Page 48 of Whirlwind

Relief zips through me, but I’m still confused. “You were in the bathroom with her earlier.”

He rolls his eyes. “She may be upset at me for saying this, but I’m going to take the chance she’ll forgive me.”

“Forgive you for what?”

He taps a fingernail on the side of his beer bottle. “We weren’t canoodling in the bathroom. I was talking to her about her little man problem—or should I say, a big man problem.” Joey lifts his eyebrows and sips his beer, waiting for me to respond.

I think my mouth opens to say something, but I’m speechless—not only from the clear innuendo but because I didn’t think Finley would tell him about us, either.

“Oh, stop looking so shocked, Professor. I smelled you on her a mile away. Finley didn’t have to tell me shit.”

My forehead pinches in confusion. “Smelled me?”

Joey chuckles. “You’ve been acting like a jealous boyfriend all day. Hawk saw it, I saw it, I don’t know if Ezra did but probably. He’s too involved in his work to care, I think. Not that any of us care what you do with your dick, but you’ve been a dick because of said dick so…here we are.”

“I—” I attempt words but I’m still speechless. “I’m sorry.”

He waves me off. “You can apologize to me later. Let’s talk about you being a dick to Finley instead.”

I pause, unsure of what to say next. Finally, I get my vocal cords to work. “You’re really not pursuing her?”

“That’s what you want to say?”

“I thought—”

He tips the brim of his cowboy hat, his voice lower as he asks, “You know I’m bi, right?”

I blink at him. “No, why would I?”

“Wow, you are so blind. Blinder than I thought. I thought you would’ve realized orsomeonewould’ve told you by now. I also tend to prefer men.” The corner of his mouth turns up. “Men of the tall, dark, and smart variety.”

My eyes widen, and Joey cackles like a loon. “Not you, T-Daddy!”

Heads swivel toward us at Joey’s nickname, which he said very loudly. We’re in a small town practically in the middle of nowhere, where men usually don’t go around calling other men “daddy” like it’s their actual name—at least, not in public. Nor do they talk about their sexuality.

“Joey,” I warn, but he waves me off, clearly not caring. He does lower his voice again, though.

“Who or what I like doesn’t matter right now, but whatdoesmatter is that you like Finley, and you’re fucking it up.”

“There’s nothing to fuck up.” And that’s the truth. Finley and I agreed to befriends.

“You know, you wouldn’t be the first person to have a relationship with someone they quote-unquote ‘shouldn’t,’” he says near my ear. “I know what it’s like to feel like you have to hide, and that’s a shitty feeling. The good news is that you and Finley don’t have to. She’s an adult, and so are you. The professor stuff is bullshit. You can go to HR, quit your job, or take a year off. And I’m sure there are even more options that I’m not thinking of right now.” He pulls back from my ear and grins at me.

I grit my teeth. “You know everything that happened, then?”

“Like I said, I figured out most of it on my own since you practically pissed on her—”

“I did not—”

“You did, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is what you’re going to do now to fix things with Finley.”

I run my hand over my beard. Maybe I should feel awkward that both Hawk and Joey—and maybe even Ezra—know about Finley and I, but I have to admit it feels as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders now that the secret has been spoken.

“What are you going to do?” Joey pushes.

“I don’t think it’s as simple as you say. I don’t want shit to go south for her at school and around town when people start gossiping.”

Joey takes another sip of his beer. “So don’t let it,” he says, as if that’s the easiest thing in the world to do—and fuck, maybe it is.

---