***
Mark stood by the window in his office as I tried to slow my racing heart. We had to shut Heather down before she shut Mark down. I hated to kick the guy in the crotch when he was helping me out as much as he could, but he was a bastard. Sleeping with one of our fellow professors for kicks and rejecting her the minute he was done? Sickening. And he had a pregnant wife at home?
My heart goes out to his wife and Daisy. What the fuck was wrong with people?
"Alright. So I explained the situation to Lance after I got off the phone with you. He had one of his staff dig deeper into Heather's record. Looks like she's done this before. At her former college. He's going to ask her a few questions and let her go. Eliza called and told me about her picking Daisy apart, promising her a job at the other university for more exposure too. We need her out of here. She's a disease."
I nodded, a little surprised to hear that Eliza called Mark. "Heather talked Daisy into quitting."
"Yeah." He turned from the window, avoiding eye contact with me. "She promised her a better position and more exposure to publishing and such."
"That's the only reason Daisy left? She was promised something bigger and better? Doesn't seem like Daisy at all." I was digging, but I had to. I wanted to know if there was anything worth redeeming in my old friend.
"Yep." He walked around his desk and grabbed his phone. "Let's go get this shit over with. I hate losing Heather because she's a smart girl, but she's a black-hearted bitch for sure."
"I agree." I walked to the door and opened it. "Maybe we can talk Daisy into coming back."
"No way. Her days here are over." He walked past me, his voice tight. He was stressed out over having to sit in a room with her again.
I couldn't begin to fathom the awkwardness that we were about to walk into. I needed to play my part and called Damon to get a lawyer. Something told me that this was just the beginning of all of it.
We walked into a large conference room to find Lance at the end of the table deep in conversation... with Damon.
Mother fucker.
Damon glanced down toward me and winked.
He came through. I knew he would.
"What's Damon doing here?" Mark turned to me and lifted his eyebrow.
I shrugged. "He's like a brother to me. Maybe he's here as a character witness? You know he and Kent give a lot of money to the business school as well. Let's hope whatever he's up to is going to help us."
"I don't need help," Mark barked, his face red. "I'm not on trial here."
"You should be." Lance turned and walked toward us, extending his hand toward me. "Eliza called me this morning. She explained everything. I've been in meetings with Daisy and Damon on the situation. I'm sorry you keep suffering at the hands of this University. Your position is locked in and we'll be looking to move you into tenure in the next month. If there is any way we can make this up to you other than that-"
"I don't want it." I shook his hand. "I'm turning in my resignation this afternoon. If this stuff with Heather is cleared up, I'm done. I'm tired and I want a life outside of here."
"Coming to work with me?" Damon's eyebrow lifted.
"I wish you would reconsider." Lance squeezed my hand and released it.
"Wait. I don't understand-" Mark started but was cut off by Lance.
"Pack up your office. You're fired and your affair with Daisy will be under investigation. I'm sickened by you right now. Get out of here and figure out how you're going to tell your wife you cheated on her. One of us will be telling her today. You can decide that. I'll be in your office in fifteen minutes."
Mark turned and walked off, his face pale, his breathing off.
"What about Heather?" I glanced around, half-expecting the whore to walk in.
"She's been fired. Her father's money was returned and we put a note in her file that she's not hirable for any professorship. Anyone calls for a reference, and they will if she stays in academia, we'll set them straight. She'll never be a professor again. She doesn't deserve the honor." He glanced toward Damon and back at me. "But you do, and you should. Please take some time and reconsider."
"I appreciate it, but no thanks. I'm done. I have too much riding on me walking away from this."
And it hit me.
Dana was upset because she'd been working like crazy on her side of the relationship to clean up things with Ana. To break off old relationships. To change her entire life to make us work - now. And I hadn't offered her even a breadcrumb of hope. I'd done the opposite.
"Buddy?" Damon squeezed my shoulder. "You okay?"
"Dana loves me. She told me last night."
"That's awesome." Damon chuckled and glanced over at Lance. "I'll take him home. We'll be in touch. He's just been through way too much with Amanda's death, losing his girlfriend over this place, and all this shit with Heather."
"I get it. Try to get him to stay." Lance shook Damon's hand, patted my shoulder and walked out.
"I have to find her." I stared Damon in the face. "The hospital."
"Want me to take you?"
"No. Thank you." I pulled him in for a long hug. "I love you, bro. You saved my ass."
"And you saved mine more times than I care to recount. Go get the girl, and then come talk to me. We need to pick colors for your office." He squeezed me and moved back.
"Shit. I'm not working for you." I chuckled and turned, jogging the whole way to the car. I had to find my girl and make her mine.
Forever.