Page 5 of Devil's Kiss
Finn held open the door for him, and when he loped past, Finn clapped a hand on his shoulder. “We picked this course because it’s pretty much the only class we’ll see each other in. So stop bitching and get your ass inside, would you?”
“Yeah, yeah. I just don’t see the point,” Derek grumbled as they entered the large lecture hall and trudged up the stairs to the middle of the room. He was pleased to find that even though they were late, it appeared their professor was also.
Leaving his sunglasses in place, Derek squashed his large frame into one of the small seats to the left of the aisle and then swept a surreptitious glance over the students already seated. Most looked like your average high schooler. Fresh faced eighteen-or nineteen-year-olds, thinking they were adults now that they’d graduated and moved on to pursue a higher education. Most of them also looked as though they could afford to be there and weren’t the owner of a purple bruise forming around their eye courtesy of their father—something he was well aware made him very different to this preppy crowd of overachievers and history nerds.
Fucking hell. What am I doing here?It wasn’t the first time the thought had crossed his mind, which was insane considering he’d only been at school for…Shit, twenty minutes. But really, whatamI doing here?
He wasn’t like these kids. They’d been waiting their whole life for this opportunity. Hell, they probably had career plans mapped out when they were in grade school and then worked toward it in high school.
Him? Not so much. He’d been busy working out at the gym at every opportunity he could get to focus his adrenaline and frustration in a specific and controlled way. Not to mention trying to fucking survive his childhood and adolescence. So yeah, he was totally winging it, and was here only courtesy of financial aid and a scholarship he’d submitted and actually been accepted for.
Miracle of all fucking miracles.
Finn leaned over and bumped arms with his. “See, you were worried about nothing.”
Derek turned to face his friend and slumped a little farther down in his chair. “I guess.”
“What do you mean, you guess?”
“I mean, I fucking guess. Jesus.”
“Cool it, would you?” Finn said under his breath. “What’s up with you this morning? And what’s with the sunglasses? Late night out on the town?”
“No. Early appointment with my father’s fist—” His words came to an abrupt halt when the door to the lecture hall swung open and crashed back against the wall, followed by an “Oh, shit!” which echoed off the cavernous ceiling.
The new arrival, a young guy carrying a mountain of books almost taller than himself, then stepped into the room and peered around the stack of literature practically weighing him down.
“Check this guy out,” he said, trying to get Finn’s attention off him. He knew his friend wanted to ask more, but Finn was smart enough to know that now wasn’t the time or the place. So, like a good friend, he let it go while Derek continued on about anything other than himself. “I get wanting to impress the professor if you’re his TA, but fuck, man, you can make two trips. He isn’t even here yet.”
“No lie. He looks like he’s gonna fall flat on his face.” Finn laughed.
They both watched as the guy barely made his way across the front of the room, where he dumped the stack of books on the wooden table beside the podium. When he straightened up, he placed his hands on his narrow hips and blew out a deep breath.
“Whew. Where’s a strapping young man to carry your books when you need one?” he announced loud enough to grab hold of anyone’s attention he didn’t already have. If the volume of his exclamation didn’t do it, then his words sure as fuck did. Not to mention his clothes.
The guy was wearing the brightest pair of yellow pants Derek had ever seen, with a violet button-up short-sleeved shirt. It was tucked in at his trim waist and outlined by a thin belt the same color as the shirt. His lean frame took nothing away from his confidence, though, as he surveyed the faces of everyone now solely focused on him. He didn’t seem embarrassed, humiliated, or in any way uncomfortable, except for the fact that he’d just lugged half a damn library into a room.
That confidence instantly intrigued Derek, because while he himself most certainly looked confident on the outside, there was a whole fuck ton of self-doubt just beneath the tattooed top layer. This man who’d captured his and everyone else in the room’s attention, on the other hand, appeared to know exactly who he was.
“Good morning, class. As you can see, I’m a little all over the place, but rest assured now that I’ve finally located my classroom this won’t be an ongoing occurrence,” he said, his hands moving right along with his words as though part of a choreographed dance. “Well.” He laughed. “The all-over-the-place part, that is. I can’t guarantee complete punctuality because I’m always late.What? It takes time to look this fabulous every day. But I’ll work on that too. As long as you all promise to try and be here on time as well.”
The guy aimed a dazzling smile up at them, and the class laughed—everyone except for Derek.
What the hell is this?he thought as he sat up a little straighter in his seat.Who the fuck is this guy?Derek aimed a look toward Finn, who was grinning like a loon at the extra-perky bottle of energy bouncing around the front of the class, and that only confused Derek more.
Where is the stuffy old professor? Where is the gray-haired, sweater-wearing, doddering old professor?
That was when the guy at the front of the lecture hall stood in front of the podium and clasped his hands together.
“I suppose you’re all wondering who I am. Well, let me clear that up for you in case you’re having any doubts. My name is Professor Jordan Devaney. And over the next few months we’ll be exploring Pompeii together. Sounds boring, I know. But do I really look like someone who’s going to bore you? I don’t think so. Right. So, any questions before we get started?”
Yeah, just one—what the actual fuck?
JORDAN HAD BEEN waitingfor this moment ever since he’d decided to take the university job. The moment when that slack-jawed look ofwhat the hellhit his students’ faces. Yes, that was exactly the expression he’d wanted to see, and they weren’t disappointing him in the least.
In all fairness,he mused,it could be my clothes.
He was glad he’d gone with his gut decision to be himself this morning. It was a good reminder to these kids that people didn’t necessarily come in specific molds, and he sure as hell didn’t fit into any. Especially not the typical uptight professor type.