Page 36 of Beauty's Monstrous Demons

“Why are you staying in the student dorms?” I hear another professor ask.

My gaze stays on Reginald as I listen, finding that Bast Dalca is discussing his current home.

“There’s not enough housing,” he sighs. “It’s a trial that I’m forcing myself to endure until they can rebuild what burned down.”

Cry me a river.I’ll agree that I’m just as concerned about the housing issues, but I’ve fixed it by moving Lorelei and Samael into my home.

“That’s too bad,” the other teacher mutters. “You’re taking it so well though.”

Bast Dalca is a drama king, and this is a performance. I wouldn’t trust him as far as I can throw him. If he chooses this moment to drag Lorelei through the mud, I will show him the profound wisdom of keeping his mouth shut.

Thankfully, Bast simply nods mournfully but doesn’t say another word at the exact time that Reginald moves away from the male he’s been speaking with.

“Hello, Reginald,” I say smoothly. “Am I keeping you from leaving?”

“No, no,” he says with a warm smile. “I do need a refill though. You’re welcome to keep me company.”

“Thank you,” I murmur, walking with him to the bar. “I’m Professor Phenex Gorsch. I teach foundations in civilization as well as violent moments in history at the university.”

“Oh, they gave you the good stuff,” he teases with a nod. “Do you often blow the minds of our youth?”

Grinning, I state that I do and we chat back and forth. He’s witty and definitely enjoys historical events and humor. It’s not a trial to speak to him, the way it sometimes can be with certain benefactors.

“So, what is the state of the history buildings, hmm?” he asks, bemused. He knows why he’s here at least.

“I was walking with a student earlier this week and she gagged in the hallway due to the smell,” I say honestly. “While other parts of the university have received well needed updates and attention, the history section has languished.”

“Poor student,” he says, striking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “I’ll discuss with President Christa about what’s needed to get those buildings up to snuff. What do you enjoy most about them?”

“They’re built of stone, and have a Romanesque feel,” I explain. “The lighting needs to be updated, but wall sconces would help to keep the right ambiance for the building.”

“Oh, yes. I like that,” he murmurs. “I’m part of a few organizations that would enjoy pitching in to make this happen. Let me go speak with her.”

“Thank you,” I call after him as he hurries to the president to discuss the renovations.

“If only everything could be that easy,” Bast mutters, coming up beside me to grab a bottle of water.

I’ve noticed that he hasn’t had a drink outside of water this entire time. There’s nothing wrong with it, but I’ve found that academia is flush with lushes.

“It can be,” I grunt, finding that I’ve almost finished my whiskey. Meh, my mission has been accomplished, and I’ll have burned off the alcohol by the time I get home.

“Not for everyone,” he says morosely.

Fuck, if he’s this much of a wet rag, I can only imagine what he’s like when he’s had a few drinks. Thank all of the gods for small mercies.

“Positive thinking and some elbow grease is how shit gets done,” I state, draining my glass.

It’s time to get home and finish Lorelei’s laundry. Maybe I’ll even get lucky and find some of my packages have arrived. Eventhough I only ordered today, some of the items had a turnaround within a few hours.

“God, you’re like a Mr. Roger’s commercial,” he grunts. “Who the fuck did you get laid by to be in such a good mood?”

Thinking about Lorelei makes me smirk, because we haven’t had sex yet. I’ve just been living on a steady diet of her sweet cream. I suppose that’s enough to put anyone into a positive mindset.

“Wouldn’t you like to know? You’re the moodiest bastard I know,” I say, shrugging as I put my glass down. There is a waiter, who I suspect is a student, walking around to pick up discarded glasses.

“It helps with my creative energy,” he says, shrugging.

Shaking my head, I leave him behind to say goodbye to my host and walk out into the night. Yes, I have much better things to do.

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