Chapter 4 - Theo

BAM!

I slam my hand down on the conference room table and slowly stand up from my seat, while I glare at the department heads sitting around the table.  I have had enough. 

With my blood boiling and steam coming out my ears, I hiss, “I said that we have to keep these meetings to a two-hour limit.  I wasn’t joking.  I have been here for several months now and this isn’t anything new.  You have had enough time to be able to adjust to my request.  Wait.  Not request.  It is a demand, which I expect everyone to be able to accomplish.”

I point to the clock on the wall.  “LOOK AT THE TIME!  We have been in here for two hours, and we aren’t even halfway through all the departments.  I have stated many times that all budget requests must be provided to me prior to the meetings.”

BAM!

I slam my hand down on the table again. 

This is it.  They have to realize that I’m not joking.

Once again, I glare at each person sitting around the table.  “Since you can’t follow instructions, I have the right to deny any request, regardless of time constraint, that wasn’t provided to me prior to this meeting.”

I grab a small stack of documents on the table in front of me.  One by one I call off each department head that provided the documents as requested and I provide my verdict on whether the request is approved or denied. 

When I’m done with that, I announce, “All other requests are denied!”

Before anyone can ask me any questions, I grab my stuff from the table and march out of the conference room. 

UGH!!!!  Why can’t grown adults follow directions?!

Fai sighs when I enter the hallway.

Still frustrated, my pounding footsteps echo down the hall as I turn and march back to my office for another meeting that I can’t miss.  I ignore the students and staff, who bolt out of my way. 

Well, I have been here long enough that everyone, except for the department heads that were in the meeting, can tell when not to push me, and now is one of those times.  I’m sure that the steam rolling out of my ears and the scowl on my face probably isn’t helping either. 

Without saying anything, I hold my hand out.  Fai immediately puts an apple on my palm.

As if I’m trying to bite someone’s head off, I chomp hard into the apple.  However, Fai doesn’t say anything.  Instead, she clears her throat and chimes, “Your next appointment hasn’t arrived yet, but I’m sure that she will be here soon.  I have told the others to have her wait in the lobby if she gets there before we return.”

I nod my head as I chomp hard again into the apple.  I would feel better if I could go for a run, but I’ll have to wait until later.  No matter how mad I am, I can’t let my wolf out on campus. 

Fai continues, “That is the final meeting for the day.  However, don’t forget that your meetings start first thing in the morning at 8am.  Some of the board is coming to talk to you.”  She goes to say something, but she stops herself. 

Normally, I try to keep my professionalism, but today, I’m mad.  I don’t care about being professional or not.  I just need to get the information that I need, and I need it right now. 

I use my powers and look into Fai’s mind and sigh.  She is having some problems at home and needs to leave work early.  Why didn’t she just ask?

As we walk out of the building and head down the sidewalk towards the administrative building, I calmly say, “Thanks for putting up with me.  As a reward, why don’t you head home when we get back to my office.  You have been putting in a lot of extra hours.  You need some time off to relax.”

I keep my eyes looking forward while I take another bite out of my apple.  However, this time, I don’t chomp down on it like I’m trying to rip it to shreds.

Fai smiles and chimes, “Thank you so much Dean Hanson.  You have no idea how much I need a little relaxation.”

Oh, but I do know.  However, I’m never going to let you know that.

The rest of the way back to my office, Fai goes over my schedule for the next few days.  I tell her to change a couple meetings, but we get through everything by the time we reach my office. 

Why can’t the department meetings go this smoothly?  Oh, yeah.  They don’t want to follow my rules.  Well, they are going to have to learn to do things my way, or they just won’t get the things that they want.  It is that simple.

Luckily, the woman for my next meeting isn’t here yet.  Well, I don’t know if it is luck or someone deciding to have mercy on me.  I don’t think that I could put on any kind of smile right now.  I have cooled down some, but I’m still irritated. 

However, my irritation suddenly melts away as my eyes land on a food container is sitting in the middle of my desk.  It is almost like the person knows that my apple for lunch just isn’t enough.

As I walk around the corner of my desk, Fai chimes, “Oh, another lunchbox.  Just what you need.”

With my eyes still on the container and a slight curve to the corner of my lips, I ask, “Do you know who keeps dropping off these lunchboxes?  I would love to thank her and tell her that her cooking is amazing.”

Fai shakes her head.  “No.  I have no idea.  I don’t believe that it was in here when I left to go get you from your meeting.  Someone must have put it here while I was getting you.”

It bugs me knowing that I can’t thank the woman, but I’m sure that sooner or later the person will come forward.  The one thing that I don’t want to happen is for the food to stop coming.  It is some of the best food that I’ve ever had. 

I put my papers from the previous meeting on the corner of my desk, and as I sit down, I can’t help but to lick my lips.  I wonder what she has fixed for me today.

As I’m lost in my own thoughts, Fai chimes, “I’ll go get you something to drink before I leave for the day.  I’ll also tell the others to make sure to make your next appointment wait until you are finished with your food.”

With me drooling from the tantalizing smells coming from the lunchbox, I don’t say anything and simply nod my head while I, once again, lick my lips. 

My heart begins to race as I slowly reach out and lift the lid off the box.  Oh, it looks amazing. 

I put my hands around the box and slide it closer to me. 

It is still warm.  She has just been here.  I really need to find out who she is. 

***

Ugh.  I’m running late.  I don’t even have enough time to go out and get breakfast.  I know that, later, I’m going to regret skipping breakfast.

I dash up the stairs towards my office.  I have an 8am meeting, and I have been planning on coming in at 7am to prep for it.  However, it is now 7:45am, and I’m just getting to my office.  I’m so screwed.  I keep lecturing the staff about being prepared and look at me now.  I’m the one that isn’t prepared properly. 

As I continue up the stairs, a tall boy with short dark brown hair is walking down.  He pauses for a moment and flashes a smile at me, as he chimes, “Good morning, Dean Hanson.”

I almost miss the next step.  His smile is so radiant.  Even his eyes seem to sparkle.

I slow down for a bit and reply, “Good morning.”  I don’t know the boy’s name, but his face seems familiar.  What am I saying?  All the students look familiar because they are all on campus, but this boy is something else.  Have I seen this boy before but somewhere else?

I glance down at my watch and remember about my meeting.  I can’t be late. 

Without saying anything else, I bolt back up the stairs and head to my office.  As I approach Fai’s desk, she scolds, “You are late.”

I sigh and as I walk past her, I reply, “Yeah.  I know.  I kept having this weird dream last night and I couldn’t sleep.  Then when I finally did fell asleep, I overslept.  Shoot.  I didn’t even hear my alarm going off.”

This is one of the reasons why I need to let my wolf out and run this weekend.  Being in the human world is making me go crazy and only my wolf can get me back into touch with myself. 

As I walk into my office, my mouth instantly falls open.  My eyes are stuck on another box on my desk, but by the smell of it, it has some sort of breakfast meal inside. 

Yes!  She can read minds!  Wait.  Only our pack can read minds, plus I know whoever she is that she is human.  I don’t pick up any werewolf scent in my office.  If one of our pack members is coming here, Wyatt would have told me about her and got my approval before he ever would have sent her here. 

No.  This is definitely a human.

However, I don’t care.  I need to eat really quickly before the board members show up.  One thing for sure, I’m going to find out who this person is that keeps giving me food.  They already have my admiration for making such delicious food for me, especially on the days when I really need it. 

***

Tyler stands in the stairwell and stares up the staircase where Dean Hanson was running.  Tyler still doesn’t understand why he is doing this.  He should be studying.  Well, he is studying, but he also takes time to fix the Dean food too.  Even if Tyler doesn’t have much extra money, he still fixes the Dean food all the time. 

If it wasn’t for Tyler’s good friend working in the Dean’s office, Tyler wouldn’t have been able to do this.  She helps him to get into the Dean’s office without being noticed, and she also retrieves the empty lunchboxes. 

The smile is still on Tyler’s face while his heart, for some reason, beats wildly.  Another mystery is why Tyler can’t stop staring at the empty stairwell, where he has silently watched as Dean Hanson runs up the stairs.  Even in the dark blue business suit, the Dean looks handsome.

Tyler still doesn’t understand it though.  The moment that his friend, Mint, is complaining to Tyler that the Dean isn’t eating, Tyler finds himself thinking back to that night in the restaurant when the Dean told Noah and Tyler that the Dean’s wife and son had passed.  Without even questioning it, Tyler starts cooking extra and making lunchboxes for the Dean. 

Mint can’t cook to save her life, and she is grateful to Tyler that the Dean is getting something decent to eat. 

Tyler never once mentions the fact that he ran into the Dean at a restaurant near the campus, or that Tyler knows that the Dean doesn’t cook for himself at all.  Instead, Tyler enjoys the fact that the Dean is eating something decent for once. 

Tyler only wishes that he can stay and see the Dean’s face while he is eating Tyler’s food.  Maybe one day, Tyler will be lucky enough to watch the Dean eat Tyler’s food.  Tyler hopes that the Dean likes it.