Page 18 of Finley

Daniel scowled at his friend and then headed down to the water. He wasn’t sure Derek would follow, but he should’ve known better. The guy had always been a brave fuck.

“You didn’t even act that shocked when I told you I was gay,” he said, spinning to face his friend.

“Ahh, that wasn’t exactly breaking news, genius. I caught you staring all doe-eyed at the same football players I was looking at in high school. But this… Danny boy,thisis some headline shit. You have a hard-on for Professor Hayes. Hot damn.”

“Shhh,” Daniel said. “Would you keep your fucking voice down?”

Derek made a show of looking around the empty stretch of beach. “Why? You afraid the crustaceans will hear?”

Daniel flipped him off.

“You know he lives near here, right?”

“What?”

“Our professor. He lives somewhere along here, farther down. I’ve passed him running in the mornings.”

Daniel looked up the length of the beach as a misguided, and very inebriated, thought ran through his mind. Then he faced Derek again.

“No,” his friend told him, reaching into his back pocket to pull a pack of smokes out. “I’m not doing whatever that charming fucking smile is supposed to persuade me to do.”

Ignoring his friend, Daniel stepped in close to him and looped an arm around his shoulders. “That’s such a gross habit.”

“Yeah? Well, you have no room to judge. You’re drunk off those nasty Jell-O shots they were serving, and now you’re thinking about stalking down Professor Hottie.”

“Aha! See? You even think he’s hot.”

Derek lit up and raised an eyebrow. “Just ’cause I think he’s hot, doesn’t mean I want to suck his dick.”

“I do…” Daniel said, closing his eyes to imagine it.

“Yeeeaah, how about you keep that shit to yourself. It might not be so great if you tell the entire student body you want to fuck your teacher.”

“I think he likes me, you know,” Daniel continued as if Derek hadn’t even spoken.

“Professor Hayes?”

“I thought you weren’t drinking tonight.”

“I’m not.”

“Then keep the fuck up, would you? Yes, Professor Hayes. Brantley—did you know his name was Brantley?”

“No. But that’s a fucking pretentious name right there. No wonder he’s always in those polo shirts and sweaters. He was probably born in one.”

“I think they’re hot,” Daniel said as they walked farther down the beach. “He’s so…so?—”

“Old?”

He shoved Derek in the arm and rolled his eyes. “He’s not old. He’s only thirty-two.”

“Damn.” Derek laughed. “Youhaveturned into a full-on stalker. His name, his age… What about his weight and height?”

“Fuck you.”

“Nah. I’m not old enough for you. Plus,youaren’t my type.”

Daniel glared over at his friend. He remembered when he’d first decided to tell Derek that he was gay. He’d been so freaked out he’d almost made himself sick that week from not eating. There’d been no need to worry, though, because in true Derek form, he’d shrugged, lit a cigarette, said he was too, and then asked Daniel if he thoughthewas hot.Vain asshole.