Page 12 of Solo

“Really, Maureen? That’s the part of this exchange that you feel needs clarification? After he just came in here and threatened me in front of the entire music department?”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“Oh, come on!” I huff loudly, throwing calm and cool out the window. “She was late. I gave her a verbal warning. Isn’t that what professors are supposed to do?” I turn my glare to Russell who looks as if smoke is about to come out of his ears. “And, Russell, if your girl can’t manage something as basic as getting up in time for class, then maybe she’s got no business graduating from our program anyway. These students are a direct reflection on us.”

“Enough!” Maureen says loudly. She closes her eyes for a second, takes a deep breath, and starts again in a lower voice. “First, both of you, please refrain from calling our female students ‘girls.’ They’re women. Kate is a woman, not a girl.”

“Oh, wonderful,” I say to no one. “I guess I’m a misogynist now, too.”

When I see the fire in Maureen’s gray eyes, I realize I may have gone a step too far. She sits back and surveys the room full of teachers before speaking in a chilling tone.

“I want to make something very clear to everyone in this room. There will be no discussion of Kate Brenner to anyone. Not to each other. Not to students. Certainly not to reporters. And let me remind you that there are unscrupulous members of the press who will try to get information by any means possible. They might call pretending to be another department or administrator on campus. They might come right out and offer you cash for inside information. There are to be no comments on or off the record to anyone. If I hear so much as a whisper about an ‘anonymous source’ within the music department, someone is going to lose their job. And make no mistake about it. I. Will. Find. You. Is there anyone in this room who needs clarification on anything I’ve just said?”

Silence.

“Good,” she says with a satisfied nod. “All right then, everyone, please be careful with the weather this weekend and let’s plan on meeting next Thursday if the university is open. Thank you all for your time. Drew, Russell, please stay.”

The room empties quickly as a few colleagues shoot sympathetic glances my way. Tessa is the last one to get up. But, instead of exiting, she stops in front of Maureen.

“I just want to say that I’m with Drew on this. As Kate’s advisor, I’ve found that it’s more trouble than it’s worth to have a high-profile student.”

I cringe for my friend. Way to kick a hornets’ nest, Tess.

“Oh? And why is that, exactly?” Maureen asks.

Tessa looks a little taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“What about Kate’s presence in this department has been ‘trouble’ for you?”

I can see the start of pink rising to Tessa’s cheeks.

“Well, I—uh—I’ve offered my services to her on numerous occasions but she’s determined to…” Her voice peters out before she can find a suitable ending to that thought.

“To what, exactly, Tessa? To keep her business private? To handle her own problems like a grown-up?”

“I…I, uh, Maureen, I still don’t…”

“Tessa, please stick to academic advising. Drew is more than capable of handling issues with his own students. Understood?”

Tessa nods with a sour face.

“Good. Now leave us. Please,” she says in a tone that doesn’t sound like “please” so much as “before I throw your scrawny ass out the door.” Tessa practically trips on her five-inch heels in her haste to get out of the room. Once she’s gone, Maureen turns her attention to a pissed-looking Russell.

“Russ, I’m so happy that you felt compelled to come out of your office and join us in the real world for a change. But I have a sneaking suspicion that Kate has no idea that you came here on her behalf. Am I right?”

“Maybe,” he grumbles begrudgingly.

Maureen gives a long sigh of resignation and when she speaks again, her tone is considerably softer than it was earlier. “Russ, you know very well that Kate is not only perfectly capable of handling this situation on her own, she’d prefer to handle it on her own. If you want to help Kate, then please keep an eye out for those sneaky creeps who call themselves journalists. I don’t trust them to leave her alone, and some can get very aggressive. All right?” she asks.

“Fine,” he mutters grudgingly.

“Good. I’ll come by and see you in your office before I head out for the day.”

Russell takes the hint and leaves. And then it’s just Maureen and me. When she looks at me expectantly, I get up from the far end of the table and sit at her other side. She sighs and takes her glasses off long enough to rub the bridge of her nose.

“Drew, I’m going to advise you to tread very carefully here.”

“Why? Is the senator going to come after me next?”