Best of Me

Chapter 23

"Miss Scott, may I speak to you for a minute?" Professor Smith's raised voice was clearly heard over the noise that the students were making as they packed up their stuff in preparation to depart the classroom.

Professor Mac Smith taught art history. It was one of the courses that Cora needed to obtain her degree. She had thought she would enjoy it more than she did since she was a potential art major, but she found the class to be dull and easy.

"Do you want me to stay?" Cora's new found friend Jessica Manning asked. She was a petite blond with a pixie haircut, soft brown eyes and an upturned nose that gave her the air of being cartoonish, but she was sweet and she and Cora had taken to each other the first day of class.

Cora nodded. "Yes please," she whispered as she walked towards the little man. They had agreed that Professor Smith was kind of creepy, and they had heard a few tales of how he liked to try to take advantage of some of his students. He wasn't much to look at, he was short and balding and he wore round tortoise shell glasses. His shirt was never fully tucked in and he reeked of cigarette smoke.

Jessica moved towards the door where she pulled out her phone in an attempt to look preoccupied. Cora knew she was going to listen to every word that was about to be said and so did Professor Smith as he looked over at Jessica with a frown before he turned his attention towards Cora. "I'll get to the point Miss Scott. There really is no longer a reason for you to continue to attend class, you're only wasting your time."

"I don't understand?" Cora was confused, she was doing well in the class.

"You're aware that we have an attendance policy, correct?"

"Yes." Cora frowned as she thought about the days she had missed to go to the Bahamas with Garrett. They had decided to stay and extra week, just the two of them, and it had been perfect.

"I'm passing the class though, I didn't think it would matter that much."

"Unfortunately, that's not the case." He looked at his watch. "I don't have time to discuss this now. Can you meet me at my office at half past four this afternoon?"

Cora nodded absentmindedly, worried that she was going to fail the class and waste the money that Garrett had paid for it.

"Good," he said as she picked up his briefcase, nodding to Jessica as he passed her.

"What are you going to do?" she asked after he had left.

"I don't know." Cora hadn't even considered that missing class would mean that she might fail. She hadn't considered anything but her and Garrett for the two weeks she had been away. They had returned the day before, and up until this moment her world had been perfect.

She wasn't sure what her options were, but she knew she didn't want to discuss it with Garrett. She had come to the conclusion over the last two weeks that she would take what Garrett wanted to give her for as long as he wanted to give it, knowing that one day he would pull away and want to end their marriage, and when that day came she would be on her own once again. The last thing she needed was to get in the habit of relying on him to solve all of her problems.

"Come on, let's go get some lunch before we hit the studio." Jessica led the way out of the classroom. "I'm not sure that you should meet him on your own though."

"Can you come with me?"

"No," she shook her head, "I have to work this evening and I have to be there at five." Jessica worked for a local caterer and she often had to work nights.

"I'm sure it'll be fine."

Jessica nodded her agreement but she didn't look that sure. "You don't have anyone you can call to go with you, a boyfriend maybe?"