Private Lessons (13 page)

M
onday morning came much too soon. Naomi had barely slept throughout the night, and there hadn't been much that Brice could do to help the situation except to be there for her.

“I'll be right out in the quad, waiting for you,” Brice said as they left her house.

She squeezed his hand. “Thank you. Hopefully, this is some crazy mix-up and it will all be over in a minute.” But even as she said the words she didn't really believe them.

They came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. Brice turned her toward him. “Just remember that no matter what, I love you, I'm in your corner and I will be there for you. Got that?”

She gave him a tight-lipped smile. “I love you, too.”

“It's going to be fine. All of it. Trust me on that.”

“Okay. I better get going. I don't want to add lateness to whatever they have on the table against me.”

He kissed her lightly. “I'll see you in a couple of hours. Think positive.” He waited until she was in her car and ready to pull away before he did the same. As he drove, he sincerely wished and hoped that the big pep talk that he'd given her would all be true.

 

Naomi sat in the reception office in the administrative wing of the campus. The walls were lined with the portraits of the college's past presidents, dating back to 1898 when the school was first founded by freed slaves. Atlanta College had a rich history, one which she taught in all of her freshman classes. She was proud to be a member of this talented and committed faculty. And it was something that she did not want to lose.

She glanced down and realized that she'd shredded the tissue that she had in her hand. She picked the pieces off her navy blue skirt suit and shoved them down into her purse.

The intercom on the secretary's desk buzzed. She picked up the phone, said a few words and hung up. She looked toward Naomi as she rose from her seat.

“If you'll follow me, Dr. Clarke, the board will see you now.”

Naomi's heart was knocking so loudly that she was sure that the receptionist could hear it. She stopped in front of a heavy wooden door and knocked, turned the knob and opened the door for Naomi.

There were twelve men seated around the large conference table, and when she stepped beneath the threshold all eyes turned in her direction. Was this her jury, or the last supper? Her head spun with crazy thoughts

“Come in, Dr. Clarke,” said Mr. Hastings, the chairman of the board of trustees.

Naomi stepped into the room and looked around. She wasn't surprised to see Frank Lewis sitting in a chair along the back wall, a smug look of satisfaction on his face.

She crossed the soundproof room with the intention of taking a seat in the back as well, when the chairman indicated a seat at the end of the table.

There was a knock and the door opened and Chairman Fielding walked in, gruffly greeted everyone and sat at the table with the others.

Something wasn't right, Naomi thought, as panic and confusion battled in her head.

“Now that everyone is here,” Chairman Hastings began, “let's get this business started and finished.” He bore in on Naomi. “Dr. Clarke, there have been allegations brought against you for impropriety by
your colleague, Professor Lewis.” He opened a folder and took out what looked like photos. He passed them down the table until they reached her.

She didn't realize she was holding her breath until her head started feeling light. She looked down at the pictures, not knowing what to expect.

Her heart stopped. They were pictures of her and Brice. With him in her driveway, kissing her, the two of them on the steps of her house, her looking lovingly up into his eyes.

She closed the folder and folded her hands on top of it.

“We've done some preliminary investigating, Dr. Clarke, and discovered, much to our dismay, that yes, this man in the photos with you is a student here. A blatant violation of this college's policy and a clear reason for dismissal.”

She was about to interject and provide them with the information that Brice had given her, but decided to bide her time and see where this was going. If things went wrong, that would be her ace in the hole.

She couldn't see Frank from where she was sitting, but she could feel his smirk.

“However, it seems that several weeks ago Mr. Lawrence had a meeting with the president of the college.” Naomi felt her insides smiling. She snatched a look in Frank's direction and saw the look of satisfaction begin to dissolve. “The president
validated what only a few of us were aware of, that Mr. Lawrence is a fellow, and that visiting fellows are not, according to our charter, considered students.”

Naomi wanted to leap up out of her seat, but she held herself in check.

“Therefore, the allegations of impropriety are dismissed,” he continued. “Which brings us to a greater question and a bigger concern.”

All eyes turned in Frank's direction. “Any faculty member that would stoop so low as to set out to photograph and—for lack of a better word—attempt to blackmail a fellow colleague is not worthy of working in this institution. We will be taking steps in the next few weeks to begin disciplinary actions against you, Professor Lewis.
And
your niece, Pamela Phillips.”

Frank leaped up from his seat. “You can't do this! I brought you evidence. She doesn't deserve to be dean, I do!”

The door opened and two security guards came in. “Please escort Professor Lewis off the campus.”

Naomi looked around the room as if she was waking from a dream. It was surreal as the members of the board gathered around her with apologies and well wishes. As they moved away one by one, she found herself alone with Chairman Fielding.

“Maybe now I understand a little better about what was going on with you.”

She lowered her head a moment. “It was difficult.”

“You are certainly an amazing young woman, Dr. Clarke. You have men from all corners either wanting to take you down or be your hero.”

“What do you mean?”

“It seems that the other possible contender for Dean, Professor Lloyd, was the one who advised the board about Pamela's role and that she was Frank's niece.”

She frowned in confusion. “Trevor Lloyd? You're kidding.”

He chuckled. “Have a good day, Dr. Clarke.” He walked out, leaving Naomi with her mouth open.

When she walked out of the conference room she didn't know what to do first, find Brice or find a way to thank Trevor.

She went downstairs to the main office to see if they'd set up a sub for her first class. They didn't, which meant that she had to be prepared to teach in twenty minutes. She smiled. The board knew all along how this was all going to go.

Naomi checked her mailbox and pulled out the plain white envelope. She frowned, turned it over and opened it. There was a handwritten letter inside.

“W
ell, I'll be damned,” Alexis said, chatting with Naomi a week later. “I still can't believe that Frank would stoop that low and then involve his niece. But what really blows me away is Trevor. Who would have thought it?”

“I know. It's been stranger than fiction, that's for sure.”

“So now what?”

“Well, Frank will probably be dismissed. I have no idea what they will do with Pamela.”

“I mean with you and Brice.”

She drew in a breath. “The semester is all but over. He'll be going back to New York.” She hunched her shoulders.

“And you're just going to shrug it off like that?”

“What else can I do? I can't make him stay here.”

Alexis grinned like she knew something no one else did.

“Maybe you won't have to.”

“What's that supposed to mean?'

“Ask your man. I asked mine,” she teased.

“Lexi! What are you talking about?”

“Ta-ta, chica. We'll talk later.” She disconnected the call.

Naomi tossed the cell phone on the table and pouted. She hated to be the last one to know, and it had been happening more and more lately. She shook her head. The last person that she expected to actually settle down was Alexis. She was Ms. Footloose. But since she met Carl she'd been a changed woman. She was calmer, more centered and genuinely happy. A good man could do that for you, she thought, as images of Brice came to mind. And now without the shadow of Trevor looming over her, and the craziness of Frank she could actually think about her and Brice and what was next for them.

She'd never been in a long-distance relationship and didn't see how they could work. It was too much stress and too much time spent apart, too much opportunity for things to go wrong and for someone else to step in and fill the empty hours.

But was she willing to simply let Brice go if they couldn't work something out? And what could
that something possibly be, she worried, with her in Atlanta and him in New York? They both had careers and dreams. The more she thought about it, the deeper her spirits sunk.

Well, Brice was supposed to stop by. And he was not getting back out of her front door until she had all the information that she wanted.

 

Naomi cut a new path across her floor as she paced and waited and paced some more. She could not imagine what was taking him so long. He said six. It was already five minutes after six! She huffed—just as the doorbell rang.

She darted for the door, then slowed down. She didn't want to seem too anxious. With as much calm as she could summon, she opened the door. She put a smile on her face.

“Hey, baby,” he crooned, sweeping her into his arms for a quick kiss.

“Hey baby yourself. You're late.”

They walked inside. Naomi sat down on the couch, crossed her legs and her arms. “Alexis said you have something to tell me. And apparently she knows what it is and I don't,” she blurted out without preamble.

Brice burst into laughter. “I told Carl not to say anything, but that Alexis has him wrapped around her little finger.”

“Apparently, I can't say the same thing.”

Brice grinned. “Aww, baby, don't feel that way,” he teased, reaching for her.

She slapped away his hand. He came and sat next to her, draped his arm around her shoulder.

“What would you say to helping me open a charter school for young African-American boys here in Atlanta?”

She blinked back her surprise. “What? Me? Here in Atlanta?” Her heart was racing. “But I don't under stand…I thought you were going back to New York.”

“That was the original plan. I didn't want to get your hopes up before I was sure about the
new
plan. It makes more financial sense to open a school here. We looked at the alternatives, worked out all the possibilities and Atlanta made sense.” He paused. “It would have had to make sense, because I can't see myself moving through life day-to-day without you, Naomi.” He cupped her face in his hands. “I want you with me. I want your brilliant mind, I want your sexy body, I want your support, your guidance and your love. And in return, I promise to keep a smile on your face, stimulate your mind, challenge you to reach your goals. And I'll spend every day of my life loving you and making the world better with you at my side.” His gazed dance over her face.

He reached in his pocket and took out a sparkling diamond ring.

“This is what took me so long. Marry me, Nay. Let's conquer the world together.” He took her hand and held the ring, waiting for her response.

Through her tears of joy she looked upon the man
who had changed her life, made her look at the world and herself in a whole new way. Every day with Brice Lawrence was a new lesson in life, and she couldn't wait to start their next chapter.

“Yes, yes, yes…” she whispered against his waiting lips.