moved when I glanced that way, but he was laughing at me, a pencil behind his ear. I growled. “What’s so funny?”

He lifted his mighty wingspan, seemingly stretching as he propped his arms behind his head. This room was set up to play video like a lot of the lecture halls in this building, stadium seating like a little movie theater despite only having about thirty or so seats. As stated, LJ sat at the back row, and his smile couldn’t be denied. “Just find it funny you’re here today.”