The Neighbor #4 (The Neighbor Romance Series - Book #4) (5 page)

He chuckled. “Go eat breakfast, Jenna. We will talk
about god another time.”

“I’ll call ya.”

****

My mother and I prepared for our meeting with Dean
Meadows while Claude made us a breakfast. He made us some omelets with Egg
Beaters that my mother had on hand. He filled them with frozen vegetables and
some cheese. I wasn’t sure if the cheese was moldy in spots or if it was green
onion. Potato ate most of my breakfast, as he tended to do.

When we were done, my mother ran up-stairs to change
as Claude and I waited with crossed fingers, hoping that she would be
presentable.

“I’m on my way down and I’m dressed to impress.
Close your eyes and prepare yourselves,” my mother called out from her bedroom.

I heard my mom coming down the stairs. She wasn’t in
tennis shoes or slippers, which was the first clue that something was
different. I smelled my mother before she reached the bottom of the stairs. Her
perfume was strong but pleasant. I could sense that Claude was nervous by the
way he was tapping his shoe to the rhythm of Potato’s panting, which was fast.

“Ta da! Do you approve? Say no and I’ll smack
ya.”
 
I turned around and was stunned.

My mother looked amazing. If she was going for shock
and awe, she nailed it. Her cornflower blue suit with black trim was chic and
conservative. She finished her look with nude pumps, carried a black clutch,
and a string of pearls hung from her neck.

“Mom, throw on a pill box hat and you look like
Jackie O. How the hell did you pull off that look? How did you afford it?”

She was wearing her hair down with a black band
keeping it out of her eyes. Her unfortunate, orangey lipstick
was replaced
with a dusky rose. She had a clear coat on her
nails, which replaced the tacky shade she usually wore. Claude didn’t say a
word. His foot stopped moving and even Potato noticed her.

“I finally got around to cleaning out my closet. Of
the bags of crap I had, the consignment store took a handful. The women at the
shop treated me as a project. They became my stylists. When I went in yesterday
to tell them I had a meeting with the dean, they came up with this. The suit is
used, but
it’s
real Chanel.”

“Not used; repurposed. It’s the thing to do these
days. I will leave you and Claude to whisper sweet nothings to one another. I’m
going to get myself changed.”

I chose to look like a woman off the Gap website. I
went for a nautical look even though it was out of season. I wore a navy maxi
skirt and a navy and white boat neck sweater with three-quarter length sleeves.
I threw on a string of pearls to accent it. I looked in the mirror—horrible,
but perfectly appropriate.

I was ready to go downstairs, but I made one last
stop in the bathroom. I walked to the window and knocked hard, hoping that he
would hear me. Next door, I could see a sleeping Ryder. I knocked again. There
was no response, so I took off my navy pump and tapped the glass—
well,
it was more than a tap because the glass shattered
everywhere. I woke Ryder up. I read his lips as he jumped out of bed.

“What the fuck!” Ryder mouthed as he gestured with
his arms.

My mother ran up the stairs in her Chanel suit with
Claude closely behind her. My arm was cut and the blood dripping onto the
floor. Potato was barking and Ryder suddenly was in the bathroom too.

“Are you okay Jenna? Should I call 911?” Ryder asked
with clear concern in his voice.

“Oh my god.
I don’t want to get blood on my suit. Claude
get
some
towels. Quick.”

“Everybody relax. I’m fine. The cut isn’t deep. I
don’t think I even have to change my sweater. God, I feel like a complete fool.
Mom, I don’t think you have formally met our neighbor. This is Ryder.”

Ryder was standing in my mother’s blood stained
bathroom in his boxers and his shirt inside out.

“I’m glad to finally meet you Marnie. Jenna has told
me wonderful things about you.” Ryder reached out and shook my mother’s hand.

I was exhausted already, and my day had not really
begun. It was the first time Ryder had been in my home. It wasn’t as
I
imagined, but we all managed to have a laugh.

My mother and I left for our meeting, leaving Claude
and Ryder to repair the window and sweep up the glass.

We drove my mother’s sedan to campus. We had quite a
bit of drama already for one day. There was little that the dean could say that
we couldn’t handle.

****

“Fancy furniture they have in here,” my mother
whispered

“I know. Only the best for the dean’s office,” I
said.

“You must be from the Walsh family.” The same
secretary was at the desk.

“Yes, I’m Jenna, as you remember, and this is my
mother, Marnie Walsh. I have been here before.” I stared the woman right in her
puffy eyes.

“I will let Dean Meadows know you’re here.” The
woman waddled to his door.

I don’t know if it was my crazy morning, the fact
that I had company this time, or my reconciliation with Ryder, but I felt that
I was on my game. Dean Meadows opened his door and nodded in our direction
indicating that he was free to see us. He was wearing the only suit in which I
had ever seen him. It was gray and ill fitting.

I walked into his office, making a conscious effort
to walk as normal as possible despite the divot replacer in my shoe for luck. I
was sporting a large gauze patch on my forearm. My mom looked great in her
Chanel suit.

We took our seats in the stately leather chairs.

“Mrs. Walsh.
I
’m sure your
daughter has explained the reason behind her suspension and we had the
opportunity to discuss it over the phone. Do you have any questions? We always
want to consult a parent or guardian when a situation as this occurs.”

“Yes, Dean Meadows.
I
’m
aware that my daughter was seen celebrating with her golf instructor at the
putt-putt facility. I have to be honest; I had a great laugh over the
situation. You said you’re in the process of conducting an investigation. I
would like to know how you investigate. The way an instructor and student
celebrate varies, and it’s subjective. My daughter is passionate about golf. She’s
dedicated and I can imagine a celebration was warranted.”

“Mrs. Walsh. We have had several students—err,
people, come forward. We have reason to believe that the relationship between
Jenna and Professor Curran has crossed the line.”

“Define this fuzzy line,” my mom asked.

“I explained to Jenna, how the kiss in question was
seen as inappropriate.”

“Please lay it out for me. We are all adults,” my
mother said.

She cradled her head in her chin. She placed her
elbow on the Dean’s desk and stared directly at him. He was flustered.

“Ah,
em
.
It
was said
that Professor Curran slipped his tongue
into Ms. Walsh’s mouth. Another witness claimed he placed his hand on her
bottom.”

My mother laughed. I knew I was in trouble.

“Are you telling me that he gave her a pat on the
butt and for that reason you’re disrupting two innocent lives? How many of your
football players celebrate the same way?
 
It would seem to me that your decision is rather discriminatory—if it
weren’t, the entire football team would surely be suspended with my daughter.”
My mother was running at full steam.
 
“I
can’t believe this is the biggest issue your university is facing right now—a
golf instructor celebrating with his student.
 
I’m sure you have some predators affiliated with this university.” She
tilted her head and gave the dean a meaningful look. “Maybe someone quite
close. Do you have a skeleton in your closet Dean Meadows? Ah, probably not.
You don’t look like the type.”

I felt like I was
gonna
puke. My mother was on a roll and there was no stopping her. I wondered if
Claude had made her coffee Irish. Dean Meadow’s began turning an odd, putty
color.

“Mrs. Walsh, I’m here to inform you today that this
issue has been brought to the attention of the disciplinary board. Jenna will
continue to be under suspension. She’ll have to make up any work missed until a
decision
is met
. I suggest she make good use of her
time while away from class.”

“What about the professor?” my mother asked.

“The two cases will be handled separately,” the dean
said.

My mom was determined to get in the last word. I
braced for the worst as I curled my toes in anticipation of what would come out
of her mouth next.

“I don’t see the taxpayers liking how you’re
spending their money. This is a state run establishment, correct? My boyfriend
works for the local paper and this is just the sort of thing he likes writing
about—a university wasting money investigating a young woman for engaging in
the same activities your male athletes engage in all the time. I did not want
to be forced to do this, but I will be contacting my attorney.”

My mother walked out of the office and I followed
like a duckling. Before we departed, the secretary informed me that I could
return the next day to get the rest of my things.
 
We soon arrived at the parking lot.

“Mom.
Please tell me you aren’t drunk.
Boyfriend?
Claude
writes for the paper? Do you have an attorney? Oh god. I’m going to be
expelled.”

“I’m not drunk.
Just a little
feisty.
Claude brings out the animal in me.” My mother smiled.

“Just drive home. I don’t want to hear any more
about you and Claude.”

I looked at my phone to see Ryder was calling.

I answered and instantly asked, “Hey do you know
anyone working down at the burger joint?
Cause
I don’t
stand a chance being reinstated.”

“Tough day?
Tomorrow is my challenging day. I will call you after I go to the doctor. I’m a
little stressed, otherwise I would invite you over,” Ryder said. You can fill
me on your meeting with Mean Dean tomorrow, okay? Jenna?”

“Yes?”

“No more smashing windows to get my attention. Just
give me a call.”

“Noted.
Sleep well.”

“Not likely without you...”

Chapter
Six

I was determined to sleep through the night.
I
was already officially suspended, so I couldn’t do much
until I heard back from Dean Meadows and Ryder was unavailable as he was going
to his doctor’s appointment.

I wasn’t meeting Max at Leach Hall until 10 AM.
There was a great deal going on in my life, but nothing I could do about any of
it. It was the calm before the storm. Unsure whether it would be a gentle rain
or a destructive hurricane, I closed my eyes and debated if I should grab my
umbrella or board up the windows.

My
decision to sleep in was overridden by the blare of my alarm. I had it set for
an early morning class, back when I still had one to go to. It was set to
Pharrell’s
Happy
.
I must have set it to that song on a good day. Perhaps it was the day after I
had sex with Ryder.

I decided to call Sayler and give her an update.

“Morning,” Sayler said.

‘What’s up?”

“I’m getting dressed for work, Jenna. Is everything
okay?”

“Yeah.
I just wanted to give you an update on what’s happening in my life,” I said.

“My day is full, but I have an hour before I have to
be in the office. I will meet you for a quick breakfast at the Bay Leaf.”

“I will be there in fifteen,” I said.

“See you there.”

Sayler sounded business-like. I felt a slight sting
knowing that everyone was moving on in life. I threw on jeans and a casual
sweatshirt. I called Ryder before I left to meet Sayler, but he did not answer.
I assumed he went for a run and was feeling similar to the way I did. We were
both waiting for the other shoe to drop.

****

I waited for Sayler at the Bay Leaf
,
a restaurant that proscribed to the
farm to table theory. I knew it was a way of eating that I should have been
doing for my own health, but pizza and ice cream were my favorites. If I
continued to eat emotionally, I would be obese.

Sayler arrived and I hoped she could talk me through
the maze-like menu.

“You clean up nice, Sayler,” I said as I greeted my
BFF.

Sayler was wearing a black skirt and an emerald
green twin-set. Her hair
was coifed
perfectly.

“Yeah, we have a staff meeting today and my department
is making a presentation. I don’t usually try this hard but it makes me feel
good.”