I sigh and lean back in my chair, pinching the bridge of my nose. “A little.”
“You should go out tonight. Get some head to take the edge off. I know you could use the release.”
This is why Crista is one of my only friends. She pulls no punches and never censors her words.
She continues. “When was the last time you went to Mask?”
“It’s been… months.”
“I can tell.” She chuckles when I glare at her. “You’re more of a dick than you usually are. You have your students walking on eggshells. And I heard you made someone cry two days ago. Fuck’s sake, Mad. You gotta get laid. Or at least have someone on his knees so you don’t get fired.”
“I’m a tenured professor,” I deadpan.
She scoffs and pushes off the desk. “Mika and I will be at Mask tonight.” Mika’s her girlfriend. “Come hang out with us.”
“No.”
“So you’re going to be a grumpy Gus until you get your dick wet? I don’t think even your tenured position will save you from firing if you keep biting people’s heads off.”
“Sure it will.” I’m being sullen and I know it, but she’s annoying me. I don’t like that she’s calling me on my shit.
Crista peers around at my office, shakes her head, and gives me a knowing look before leaving.
When she’s gone, I take a good look at my desk. It’s a fucking mess. I never had to tell Thomas to keep it clean—he just automatically did it. Now that he’s gone, my workload is piling up.
Another professor tasked his TA to find someone for me, since I chased everyone else away. And he succeeded, though I’m not sure how long this one will last.
Luca Archer.
I’m sure he’s as incompetent as all the others.
Dylan, Professor Quinton’s TA, should be telling my prospective TA—I glance at my watch—right now that he’ll be starting next week.
He needs to know what to expect when he gets here so he doesn’t fuck up and piss me off.
Pushing back from my desk, I head out of my office and straight to the quad. Apparently, that’s where this Luca usually eats, unless he’s in the library studying.
Several students see me coming and move out of my way, one squeaking and actually breaking out into a run.
Okay, I’m notthatbad.
Dylan told me a lot about Luca, probably just word vomit since he looked scared shitless of me.
From what he said, Luca is organized to an almost anal degree, quiet, and likes to keep his head down. If he’s anything like Thomas, he’ll work out fine. Though Thomas packed shit away where only he could find it and I had to track him down several times to locate things.
Fuck, I really just want a competent TA.
When I get outside, I see Dylan standing from a blanket where a small, brown-haired boy still sits.
Dylan meets my gaze and blanches before he turns and walks in the opposite direction.
I look back at the student still sitting on the blanket. He looks… fragile. Like the slightest breeze will break him.
Jesus, but he’s fucking perfect. Soft, fuckinginnocent.
Even from here, I can see his large, guileless brown eyes and how his teeth are worrying his plump bottom lip. There’s a blush high on his cheeks and something inside me growls. Did Dylan make him blush? What did he say to him to make him look so… off-kilter? I don’t even know this kid, but I don’t fucking like that he might be upset.
I feel a pull I can’t describe to the small man I don’t even know. Without my permission, my feet take step after step towards him, intent on claiming what’s mine. He is?—
