I'm Normally Perfect (re-upload)

Chapter Twenty

I chuckled, unsure whether or not to be flattered by the trouble I'd caused, however inadvertently. I was kind of proud that Alex had stood up to Professor Burrows that way in front of everyone and that the Vice-Chancellor had backed her up on my behalf. It made me warm inside to think of her telling everyone how much she liked me. Even if she didn't use those exact words, it must have been evident. I did rather wonder what the other dons, the ones who didn't know me, thought of the entire situation, whether or not they found it odd that two professors from separate colleges were having such a row over a student. I would have loved to know what'd been said when she said things got a bit ugly. I hoped she called him a pompous git, but couldn't really picture her doing that in front of the fellows of the college.

I had been stirring my tea absentmindedly while pondering all of this and Alex said,

'I think you've done a job of mixing that, Catherine. It is well and truly stirred.'

I sniffed an amused sound and put my teaspoon on a napkin on the table, 'Sorry. I was just thinking that I would've liked to have been there when the Vice-Chancellor sided with you.'

'Oh, it wasn't that interesting, no shouting or anything of that sort, mostly icy stares and the like. Carefully measured tones, you know.' I bet she was great. Alex was a soft-spoken, kind woman, but she had a way about her, I'd bet people didn't cross her more than once. I knew I never wanted to be on her bad side. 'I saw your Robert calling this morning.'

'Please don't call him "my Robert", he most certainly isn't. He just wanted to ask about my break. He got kinda...snarky when I told him about moving into your house.'

'Is that so? It seems we're upsetting people here, there and everywhere.'

I rolled my eyes, 'Tell me about it.' Why the hell did people care what we did?

'What could he possibly have to say about it?' She picked up a piece of ginger cake.

I shrugged, 'I don't know. He asked if he could give me a ring some time and I...well, I didn't say anything, so he gave me his number and I told him I may be a bit busy.'

'You don't care to continue your friendship with him?'

'I don't think you could call it a "friendship" exactly. That would involve mutual interest in spending time together, which there isn't.'

She nodded, 'Then you should make that clear to him.'

'"Hi Robert, don't feel compelled to speak to me again, thanks." Something like that? Because I did that already and it didn't work.'

'When?' She had a sip of her tea.

I pretended to think about it, 'Um, most of last year. I tried explaining point-by-point how we had nothing in common, I tried just telling him flat out to leave me alone, being a totally cold bitch to him and yelling rather loudly at him in front of everyone in the hall.'

'And?'

'He showed up this morning and gave me his phone number. Tell me, do men want to be mistreated, because if someone treated me the way I've been toward him I would be happy to see the back of them.'

'Perhaps he's only interested in the chase.'

'If that's the case, then we're going to be at this for a long while, as all he's going to get from me is the chase. Maybe he'll get tired of running after me and will pick easier prey.'

She nodded slowly, 'I suppose that's a possibility.'

I sighed, 'I don't want to talk about him anymore. Have you met with any students yet?'