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Fury rose within Julian. He glanced around, watching the mingling professors who were oblivious to the confrontation brewing behind the fern that concealed them.
“Let me make this clear, since subtlety appears lost on you.” Julian trapped his anger behind gritted teeth, face inches from Travis. He wanted to grab the smug bastard by his blazer. “I have no interest in advising you. Threaten me again, and I’ll have you suspended before you can whine to the dean.” His eyes bored into Travis, flashing with barely-contained rage. “Understood?”
Travis blinked rapidly, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. Smoothing his blazer with a shaky hand, he said, “Well, perhaps we can revisit this discussion another time.”
Julian flared his nostrils before striding from the room without another word, rage still boiling through his veins. He stormed out of the reception room, the confrontation with Travis still ringing in his ears. As he turned into a deserted hallway, hurried footsteps sounded behind him.
“Bravo, Professor Everett,” Nate said, voice full of amusement. “I can’t wait to watch Act 2.”
Julian’s laugher concealed his agitation. “The little twerp had it coming. Although I may have been… harsher than necessary.”
“I’ve been hoping someone would take that arrogant prick down a notch. No one does righteous indignation quite like you.” Nate’s gaze swept over him as if he were just noticing Julian’s disheveled state. “Everything okay, Jules? You seem… on edge.”
“Just the usual faculty drama. Nothing I can’t handle.”
“I was hoping you’d come back from break a bit more… relaxed.” Grinning, Nate leaned in and added in a conspiratorial tone, “As both your department chair and friend, I’m ordering you to get laid. How long has it been? Six months?”
“Ten days,” Julian blurted out without thinking.
Nate’s eyes widened. “Whoa, wait a minute. Who’s the guy who put the spring in your spring break? Come on, give me some details!”
Julian folded his arms, cursing himself for the slip. “Can we talk about something else?”
“Suddenly, this is all I want to talk about.” Nate tapped his chin. “Okay, let’s see… Was it that barista at Java Hut who’s always flirting with you?”
“What barista?”
“How about that cute delivery guy? Did he have a special package for Professor Everett?” He snapped his finger. “Oooh, that silver fox professor from the economics department—”
“Who are these people?”
“How did you even pull this off?” Nate threw up his hands. “Trip and fall into the guy’s bed?”
“It was a bar.” Julian clamped his mouth shut.Stop. Talking.
“A bar?” Nate waggled his eyebrows. “Did you take a weekend trip to Atlanta without me? Jules, I’m hurt. Okay, no gay bars around here… Well, The Crimson Lantern, but only students go there. And creepy old farts.”
Julian tried to maintain a neutral expression, but a nerve in his jaw twitched.
Nate’s amusement evaporated as he pieced together the puzzle. “You didn’t… meet this guy at The Crimson Lantern, did you?” His eyes narrowed, searching Julian’s face for confirmation. “Tell me he wasn’t…?”
Weight settled in Julian’s stomach, the kind that came with being cornered. He attempted a neutral expression, but the walls of the hallway seemed to press in on him, making the room appear smaller. He swallowed, the action more difficult than usual, as he recalled the events at The Crimson Lantern.
“Don’t answer that.” Nate held up his hand. “Forget I asked. As your chair, I can’t know. Plausible deniability and all.” Nate’s voice dropped, taking on a grave tone. “If you’ve gotten involved with a student, everything you’ve tried to rebuild here could implode. Don’t bullshit me about you both being consenting adults. The administration won’t care.”
Julian blinked, fighting back the stinging in his eyes. “I understand. I do.” His voice was barely above a whisper. The words choked out. “Still, I can’t deny there’s a connection.”
Nate’s expression cooled with an icy intensity. “A connection? What the hell, Jules?” His voice fell to a hoarse whisper. “I put my reputation on the line to get you here. Now you’re going to hang me out to dry for some meaningless bang with a co-ed?”
“It wasn’t meaningless. Not for me, anyway. I have feelings for him.”
“Feelings.” Nate echoed, his voice dripping with disbelief. He stepped closer, the space between them charged with tension. “Who else knows about this?”
“No one.” Julian took a breath before adding, “Perhaps Travis, but he might be—”
“Travis? Go back in there right now!” Nate jabbed his finger at Julian’s chest. “Tell Travis you’ll chair his thesis and hope—no, get down on your knees and pray, Jules, this all goes away.”
Julian focused on his friend’s finger before wrapping his hand around it and pushing it away. “I’m not going to be blackmailed. I won’t compromise who I—”
