Page 12 of Dream a Little Dream

He shook her hand. “Aaron.”

It was getting easier to utter the name. Unlike the rest of the population, whose parents provided them with their name and had to pretend they were grateful for it, he had no one to thank but himself. Running out of things to call him, having had to change it several times over the years, the authorities had let himchoose this one. He’d agreed to the first one on the alphabetised list.

“You smoke?” Mel asked.

“When I can.”

“Good.” They stood, their seats flopping back, and she slipped her arm into his. “We can go out together before we have to head to the seminar. I’m gasping!”

Looked as though he’d found a bff. Not a loner, after all.

Take that, Jervine.

They made their way out of the Lecture Theatre, through the airy corridor where students queued at various coffee machines or tuck shops to get their fill before the next class, to emerge outside over on the deck set out for the smokers and vapers.

“What did you think?” Mel asked, producing a vape as black as her hair.

Aaron pulled his pink one out.Kindred spirits, after all.“About what?”

“The lecture. You didn’t take any notes. You want me to send you mine?”

God, she was friendly. Why? Was it because they both wore the misfit vibe as though it were a badge of honour?

“S’okay,” Aaron said, gaze drifting to the opening doors where a crowd scurried out from the lecture theatre, Lyons amongst the horde.

Aaron’s heart leapt. Which was the only time he’d ever known it to do that and solved the conundrum he’d signed up for this course to solve in the first fucking place. He should leave right then. Job done.

Thank you, Dr Lyons, you have confirmed that I am human. Icanfeel.

But the human psyche wasn’t that simple.

Didn’theknow all about that?

The revolving doors opened again, and Kenny’s scent hit Aaron like a bullet. Cloying. Damn fucking masculine. On point. Like all the others following him out, Aaron nearly drifted after him unconsciously, feet elevating off the ground, caught in his siren spell.

Mel grounded him. “Absolute fucking morons.” She folded her arms, blowing out a vape. “As if they think getting in his pants will get them a first. Pretty sure it’s against policy, anyway.”

“What is?”

“Fucking your student. They’d fire him.”

Aaron snapped back to face her and wondered, for a smidgen, if maybe he’d just had his life made. One hedonistic choice in a bar could lead to him raking up the best damn degree result this university had ever seen. He’d get on the Master’s, PhD paid for, with his own private office and tenured. Keep his mouth shut, he could be on for an easy ride.

Experience told him an easy ride only came with consequences.

And he hadn’t come here for an easy ride. Nor a degree.

He’d come here for Dr Kenneth Lyons.

“Fancy a coffee?” Mel asked. “We got twenty minutes before the seminar.”

“Tea. Don’t drink coffee.” That earned a gasp. Seriously, every fucking time. Not everyone drank coffee. And he was aware he didn’t look like the average tea drinker. But coffee gave him a headache and tasted like the warmed up soil hiding dead bodies.

“Back in a mojo.” Off Mel skipped inside the building.

Breathing in other people’s cigarette smoke gave Aaron the usual rush of cravings his menthol vape wouldn’t quash. But the cost of a packet these days could feed him for a week. Anopportunity to get his fix presented itself when a couple over on a bench had an open pack between them.

“Mate, you got a spare?”

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