B oard of Trustees review meeting 12:30

The calendar on my phone dinged with a reminder and I almost tossed it across the room, "Tisha," I called out instead, "Do you have any ice cream ?"

"Olivia," she responded from behind a stack of case files, "I told you before, I'm not going to facilitate your descent in self-pity over a man ."

Tisha was pre-law and really into women's empowerment at the moment. It was annoying as fuck .

"Did I mention he was married ?"

"Yes," she murmured, "about a dozen times ."

So, I wasn't going to be winning any house guest prizes at the moment, but after finding out that Nate was married, I went back to our - or rather to his house and gathered up my things. Tisha helped me do all the appropriate searches and indeed he was married and as far as we could tell, not divorced .

I felt like I had been run over by a train. I was doing fine on my own, taking care of myself. Then Nate came in and threw out my life and replaced it with his - only to take that away again .

And now this stupid meeting. I didn't know if it was to save his job or save my education. Just a semester and a half away from graduation and my life was in the toilet .

I pulled myself off the couch and went in to take a shower. I could at least look presentable to my execution .

When I arrived at the conference room, I was asked to wait while the board attended to other matters. I sat down and braced myself for the sight of Nate. I hadn't seen him since the party. He had called of course, but I hung up on him until he got the hint .

Sitting here now, I didn't know which was pulling my stomach into knots more - the idea that I might get kicked out of school, or that I was going to come face to face with Nate .

The door opened suddenly and a woman came out carrying a folder with papers. She caught sight of me and paused, "Oh, Ms. Burgess," she whispered and closed the door behind her, "They're all done with your case, you can go." At that, she turned on her heel and walked through a thick door marked STAFF .

"But what does that mean?" I called after her retreating back. "Why am I here ?"

A moment later, Nate stepped out of the boardroom and my blood ran cold .

"How dare you," I started and then threw up my hands at him .

I started to walk away and Nate ran after me. "Olivia," he yelled after me, "just hear me out ."

"Nope, I yelled, "not gonna do it ."

He reached out for my arm and I turned on him, "Don't even think about it ."

Nate put his hands up in surrender before continuing, "Don't you want to hear what happened in that meeting?" He had a folder in his hands that he slapped against his leg. I wanted to know if that folder included anything on me .

"Does it affect me ?"

Nate pointed to an empty conference room and we went inside for some privacy .

"I should have told you about Angela," Nate said as soon as the door was closed .

"Ya think?" I shot back .

"I didn't know how to tell you. You have to understand," he pleaded, "we've known each other for years, we grew up together, our families are intertwined ."

"So, are you like cousins or something ?"

"No," Nate started to laugh but one look at my expression stopped him cold .

"We did the whole - just out of college, gonna make the parents happy, join the families to take over the world - thing." Nate had this awe shucks look about him that I wasn't interested in seeing .

"Delightful," I spat at him .

"Angela is my ex-wife now," Nate tossed a file on the desk and the divorce decree slipped out. "I know you don't have any reason to trust me, but I hope you will ."

I took out the papers and noticed the decree was dated yesterday. "Why now?" I asked him, pointing out the date .

"It was time," he explained, "Angela and I haven't' been together for years, she's been in New York and I've been anywhere else." Nate had told me all of the places he lived but never mentioned New York. "We never bothered to get a divorce because there was never any reason to ."

My jaw dropped at his statement, I don't think I felt less important in my entire life .

He looked at my face and amended his statement, "until now. I contacted Angela a month ago about a divorce. The morning after you moved in ."

That would have been the morning before we first slept together. Not something I would easily forget. "What does this have to do with that board meeting?" He was wearing me down and I wasn't ready to be worn down just yet .

"Angela figured if I was looking for a divorce after all this time she could get some leverage on me for a better settlement ."

"I'm guessing I was that leverage?" I knew I hated that bitch .

"Yes," he sighed, "She threatened to go to the board with our relationship and ruin my career and get you expelled ."

I sat down in one of the conference room chairs and put my head in my hands. "So, I'm guessing she did ?"

"No," Nate whispered, "I did." He opened up the folder and pulled out a second sheet of paper - his resignation .

"I came clean and told them everything - well, not everything," he explained, "but enough so that you wouldn't get expelled." He reached out his hand to cover mine and I didn't pull away .

"You were a good teacher," I offered .

"You were a great student," he returned .

"So, what now," I asked .

"Back to the private sector for me," he whispered, "I'm more concerned with what happens to us. I love you, Olivia. I have since the moment I met you. I would do anything for you ."

"You gave up your career for me." It wasn't a question, I had the written proof in front of me .

"Yes," he answered. "I would give it all up for a second chance with you. Can you give me that chance ?"

I looked into his eyes and believed he was telling the truth. There were tears in my eyes as I answered him "Yes," I said, "Yes, I can do that ."