Page 38 of Tenure

I shiver, the undercurrent in his voice causing my lower belly to flip-flop some more.

“You’re showering at home, right? At your house?” he asks suddenly, his voice a little sharp.

“Yes?”

“I’m on my way. I’ll be there in an hour or so. Rush hour.”

My mouth drops open, completely taken aback. “Why are you on your way, exactly?” I ask, my voice very small.

“I’m taking you out for dinner.”

“Why?” I’m fully squeaking now.

“Because you earned it, babygirl. I’ll see you in an hour.” And then he hangs up.

I hurry to find clean clothes—anyclean clothes—that might be suitable for an actual date with Mister Hugo Boss.Shit.

I take a deep breath, pick up my phone, and dial again. SJ picks up on the first ring.

“I’m not talking to you,” she sniffs.

“SJ, this is an emergency.”

She sighs. “A ‘I only got ninety-nine percent on my math test’ emergency? Or a ‘Connor kissed me and now I think I’m a lesbian’ emergency?”

“The professor is on his way here to take me out for dinner, and I have nothing to wear emergency.”

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

31

James

I meant to cool my jets. I meant to go home, have a shower, and try not to think about the images of herblowing my goddamn mindin that bathroom that had been burned into my retinas. But by the time I’d finished my shower, I’d already decided to make the drive. I was hard again before I’d even dried myself off.

The idea of taking her out on a date makes me a bit nervous, if only because I’m ignoring an awful lot of faculty rules and possibly a couple of laws. But the reality is that if she’s a senior in high school—fuck, am I really justifying this right now?—she can’t be more than a few months away from eighteen, and it’s not like the rest of the staff aren’t all fucking their students. Not high school ones, but . . .

I’d honestly assumed she’d tellsomeoneabout us,given the whole accidental deflowering situation. I know she’s a smart girl and assumed she’d use some discretion, so I didn’t feel like it was necessary to tell her to keep quiet about it. But the fact that she’d asked me what she should say to her friend had shockedthe shit out of me. I don’t think she planned to tell anyone about usat all, and I find my affection for her growing as rapidly as my respect.

I’m here

Just need 5 more mins

I want to see you now

10 mins then

KIERNAN

5 mins xo

Hurry up

Stop fucking texting me then

I grimace at my phone.She’s such a shit.

She’s really nothing like the sort of women I normally sleep with. The only thing they have in common is that they’re all smart. But most of them have been close to my age, some older, often academics, and almost always a little bit pretentious. Gerald, my lawyer and sometimes-friend, told me I should have been born French. That I’d have loved sophisticated French women. Why this teenagedbitchwith a trucker mouth has me on my knees, I have no fucking idea.

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