Jace: If I do that, you’ll go out with me on Friday?
Me: First of all, we’ve already passed the class signup date. Second, I’m not doing ANYTHING with you until you delete our Tinder messages.
Me: If you ever want a shot, you’ll do this for me.
Jace: Isn’t destroying evidence illegal? I wonder if we know anyone we can ask. Someone who’s an expert.
Me: Nothing we’re doing is illegal. Just against school policy.
Jace: Send me a more scandalous photo and I’ll delete our thread right now. But it has to be good. I don’t want to see a stitch of clothing on you.
Jace: I’ll reciprocate, too. I’ve got one I’ve been waiting to send you.
Ohh, once more it was tempting. I’d pulled up his bathroom photo several times this morning alone.
But my better sense was wide awake and screaming at me to stop this.
Me: Prove that you’ve deleted our messages, and then I’ll send another photo. Not before.
Jace: I’ll think about it while I’m in class, fantasizing about my professor.
Jace: Gotta go. See you there. I hope you’re wearing a skirt again. Your ass is mesmerizing in a skirt.
His refusal to do this one thing for me was beginning to annoy me. I wasn’t asking for a lot. And my request was pragmatic, all things considered.
Jace was smiling at me from the moment he walked into class that morning. It was distracting… but I still got a sexy tingle up my spine from the attention. And part of me was disappointedthat he didn’t leave a present on my desk, even if it was something as boring as a can of tuna.
After class, Jace made a phone call and immediately hurried out of the room. That made me sad, because I was looking forward to hearing what he would say to me, but it was probably for the best.
Another student approached me, though. “Professor? Got a second?”
It was the bartender from last week. Brock something. “How can I help you?”
“I have a question about one of the review questions we went over in class.” He put his notebook down on the edge of my desk and pointed. “What about this scenario? Would it be elevated to aggravated assault, or no?”
I read the page, then shook my head. “It has to be the use or display of adeadlyweapon. The next chapter will go over it in more detail, but there’s precedent that merely having a baseball bat within sight isn’t enough. It would only be simple assault.”
Brock nodded along. “That’s what I thought. Thanks.”
He picked up his notebook and started to leave.
“Hey, can I ask you something?” I said.
He turned around. “Sure, I guess?”
I waited a few seconds for the last student to leave class so that we were alone. Even still, I lowered my voice just to be safe. “You understand the situation between me and Jace. Right?”
“I do,” he said carefully. “He showed me the texts.”
“Do you know if he deleted them?”
“Sorry, but we’re not really friends,” Brock replied. “We’ve studied together twice since the semester began, but we don’t talk about personal stuff.”
“Ah. Okay. Thanks.”
Brock lingered a moment. “If you’re asking because you’re worried… I wouldn’t be. I don’t know him very well, but Jace seems like a good guy. He wouldn’t show anyone the texts.”
“He showed them to you, someone he’s never met,” I pointed out.
