Page 35 of Alive and Kicking
Baldwin’s eyes widen, and I’m a little surprised they stay in his sockets. “I really didn’t expect you to agree to that so easily.”
I shrug my shoulders. “You made a good point. I don’t want to take opportunities away from the students.”
He nods slowly like he’s still thrown off by my agreement. “The other thing is about a student in your class.” He pauses for a moment, thinking. “Viv Russo, I believe. The one you have another professor looking over your grading of.”
I nod my head. “Yes, Miss Russo is in a relationship with my roommate. We’re close and she’s renting the upstairs apartment of our house, so she’s over a lot. I just want to make sure I’m not being biased toward her. Keith knows my usual standards for grading so I just have him looking her papers over.”
I grit my teeth when I realize that Enzo is paying close attention to our conversation. My teaching is none of his business. Baldwin nods. “Yes, but wouldn’t it just be easier to transfer her to another professor? It’s quite unprofessional for you to be living with one of your students.”
My hand fists over my knee under the table. Leaning back in my chair, I meet his eyes. “We don’t live together. She has an apartment that is separate from where I live.” He doesn’t need to know that the door that separates her apartment hasn’t been closed since summer break started, or about the twenty-four hours I spent with her up there.
Baldwin’s brow creases. “Even then, you spend a substantial amount of time with her outside of class. I’m not sure if this would open the school to any liability.”
My chest get’s tight and I’m not sure what to do. If I disagree with this too strongly he’ll be suspicious, and if I give in Viv won’t be in my class anymore. It takes me a while to come upwith a response to his statement. “Maybe the three of us should have a meeting? I think Miss Russo should be involved in any discussions about her future at this university.”
Baldwin frowns. “You’re right. I will have my assistant reach out to both of you to make an appointment.”
It’s easy to agree to that. We shake hands and he heads off to do whatever he needs to do to run the criminology department. I’m glad he is willing to meet with Viv before making any decisions, especially with his busy schedule.
Thanks to last night I know how she feels about people keeping her in the dark. Plus, she came to this school to be in my class, so I don’t see her wanting to be in another professor’s class. I’ll have to give her a heads up about this later.
The other matter is a bit more manageable for now. I’ll need to print out an application for my junior and senior classes for the open TA positions. God, I really don’t need a student shoving their nose into my lesson plans. I guess it will be nice for the students though, since the TA can run study groups and respond to simple questions from my freshman and sophomore classes.
“Soooo, a mobster and an FBI agent walk into a faculty lounge,” Enzo’s rough voice sounds from across the room.
My eyes roll. He’s close to Viv so I can’t do anything to him. It’s not like I’m an active agent, so I have no responsibility to do anything about the dangerous criminal in the room. Well… I guess I’m also a dangerous criminal now. Either way, when it comes down to it, having him around the students is no more unsafe than me being around the students. Even if that is a hard pill to swallow.
I used to hate people like Enzo. Not even people like him. I used to hate him. Now that I’ve gotten to know the guy though, I’ve developed a begrudging respect for him. Viv might have a weird appreciation of me for ‘saving her life’ but Enzo was the one there to protect her. He taught her how to protect herselfas well, and in a way I’m grateful to him. The guys have never been as happy as they have been since they met her. If I’m being honest with myself,Ihaven’t been this happy since I closed my first serial killer case in the FBI.
I manage not to say anything snarky to him as I push aside my conflicting feelings. “You should come over for dinner tonight. The six of us should have a conversation about plans going forward.”
He tilts his head to the side and evaluates me carefully, a move that’s eerily similar to something Viv does when she’s trying to figure someone out. “Sure. I’ll come for dinner. Not sure what needs planned though.”
My eye twitches. I’m sure Enzo’s superpower is to give the most patient person in the world an eye twitch. Viv’s prediction of him not having a plan for her safety is starting to look like a very real possibility. “Just be there at five. We’ll talk then, when we’re not at school.”
He nods sagely, like he’s actually got a discreet bone in that giant body of his. How anyone would mistake the scarred man as anything but a murderer, I have no idea. But I doubt he’ll have an issue with students talking in any of his classes.
He doesn’t bother replying in words so neither do I. Getting up from my table, I head back to my classroom to make up a damn application for my unwanted teaching assistant. This is just one of the things I’ve got to do to keep up appearances. Like Enzo, I need to stay close, but for me it’s because the psycho in our midst can’t be trusted not to do psycho shit. I’ve always planned to quit the moment Zane graduates… Maybe I’ll stick around one more year for Viv now though. She did come all this way to learn from me and she’s kind of grown on me.
Dammit. I’m stuck here for three more years, and she’s just as fucking crazy as he is. At least I can say Zane never castrated anyone in the beginning of his first year of school. Oh god… Doesthat mean she’s crazier than Zane? Maybe I should give them both a psychopathy test so we can figure out who’s crazier.
I’ve got the application all finished by the time that Viv’s class starts. The whole time I lecture her eyes are on me with focused attention, only taking brief breaks to scribble down notes in her book or on the notebook in front of her. Once I let the class go with their only assignment for the week being to answer the questions at the end of the chapter we just went over, I speak up before Viv can leave. “Miss Russo, Can I have a moment please?”
“Sure thing Doc,” she says with a mischievous smirk.
I know she knows that I hate being called anything other than Dr. Price by my students. I feel like this girl is always just asking to be punished. If I had the time or patience right now I would bend her over my desk and spank her ass. Unfortunately, I don’t have time for that. I need to get these applications printed before my next class with a mix of sophomore, junior and senior students. I’m pretty sure Viv is planning to take that class next semester.
I press print on my computer and stand from the desk. It’s better if we’re not sequestered to my classroom alone, especially not while we have the department chair’s attention. “Walk with me.”
“Sure thing.” She slides her book bag onto her shoulders.
Walking out into the hall, I lead her toward the copy room. I leave the door open when we walk in to find my applications already printing. So at least there isn’t a cue.
Turning to face Viv, I take a breath. I really don’t want to add unnecessary stress to her plate, but she deserves to knowwhat is going on so it doesn’t blindside her. “I wanted to give you a heads up before you receive an email later today. The department chair is concerned about you being in my class with your relationship to Zane.” I quirk a brow at her. “I’ve been having another professor looking over my grades for your papers just to be sure there aren’t any biases. So I think as long as the other professor is okay with the arrangement, the department chair could be convinced to keep you in my class.”
Viv’s brows furrow and she takes a moment to respond. “If I’m not learning from you I won’t be majoring in criminology anymore.”
I nod, a small frown forming on my lips. “I thought as much. Baldwin will be making an appointment for the three of us to meet. So I suggest you take the time to come up with a concrete plan to make sure you’re not removed from my classes. Or to have the proper paperwork ready to change majors. I don’t think you’ll have much time to drop classes by the time the meeting occurs, so be ready to do whatever you need to do. I’ll support whatever you decide.”
