All Bets Are Off

by Marguerite Labbe

  “Why did you switch rooms again without authorization?” Britton snapped. “The upper-level classes are supposed to be taken with the utmost seriousness. I knew you weren’t ready for the responsibility.”

  “I did put in a request, which you ignored. Twice,” Eli said mildly, crossing his hands over his stomach.

  “And you went ahead and switched the rooms anyway.” Britton drew himself up, a hard light appearing in his eyes. “This time you went too far and I have grounds to take this to the dean. You need my authorization to change rooms. What you did was a blatant disregard for the rules and chain of command. I won’t have it.”

  The man had to be the most pompous ass that Eli had ever met. One look at his face was all Eli needed to know that he believed Eli couldn’t handle teaching the class. It was all Eli could do not to roll his eyes. Especially since what just came out of his mouth was utter bullshit.

  “With all due respect, I didn’t change the room.” Eli paused as Britton blinked and lost some of his bluster. “I had the students meet me in the library today so I could introduce them to archival research methods over the first couple of classes.” To be honest, he’d prefer to continue to meet in the small room at the back of the library. He wanted to generate intimate discussion, which was why the class size was kept down. A regular classroom didn’t do that. The best he could do would be to draw the chairs in a circle.

  When Eli had gotten permission to meet in the library from the woman who handled all those assignments, he hadn’t bothered to tell Britton because that wasn’t really his job as head. He had enough things to see to. Besides, the department was tense enough between those loyal to Britton and those eager to see him step down at the end of the year. Eli didn’t think he needed to aggravate matters more.

  The amusement he got out of knowing the man would make an ass out of himself if he complained soothed some of Eli’s irritation, if not his disappointment that he wouldn’t be able to carry on his affair with Ash. The last thing he needed now was to give Britton more reasons than he already had to scrutinize everything Eli did. Maybe it was catty of him, or even malicious, but Eli had never claimed to be an angel.

  “Don’t talk about respect, Hollister. You haven’t shown me any with your flagrant disregard for the reputation of this college.” Britton stabbed the air with forceful gestures. “For example, your appearance. You look more like a student than a professor, for God’s sake. How do you expect anyone to take you seriously?”

  “Actually, I’ve never had one problem with the students taking me seriously. The only one who seems to have a problem is you.” Eli paused to let that sink in, though he doubted it would make an impression. “Cutting my hair wouldn’t change your opinion, nor would staying in the assigned room. Since the papers I’ve published have brought quite a bit of positive attention to this college, I’ve had few problems with most of the people here.” Only the ignorant jackasses who clung to the old ways like shit to toilet paper.

  For a moment, Eli thought that Britton would grind his teeth in acute frustration. No matter what he did, Eli had not lost his temper with him yet and it about gave the man a fit of apoplexy. And Britton absolutely hated to be reminded of Eli’s papers, since he considered Eli a hack. “You don’t respect me or the fact that I head this department. You never have.”

  Eli bit the inside of his cheek before he could retort that Britton was right. “Respect tends to deteriorate when you’re not shown any in return. Look, I know I pissed you off when I forced the issue about having more Cultural Studies classes—”

  Randall Britton’s features twisted into a snarl, and he stabbed his finger one last time in Eli’s direction. “Those classes do not belong in the English Department. Their focus is more on external circumstances, not textual elements.”

  That was an old argument and not one that Eli cared to rehash again. “Which is why I suggested to the dean that we make them Liberal Arts classes.” Britton had been quick to veto that idea because then he would’ve lost all power over those courses and he’d taken his defeat with ill grace. “I thought this was all resolved.”

  “Fine, the class can continue to meet in the back room of the library if you keep them under control.” He strode toward the door as Eli stared at him, surprised by that concession. “And get a haircut, Hollister. We should have a little more decorum in the appearance of our professors. I swear you’ll be gone by the holidays if I have anything to say about the matter.”

  Britton could beg on his knees for that haircut and it would never happen. There wasn’t a dress code, so Eli didn’t consider it a reasonable request. However, he kept his mouth shut and let Britton leave without antagonizing him further. To his surprise, Ash immediately popped his head back in, his expression set. “Don’t you dare cut your damned hair, Eli,” he said in an undertone so it wouldn’t be heard by Britton as he strode back down the hallway.

  Eli touched the tie at the nape of his neck. The way Britton spoke to him made his common sense disappear. He should at least consider the idea. If it would get Britton off his back a bit, it might be worth the temporary sacrifice. Then again, it might not. Britton might decide that since he’d won that battle he could move onto something else he wanted to change about Eli. The next thing he knew he could end up wearing tweed suits and hideous ties and be locked up indoors on even the most beautiful days. One more year, and then it would be over.

  “Don’t worry. It’s not likely to happen.”

  “What a horse’s ass.” Ash tossed his bag back down on one of the chairs and took the other. “So did you do something to piss him off? Or did he just not like you from the start? It’s not because you’re gay, is it?”

  “No, Britton has no gaydar. It was pretty much hate on first sight. You know how it is when you meet someone and they just rub you the wrong way? Well, I seem to do that for Britton. He hates the fact that I was hired just before he became head, so he had no say. He hates that my emphasis is on Cultural Studies, because in his opinion it is the worst development to ever happen to literary studies. Most of the time he isn’t so bad. He just seems to be getting worse the closer he comes to stepping down.”

  Eli massaged one aching temple and peered out the window. The downpour had eased off into a gray drizzle and the slowly brightening sky gave promise for sunshine later on. Maybe he wouldn’t be soaked through two minutes into his hike, and after this day, he really needed the peace of one of his long walks.

  “Hey, are you interested in going on a hike with me? We can finish the conversation as we walk. I just want to get the hell out of here.”

  Ash came to stand beside him at the window. “You’re serious? You really want to go hiking out in this mess?”

  “Every day, doesn’t matter the weather.” Eli laughed at Ash’s surprise. “Come on, I know you’ve been out in much worse. I’ll even give you your baseball cap back so you don’t have to worry about your fuzz getting wet.”

  Ash ran a hand over his buzz cut and shot him a sour glance. “Yeah, I may be used to worse, but it doesn’t mean I like it. Sadist.”

  “Maybe.” Eli started to shove his books and papers into his satchel. He couldn’t have this conversation with Ash in his office. “Are you done with classes for the day?”

  “All done. You serious about giving me my cap back?”

  “Absolutely.” It wasn’t like Ash would have the opportunity to win it back anytime soon, and it seemed mean-spirited to keep it when it was clear that Ash had a fondness for the cap.

  Ash turned away from the window and kissed the side of Eli’s neck, sending a shock through him. He wanted to lean back into his arms. Damn, this wasn’t going to be easy.

  “So where are we hiking and how long do you go for?”

  “At least an hour, and since it is so wet, I’ll leave it at that today.” Eli eased away from Ash and scribbled quick directions. “Meet me at my place. There are plenty of trails back there.”

  Eli still didn’t know what he wa
s going to do about their sexual tension, but one way or another he needed to figure it out. It wouldn’t be fair to leave Ash hanging. Ash grabbed his bag from the chair and slung it over his shoulder as Eli gathered his fedora and poncho from the coat rack.

  “You know, you could antagonize him a little less.”

  “Yeah, but it wouldn’t change anything, and then I would get no satisfaction at all out of our skirmishes.” Eli shrugged and gave Ash an apologetic glance. “As much as I love military men, I wouldn’t have lasted ten minutes in boot camp. I’ve been told that I have authority issues.”

  “I don’t know if I’d say that,” Ash said thoughtfully as they made their way down the staircase. “I think it’s more a case of that you’re a free spirit. If you go into a situation and know the rules ahead of time, you wouldn’t buck the situation so much, but if somebody comes after you and tries to make you conform to their own rules then you outright refuse.”

  Eli stared in surprise at Ash. “Damn, I think I may have finally met someone who gets me. Either you’re really good at reading people or I’m very transparent.”

  “Maybe a little bit of both.” Ash grinned at him then sighed as they reached the front entrance and he looked out on the drizzly day. “One thing is for certain, Lu was right when she said you were more stubborn than a deer tick.”

  Chapter Six

  By the time Ash had dropped off his schoolbooks, changed into hiking boots, and headed toward Eli’s place, the drizzle had softened into a light mist. He was just as unsure about whether or not he’d get to have another shot at Eli as he had been when he woke up that morning. At least this time it wasn’t because he’d fucked up the night before.

  After overhearing Eli’s confrontation with that asshole, Ash had waited for Eli to say they couldn’t fool around during the semester, and he understood that. Didn’t mean he wasn’t disappointed, but he understood.

  Then Eli asked him on the hike, and now Ash didn’t know what to think. The simplest solution would be to call it off for now and let what happened happen. If they were still interested in each other come December, then cool, and if not, no feelings were hurt. It wasn’t like they weren’t ever going to see each other.

  Maybe that was the difficulty. He’d have to see Eli a couple days a week, in close proximity, and try to concentrate on class instead of screwing his professor. If Ash was told that he couldn’t take Eli to his bed after all the buildup of sexual tension, it would guarantee wandering thoughts of necking in the library or bending Eli over his desk in his office.

  Ash’s cock stirred at that all too vivid picture. Eli’s office was in the back end of nowhere. No one would ever hear them, and damned if the idea of getting it on in such a taboo place wasn’t a major turn-on. And now that he’d thought of it, Ash wanted it. He wanted to hear Eli trying to stay quiet while he fucked him in his office. He wanted to go to class knowing that’s what Eli was remembering when they looked at each other.

  Ash understood Eli’s hesitance. For the past ten years, Ash had avoided scrutiny over his private life. One of the reasons why he had decided to opt out of the military when his term was over was because of that scrutiny. He wanted to be with who he wanted and not have the threat of the wrong person finding out hanging over his head.

  Eli had that worry now, and judging from what Ash had come to know of the man, he had a feeling he knew which way Eli would decide. Eli had a streak of rampant rebellion in him unlike anything Ash had ever seen before. It went counter to everything that had been drilled into him all his life, first at home and then when he’d enlisted.

  It gave Ash quite a bit to think about. He did not want to be the cause of Eli losing his position at the college when he really seemed to love being there. Damn ethical dilemmas. This was not what he’d been looking for last night. What had happened to a nice, uncomplicated good time?

  As Ash pulled up in front of the wood-shingled home, he saw Eli poke his head out of a side door and wave at him to come on in. He parked behind Eli’s Jeep and just looked at the house for a minute. His sister Melanie would love it. Hell, he loved it. Growing up in an older home in Savannah had given him an appreciation for historic places like this. The Cape Cod-style house was beautiful, with white trim that set off the weathered red-brown shingles, and two brick chimneys set over the long sloping roof.

  The sound of a dog’s joyful bark came to Ash as he went around the side and let himself into the mudroom that seemed to have its place in so many New England homes. He’d never understood the reason for it until his first winter in New Hampshire.

  “Jabbers, don’t you dare jump on him. Sit,” Eli commanded as a beagle launched himself at Ash. The dog practically vibrated, he was so excited, but he sat himself down and looked at Ash with soulful, pleading eyes and pitiful whines for attention.

  “It’s okay.” Ash knelt down and rubbed Jabbers’s silky ears, grinning as the dog took that as permission and swarmed over him, tail wagging as he offered sloppy kisses. “Eli, that’s cruel. What kind of a name is Jabbers for any self-respecting dog?”

  Eli appeared in the door and leaned against the frame with a soft laugh. He’d changed into heavy hiking boots, worn jeans, and a faded hoodie. He’d taken his hair out of its tie and it hung in loose auburn waves around his shoulders. Ash’s hands itched to bury themselves in it, but if he did, he’d end up kissing Eli and one kiss wouldn’t be enough.

  “Actually, his name is Jabberwocky, because he was supposed to be a fearsome beastie to the rabbits. But he turned out to be the opposite of fearsome. I think he would make friends with a skunk. Trust me, Jabbers fits. He never stops talking. Isn’t that right, Jabbers?”

  The beagle twisted his head around to look at Eli and proceeded to give a series of half barks and a soft, drawn-out undulating growl that sounded so much like conversation that Ash had to laugh. “I get your point.”

  There was a peculiar expression on Eli’s face, an almost perplexed tightening around his eyes that hadn’t been there when they’d parted. “Did something come up?” Ash asked. “You look worried about something.” He hoped Eli wasn’t regretting his invitation to go on the hike.

  “No, just confused.” Eli shook his head and glanced back over his shoulder. “It’s nothing. I thought I put this glove Jabbers found last night on the counter. I was going to ask Wayne if it was his, but it’s not there. Now I’m wondering if I just dreamt the whole thing.”

  “Wayne?” Ash frowned, trying to place him and ignore the uncomfortable prick of jealousy at the same time. He had no claim on Eli and he wasn’t looking for one. They’d only really talked for the first time yesterday, but he couldn’t help the little possessive surge at the thought of another guy hanging around Eli’s enough that he left things around for Jabbers to find. When a face came to him, Ash felt a little foolish for his momentary reaction. “Wait, he’s the standoffish guy who owns the hardware store?”

  “Yeah, he’s been helping me out with some odd jobs around here. Things are tight for him right now.” Eli furrowed his brow, his eyes worried. “His father had a bad stroke, and since it happened in the middle of the night, it gave him some complications. Wayne’s always kept to himself but he’s a good guy when you get to know him.”

  Ash rubbed Jabbers’s ears one last time then stood up, grateful that he’d kept his mouth shut and not said something stupid. And, if he was honest with himself, glad that he wasn’t competing with Wayne for Eli’s attention. That was almost irksome in itself. He was letting himself get into knots over a sorta relationship that might not be there after their hike. He needed a distraction.

  “Before we go, do you mind showing me around your place? How old is it?”

  Eli’s eyes lit up, and he stepped back into the house. “Come on in. My great-grandparents bought it, but it’s older than that. About two hundred years, I think.” Eli showed him around the home with obvious pride, pointing out the original floors and their handmade, square, iron nails, dark wood-pegged bea
ms, and old brick fireplaces bearing the ghosts of soot above their openings. “Gram and Grumpy took me in during the summers. I always loved this place, and when Grumpy passed, he left the place to me, much to my dad’s irritation.”

  Ash touched his fingers to Eli’s as the other man’s mouth tightened. This wasn’t the first hint that Eli and his father had a rocky history together. “You don’t get along with your dad?”

  “Let’s just say we don’t really understand each other. We never have. And we’ve come to a point in our lives where we’ve accepted that it’s not going to change and we just have to take each other as we are.”

  Ash didn’t believe Eli’s easy dismissal, not when there was remembered sorrow in those clear, blue-gray eyes. “I think I understand,” he said and left it at that. “So are you ready to drag me out into the wet wilds around here?”

  Eli shot him a grateful look. “Let me grab your baseball cap.”

  He came back a few moments later, cap and binoculars in hand. “I know I won it fairly,” Eli said as he handed it over, “but it just didn’t seem right to have it lying around never used. It would be a crime.”