Page 7 of Love Under Snowfall

“Nevertheless, Miss Miller is expected to meet the same bar as the rest of my students.”

“And if she does not, I will personally apologize to you, admit I was completely wrong in my judgment, and never again place another rogue student in your classroom. Sound good?”

“Fine.” Benjamin gave a curt nod.

“Splendid.” McCaffery slapped both hands down on the mahogany desk. “Then, if you’ll excuse me, I have much to do. You can see yourself out.” One bony hand, palm facing up, gestured toward the door.

With considerably less fire in his belly, Benjamin left Dean McCaffery’s office and proceeded to his own. While dazed from the exchange with his boss, an anxious frustration ricocheted around inside his chest, and he couldn’t decide where to direct his agitation. Should he blame his boss for insisting on the cockamamie scheme or Miss Miller for summoning his ire by starting off on the absolute wrong foot this morning?

Regardless, while he had to play by McCaffery’s rules, he didn’t have to make things easy on the intruding MSW student. In fact, he was fully prepared to prove his boss wrong and watch with satisfaction as Francesca Miller crashed and burned.

Chapter four

Frankie

The daze set in by six-thirty that evening as Frankie sat with blurry vision, trying desperately to comprehend the difference between appellate, appellant, and appellee. The terms she attempted to define and commit to memory felt like a foreign language—correction, lots of itwasa foreign language (those judges sure loved their Latin). With a brain too full to go on, she dropped her face into the crease of the family law book sprawled open in front of her and groaned.

“Was it that bad?” a deeply sympathetic voice cooed.

“Worse,” she grumbled against the crisp pages. Frankie lifted her head and watched as her roommate, Todd, shuffled into the kitchen, towel wrapped around his waist and well-loved slippers on his feet. The scent of cocoa butter and freshly washed skin followed him from the bathroom as he poured himself a cup of coffee and angled his phone in Frankie’s direction. Her soon-to-be sister-in-law’s smiling face filled the screen.

“Uh-oh.” Frankie couldn’t miss the giggle in Lucy’s voice despite the tinny quality of the speakerphone.

“Wanna tell us about it? I still have”—Todd glanced at the microwave clock—“an hour before I need to head to work.”

Rising from her chair, Frankie grabbed a cup of the steaming brew for herself. She needed the pick-me-up if anything was going to stick the rest of the night.

“I don’t want to relive it, so let’s just say it wasembarrassing.”

“Embarrassing like something green stuck in your teeth or embarrassing like your duet partner broke an eight-inch heel on stage and accidentally ripped the dress off you on the way down?”

“Oof,” Frankie cringed. “Did that happen to you?”

“I plead the fifth.” He cleared his throat and took a sip.

“It happened,”Lucy sang loudly. “I was there.”

“Thanks, sweet pea,” Todd drolled, reducing the volume by a few clicks and propping the phone against a stack of notebooks. Turning back to Frankie, he demanded, “Spill.”

“The exposure scenario, definitely.” She looked down at her mug, wishing it had a splash of whiskey to dull the mortification. “My professor scolded me publicly for being late to class, sat me front and center, riddled me with impossible questions, implied I was stupid, then threatened to kick me out if I was late or ‘ill-prepared’ again. He thinks I’m a joke. I’m not sure how to come back from it.”

“Yikes,” Lucy gasped. “What a prick.”

“Professor Prick,” Todd shouted through a hoot of laughter.

“Is that what we’ll call him?” Frantic claps accompanied a shrill giggle.

“Works for me—”

“Uh, guys? Can you focus? You aren’t exactly helping,” Frankie moaned while secretly grateful that the chuckle twins were in her corner.

“You could always drop out and come help me plan the wedding,” Lucy offered, shoulders shrugged and a grimacing smile pulled across her lips.

Frankie leveled a scowl on the tiny image of her almost sister.

“I know. Not helpful either. I just miss you—both of you.”

Frankie softened, feeling a subtle ache in her chest. She and her brother’s fiancée had become close over the last year, and after the day she’d had, Frankie would rather do the debrief inperson over a couple beers. The quarter had only just started, and already she was wishing it was Thanksgiving break—or better yet, winter break so she could go home and celebrate her brother, Jonathan, and Lucy's wedding. The twelve weeks until then felt insurmountable.

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