“Yes, I was having a panic attack, and my partners decided to take me home,” Seth explained, and she hummed thoughtfully.
“One of these partners is Angel Rice’s brother, I gather.” Her tone turned into something he couldn’t read, and he silently grimaced.
“Yes, that’s correct. Devin is Angel’s adopted brother.”
“And Angel saw you and your partners in a… compromising position today?”
“Yes. I’m taking full responsibility of that.”
“Good.” She sighed. “Look, this is a messed-up situation, Seth. Yes, what you did was wrong and unacceptable, but I can honestly say you’re not the only member of the faculty who has done something similar. They just haven’t gotten caught. Hell, you have heard the rumors about Professor Fredericks and one of her TAs, I’m sure.”
Professor Fredericks had gotten caught with a male TA between her thighs a few years back. By her boss at the mathematics department.
“Right.”
“First of all, nothing actually says you can’t date someone related to your students. Even someone you’re mentoring. That’s not how this works, which is why it’s pretty damn annoying this is happening at all. Angel Rice shouldn’t have anything to complain about, but his personal problems about your relationship with his brother seem to be clouding his judgment.”
“What did he say exactly? I mean, what does he want to happen?” Seth gnawed on his lower lip.
Professor Mills snorted. “As he put it, he is ‘leaving it to me.’ He just ‘doesn’t want to have this all affect his studies.’” Seth could hear the quotation marks in the words.
“There’s something you should probably know, first,” Seth said, realizing he should’ve probably done this days ago. Hell, weeks or even months ago.
“Oh?”
“I’ve been thinking about taking a sabbatical for a year. And….” He hesitated, sighed, and then decided to go with the gut instinct that sounded a lot like the truth. “I think that if I wasn’t burned out on some level, what happened today wouldn’t have happened at all.”
“You’ve always been big on rules,” she stated, and Seth huffed. “I understand what you mean, though. I have thought about suggesting a sabbatical for a while now. You’ve worked so hard, and I understand that before, with your partner being away long stretches of time, it has worked for you. But maybe it’s time to take some time for yourself? To just enjoy the situation where you’re at right now. I mean, it does sound like you have your hands full,” she said, and he could hear the suggestive humor in her voice.
Seth burst out laughing. “Oh God, do I ever.”
“Look, I’ll help Angel with finding a new mentor, and I can even handle your TA. If you want to, you can email me everything I’ll need to give to a substitute teacher while I’m looking for someone more permanent. Otherwise, I’d have you work until the end of the month, and that’s only a week and a half away. Whichever works for you the best.”
“Would I still have a job if I decide to come back next fall?”
“Absolutely. You’re well liked, even loved here, Seth. It’s not easy for the students to lose you this suddenly, but this is about you, not them. Sometimes, as the head of the department, I have to make decisions that benefit my faculty, and I frankly don’t think any disciplinary actions are needed in this case. If you take the sabbatical, Angel will cool down, and you’ll get the R & R you sorely need.”
For a while Seth was quiet. It was exactly what he needed. He just hadn’t known how to take it for himself.
“I’ll come in until the end of the month. Give them some warning. Wrap up what I can.”
“Good. I knew you’d say that.” Professor Mills sounded like she was smiling. “I’ll see you on Monday.”
SETH SATin Dev’s chair for a while and looked at his stuff strewn around Seth’s desk, planning his course of action, and then got up and went to his guys.
“What did she say?” Leaf asked, obviously trying to read Seth’s expression.
“Well, there won’t be any disciplinary actions. She thinks that it’s just bad luck and that Angel is being a pain in the ass.” Dev snorted. “But I still chose to remove myself from the situation.”
“You… what?” Dev blinked, looking confused.
Now Leaf got a worried look on his face, and Seth went to sit on the couch with them.
“So, as you guys know, I really work a lot. Like… alot. Less when Leaf’s at home, but still.”
“Uh-huh,” Leaf murmured.
“I’ve been thinking for a while, more or less consciously, that I want to take some time off.”
