Chapter 15

Kendal

"Dammit, Dana." I walked around my living room, my kitchen, the back yard. Nothing. Nothing calmed my nerves. She wasn't answering her phone. She wouldn't open the door the night before. What the hell?

Anger burned through me, and I began to question everything.

Maybe she was too young for me. I was thirty-one and Dana was in her mid-twenties. Maybe the difference was too much? A grown-ass woman would have picked up the phone by now. Or returned a call.

Karen had told me that Dana had cut her finger and ran out like she was missing half of it. Why the fuck wouldn't she call and let me know that she was okay?

Surely she knew that I cared. That I wanted to make sure she was good. I would have taken care of her. Waited on her hand and foot.

I growled loudly and walked back into the house, letting the back door slam. "Think!"

What happened? What could have messed up the evening to the point of her running from me?

I ate her out in the bathroom, doted on her as much as humanly possible, and reminded her that she was mine and I was hers. Aggravation overwhelmed me.

Dropping down on the couch, I pressed my face to my hands and let out a long yell. Every cell in my body screamed for me to find her and force her to see me. To hear me.

Why did women have to be so damn difficult?

My phone rang from the kitchen, and I jumped up like my ass was on fire.

"Please let it be her." I picked it up to find someone from UT calling. "Great." I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and pressed the answer button. "Dr. Kendal Tarrington."

"Kendal. It's Mark. We met with Lance and he wants to have a mediation just before lunch today. Can you make it up here? He wants to close this down as quickly as possible."

"A mediation?" I almost swallowed my tongue. Of course the University would want to have a mediation that would become an arbitration. Anything to keep the scandal out of the news and off the books. I was a liability to them. I had to be.

"Yes. It's the cleanest way to figure this out. We've done a few interviews and without video evidence, all we have is your word against Heather's. I'm going to warn you that she's looking like the victor here."

"Of course she is." I walked toward the backyard, suddenly needing fresh air. My stomach ached from the pain of whatever was going on with Dana, and now this.

"Let's get together with Lance and talk. We'll figure it out."

"I didn't touch her, Mark. I was going to come talk to you about her sexually harassing me a week ago because Eliza told me I should, but I didn't want to bother you. That, and you'd just kicked me in the dick over helping Heather get along better on campus because of her father giving loads of cash." I sighed and pushed the back door open. It was chilly outside and the leaves were starting to fall.

What I wouldn't have given to be wrapped up in a blanket with Dana laying against my chest, both of us able to simply enjoy the promise of a life-long relationship together.

Bullshit. It was all bullshit.

"What? Why is this the first I'm hearing of this? Are you serious or just looking for a counter-conversation?"

"I'm dead serious. The bitch has been hitting on me, throwing herself at me, asking for things that would make a whore blush." I ran my hand down my face. "I told you we were partners for a while in college. She obviously wants to go down memory lane. I told her no. She got really pissed. She's been after me since then."

"Let's bring this up today. Maybe between her claims and yours, Lance will shut you both down and slap you on the hand with a warning." He sounded hopeful.

"I doubt that. This would be my third slap. I'm pretty sure you strike out at this point in most ballgames."

"I know, but stop thinking like that buddy. It'll work out. Get up here a little early and we'll talk before the meeting."

"Is Heather coming?"

"Yes, and Daisy is too for some weird reason. You know anything about that?"

"Nope." I pursed my lips. This shit was so messed up. Did things like this really happen to normal people?

"Alright. See you then."

I dropped the call and dialed Eliza's number immediately. She picked up on the first ring.

"There you are. I tried to call you yesterday, but I must have had a digit off?"

"How did you know this was me, then?" I smiled, unable to help myself.

"I'm a numbers savant, remember? I knew six of the seven numbers I had were right. They're stuck in my brain." She took a quick breath. "I finally got a hold of Daisy."

"And?" I started to pace, unable to stand still any longer.

"And she and Heather have become friends somehow. Probably Heather's doing. The little witch is quite conniving."

"You're not telling me anything new here."

"I honestly think that Heather talked Daisy into quitting the department so she could have her job."

"What? Heather is brand new at the school. How would she have even known Daisy? Heather came after Daisy left. That seems impossible."

"They've been friends for two years, Kendal. This black widow decided she wanted to work in the UT accounting department years ago and looked for the right person to attach to. So she introduced herself to Daisy at a conference two years ago. They become fast friends. You know, single professors nearing their thirties with no family or spouses. They clicked. I'm sure Heather made sure of that."

I dropped down in a lawn chair as Eliza kept going. Somehow the surreal was very real. Heather was so much smarter than I'd given her credit for. Her coming to UT wasn't by chance. It had been planned. For years? Fuck me.

"So they get to talking and sharing over the two years and of course Daisy tells her about the affair with Mark. Heather consoles her when it's over and talks her into quitting. Says they can switch jobs. Daisy can have her old job wherever she came from, but that conveniently fell through. So now Heather has Daisy's job and Daisy is stuck out."

"How in the hell-"

"Wait. It gets better."

"Really? Better isn't the word I would use for this insanity."

"Hush. Okay, so Heather isn't satisfied with having Daisy's job. It's too low on the totem pole, and between you and me, she doesn't have the power in her current position to force you to your knees. She can only push a little, but she can't hold you to the fire or force you to become her pet."

"Did you just call me a pet?" I lifted my eyebrow and dropped back on the chair, laying down fully.

She laughed. "You know what I mean. She needs more power, Kendal. So who's job does she go after next?"

"Mark’s?" I sat up. "No way. How would she go after Mark's?"

"By putting him in a very odd predicament. She set this whole thing up to get you, her, Daisy, Mark and Lance in a room together. How many of you know about Mark's affair and Daisy leaving campus, completely destroyed because of it?"

"Holy shit. All of us but Lance."

"Exactly. She's not going to attack you in there. She's going to attack Mark."

I jumped up. I was an intelligent guy, but I just didn't have the wherewithal or desire to be a mastermind schemer. "This is crazy, Eliza. How do you know this for sure?"

"Daisy told me."

"What do we do?"

"Tell the truth. On Heather and Mark. Daisy will back you up. Heather's expecting to have an ally in the room, but she doesn't have one. Daisy will be there for you. Go with the flow. It's going to work out."

I ran my fingers through my hair. "Alright. I trust you."

"You should, kiddo. I'm in your corner."

"You might be the only one." I walked to the house as we said our goodbyes. My situation with Dana would have to wait. Everything was on the line. My career and my freedom.

I'd find Dana later hopefully... unless she was still running.

I was getting tired of chasing.