Back at school on Monday, Robert went to the secretary’s desk to pick up his messages.

“Oh, Professor,” Gina looked up from her computer as he was pawing through the notes. She got up and leaned forward.

“Dean Kim would like a word,” she told him quietly.

His stomach did a little flip-flop. Generally, the Dean would just wander in the office, chat up the girls and meander over to his office to have a sit when he wanted to talk. Called to his office?

He gave the girl a curt nod and grabbed the pink notes and went over to his office, unlocked the door, dumped his things and beat a path to the Dean’s office.

He announced himself to the Dean’s secretary and she motioned him to sit. Dean Kim’s office was a very different affair from much of the rest of the college.

A deep red ceremonial robe was framed in a wood and glass case and hung on the wall. The huge, winged arms were out to the side and the bell-shaped skirt was embroidered with detailed stitching. It was ancient and looked very Chinese. The Dean was a little fuzzy about where he got the garment, stating it ‘had been in the family.’ Robert always wondered about that.

He had seen it many times but still found himself gazing at the gracefully herons in gold and white flying across its front. The secretary offered him coffee. He declined with pursed lips and a wave of his hand.

Don’t need to be any more jacked up than I already am, he mused bitterly.

The phone on the woman’s desk purred and she picked it up. A few soft words were spoken.

“He will see you now, Professor Shi.” She stood and waved him into the inner sanctum.

“Bob, Bob. How are you?” Dean Kim came around the desk and gave Bob a hearty shake. “Come in, come in. Please to sit. Coffee?”

The dean was the only person who called him that. Very American, very familiar. Robert winced everytime he heard it. He declined coffee for the second time, plastered a smile on his face and placed himself in a chair. Kim went back and sat behind his desk.

“How are things? Shin? The kids?” The Dean was cordial.

Jesus, cut to the chase, Robert growled in his mind.

“Fine, fine, Dean, many thanks. You needed to see me?” He smiled again. His face was starting to hurt.

“Ah, yes. Where is it?” The Dean appeared to fumble at his desk a moment, then, pulled open a file. “Yes, here it is. Hum.”

Robert’s fingers were starting to twitch. He stuck his hands under his legs.

“Right, right.” The Dean reviewed the file again. “These Australian teachers.”

“Australian?”

“Yes, yes. Jean and Sally. You remember them, don’t you?”

“Sure.”

“Well, it is a complaint letter and Jean talks about . . . her dog. Something about her dog. You threatened her dog? Maybe my understanding is not so good.”

Robert felt the blood pulsing at his temples. “May I read it, Sir?” he asked through clenched teeth.

“Certainly.” The Dean, a short, little man with impossibly black hair leaned the letter over the desk to Robert.

The professor took it with gentle fingers and skimmed it.

‘…… my dog Roscoe and threatened that he would kill the dog or ‘make him disappear’ if I didn’t get rid of him. Had to put him in an expensive kennel. . . ‘

He grimaced and handed the letter back to the Dean. To his relief, his hand was not shaking.

“. . . I was so surprised; couldn’t believe you would ever do any such thing. . . “

Robert’s mind wandered back to the conversation he had had with the teacher six months before.

“I have told you and told you, Jean, to get that dog off of the campus. It is strictly against the rules, and you know that!”

“But professor, he’s a big dog and it is really hard to find a home for such a large dog.”

“You do it or we will find a permanently solution to the problem and you’ll never see him again!” he thundered at her before slamming down the phone.

“Bob. I mean you would never do anything like that to an animal, would you? I just can’t see it, really.”

Robert’s attention came back into focus. He was back in the room again.

“No, sir. Not at all, misunderstanding. Dean, you’ve been to our home, Shin and I have a dog. Love that animal. Wouldn’t dream of hurting . . .  no, no. Can’t imagine how the woman got an idea like that.” Robert was shaking his head back and forth in a sorrowful manner. “Do you want me to respond to her, Sir?”

“No, no. I will do that.” The Dean sighed and studied his desk. “Just wanted to speak to you first. Get your side, that type of thing. The problem is she sent the letter to the owners of the school and now I have to talk to them about it. Anyway . . .” Dean Kim got up and straightened his tie. The professor towered over the dean and tried hard not to make that too obvious. 

“I’ll take care of it and thank you so much for coming in.”

Robert smiled again thinly, and they shook hands and bowed in usual Korean manner. He escaped from the office as quickly as possible.

Outside he hit the button to the golden elevator doors and was fuming. He got in.

“That bitch. That fucking bitch,” he snarled at his own reflection in the plate glass mirror. “See if I ever give her another job recommendation. She can rot in fucking hell!” He stormed out as soon as the doors were open. His face was dark with fury and students scattered from his path.

                                                                              ###

The next day, close to lunch time, the professor was down in the teacher’s office picking up his mail. Jack was fluttering around chatting with teachers. Bob signaled to him with a finger.

“Lunch?” he asked as Jack came over.

“Oh, lunch.” Jack seemed to be uncertain. “Ah. . .” he stuttered.

“What? Can you do lunch or not?”

“Well, one of the teachers was having problems putting the mid-term together and I promised to meet downstairs in the student cafeteria to go over it.”

The professor stared at him a moment. “Right. No problem. I’ll just pick something up myself.”

Jack thought a second. “You want to join us?”

The professor looked down at him. “No, I hate that place. Their food is lousy.”

“Ah, sure, sure,” Jack stumbled a reply. “Just wanted to ask.”

“Yeah,” the professor turned back to his stack of mail and started to read it. “Talk to you later,” he turned to leave.

“Sure thing,” Jack replied with a nervous little laugh.

The professor stomped back up the stairs. Is he bullshitting me? He thought to himself. Maybe it’s one of the female teachers and he’s trying to get a date.

Good luck, he’ll need it. He chuckled and let himself into his office.

He went to get on the computer and check emails.

I think I’ll go down there at lunch to get something to go. See who he is really talking to. Maybe ‘ol Jack will want some dating advice. He laughed again to himself.

Robert scrolled through his messages and stopped. There was one from Cutie Pie.

What? He had told her to never email him. That was their rule. What the fuck?

‘Dear, Professor Shi. Just a note to tell you I cannot make it this next Thursday. Something has come up. Kiss, kamshamnida‘

He could feel his blood pressure rising again. Yanking the middle drawer open, he pulled out the burner phone and called Alice. There was no answer. He let it ring and ring. Nothing. He almost threw it across the room. Controlling himself, he placed it back in the drawer and closed it softly.

“Son of a bitch,” he said to the air, teeth grinding.

At noon time, he buttoned up his office again and stomped down the stairs to the student cafeteria. He ordered a to-go and waited impatiently. He kept looking around to see if he could see Jack, but there was nothing but a sea of student faces. He grabbed his tray and took it outside to get some air.

The noise and racket these students made. Unbelievable. He bolted his food and got up to leave. Just as he was about to walk out of the patio area, he saw Jack with a younger, newer teacher in tow. The teacher was a male.

Onward Christian soldiers, Robert thought with a little sneer and went to take a walk.

Somehow, after twenty minutes of walking, his path led him by the student bookstore.

I won’t go in, he thought, that wouldn’t be smart. Wouldn’t look good. Just walk by.

He was almost by the store when he noticed a couple in a little alcove out to the front of the store. They were smoking. The girl looked familiar, but her back was turned to him. She was laughing and talking to another young student, a boy.  Bob slowed down his pace. He couldn’t quite tell.

Then the girl turned her head to blow out some smoke.

Shit! It was Alice. Talking and carrying on with some asshole. Damn it to hell! He had an almost uncontrollable impulse to go over and interrupt them. He had to physically stop himself and breath in and out several times.

Finally, he didn’t want her to see him, he turned and went back the other way.

“That fucking bitch,” he mumbled to himself over and over again. “That fucking bitch!” He was so furious he kept walking just to get himself to calm down. Only when he felt like he was in control did he return to the office.

                                                                        ###

Continued Part IV