Page 5 of Taming Grumpy Dr. Beast
Time had been of the essence. I needed this book for a class the department asked me to teach at the last minute. The small window of time I had to get it had passed, and now I was going to be late for an important meeting.
One, that if I missed, could result in me losing my most prized possession.
Forcing all thoughts of the mystery woman and her seductive voice out of my mind, I focused instead on my surroundings as I rushed outside. As I strode away from the library, the sounds of spring were all around me. The birds were far too cheery, and the paths in front of me wound around patches of grass, trees, and flowers. While I knew it was for the aesthetic appeal, I wondered for the millionth time why they couldn’t have just kept the walkway straight.
This side of campus housed most of the older, architecturally grand buildings, showcasing the three hundred years of history embedded in this impressive institution. That was what I loved. Old buildings, ancient texts, and manuscripts. It’s why I was involved in rare book acquisition for the university, in addition to my job teaching various literature classes.
The history of this campus was one reason I applied for a job here. That, and it was far enough away from my parents I didn’t have to worry about unexpected visits.
It was a bonus my father deemed my job beneath our family status. Long ago, I learned to do what I enjoyed and not what he desired for fear of disappointing him. I pursued my career in higher education not for the salary, but for my own personal satisfaction and love of the written word.
My watch buzzed like an asshole, reminding me what I already knew. If I didn’t get there quickly, the Chair of the Comparative Literature Department would leave, and I’d lose my last chance at negotiation. When we last spoke, I’d been able to get him and the rest of the committee to add into my contract the right to keep the book I needed restored. Now, I was bargaining to keep the rights to the translation.
That was why I was rushing in the archives to begin with. A student after my last class cornered me about an upcoming project and made me late. I tried to end the conversation and eventually just walked away when she wouldn’t take the hint. By then I’d lost the few minutes I needed to get to the archives without being late for my meeting.
My watch buzzed, this time indicating I had a call. Seeing it was one of my closest friends from college, Dean Prince, I answered it.
“Hey, man. I gotta make this quick. What’s up?” I asked, breaking out into a jog. Students immediately got out of my way. A few brave souls lifted their hand in greeting as I passed. I wasn’t oblivious to the fact that my gruffness put many of them off, but I wasn’t here to make friends.
“I’m calling to see if you’re free tonight.”
“I am.” I’d planned to call him to go out for a drink. His timing, as usual, was impeccable.
“I want to celebrate.” Dean’s normally calm voice was strong with emotion.
Fuck. I’d wanted to drink enough to forget this shitty day and the voice that haunted me.
“Ash and I are having a baby!” He continued when I didn’t say anything.
“You work fast, Prince.” He and Ash had gotten engaged last year in Paris and eloped a few months later in Canada at a private ceremony in an ice hotel. They had enough to celebrate. Now I had to endure a baby celebration, too? I already planned to attend their wedding reception in July, and I promised myself I’d be happy for them.
Not that I had any desire for the wedded bliss he was so enamored with. In my experience, women used you for what you could give them. Ashlyn might not be that way, but she was the exception, not the rule. “Congratulations! I might have something to celebrate too.”
Dean was going to be an amazing father. He had a perfect example in his own dad. A slight wave of bitterness hit me as I thought of my father.
He chuckled. “I can’t wait to hear about it. I have to go. I’m needed for another meeting.”
“Same. Text me the plans for tonight.”
Dean agreed, and we hung up.
Without Dean’s conversation distracting me, my thoughts turned back to the unknown woman. Contrary to my actions, I had no plans to leave her down there without help. No matter what she thought of me, I wasn’tthatawful. Most of the time, anyway.
There wasn’t anything else I could’ve done for her. A staff member needed to help get her out. Admittedly, I could have called up to the librarian and waited with her, but that would have made me later for this meeting than I already was. I had too much riding on it.
I needed to stop thinking of her and focus on my appointment. I had to convince the Chair of the Department, Ernest Nivens, that my offer was far more valuable than the translation of a rare text. I was the one who found the book. Unfortunately, I was an idiot and had mixed business with pleasure. I bargained with the university and gave a sizeable donation to keep the manuscript. At the time they only agreed because they were able to keep the rights of the translation.
Ownership of books or manuscripts were irrelevant when it came to translations. If the book didn’t have a deeper meaning for me I would’ve handed the whole damn thing over to them in the first place. I wanted to keep ownership of this particular translation, and that required further negotiation.
My fingers curled into my palm. I didn’t want Nivens to know that my reason for keeping this book was personal. If he did, there was no telling what he would ask of me. Most of the staff I worked with at the University over the last seven years were exemplary members of our community. Nivens was not one of them.
Arriving at his office, I rapped my knuckles against his doorframe instead of bursting in like I normally did. I had to play the part right to get what I wanted.
“Ah, Dr. Beast. So lovely of you tofinallyjoin me.” Sarcasm laced each word.
I gritted my teeth, holding back my less than appropriate retort. “I apologize for being late. It was unavoidable.” I’d learned early on from my father to treat people like Nivens as though they did not deserve an explanation for my behavior. A haughtiness that demanded respect.
I hated acting like this. Nivens knew who my family was, likely a reason for his open hostility towards me. He was enamored by money and hated that we had it and he didn’t.
