The Outfit Clash: I'm Told to Strip novel · Chapter 7 of 24

Chapter 7: Office Hours

"Assault," I said. "You held up a phone."

"I held up a phone very aggressively." Will scrolled. "He says I shoved him while he was trying to calm you down."

"Calm me down."

"You looked very uncalm. To be fair."

"Will."

He set the phone face down and rubbed his eyes under his glasses.

"Patrice saw me film it. She wrote my name in her little book. This is what the little book is for." He laughed, without anything funny in it. "Three years of scholarship. Seven months from a law degree."

"You're not losing it."

"Georgia, you can't just..."

"Watch me," I said.

At eight fifty-nine the next morning I walked into the Office of Student Affairs.

It was on the second floor of the administration building, all cream carpet and framed photos of Patrice cutting ribbons.

There was a waiting area with six chairs. Every chair was full.

Students holding forms. A mother with a toddler on her hip. A boy in a hoodie with a housing complaint.

Three staff members sat at desks behind a low counter.

They all looked up when I came in.

One of them actually stood.

"Miss Carlisle," she said. "Do you have an appointment?"

"No," I said. "Is she in?"

The inner door was open a crack.

Patrice's voice came through it, on the phone, laughing about something.

I walked around the counter and pushed the door open.

Patrice looked up from her desk. She was wearing a cream jacket again, a different one, with gold buttons.

She said, "I'll call you back," into the phone and set it down.

"Miss Carlisle. What a surprise. Please, sit."

"I'll stand," I said. "And leave the door open."

Her smile didn't move.

"As you like."

Behind me, the whole outer office had gone silent. Six chairs, three desks. Every ear in the room.

Good.

"You suspended Will Danforth's scholarship at three forty in the morning," I said.

"Student affairs never sleeps."

"On the word of your nephew. Who swung at me in front of forty people."

"Allegedly."

"There's video."

"There's a video," Patrice said pleasantly, "taken by the accused. I'm sure you can see the problem."

"Reinstate it."

She folded her hands on the desk.

"I'm afraid that's not something you can order," she said. "Board chairs set policy. They don't run individual student cases. Your grandfather understood that. I believe it's in the bylaws. Section seven."

← Chapter 6 · All chapters · Chapter 8 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend