Tenure Track Read Online Free PDF Page B

she was also the first to inquire about the position, he offered it to her on the spot.
    They worked out a schedule whereby she would pick up instructions and drop off her research as it came in. He didn’t plan on seeing her often or closely supervising her work, as long as she was producing results. They walked downstairs so that he could show her the department copy room. Perry Waters, one of Lewis’s least-favorite colleagues, was standing next to Isobel’s desk, laughing over some unheard remark. Lewis introduced Mandy to Isobel so that the feisty department watchdog wouldn’t kick the undergrad out of the staff-only areas. The 68-year-old Isobel shook Mandy’s hand politely, while at the same time giving her a stern look above the lenses of her red-framed half-glasses, attached to a chain hanging around her neck. Isobel had been in this department for 43 years, longer than any faculty member, and planned to stay in her position until retirement or death. She made it clear to everyone who entered her domain that she was the alpha dog around Hammond. Not even Sheila Stevens messed with Isobel.
    “ Ever’body calls me Mandy,” Ms. Taylor clarified as she shook Isobel’s hand.
    Isobel nodded, then pretended to read some paperwork on her desk. Realizing that Lewis wasn’t going to bother introducing him, Perry stuck out his hand. “Perry Waters, nice to have you in the department,” he greeted in his most charming tone.
    Once they were out of earshot, Lewis advised the student in a muted voice, “Dr. Waters and Isobel are the department’s biggest gossips. Don’t ever tell them anything you don’t want broadcast on the six o’clock news.”
    Mandy laughed. “It always seems like there’s at least one in every office.”
    Shaking her hand outside of the building, the mentor in Lewis suddenly took control of his mouth. “No offense,” he told her, “but you might want to think about going by ‘Amanda’ instead of ‘Mandy.’ It sounds a bit more mature and professional.”
    “ I’ll keep that in mind,” she said in a friendly tone as she walked away.
    Inwardly, however, she was fuming. Asshole. Who does he think he is telling me what my name should be?

Chapter Three
    Two Families
     
    One year later, Jane Roardan would begin a new term by trying to interpret the recent history that had led from Lewis Burns hiring an assistant to his being accused of having an inappropriate relationship with that same student.
    After leaving Gary’s office, Jane resisted the urge to confront Lewis right away. Needing a little more time to determine her approach to such a delicate situation, she waited until she knew he was in class to phone his office. Upon hearing his cheerful-sounding voicemail greeting, she left a simple, direct request to meet with him at four o’clock the next afternoon. She adjusted her voice so as to imply the request was about something important, but not necessarily urgent. Driving home alone in her dark blue PT Cruiser, she continued to fret about whether she had used the appropriate inflection. She needed to bounce the problem off Mark. Her husband’s logical mathematician’s mind always helped her sort through difficult issues.
    She arrived home at about 6:30, feeling totally exhausted as she carefully maneuvered the car into its place beneath Mark’s old red, white and blue-painted Schwinn that hung from the ceiling hook like a welcome banner. He had ridden the bike home from campus about two hours earlier. Ever since the twins were in elementary school, her husband had arranged his teaching schedule so that he would arrive home before them. Even though the teens’ afternoons and evenings were now so filled with extracurricular activities that they rarely made it home before dinnertime, if not bedtime, Mark would always be there to greet whomever arrived first. There were no latchkey kids, or wives, in this family.
    Seeing the bike reminded her that Mark and Dennis had a Scout