Page 80 of Bachelor

DAN STARED AT ME FROMbehind his desk, his thermos in one hand and his other hand flipping through the bylaws. I checked my watch, making sure I wasn’t running late to one of my last lectures before spring midterm week started next week. The entire spring semester was a blur. I couldn’t remember a time when my head was so off kilter.

And now I’d told my colleague everything, from the very moment it started that day I nearly knocked Whitney over in the hallway just outside his door.

Dan mulled over the conversation in silence for a moment. He traced the seam on the curve of his thermos with his thumb, then shrugged, the moment breaking me from my internal musings. “I knew about it.”

“How?”

His eyes met mine full of amusement. “The day you knocked her books out of her hands and came back into my office all bright and bushy tailed about it, I knew. I did try to warn you, you know.”

A shocked, disbelieving laugh left my throat. “What?”

“I told you she’d mow you over and take control.”

“You said that about my classes.”

“Well, also your life. And now look at you.” He smiled, laughing to himself. “In love. But it’s a good thing she switched out of your department last semester. I think you’re right. There’s nothing the university can do about this. So, you’re fine.”

“What do you know about her parents?”

Dan’s brows shot up. “Why?” He eyed me. Then the realization struck him. “Rhys, how serious is this?”

“It’s not just some fling, and I’m not going to put her through all of this mess with the administration and watch her get publicly raked over the coals by all of her peers to only get separated by her parents when they find out I’m not the heir to some fortune 100 company with a billionaire dollars in my bank account.”

Dan leaned back in his chair. “Does she know you’re feeling this way?”

“Of course not,” I replied tersely, letting the stress of it show clearly on my face. “Whitney wants to fix things with her parents. That’s clear. I don’t like it, not now that I understand how things really work around here and with these old money families, but she loves her parents and I know her reasons for staying with Christian were because of them.”

How much could she take? That was my biggest concern. I’d never ask her to choose between us if it came down to it, and then we’d be back where we were at the very beginning.

Separated by an ocean.

I closed my eyes for a moment and opened them to find Dan watching me with interest. “What is it, Dan? You think I’m insane, don’t you?”

“I think you actually care about her very much, and I’ve known Whitney for several years now. I’ve never met someone so accomplished and popular, yet so alone. I think her family would be lucky to have you in her life, and if they can’t see it, it’s their loss.”

“I can’t put her through losing her parents a second time.”

“Then don’t allow that to happen.” He gave me a knowing look, then reached into his desk and pulled out a small box full of business cards. “This is the person you need to talk to next. Shelly Tucci. She’s an HR assistant in the administration building. She’ll get the ball rolling.”

“How do you know all of this?”

“You’re not the first tenured professor to fall for a student and certainly won’t be the last. There was an incident a few years ago when I was teaching my first year here.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing here at Gatlington,” he said dismissively. “But he was a senior professor in my department and the student was studying for her doctorate, so I heard all about it.” He sighed heavily and tapped his fingers on his desk. “Her family wasn’t too keen on it. She got cut off entirely, and now he teaches at Yale and she’s a partner at a law firm. They have three kids and one on the way and two golden retrievers.”

His eyes met mine, and he shrugged, a ghost of a smile brushing over his lips as he continued. “They’re happy. Happy and fulfilled, but sacrifices are going to have to be made.”

***

ISAT ON THE STEPSleading up to the loft in Bill’s bookstore when Whitney came through the front door. I’d left it unlocked for her but had drawn the curtains and turned the open sign off. She smiled at me as she locked the door behind her and took off her coat, laying it over the counter.

“Hey there,” she said, reaching back to tie her hair away from her face.

“Hey,” I replied, but the word was as heavy as the beer I’d cracked open but hadn’t drunk.

Her smile faded at my tone, and she slowly walked over to me, standing before me. It was honestly the first time I’d been able to look right into her eyes instead of down at the top of her head while speaking to her because of where I was sitting. “What’s the matter?” she asked, reaching across the space between us to tuck my hair behind my ear.

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