Page 58 of Fight for You (Flirting with Forever 2)

Yes. Somehow, within a twenty-mile radius, there is someone out there who is as nerdy about Sherlock as I am. Prof.M. stands for Professor Moriarty, who, in the stories, is Sherlock’s archenemy. I didn’t let that fact stop me—I’d been a little unsure at first, but my curiosity outweighed my fear. It became clear from our very first interaction that he was someone I needed to know better.

I sneak a peek down at my phone while my friends are still gabbing about Hadleigh and her new boyfriend, Sawyer.

Prof.M. to Sherlock4Love: You realize there are more than seventy-five actors who have portrayed Sherlock, right?

Prof.M. to Sherlock4Love: And you want me to narrow that down to my favorite?

Prof.M. to Sherlock4Love: Okay. I’m going to have to go with Cumberbatch, then.

I smirk. Of course he’d choose Benedict Cumberbatch. Based on our earlier conversations, he seems to like anything that’s new and shiny. Me? I prefer the classics—gotta be at least twenty-five years since filming. When we’d first messaged back and forth, he’d asked me if I preferred the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories or the movies. Well, duh. I’m an English teacher, so of course I prefer the books. Not that he knows that I’m an English teacher—we haven’t gotten quite that far yet, and at the moment, I’m more comfortable keeping an air of anonymity.

What cracks me up the most is here I am, all flustered and excited about our messages, and they aren’t even remotely personal. They’re nowhere near sexy or provocative. Just a whole lot of Sherlock talk, so far. Maybe it should be a clue to me that this isn’t going anywhere.

Except—I guess it shouldn’t surprise me—intellectual talk about my favorite topic actually turns me the hell on. Deep breaths. And now I can’t help but think about what the guy looks like. My mind goes haywire, envisioning a ruggedly masculine face, hard pecs, muscled shoulders and arms, abs to die for, and a cock that just won’t quit. I make a little noise at the back of my throat which I don’t quite manage to conceal. Shit.

Sophia, always hyperaware of everything going on in our group—our resident mother hen—raises one perfectly arched eyebrow at me. “Piper, who the heck is texting you?”

“You’ve been off in your own world for the last five minutes.” Zoey nudges me with a frown. I can tell she’s got her guidance counselor focus trained on me, and it makes me squirm.

With an embarrassed shrug, I set my phone face down on the table in front of me. “Sorry. It’s just a friend I’ve been keeping in touch with.” I scramble to pick up my coffee cup and take a sip, casting my eyes downward.

I can sense everyone’s attention on me. I have no idea if they bought that or not. I haven’t had the nerve to tell anyone else yet that I’m on Tryst. Is online dating even still the “cool” thing to do? I have no idea. I’m at the end of the road, though. The end of my rope, even. Desperately seeking some sort of connection.

“So, what’s going on with the department chair selection?” Madison, our resident librarian, gives me a curious look. “I don’t even understand how the whole department chair thing works since I don’t technically have a department to belong to.”

“I guess Jake just has to put a name forward as his suggestion.” I bite my lip and shrug as I stare at the trace of lipstick I’d left on the rim of my mug, running my thumb over it and wiping it away. “I think he said he was expected to submit the name by the end of this quarter.”

Quinn cocks her head to the side. “But surely there’s stuff that you can do to maybe … sway his opinion?” She snorts. “Gotta say, I’m kind of glad Heath isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. I’m perfectly happy to let him lead the science department. Aren’t you, Sophia?”

She grins big. “Well, yeah. And I have our wedding to plan, so he needs to keep bringing in that little bit of extra money.”

I take another sip of my coffee and my eyes flick around the group. “I guess I’m just going to do my job the best I can, and do anything Jake asks of me to the best of my ability, you know?” I shake my head. “I just never dreamed that I’d end up having to fight for it.”

Madison blows out a breath as she covers my hand with hers on the table. “And no one is bringing up the elephant in the room.”

“Since when is Damon an elephant?” Hadleigh giggles. “He’s more like a stud. A very sexy stud.”

“That man is like a force of nature.” Quinn eyes me carefully. “He definitely knows what he wants and goes after it.” Her lips tug up on one side in a grimace. “I hope he doesn’t railroad you out of the position.”

Zoey winces at the idea. “How well do you get along? I mean, your schedules are identical—you must spend your lunch and planning period together almost every single day.”

“Meh. He likes to argue.” I shake my head with a pained groan. “And he thinks he’s always right. Always knows the best course of action to take. Always knows how to fix a problem. It’s kind of frustrating most of the time.”

Sophia taps her chin with her fingertip, smiling. “You know that’s because you think you’re right.”

I wave my hands in exasperation. “Hello? That’s because I am. He’s one of those ridiculous alpha males who refuses to believe any way but their way might be right.”

Hadleigh looks to be on the verge of laughter. “Well, personally, I don’t know how you do it. I try not to look at him while I’m in the workroom with him.”

My brow furrows. “What? Why not?”

She giggle-snorts. “I’m afraid I’ll get pregnant. He seems … virile.”

I roll my eyes. “Ugh, stop. He’s such a pain in my ass right now.”

“Well, if there’s anything we can do to help you, let us know.” Sophia shrugs her slim shoulders.

Quinn sets down her coffee mug with a thump. “Well, I can’t wait to see how this all plays out.”

---