All Bets Are Off

by Marguerite Labbe

  He closed his eyes. Fuck, he felt so damn worn down. He didn’t even know right now if he cared anymore. Then, one more thought struck him and brought back all of his anger. “Another thing, sir. How would Britton know if I’ve changed any grade, for any student? He doesn’t have access to my grade book. He wouldn’t know who’s getting what unless he broke into my office.”

  “A good question, and one I’ll look into.” Dean Newton held out his hand for the schedule and looked it over with pursed lips. “I’m sure others in the department will have noticed his behavior if it’s as erratic as you say. If he’s harassing you as much as you claim he is, and if he’s breaking into offices and disclosing student information, I’ll remove him as head. If he’s got proof that you’re sleeping with one of your undergraduate students, you’ll be gone too. Understood?”

  “Understood.” Eli pressed his lips together and tried to console himself that it was only his head on the line, not Ash’s. He supposed he could send out some more feelers over the semester break and use the rest of the year to hopefully land another job. “Who will be overseeing my classes?”

  “I’ll observe, and it’ll be just your Historic Letters class since Britton alleges the student is in there. I’m not concerned about the others. You can go now.”

  The tone of dismissal was absolute, and Eli realized it was pointless to try to argue his case further. He gathered his things, and as soon as he was back out in the hallway he sent a quick text to Ash to make sure he was not waiting for him in his office. No need to make things easier for Britton than they already were. It was going to be hard enough to mitigate the damage as it was.

  At the last minute Ash remembered that Wayne’s dad was living with him, and that he still hadn’t fully recovered from the stroke, so he just knocked on the door when he really wanted to beat it down with his fist. A tight, fearful expression crossed Wayne’s face as he opened it and saw Ash on the porch.

  “I don’t have anything to say to you, so you can just turn around and go back to town.”

  Ash stuck his foot in the door before Wayne could shut it again, his temper simmering even hotter. “Trust me, Wayne, you do not want me heading back into town.” He’d thought of landing a good, hard punch on Wayne’s jaw a couple of times for good measure. Only the thought of having to tell Eli that he’d done it was enough to keep his fury under check. He also had to remember that was assault and that it would look very bad on his record.

  “Britton already called and asked me to testify. I suppose I should’ve known you’d be on by. Come on in.” Wayne stepped back and held the door open for Ash. “You going to have me arrested now, like Eli said you would? I swear I didn’t give that note to Britton. I don’t know how he got it.”

  “Believe me, it did cross my mind. Eli has managed to convince me that this didn’t happen on purpose. He seems to think that Britton was listening at his door. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you already know what happened. It’s not going about town, is it?” Ash nodded toward his truck. “We need to talk, but not here. I don’t want to get your dad worked up. So let’s go for a little ride.”

  Wayne’s face became pasty, and his eyes widened. “It was an accident. Don’t turn me in to Cooper.”

  Ash grabbed Wayne by the front of his overalls and dragged him out onto the porch. “You know, I really don’t give a shit how you feel about this, Wayne. Everything you did, you brought on yourself. The only one I’m concerned about it is Eli, who’s in a lot of fucking trouble between your bullshit and Britton’s vendetta. Get in the damn truck.”

  From what Eli had told him, it seemed that Wayne was Britton’s ace in the hole. The whole hearing had to be based on what Wayne could tell them. Ash had received a demand from the man to show up at the hearing as well, and a few quick phone calls had let him know that everyone else in their class had received the same e-mail. Ash was pretty certain Britton didn’t actually know which student it was, or else Britton would’ve tried to pin him down personally to come. He was looking for Wayne to out Eli and him publicly.

  Ash had hated seeing that look of stunned helplessness on Eli’s face and having him try to hide his expression out of some mistaken belief that Ash would think Eli had regrets about them. He didn’t like hearing Eli talk about other possible colleges when Ash knew that he’d be miserable moving away. Ash wouldn’t accept that, which meant Britton needed to be discredited beyond any hope of recovering his reputation.

  “I can’t leave my dad behind.” Wayne glanced back at the house, and Ash knew that if he gave the man an opportunity to scurry back in he’d never have another chance at him. Wayne was too afraid of the consequences of his actions to speak out in Eli’s defense. There was no way they’d be able to keep what he did silent, and when the rest of the town found out, his reputation would be ruined, possibly what was left of his business too.

  An older woman with graying hair came out onto the porch, drying her hands on a paper towel. “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is fine, ma’am. I just need to talk to Wayne about a situation.” This had to be Mr. Grayson’s nurse. The way Wayne wouldn’t meet his eyes told him that his excuses about his father had been just that, fucking excuses to get out of this confrontation. “Wayne and I were just leaving. He’ll be back soon.” Ash shot the man a hard look, daring Wayne to contradict him.

  Wayne mumbled something under his breath that Ash couldn’t make out and then stomped over toward Ash’s truck. Ash nodded at the nurse. “Ma’am.” Then he turned to follow. Okay, now to convince Wayne that testifying for Britton would be a very bad idea. He sure as hell wasn’t going to let that bastard boot Eli out of a place that he loved.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Eli tried to quell his nerves, with little success. It didn’t help that he was pretty sure Ash was up to something, though it was hard to be certain because after he’d told Ash everything, he hadn’t seen him once outside of class. And during that class, the dean sat in his own armchair and thankfully made himself a part of the discussion instead of sitting back, staying silent, and just taking notes.

  His students had gone from being sullen and withdrawn to opening up before the class had ended. The only one who hadn’t seemed affected at all was Ash, which only deepened Eli’s suspicions. How the kids had found out about the whole mess was still a mystery to him. If Ash had told them… Eli couldn’t think of anything dire enough, but he’d figure something out.

  Eli laced his fingers together as the committee took their seats with Dean Newton and Britton. Today, it didn’t matter how long he’d known them or how good his track record was as a professor. It all depended on how Britton was going to twist things to suit his own worldview, and Eli still didn’t know how the hell he was going to defend himself.

  His mood darkened even more as the door opened again and his students filed in one by one. Nori and Whitney looked as sick as he felt. Ash’s expression was impossible to read, and Kerry, bless her, looked downright militant. He was grateful that Elsa and Hannah sat on each side of her; maybe they would keep her from starting a ruckus. Eli ground his teeth together and glared at Britton.

  “Don’t you think involving them is taking this a little too far? Wouldn’t this be a violation of student privacy?”

  “It already involves all of them. The rest have a right to know that they’re not getting the same perks as your lover,” Britton snapped right back, with a glance in Ash’s direction.

  “We want to be here, Dr. Hollister,” Bron said, giving him a tight smile before turning to the dean. “Please, Dean Newton, we already know that what’s said here stays here. We’ll take an oath if you want.”

  All the students nodded, determination on their faces. The dean studied them all in turn. “I’ll allow it.”

  Britton shuffled his papers and checked his watch again. “My witness should be here any minute.”

  “He’d better be. I don’t care to have my time wasted,” one of the other committee memb
ers said as he leaned back in his chair. “This whole thing’s a joke.”

  Britton looked as if he was about to take umbrage when the door opened a final time. Eli’s heart sank as Wayne came in, worrying his cap in his hand. His eyes darted to Eli and then darted away again. Fuck. He really was done for, and Ash might get caught up in the backlash with him. That’s what really ate at him.

  Another glance at his lover showed Ash sitting back, legs stretched out before him, with the rest of the students strung out on either side of him. He looked as comfortable as if he were sitting at home. Damn the man.

  “Good, you’re here, Mr. Grayson. We can get started now.” Britton couldn’t look any more self-satisfied if he tried. Eli ground his teeth. “I don’t see any reason to drag this out. It’s fairly simple. Dr. Hollister not only had an affair with a student, but he also used his position to waive his own rules when it came to attendance and grades. Here is a copy of his syllabus, clearly outlining his policy.”

  Eli pressed his lips together, the urge to speak almost choking him. There were allowances for letting a student off for funerals and emergencies, dammit. Ash had missed no other days. Britton should not be allowed to twist that around. The only thing that kept him from shoving Britton’s words down his throat was the promise Ash had extracted from him that morning when he’d called.

  Ash didn’t want him to speak or interrupt until it was his turn to plead his case. He’d be going last, and God help him, he might just swallow his tongue in the meantime. Several members of the committee, those that knew him best, looked at him curiously, as if wondering why he hadn’t reacted. Eli’s foot started tapping.

  “What’s your proof?” John Sanmarina asked. “Eli’s been here for years, and I’ve never ever heard any rumors like that before. And we all know which colleagues have had affairs with students. Eli’s name has never come up once.”

  Eli’s nostrils flared as Britton pulled out that damn note. If anybody should get in trouble, it should be Britton for going through a man’s trash. Weren’t there laws against that?

  Britton passed the note around to the committee members, giving everyone a chance to read it. One by one, they all looked toward him with expressions of speculation on their faces. “Mr. Grayson sent that note to Eli. Isn’t that correct?” Britton asked as he turned toward Wayne.

  “I didn’t send it.” Eli blinked in surprise as Wayne flushed. “I mean, I wrote it, but I handed it right to Eli to show him I wasn’t going to try to play any more games.” Wayne twisted his cap between his work worn hands. “I’m not explaining this well. It’s kinda complicated.”

  “No, it’s fairly simple,” Britton said. “Were you blackmailing Dr. Hollister?”

  “No. I was trying to, but it’s kinda hard to blackmail a man when he won’t cooperate with you.”

  Irritation flashed across Britton’s face as someone snickered. It sounded like Isaac, but when Eli glanced over at his students, he couldn’t tell who the culprit was. “I tried to scare Eli into paying because I knew he was on shaky ground with you, so I thought maybe he’d give me some money if I threatened him with you.”

  Some of Eli’s anxiety for himself eased, only to be replaced with worry for Wayne. “You don’t have to say anything else, Wayne,” he spoke up quietly. No need to get Wayne in trouble over something that had been resolved. Ash glared so fiercely at him that Eli clamped his lips shut again and began drumming his fingers on his thigh.

  “I can see why you wouldn’t want him to implicate you any further,” Britton said with a smirk. “But I’m not done with my questions. Mr. Grayson, is it true that you were blackmailing Hollister because of his relationship with a student?”

  Wayne expression became even more miserable as he looked down at his hands. “No, sir, that’s not why. I was blackmailing him over a baseball card that I thought his family had stolen from mine ages ago. When Dad got sick, I needed the extra money and I took my anger and frustration out on Eli. Figured I’d just get what was owed to me from him by threatening to make his life hell with you. Everybody knows you ride his ass. I figured he’d give me anything I wanted so as not to get you harassing him more.”

  Britton snatched up the note and waved it in the air. “What about the proof? Where are the pictures of Hollister with a student? Stop playing games, Mr. Grayson. This is serious business.”

  “There weren’t ever any pictures. I lied. Dammit, it was a stupid thing to do but haven’t you ever been desperate?”

  Britton shot him a withering glance. “No.”

  Wayne’s eyes narrowed as he glared right back at him. “Seems to me you must’ve been to go through someone’s trash.” Britton bristled, but Wayne was already turning his attention to the committee. “I threw that note away in front of Eli to show him that I really wasn’t going to harass him anymore. He could’ve told Sheriff Cooper about what I tried to pull and he didn’t. He gave me another chance. He even gave me ideas for helping to get my store running more smoothly. Does that sound like someone who’d cheat on a student’s grades for his own gain?”

  “I think you’ve said more than enough,” Dean Newton said. “Thank you for clarifying the matter for us.”

  “Then I’m done?” Wayne’s face lit up as the tension disappeared when the dean nodded. “Hot damn. Then you’ll keep it just between yourselves? So nobody else has to know what an asshole I’ve been?”

  The committee assured him, and Eli gave Wayne a smile as he stuffed his cap on his head. It was over. Damn, Eli was surprised he hadn’t sweated through his clothes on that one. He touched Wayne’s arm as he hurried past him toward the exit. “Thanks for coming. You didn’t have to.”

  “Yeah, I think I did. Maybe this makes up for the book I damaged at least?”

  “It makes up for everything,” Eli assured him with a smile. Wayne had probably been terrified he’d be hauled off to jail after admitting to blackmail and he’d still come to clear Eli’s name. Even if it didn’t work out in his favor today, that cleared all debts, in his opinion.

  “If I’d known Dr. Hollister was going to tamper with my witness then I wouldn’t have asked him to be here,” Britton said, biting off each word.

  “Give it up.” John glanced at his watch again. “A man’s not going to admit to a criminal offense unless it’s true. I can’t see why he’d have any reason to lie for Eli, especially if your allegations had any merit. Wayne would have the upper hand.”

  “I didn’t want to have to do this,” Britton started to say, and Eli bit his tongue to keep himself from calling the man a bald-faced liar. The only thing that would make Britton happier would be if he won. He seemed to thrive off of making people uncomfortable and unhappy. “But his students will testify to his favoritism to the student he’s been sleeping with.”

  “Keep dreaming, Britton,” Kerry called out. “We haven’t seen anything like that. You’re a dirty old man for thinking up such things.”

  “Enough, Dr. Britton, either tell us who Eli’s supposed to be shacking up with and get them to corroborate or end this ridiculous farce. I have another meeting this afternoon and would like to have time for lunch in between,” John said.

  “Fine. As I’ve said, this student has a history of inappropriate relationships with her professors. As you can see by this record, she’s missed more days than she’s allotted for that class without automatic failure and her grade has improved significantly in the last several weeks.”

  Eli’s heart sank as he remembered turning around to find Whitney in nothing but a scrap of lingerie. No, there was no way Britton could’ve known about that incident, or else he wouldn’t have waited this long. He should’ve gone to the dean immediately after that incident to protect the both of them instead of hightailing it out of town. He had only himself to blame for this part of the fiasco.

  His eyes flew to Whitney, whose face had turned scarlet as she tried to sink down into her chair and hide. That stupid, blind son of a bitch. Fury reared as Eli straightened i
n his chair. He knew Ash was probably glaring at him so he didn’t look at him sitting next to Whitney and opened his mouth to speak.

  “She?” Dean Newton asked in a neutral voice.

  “Yes, Whitney Grenier, come forward, please. The committee has a few questions they’d like to ask you.”

  Whitney’s hair whipped her face as she shook her head violently. “I-I want to be excused,” she said in a bare whisper. “Please.”

  “You’re in enough trouble as it is, young lady, and—”

  “Stop it,” Eli snapped, standing up. God, Ash was going to kill him, but he couldn’t let Britton continue to degrade Whitney in public. It was his turn to say his piece, dammit.

  “I’m not going to have you humiliate or harass my students anymore. There is no relationship between Ms. Grenier and me. Yes, she missed quite a few classes at the beginning, enough to technically flunk her. But we sat down and worked out a plan for her to turn it around. Since then she has not missed or been late one day. She has completed all of her papers and presentations. And if she does well on her final exam, she’ll probably end up with a low C. Maybe it’s bending the rules a bit, but I’m not in the habit of drumming students out of my classes if I can help it. She had one more chance and she took full advantage of it instead of continuing to slack off.”