"What's wrong?" Her eyes landed on the panties. She laughed. "Get a visit from the shrew?"
Grey hooked a finger in the leg of the panties and dropped them in the trash. "Gwen tried to seduce me. Dr. Markham walked in and thought the worst. Now she's gone to the dean."
Addison went pale. "Oh, my God."
"What am I gonna do?" he asked.
Addy took in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "Just go to the dean and tell the truth. Right now."
"About you and me?"
"God, no! What are you thinking? Go tell what Gwen did. I'll back you up, the girl's a complete skank."
"Maybe this is karma." Grey was feeling a guilt so deep it threatened to swallow him.
"Karma? You don't believe in God, you don't believe in love…but you believe in Karma?"
"I believe in just desserts. Maybe I'm being punished for taking you away last week."
"That's ridiculous. Go to the dean and tell her what Gwen did. Keep it among you, Markham and Gwen…don't let this go bigger than that. You can do it, Grey."
He fed off her strength. He nodded and drew himself up. "You're right. This isn't a wildfire. I can handle this."
"Good. Go on."
He grabbed Gwen's paper and made his way to Dean Erika Richter's office. Dr. Markham was already there. Grey didn't wait, but barged in and took the seat next to Ellen. "Gwen wanted an A on her paper. She's been balking all semester, insisting that I grade her work myself, rather than allowing my assistant to do it—"
"Is this the same assistant that you're having an affair with?" Erika asked.
Grey's jaw dropped. "I..I beg your pardon?"
"I've had a call from her mother asking me to look into the possibility of the two of you having an affair."
"Based on what?" Grey asked, his voice cracking. "For God's sake, Erika, I've adhered to propriety almost above reason. I don't call female students by their first names. I keep my office door open all the time."
"Not today, you didn't," Dr. Markham muttered.
"Gwen closed that door because she intended to seduce me. I have had students come on to me before, but she just got out of hand faster than I could manage the situation."
"Her panties were hanging on your lamp."
"She hung her goddamn panties on my lamp!" He squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to calm himself. Then he looked at the dean. "Erika, this isn't fair. Anyone could accuse me of anything they wanted, and I'm guilty until proven innocent. I beg you to recognize my flawless record, my character as you know it, and dismiss these accusations."
"Gwen is claiming that you harassed her."
Grey's heart sank but he held his head up. "Of course she is. But I didn't. She harassed me. It's her word against mine, Erika, I mean what do you want me to say?"
Erika leaned back and massaged her temples. "Ellen, what exactly did you see?"
"She was on his desk with her skirt up and her blouse open, her panties hanging on his lamp."
"Where was he?"
Dr. Markham hesitated before grudgingly answering. "He was standing behind a chair, the chair between him and her."
"And what was he doing?"
"Nothing, that I could see. He was froze to the spot when I walked in."
Erika nodded. "Thank you. If you'll excuse us?"
Ellen stood and left the office. Erika waited until the door clicked shut. "You've never brought drama into my life, Grey."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"Is there anything going on between you and Addison?" This question, asked from one friend to another, was harder to lie to. He wasn't sure whether to tell some of the truth or none of the truth. His hesitation made the decision for him. "I see," Erika said.
"No," he said, "you don't. Nothing's going on. I…I think very highly of her."
"Are you attracted to her?"
Again he hesitated. "Yeah, okay? I'm attracted to her, but I have been for years, and I've kept things professional in spite of it."
"Is she attracted to you?"
"I really wouldn't know. I don't allow our conversations to veer into personal territory." The lie flowed smoothly from his lips, but it left its impression
Grey hooked a finger in the leg of the panties and dropped them in the trash. "Gwen tried to seduce me. Dr. Markham walked in and thought the worst. Now she's gone to the dean."
Addison went pale. "Oh, my God."
"What am I gonna do?" he asked.
Addy took in a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "Just go to the dean and tell the truth. Right now."
"About you and me?"
"God, no! What are you thinking? Go tell what Gwen did. I'll back you up, the girl's a complete skank."
"Maybe this is karma." Grey was feeling a guilt so deep it threatened to swallow him.
"Karma? You don't believe in God, you don't believe in love…but you believe in Karma?"
"I believe in just desserts. Maybe I'm being punished for taking you away last week."
"That's ridiculous. Go to the dean and tell her what Gwen did. Keep it among you, Markham and Gwen…don't let this go bigger than that. You can do it, Grey."
He fed off her strength. He nodded and drew himself up. "You're right. This isn't a wildfire. I can handle this."
"Good. Go on."
He grabbed Gwen's paper and made his way to Dean Erika Richter's office. Dr. Markham was already there. Grey didn't wait, but barged in and took the seat next to Ellen. "Gwen wanted an A on her paper. She's been balking all semester, insisting that I grade her work myself, rather than allowing my assistant to do it—"
"Is this the same assistant that you're having an affair with?" Erika asked.
Grey's jaw dropped. "I..I beg your pardon?"
"I've had a call from her mother asking me to look into the possibility of the two of you having an affair."
"Based on what?" Grey asked, his voice cracking. "For God's sake, Erika, I've adhered to propriety almost above reason. I don't call female students by their first names. I keep my office door open all the time."
"Not today, you didn't," Dr. Markham muttered.
"Gwen closed that door because she intended to seduce me. I have had students come on to me before, but she just got out of hand faster than I could manage the situation."
"Her panties were hanging on your lamp."
"She hung her goddamn panties on my lamp!" He squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to calm himself. Then he looked at the dean. "Erika, this isn't fair. Anyone could accuse me of anything they wanted, and I'm guilty until proven innocent. I beg you to recognize my flawless record, my character as you know it, and dismiss these accusations."
"Gwen is claiming that you harassed her."
Grey's heart sank but he held his head up. "Of course she is. But I didn't. She harassed me. It's her word against mine, Erika, I mean what do you want me to say?"
Erika leaned back and massaged her temples. "Ellen, what exactly did you see?"
"She was on his desk with her skirt up and her blouse open, her panties hanging on his lamp."
"Where was he?"
Dr. Markham hesitated before grudgingly answering. "He was standing behind a chair, the chair between him and her."
"And what was he doing?"
"Nothing, that I could see. He was froze to the spot when I walked in."
Erika nodded. "Thank you. If you'll excuse us?"
Ellen stood and left the office. Erika waited until the door clicked shut. "You've never brought drama into my life, Grey."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"Is there anything going on between you and Addison?" This question, asked from one friend to another, was harder to lie to. He wasn't sure whether to tell some of the truth or none of the truth. His hesitation made the decision for him. "I see," Erika said.
"No," he said, "you don't. Nothing's going on. I…I think very highly of her."
"Are you attracted to her?"
Again he hesitated. "Yeah, okay? I'm attracted to her, but I have been for years, and I've kept things professional in spite of it."
"Is she attracted to you?"
"I really wouldn't know. I don't allow our conversations to veer into personal territory." The lie flowed smoothly from his lips, but it left its impression
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