― Michelle McNamara
Janice
In my anxiety about defending myself from Victoria Mercer's psychic stalking I had neglected relationships that comforted me.
Not wanting to hang around campus on the off-chance of encountering Victoria, I made it my practice to leave as soon as my lectures were finished and department duties concluded.
It wasn't an ideal solution but it was all I could think of to prevent further interaction with Victoria.
But today as I was hastily trying to exit Victoria College I heard a female voice calling me. I froze for a moment and then turned to identify the caller and ended up gazing at Janice Turner's lovely face.
"I almost had to run to catch up with you, Gray. Where were you going in such a hurry?"
"I was trying to beat the rush hour traffic home." I hated lying but didn't know what else to say.
"You seem to be doing that a lot lately. I've looked for you but nobody's seen you around campus. Are you okay?"
The fact Janice missed me and enquired after me was touching and I wanted to reassure her I wasn't avoiding her.
"Truth is, I've been better. I've been dealing with an upsetting situation."
"Does it involve a student?"
I wish she hadn't asked that. "Yes, I'm stressed out by the whole thing. I've actually been seeing a therapist."
Janice looked at me closely. "You do look really stressed, Gray. I was heading to The Black Hart Pub for a drink―Care to join me?"
If this had been a month before I would have jumped at the chance but I was apprehensive about running into Victoria.
Still, I needed companionship and maybe something more, although any romance would have to wait.
We walked to the on-campus pub and occupied a discreet booth at the back away from prying eyes. Students on campus notice relationships between professors and it doesn’t take much for the rumour mills to begin to grind.
Janice looked particularly beautiful tonight and the subdued overhead lighting burnished the gold highlights in her hair.
I was distracted temporarily and then caught myself realizing I must have been staring.
”How are the Hardy lectures going?” She asked, breaking the ice with small talk.
“Ah, the trials and vicissitudes of a pure woman…I can’t wait to put those endless debates about the plight of women in Victorian times behind me—not that I don’t agree, it’s just certain students get militant and it becomes annoying after the tenth or twentieth time.”
“Ha ha, I can commiserate. I’m no feminist but I do believe in equal rights.”
“I’ll toast that,” I smiled and we clinked glasses and locked gazes a few moments longer than I intended.
”So Gray, this student who’s upsetting you—is it a woman?”
“It is,” I sighed, “and to tell the truth, I’ve gone over this a hundred times in my mind to see if I’ve said or done something to lead her on, but honestly, I really haven’t.”
“It happens,” she smiled compassionately, “professor-student relationships can easily verge into infatuation. Is the girl aggressive or simply flirtatious?”
“I hate to admit but it’s beyond that, to the point of stalking.”
She looked shocked. “Have you contacted the campus police or considered laying charges?”
I stared at her exasperated. How could I even begin to tell her?
“Actually, there’s no grounds for laying charges—no physical evidence that is.”
“Well, has she been seen following you or near your residence?”
“”Yes, I observed that,” I had to concede.
She arched an eyebrow and looked at me. "I’m confused."
I shrugged my shoulders and whispered, “so am I.”
It looked like we were going to have the conversation I dreaded. Hopefully by the end of it she wouldn’t think me certifiably insane.