Page 91 of Positively Pricked
"Why?" She gave a choked sob. "So you can screw him on your desk?"
By now, I almost felt like sobbing too, but for entirely different reasons. Already, I could see my job slipping away, consumed by drama that wasn't even my fault.
I turned to glare at the professor. "You," I said. "Get out.Now."
"Why me?" he demanded. "I’mnot causing a scene."
Behind me, Paisley was crying openly now. "You've got everything," she sobbed, "and I've got nothing." She finished by wailing, "Not even Fergus!"
I turned and stifled a curse. Rounding the corner just behind her was someone new. It was a guy in his early thirties, with blond hair and a slight build. He was wearing a suit and tie, and had his cell phone pressed to his ear.
He stopped in mid-stride and stared at the scene in front of him – Paisley sobbing, me holding the door, and behind us, the professor doing who-knows-what.
The guy's brow wrinkled, and he said into his phone. "I'll call you back later, okay?" He put the phone in his pocket and turned his full attention to us. He asked, "Is there a problem?"
There were so many problems, I hardly knew where to begin. Still, I stammered out, "No, this is just—"
Paisley sobbed, "She stole my boyfriend!"
Damn it."I did not," I said through gritted teeth, "as I've already explained."
But Paisley wasn't done yet. She wailed, "And she's a liar, too!"
The stranger's gaze zoomed in on me, and he frowned like he actually believed her.
I told him, "I’m not a liar."
And why was I even explaining myself to this guy? After all, he was a total stranger – or so I thought, until he said, "I know you from somewhere."
Did he? I didn't think so. Maybe he'd seen me on TV?
Paisley turned to the guy and said, "Oh, great. Haveyoufucked her, too?"
I wanted to strangle her. "Listen," I snapped, "I don't need this. Not here. So why you don't take your drama somewhere else?"
The guy's frown deepened. He looked to me and said, "Can't you see she's upset?"
Oh yeah.I could see. And I could hear. Probably, so could everyone within a five-mile radius. I snuck another quick glance at Carla. She was still holding the phone's receiver, as if unsure what to do.
That made two of us.
And of course, it wasn't lost on me that the guy who'd caused all of the trouble, Fergus the Lumberjacking Professor, was lettingmebear the brunt of this attack.
I turned to him and said, "Didn't you hear me? I told you to get out!"
Once again, he didn't budge. "But we're not done," he insisted.
I wanted to scream in frustration. "With what?"
"Plans," he said. "You said we'd meet up later tonight."
At this, Paisley gave another sob. "I knew it." And then, obviously speaking to the stranger, she said, "And she's my roommate, too."
I didn't even turn to look, but in the background, I could hear the new guy making soothing sounds to my sobbing roommate. "Oh, come on," he was saying, "You're worth ten of her."
Well, this was nice.
Paisley gave another choked sob. "You really think so?"
