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We moved the books in silence. I placed the last pile put on the table beside the printer and straightened up. I turned and gasped. Professor Jefferies was right behind me.
“Sorry.” He reached past me and slipped a book onto the table at my rear.
“It’s fine, I think we’re done,” I said and stepped aside. “Is there anything else you need me for?”
“No, that’s all. You’ve saved my neck. Let me take you for a drink to thank you.”
I tried not to recoil too visibly. “Oh, no, it’s absolutely fine. I don’t need thanks.”
“I insist,” Professor Jefferies said and followed me to the table where I’d put my bag. I wasn’t going to sit there now. It was too close to the printer where he was working.
“I couldn’t possibly. I didn’t do it for special treatment or anything.”
“I know. That’s not why I’m offering. Come on, Eve. You’re a big girl now, you don’t need to worry about having a drink with a professor. Everyone does it. It’s what grown-ups do.”
What the hell did that mean?
“It’s fine, really. I have work to do. I’m surprised you don’t have a TA to do this copying for you,” I added when Jefferies just stared at me. He was a man not used to hearing no, clearly. It had broken his brain.
“I haven’t found someone suitable for the role as of yet,” he said curtly and tilted his head to the side. “How about that drink after you’re done studying, in that case?”
“She’s trying to tell you, very politely, that she’s not interested, Professor.”Beckett.
His deep voice wound around me, comforting me like nothing else could.
Professor Jefferies flinched and spun around to see who had spoken. Beckett detached himself from the wall beside the elevators and approached us. He towered over Jefferies.
“The truth is, she has a serious boyfriend.”
“You do?” Jefferies peered at me. “Who?”
“Me,” Beckett immediately supplied.
“I didn’t know,” Jefferies continued. He cast an assessing glance over both of us.
“And if you did? Would that have suddenly made it appropriate for a teacher in his thirties to be pressuring his nineteen-year-old student to have a drink with him?” Beckett’s tone was full of the youthful confidence of the truly rich. He didn’t give a fuck what Jefferies thought of him.
I’d never felt that free.
Silence fell at his question. Tension filled the air until I could barely breathe.
“It’s fine. It’s just a misunderstanding, that’s all,” I murmured, trying to smooth things over. This was our professor, and while I didn’t like him at all, I didn’t want us to fail the class. I gave Beckett a subtle look, trying to communicate that much with just my eyes.
“Yeah, must be,” Beckett said slowly. “My mistake.”
Professor Jefferies watched us, a speculative look in his eyes.
“Well, if that’s all, we need to get to work,” I said and took Beckett’s hand.
He immediately threaded his fingers through mine.
“I’d say that’s all, wouldn’t you, Professor?” Beckett’s voice was maddeningly arrogant.
Professor Jefferies just stepped back and held out a hand, gesturing for us to go first.
We headed upstairs one floor, Jefferies’ eyes on us the entire way.
“That dude is a creep,” Beckett muttered as soon as we were out of earshot.
