Bending the Rules

by Ali Parker

  "Yeah, but she texted me earlier to let me know that she's not going to be in. She's working with Damon on a new project at his accounting firm."

  Jake looked less than happy to be discussing Bethany in the context of her boyfriend, boss and my best friend.

  "Really? I thought she quit." I walked up on stage and pulled a few papers from my briefcase. My class would be there shortly, and though they were all sympathetic to my situation, I wanted to get life back on track. The sooner, the better.

  "She did, but I guess the bastard talked her into coming back." He shook his head. "Sorry, Dr. Tarrington. I know he's a friend of yours, but the guy just gives me the creeps."

  "It's all good. It's one of his superpowers." I pulled out my phone and texted Damon that I was in class and would get back to him later. A smile formed on my face at the look that most likely formed on his. He hated to be left waiting.

  "All of your notes are already put together in handout form, and I got your PowerPoint loaded as well."

  "Very cool. I love having you guys up here. You need to let me know if you're interested in teaching a little and if so, I'll move over on a subject that you feel confident about and let you have the mic."

  "Really?" Jake's face lit up like a Christmas tree. Something about seeing the kid brighten up considering his situation left me feeling good about myself.

  "Absolutely." I glanced down at my notes and flipped through the PowerPoint on the screen below me. "Hey, Jake, are you a member of Beta Alpha Psi?"

  "Yes, sir. I was president last year when I was a senior."

  "Awesome. I need to find out who their current president is and get the list of events. Is that something you can get for me while I'm teaching today?"

  "Yeah. I have the e-mail somewhere on my phone. The president is Dani Bruce. You had her last year for cost accounting, I bet. She's a junior this year."

  I groaned internally. Dani Bruce was another Heather Turner in the making. The girl wore clothes that shouldn't have been legal and looked far more like a pole dancer than an accountant. Of-fucking-course Dani Bruce was the head of Beta Alpha Psi. Heather might have to take the lead with the group seeing that I wasn't coming near their president with a ten-foot pole.

  "Awesome. Just e-mail it to me. I think me and Professor Turner will be taking over as co-advisers for the fraternity."

  "Oh nice. That'll be fun. Heather is her first name, right?"

  I glanced up to see the gleam in the boy's eye. Where I wanted to warn him that she was a piranha with ten-inch teeth, it wouldn't go over well. I needed to remain completely unconnected to Heather, and an emotional response would tie me to her faster than anything else I could do.

  "Yes, but she goes by Dr. Turner, I believe."

  "I can see why." Jake snorted and rolled his wheelchair toward the door. "She needs to keep things professional or she'll be mobbed by every guy on campus with a pulse."

  "And most of the girls." I gave him a cheeky grin as he glanced over his shoulder and snorted again.

  "I'll be back in a minute with the schedule. I'm actually glad to hear you're getting involved. It's going a little off track lately." He opened the door and left before I could ask what he meant.

  I had no doubt that I'd find out sooner than later on my own and be quite disappointed when I did.

  *

  "Great job today, class. We'll pick back up next Tuesday on page seventy-five. Have your point-of-sale diagrams completed and come ready to discuss." I glanced around the room and smiled as everyone mumbled their responses and walked to the door like a bunch of zombies. Teaching cost accounting was the fucking pits. I'd be picking up the master's level financial statement analysis class in a week or so, which would be far more interesting and intellectually stimulating because of the level of the student.

  I couldn't help but wonder if Dana was still planning on taking the class. The naughtiness of seeing her behind closed doors and yet having her right in front of me, watching me with the same eyes that held all of my secrets was terrifying - and exhilarating.

  "I'm sorry for your loss, Dr. Tarrington." One of my students stopped by the stage and gave me a warm smile. Several others stopped beside her, echoing her thoughts.

  "Thanks guys. Losing my sister was one of the hardest things I've ever gone through. I think it was because she was so young and she's all I had left." I shrugged and gathered my things. "Anyways. Tell those closest to you that you love them. You just never know about tomorrow."

  They all shared my sentiment and walked with me to the door, patting me on the back and giving away a few more sympathies. It felt good to let my guard down just a little and be human in front of them. I'd worked so hard for the last six years to be anything but. Maybe change was in the air. I sure as fuck needed it.

  I walked to my office with my eyes cast toward the ground in an effort to avoid anyone else. Dana, Damon or Bethany were the only three people in the world I was willing to talk to at the moment, and none of them were around. After checking in to find Eliza gone, I walked to my office and half-shut the door behind me. I dropped down at my desk and turned on my computer as the door opened and Heather poked her head in.

  "Bad timing?"

  "Depends on what you want." I lifted my chin and sat back in my seat. Her suit looked like it was tailor-made for her, and some part of me wanted to beg her to grow up and find a man she could invest in, one she could possibly even love, but it wasn't my place. She'd obviously not had her ass handed to her the ways I had over the past thanks to my flirty attitude and laid back persona.

  Sitting in front of the President of the University at a hearing over sexual harassment will burn any playfulness right out of you fast.

  Hell, maybe that's what she needed too.

  "I heard we're going to be running the nerd squad together." She gave me a sexy smile and pressed her back to the wall beside the door. I was surprised she left the damn thing open.

  "We sure are." I glanced down at my computer and pulled up Jake's e-mail. "Damn. Looks like there is a meeting tonight."

  "Where and what is it about?" She arched her back a little, causing her breasts to jut out.

  "It's in room twenty-five sixty." I glanced down at my watch. "In an hour. Looks like a normal business meeting. One of the big accounting firms is presenting."

  "I have plans tonight. I can cancel them if you're interested in maybe getting a drink after the event?" She lifted her eyebrows and bit her bottom lip.

  "One minute you're threatening to tear me down, and the next you're offering to buy me a drink. I'm not sure what to think, Dr. Turner." I leaned forward and put my arms on my desk.

  "Is that a yes?"

  "No. I'm dating someone, Heather."

  "Dating is such an arbitrary word."

  "I'll do the event. You go have fun. We'll work out a schedule sometime soon together."

  "You sure?" She moved toward the door and paused. "We would be so good together, Kendal. I know you remember all those times when we were."

  "I actually don't remember most of them." I stood up and stretched. "It's either the aging process that's burning them away, or the fact that we always started with a bottle of vodka. Maybe a little of both?"

  I didn't want to fight with the bitch, and I didn't want her under my skin, looking for any means to bring me down to heel in front of her. It wouldn't happen, and somewhere along the way, I'd snap and choke her out. Then sexual harassment would be the least of my worries.

  "Liquor makes things slicker." She chuckled and walked out, leaving me to stand there and shake my head.

  How the hell did Damon and I ever get mixed up with a nut case like her? Simple. We loved sex and so did she.

  Sadly enough, not much had changed - not for any of us.

  Chapter 9

  Dana

  I only had time to grab a muffin from the corner store before getting to the hospital on Friday morning. Between my nerves about going out of town with Kendal and the wearines
s that hung on me like a well-worn coat, I was fried. The date with Cameron ended better than I expected, but I needed to talk with Kendal about the guy. Not that I expected my handsome new beau to defend me against my ex, but I wanted to be on the up and up. Something told me that it wasn't the last time Cameron would end up on my doorstep.

  My stomach grumbled angrily as I parked in my usual spot and grabbed my stuff. I had half the muffin in my mouth by the time I walked into the bustling halls of the hospital. It was twenty-four seven, a place that never slept nor rested. I loved it.

  "Morning, Dana." One of the nurses from the first floor waved and gave me a warm smile.

  "Morning," I mumbled around my muffin and gave her an apologetic smile. I jogged toward the elevator as a large group of nurses and doctors piled in. "Hold the door?"

  "Of course." One of the doctors reached out and held it open for me.

  "Thanks." I got in and put my back to them as a feeling of rightness swelled in my chest. Being a nurse was one of the greatest decisions of my life, but I wanted more. I wanted to push farther to see what I was capable of. Maybe with the right scholarships and focus I could eventually get my master’s in medicine. It would be a long road, but one that would light me up along every step on the path.

  Kind of like Kendal being a professor. Guilt tugged at me.

  He loved his profession with a passion - obviously. Was I asking him to taint his own first love just so we could be together for the next eight months? I was. Or maybe he was offering, but either way... I wasn’t just falling in lust with the man, I was falling in love. I wanted something long-term and solid to exist between us.

  Maybe we should wait?

  I walked out of the elevator on my floor and caught Tensely’s eye. A groan lodged in my throat. I was good with the morning shift so long as she wasn't there. The woman had it out for me and every other intern on the floor. Whether she was forever lamenting over her youth slowly slipping away or she was just naturally hateful, I wasn't sure, but starting the day with her badgering me wasn't something I was looking forward to.

  "Oh, good." She stood up and pushed her hair over her shoulder. "Mrs. Delmaz threw a holy hell fit last night because no one has brought Larry to see her yet."

  "That's because no one knows who Larry is." I paused by the nurses’ station and tried to keep my tone even. "Her husband’s name is Frankie and he's been dead for twenty years."

  "You’re shitting me." She rolled her eyes and huffed again. "Well, see what you can do to calm her, please? You're the only one around here with the ability to help keep the crazies at bay."

  "I'll take that as a compliment." I walked to the far end of the hall and locked my stuff up. I wanted to blast her with the reason that I was able to help people the way I was, but it would come off as me being an ass, and I didn't want to go there just yet. I was compassionate and caring. It was that simple. It was the part of me that they kept giving me grief over. I snorted and walked back down the hall toward Mrs. Delmaz's room.

  I knocked before sticking my head in. "Mrs. Delmaz?"

  "Thelma. Just call me Thelma, girl." She glanced up from reading something and gave me a tight smile. "You promised that you would help me, but like all these other uppity nurses with too much to do and no care in your minuscule hearts, you didn't."

  "That's because I can't figure out who Larry is." I offered her a genuine smile and moved to stand next to the bed. I reached down to work her IV out of the tangled mess she'd somehow gotten it in and continued our conversation. "Tell me who Larry is and I'll bring him in to see you."

  She pulled her glasses down off her nose and narrowed her eyes. "He's my best friend. Duh. I put his name on all of the emergency contact information. He's where he always is. He's at my house."

  "He lives with you?" I finished working on the IV and cupped her wrist lightly.

  "I just said that. Open your ears up, kiddo." Her tone was demeaning, but she was scared and out of sorts being in the hospital for the last few days. Her chart showed that she was without additional family members and her dementia had set in to the point of her not remembering much of anything.

  "Got it." I rubbed her arm softly and gazed down at her. "I'm headed out of town this weekend, but on Monday I'll bring Larry in to see you, okay?"

  "Good. If you break your promise, I'm going to throw a fit that will have everyone talking. I want what I want when I want it!" She accented each word, making me smile. She was a firecracker and a half. Some part of me wanted to see her back in her hay day when she was ruling the corner of the world she inhabited.

  "Will do. Let me know if you need me. I'm here for most of the day. I'll stop by a little later and you can tell me all about Larry, okay?"

  "Fine." She pulled her glasses back on and glanced down at her magazine as I released her. The sly smile playing on the edge of her lips was enough to let me know that she enjoyed my company. Now I just needed to figure out who the hell Larry was, and get the guy up to the hospital on Monday morning. Otherwise, things would get more interesting than any of us really wanted them to.

  *

  "Wait. Who is Larry again?" Jackie gave me an odd look as we hoofed it through the airport. Kendal was supposed to meet us at the gate and might be a little late, but he'd promised he would get himself there.

  "No clue." I dropped my bag on the floor by a row of chairs in front of our gate and sat down. "She said that he was her best friend. I assume he's some skinny guy with no teeth."

  Jackie put her hand on her hip and shook her head. "Maybe he's a dog."

  "What? You think he's a pet?"

  "Why would a woman like Mrs. Delmaz have a man living with her? That doesn't make any sense at all."

  "She didn't seem to know what the hell she was talking about. Poor thing." I waved my hand around. "Forget it. I don't want to dwell on this anymore. I need a break from everything. Whoever or whatever Larry is, I'll find him on Monday and bring him to the hospital to see her."

  "You're sure going out of your way for someone you don't really know. Especially considering that the woman isn't going to remember asking you to do it."

  "You'd be surprised." I grabbed my purse and stood back up. "I'm going to grab a Coke and some chips for the flight. You want anything?"

  "No. I'm good." She dropped down loudly and pulled her legs into the seat with her. "I'll watch out for your handsome boyfriend."

  I smirked, turned and walked toward one of the corner stores just down the hall a little ways. Boyfriend? Was that what Kendal was? I wished.

  After flipping through the magazines and purposing every type of chip they had in the store, I found myself standing in front of the glass case near the register. Condoms. Did I need some? Were we going to-

  "Should I ask?" The sound of Kendal's voice made me jump.

  I turned around and popped him softly in the chest as heat drove up my chest and covered my neck and face.

  "You scared me."

  He leaned around me and glanced down. "You planning on hitting the mile high club?"

  I forced my nerves to settle as I reached out and slid my hands around his waist. "No, but I was hoping that maybe we could get to know each other better."

  "Hmmmm." He leaned down and kissed me quickly before moving back. "I'll get these for us."

  "I'm not being too forward, right?" I moved back and crossed my arms over my chest.

  "Not in the slightest. I love a woman that knows what she wants." He glanced over his shoulder and winked at me. His dark brown hair was getting thick on top, which just left him looking more like a frat boy and less like the distinguished professor he was.

  I didn't respond, but turned and picked out a few snacks. Butterflies danced deep in my stomach and the very idea of him buying condoms had my insides turning to mush. Was I ready for what we were headed into? Yes. God yes.

  "Put those up here too, Dana." Kendal moved back and motioned for me to drop my snacks on the counter.

  "No. I got t
hese."

  "Now." He tilted his head a little toward me and gave me a stern look. Hot.

  "Yes, sir." I moved up and placed them on the counter, making sure to brush my hip by his outer thigh.

  He paid and grabbed the bag. "Come on. Let's get to the gate. Is Jackie already here?"

  "Yeah." I wanted to reach for his hand, but with us still being in Dallas, it was better if I didn't. We could play the couple in New York, but not until then.

  "Let's see if we can't get our seats together when we get over there." His eyes lingered on me as we walked back toward the gate.

  "What?" I could feel myself blushing again. Something about him left me flustered.

  "You're just beautiful. I haven't stopped thinking about you all week." He set his stuff down and extended his hand toward Jackie. "I think we've seen each other around the hospital, but I'm Kendal. Nice to meet you."

  "The pleasure is all mine." Jackie stood up and shook Kendal's hand.

  He turned toward me. "Give me your ticket and I'll go see what I can do to get us together."

  "No, just take my seat." Jackie pulled out her ticket. "Dana and I are sitting together already. We'll all check in together and the two of you can fit in our seats and I'll take the lone wolf seat."

  "No, you don't have to do that." I glanced over at Jackie. She was far too good of a friend. I hadn't even had to beg her with my eyes to help me and Kendal end up sitting together.

  "Yes I do. You'll owe me a favor in the future and those are priceless!" She smiled and sat back down. "Besides, I like to read on flights."

  "Sounds good to me." Kendal turned to face me, his dark green eyes moving across my face. "How was your week? As miserable as mine?"

  "It was okay." I reached out and brushed something off of his chest, just looking for a reason to touch him as often as I could. Eight months. Just eight short months and we could be fully together.

  A voice came over the loud speaker with the announcement that our flight would begin boarding now. Jackie got up and we moved into line, my friend in front of me and the sexiest man in the whole damn building behind me.