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I’d left Holden in the library, figuring a permanently early-thirties valish class I had no idea how right I was until I got there The roo two students werea seat

I slid into an empty desk near the back of the classroos Every seat was filled with a young, pretty girl I looked around twice, but lefor a new Sex and the City en and desire was thick in the air, not exactly what I was expecting to s At first I thought maybe Gabriel was the reason they were all here A slish? I could appreciate the draw

Then the professor cah of approval

Fro lookalike with a piercing gaze and an ovary-exploding accent Professor Mayheas not at all what I’d envisioned

He was short, for starters, ht or five-foot-nine He was about fifty, judging by the creases wrinkling his forehead and deepening the frown lines around hisstorht with some sort of spark I couldn’t pinpoint Once-dark hair was peppered with silver and had been hastily swept back but was already falling forward and obscuring his vision There was a slight liod, this man was not

Then he spoke "‘Allo, loves I trust we’ve all done the readings from Chaucer?" His accent wasn’t upper-class British, but it wasn’t a street urchin’s slang either Holden had tried to teachit Whatever the origin, itbutter on a stack of fresh pancakes

Lusty little sighs erupted all over the roorinned like a rogue fro historical ro

"No?" he asked "Then I suppose I’ll have to read it to you, shall I?"

Chapter Fourteen

Two hours later I waited as dozens of girls filed out of the classroo their hair and giggling while they asked questions about papers and the deeperto bet er whenever they discussed the finer points of Chaucer, but I wasn’t in a position to judge Before tonight I’d never given a thought to The Canterbury Tales, let alone an in-depth analysis

When I’d lived with Gabriel, he’d been nuts for all the old authors--Chaucer, Edht me a beautiful antique edition of Shakespeare’s sonnets for Valentine’s Day one year Roht?

I’d read one poem and left it to collect dust on a shelf

I do re love when it dee That could have been a motto for my relationship with Gabriel Seemed like it also applied toout my phone, I hoped to see a e fro does a Medieval Literature class last? The books aren’t going anywhere

Leave it to Holden to be cheeky and sarcastic in a text But at least he used full words I had a re lers left the room, and Mayhew slipped his notes back into the leather briefcase next to his lectern He see in the back roith my Converses propped up on the back of the seat in front of ainst the podium and dipped his head to the side With his full attention focused on row in the pit ofspecial about this guy No wonder all the girls tried to wor my purse off the floor, I moved down the steps so I could stand in front of hi flat shoes, he still looked down on ht for aif I shouldup If Gabriel had ht question my presence in his classroo to this man when I wanted honesty froht I added, "McQueen"

"Secret?"

I wasn’t sure if his question stenized it "The one and only I hope" I offered hih you probably already know that"

I smiled "And you probably know I’m not in your class"

He nodded "It’s a little late in the year for waitlist, Secret Are you auditing?"

"I’m actually here for a friend of mine"

"Oh?" He picked up his briefcase but made no other move to leave

"Lucy Renard"

"Oh," he said, his eyes focusing souilty, but not in a way I recognized After a ed "I’m afraid I don’t know all my students by na"