Page 2 of After Class

He was sitting at one of the few tall round tables in the place, chin resting on his fist. He looked like someone had picked him up out of a library and plopped him into a bar. He had tousled dark blonde hair, with a slim build and cheekbones sharp enough to cut a girl. Damn. Thin silver glasses sat on his nose, and he was . . . actually reading a book?

In a bar?

The liquor was giving me courage, and with a deep breath I sidled over.

"Hi," I said, trying to seem casual and confident. He glanced up at me in surprise, as if he had forgotten that he was actually in a public place.

"Hello," he said, with the slightest hint of a smile around his perfect lips. Oh god. The liquor was making me horny too.

"Are you really reading Marquis de Sade?" I said, nodding at the book in his hands,Philosophy in the Bedroom.He laughed, looking at the book as if a little embarrassed.

"Yeah, ahh," he shrugged. "Classes start tomorrow. I have to study up. You're familiar with de Sade?"

"I've read some of his short fiction," I said. "He's one seriously twisted fuck."

That got him to laugh. I liked the way his eyes lit up when he did. He was nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I still haven't quite been able to get through120 Days of Sodom. Just so disturbing. But I find libertine philosophy, over all, to be pretty interesting-"

"Heeeeyyyy, giiiiirl!" Maya suddenly wrapped herself around me, hugging me way too tightly. Wow, she was drunk. She still had hunky-boy with her too. She motioned to him, "This is Rich, by the way. Oooh, andhello, who is this?"

"Adrian," he said, extending his hand to her. She looked confused, so he said his name again, louder this time. I don't think it actually did any good, because she called him Caitlyn for the rest of the night.

"Come on, we need more drinks," she said, tugging at me before her man-hunk shoved his way up to the bar. I really did not think I needed another drink. She definitely didn't need one. I looked back at Adrian a little helplessly.

"Do you want a drink?" I said.

He got up from his seat, tucking the book under his arm. "Shouldn't I be asking you that? I'll buy."

Maya was downing some pink thing with a cherry in it. Man-hunk was asking her if she could tie a knot in a cherry stem with her tongue. Now that he was standing, I realized how tall this Adrian guy was. He wasn't muscular, but he was well-built, slim and long. Like a pianist, or a painter, or something romantic like that. God. I really didn't need another drink.

"I'll get an Old Fashioned," Adrian said, before turning to me. "What would you like?"

"Oh, same thing you're having." I was slurring. Dammit. He frowned.

"Are you sure?"

I wasn't. But I said I was.

My ability to form short term memories for the rest of the night was awful. I remember a lot of 80's songs playing. I remember discovering that Old Fashioned's tasted awful, so Adrian finished mine for me. I had some vague recollection of grinding on him to Def Leppard'sPour Some Sugar On Me.

Then we were on the sidewalk. My heels were in my hand because my feet hurt like hell and I was telling Adrian that I could just walk back to my apartment because it was only two blocks. Maya had gotten an Uber with man-hunk, but it didn't matter because I knew this city like the back of my hand and I could walk two blocks at 1 in the morning no problem.

Adrian got an Uber. "I'm not letting you out of my sight," he said, helping me get into the car without hitting my head.

"Good, I'm not lettingyouout of my sight," I said. I wasn't really sure how loud I was speaking. Adrian had this amused little smile on his face, but I still felt as if I should apologize. I hiccupped. "Sorry. Sorry, Adrian."

He looked genuinely concerned. "Why?"

I bent over in the seat. I considered vomiting but decided that wasn't a good idea. "I'm just so drunk," I muttered.

I heard him laugh. That made me happy. "I know. Don't worry about it."

By the time we had reached my apartment, I knew exactly what I wanted. "You're coming up, right?" I said, as the car pulled to the sidewalk. He shook his head quickly.

"That's not a good idea," he said, but he sounded as if he regretted saying it. "You're too drunk."

I frowned and shoved him gently. "I'm not. Come on. Come up. You have to at least see me to my apartment right?"

Adrian considered a moment. His eyes – dark, chocolate-y brown – were suddenly hard when they met mine. Almost . . . scary.

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