Page 13 of Taming Grumpy Dr. Beast

“What time?”

“Now?” she said like a question. “I know it’s a short notice, but I didn’t see any classes on your schedule.” Which meant she had told Nivens that, too. I didn’t have a good enough reason not to go.

“Sure, why the hell not?”

Bev laughed. She knew my irritation had nothing to do with her.

“See you in a few minutes,” I said and hung up.

This had better be about finding someone to work on the book. It had been four days since we last spoke, and Nivens had already emailed me the committee’s decision. They met the night before and approved the translation addendum.

If this little impromptu meeting was about my teaching style or needing to be more accessible to my students, then he could fuck off. I had office hours. There was no need for students to find me at other times of the day. A few students complained I wasn’t willing to stay after class to talk to them, and Nivens had been up my ass about it ever since.

“Knock, knock,” I said, walking into Nivens’s office.

He frowned. I was pretty sure it was because I didn’t wait for him to acknowledge me before I entered, which is precisely why I did it.

I stood in front of his desk, my arms crossed over my chest. “You wanted to see me.”

“Yes,” he answered, while shuffling papers around on his desk.

I gritted my teeth, holding back the need to tell him to get on with it.

Once he was satisfied with the placement of his new piles of paper, Nivens looked up at me. “You know you can sit, Dr. Beast.”

“I’m good.” I only sat the last time because I knew it would appease Nivens.

He peered at me over the rims of his glasses with pursed lips. “Well, then. Morris LeBeau has agreed to work with you.”

I nodded, careful to hold back my grin. I was happy Morris LeBeau had accepted the project. Dr. LeBeau was very good at his job, and I wanted the best on this.

“Great. I’ll get his info from Bev on my way out and set up a car to retrieve him the day after the semester ends.” I turned to leave, pleased this conversation was quick and to the point.

“About that,” Nivens called out before I made it to the door.

I turned with a raised eyebrow, crossing my arms over my chest once again.

Nivens gave me a tiny smile. There was something he couldn’t wait to share with me. I’d bet the million dollars I promised him he knew I wouldn't like it. I said nothing, knowing the silence would get to him.

Nivens steepled his fingers and rested his forearms on his desk, the smile never faltering. “It’s not just LeBeau you’ll be entertaining.”

Entertaining? Was this guy an idiot? The only reason I would allow LeBeau on my property is because I already had the book there, and it was too delicate to move. We would not be hanging out or having fun. This was business.

“His daughter, Lily LeBeau, will also be joining him.”

“Why? I’m not running a daycare. He’ll need to find someone else to watch her while he’s gone.”

Nivens snorted. “Lily is twenty-eight, far beyond needing childcare. She will conduct the book’s translation.”

“Why? We can’t translate the manuscript before the book is fully restored. She can work on that later. There’s no need for her to accompany him now. My home is not a vacation spot for my employees’ family members,” I snarled.

“Well, she is graduating next semester with her doctorate in book restoration with an emphasis on rare books. This effort will go toward the internship she needs to complete. The process will be faster with her there at the start.”

“And the university is allowing her father to sign off on her internship. Isn’t that against our policy?” No way could this be legit. I doubted LeBeau had enough money to sway Nivens to make this happen.

“We, of course, have the utmost propriety in our decisions, Dr. Beast. I beg you to remember that.” Nivens spoke through clenched teeth.

Utmost propriety? Where was that when he accepted my million dollar bribe?