“There’s been an allegation that you’re inappropriately involved with a student.”
“What?” she breathed. All the blood that had left her head rushed back with ruthless force, and her skin burned like fire.
“Have you become personally involved with one of your students?”
“Who told you that?”
“Olivia, that’s not the issue. Is it true?”
“I… No… That is to say, there’s a student…a man in my current class who’s a friend of mine. But I knew him before the session started.”
Lewis winced. “Which class is this?”
“The continuing education session on restaurant start-ups. It’s not a credit course, Lewis. He’s not a university student. He’s a restaurant owner in the community. It’s not… I’d never…”
Lewis held up a hand and exhaled slowly, before taking a deep breath. “Okay. This is good news. I worried it could have something to do with the group of students you’re mentoring over the summer.”
“No! Of course not!”
He managed a small smile. “Of course, I didn’t think you’d actually be engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a student under your purview, but even an intimation of that kind of conduct must be immediately addressed.”
“Of course. Of course!” Her throat thickened with tears created by the awful mix of fear and relief. “I’m so sorry you were even put in this position. I don’t know why anyone would imply such a thing.”
“I’m sure the person in question was only concerned about the ethical implications.”
Oh, of course. When hell froze over. “If you could tell me who contacted you, I could address his…or her…concerns directly. I’m embarrassed that it even got to this point. Of course, I don’t want the college’s reputation darkened.”
“I can’t give you the person’s name, Olivia. But I’ll definitely pass on the information.”
She nodded. “Is there anything else you need from me?”
“Just a moment.” He typed something up on his computer and printed it out. “If you’ll just sign this, acknowledging the conversation?”
She glared at the paper he handed to her. When she glanced at Lewis, he winced.
“I’m sorry. I have to leave a record. I’m not asking for his name. I’ve no wish to probe into your personal life, but I need you to sign that to show that we had this conversation.”
This was going on her permanent record. This would come up when the department assigned classes in the fall. Her hand shook as she scrawled her name on the line.
Lewis wouldn’t tell her who’d passed on this bit of nastiness, but Olivia didn’t need a name. She knew exactly who’d done it, and she rushed outside to stalk to his building.
The Department of Economics was in a beautiful, traditional building with high ceilings and tall windows. Olivia rushed in as if she were storming a castle. She hadn’t set foot in here for months, but she’d spent years walking up and down these stairs: meeting Victor for lunch when he’d asked her. Bringing him books he’d left at home. Rushing over a nicer shirt when he was called to talk to the dean. Speaking of instructors being used like assistants…
Olivia breezed past the department receptionist as the woman sputtered out an objection. Victor’s door was closed, so she gave it a perfunctory bang before opening it. She half expected to find him humping a student on the desk, but the desk was empty. The whole office was empty.
“Mrs. Bishop!” the receptionist called as she jogged up.
“It’s Ms. Bishop.”
“Mr. Bishop isn’t here today. He hasn’t been here all week.”
“Is he in town?”
“I don’t know, but you can’t just barge in here and—”
Olivia brushed past her, pulling out her cell phone as she walked. Her call went immediately to his voice mail, which could mean anything. One, he was on vacation with his twenty-three-year-old girlfriend. Two, he was at the racquetball court. Three, he was golfing with some important bigwigs from the university. Or four, he no longer had Olivia around to remind him to charge his phone.
Humiliated, mortified and violently enraged, Olivia knew there was no point in sitting down at her desk and trying to work. Her heart felt as if it would pound out of her chest.