Jackson wiped the smile from his face, and the security guards followed suit. They stepped back and gave her the floor… All but the beleaguered
head of security, who rubbed his neck again and scowled at Alice. "And who's this now?"
Alice had to crane her neck to meet the tall security guard's gaze, but it didn't diminish her command of the situation one bit. "I am Ford Bauer's defense attorney. And here is a written agreement from the judge that will be reviewing this case outside of court. The judge also kindly reminded the police that they do not have enough to charge Ford, so they cannot hold him. I am currently working with them to schedule a deposition. Until then, your presence is not required. In fact, your presence has very strange implications, don't you agree?"
Ford laughed. "Clarity pointed that out to them early."
"She's right," Alice snapped. She marched to the door and held it open. The security guards filed out, and she slammed it behind them.
Ford slipped an arm around my waist. "Clarity's more than that," he admitted.
Chapter Nineteen
Ford
I listened carefully the stranger presiding over the court. He was younger, affecting a sterner face than was necessary, and he was acutely aware that everyone was watching how he worked. My attention, however, was caught by Clarity.
She sat in the first row and tapped her foot impatiently. No signs of any other stress besides boredom showed in her face. I knew the signs, I'd seen them sometimes in class. Clarity was done with this and ready to move on.
Nothing, not even what the judge was about to say, could make me any happier than that.
"Mr. Bauer, are you listening?"
"Yes, your honor. I am guilty as charged," I said.
The makeshift court snickered, but the interim dean of students silenced them with a glance. "We don't normally associate guilt with good aspects, though I was explaining to the students your reputation for pursuing the truth no matter the professional or personal consequences," he said.
Clarity smiled, and I knew the small curve of her lips was just for me. At that moment, I would have walked through fire for her, but all I needed to do was face the Honor Council and hear the verdict.
"You say it like he's being all noble, but he's a few years too late, don't you think?" Libby interrupted the interim dean of students.
I watched as Clarity's father, the former dean, whispered in his daughter's ear, and she smiled wider. Everything was going to be all right. If Clarity could put my mistake in the past, then so could Landsman College.
"Ms. Blackwell, we've heard quite enough from you. More than necessary, in fact. I believe I can speak for the entire Honor Council when I say that your testimony sounded more like bragging to an audience."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Libby demanded. "Professor Bauer's the one that overstepped the rules and had relations with me. Was that stated prudishly enough for you, judge?"
The interim dean of students looked at Libby over the top of his glasses and tried to ignore how everyone in the room looked to Patrick Dunkirk. "Your obvious enjoyment at relating the details of your 'relations' was more than enough to convince the court that you enjoyed the situation. Now, your interruptions are not in the spirit of the Honor Council, and I have to ask you to stop speaking."
Clarity's father leaned back and glanced around the room. He was in a Polo shirt and khakis on campus for the first time. The early-retirement look was good on him, especially coupled with a navy-blue sport coat that still lent him an air of professional wisdom. His replacement looked at him briefly before addressing the assembled students.
"I would ask that the Honor Council please remember that it was Ford Bauer himself that brought this infraction to light. Despite the lapse in time, it was Mr. Bauer that decided to confess to breaking the rules of propriety and not Ms. Blackwell," the interim dean said. He wiped his brow with a white handkerchief and shuffled his notes. "To own up to a past indiscretion is the mark of maturity as is the willingness to face the consequences."
Clarity gave an audible sigh. Her father nudged her in the ribs, but had to smother his own smile behind a fake yawn.
Libby fluctuated between flipping her hair, giving flirty looks to the male members of the Honor Council, and glaring at me. She had not managed to mount any kind of case, especially not when she ranted at the council about how she had pursued me and been rebuffed. She even quoted my use of the rules as protection against her solicitations.
The Honor Council stood up and adjourned into the back room. Landsman College allowed up to an hour for deliberation, but no less than fifteen minutes. In the meantime, everyone shifted, half the students left, and Clarity looked ready to tear her hair out. It cheered me that Clarity was so sure of the outcome.
I still feared the council would assume the worst and decide I had coerced a student into an unwanted relationship.
…Until I overheard Libby. "He's just bringing all of this up now because I may have actually found a serious boyfriend. I mean, I get it. Jealousy makes people do funny things. I guess Professor Bauer saw me with my new man and decided to go ahead with all of this as a way to remind me of what we had. He totally wants me back."
I got up to stretch but could not bring myself to walk over to Clarity and her father. There was a wall between Clarity and I. Things had settled down since we broke the Landsman donors’ corruption scandal. I hadn't seen much of her, and it worried me that Libby's self-serving lie was close to the truth for someone else.
I did it for Clarity. I wanted her to know that the truth mattered to me. I wanted to face her free and clear of all my past mistakes. It felt like we would never be on solid ground if I didn't face this last indiscretion.
How could I tell her how special she was until she knew for certain she was the only one for me?