Page 54 of Teach Me
I’d desperately needed the distraction of a friendly face, so I’d asked him to meet for breakfast in an attempt to resurrect our usual routine. The brunch place I’d chosen was noisy. That had been my first mistake.
“Busy, yeah,” I mumbled, picking at the food in front of me. Their omelets had nothing on Main Street Cafe’s, the bacon tasted like cardboard, and our server was the exact opposite of Cameron in every way. Christ, I’d turned into a disgruntled codger.
John raised an eyebrow and leaned against the back of the chair with a smirk. “Did you forget that I’m a lawyer? Reading between the lines is kinda my forte.”
“But you’re not on the clock right now,” I pointed out, and he chuckled.
“I can’t turn it off anymore. Do I need to ask some leading questions?”
“I’d like to object.”
He leaned in closer. “Nope, not allowing it.”
“It’s looking like I’ll be doing a publicity tour after all, so I’ve got to work out the sabbatical with the university and?—”
“What?” John’s draw dropped. “That’s fucking phenomenal. Congratulations, my man. I can’t wait to say I knew you way back when.” Then his eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you seem more excited?”
“I…I don’t know.”
“Destination addiction?”
I blinked at the term. “Where did you hear that?”
“You, you dolt. Back when I was worried whether the firm would hire me or not and was convinced if they didn’t that my life was over. You told me to enjoy the ride.”
John’s words rang through me with a tremor of recognition. “And now you’re throwing it back to me.” I managed a wry grin and then sighed. “I met someone. Someone—” I lifted my finger to stall him when I saw his exuberant expression. “Someone I can’t be with. It’s already over, so there’s not much more to say.”
“You fell for a student.”
I groaned, which John took as confirmation.
“Hopefully not a freshman.”
“Not a freshman, but does it matter?”
“Depends on who you’re asking.” John studied me for a moment, then set his fork down. “You’re in deep, huh?” I didn’t answer, and I didn’t need to. He could read me like an open book. He lowered his voice. “I fucked one of my professors in law school. It happens more than you think.”
“I’m aware.”
“So don’t get caught. When does this guy graduate? You said he’s not a freshman.”
“There’s more to it than that.”
“Oh fuck. You got caught.”
“Not exactly, but…” Fuck it. I started from the beginning and filled John in on the whole story, watching as his face registered shock the moment I said the word “glory hole,” our no-strings-attached plans, which he rightfully smirked at, and ending on Cameron’s revelation about Paul once we’d returned from my sister’s.
John absorbed the tale quietly before straightening in his seat, gaze taking on a sharpness that typically signaled he was switching into lawyer mode.
“But you have no idea if this TA has anything on you?”
“Cam…the guy I was seeing said he didn’t seem to. He didn’t offer anything up.”
“Smart.”
“Yes,” I said miserably. “But the point remains, we’re doing something we’re not supposed to, ethically speaking.”
“Oh my god, Grady. I’m a fucking lawyer, and you’re a social psychologist. We both know there are infinite shades of gray. So why don’t you talk to this TA…what’s his name?”