Cutting Edge by Allison Brennan Page B

What did a pretty coed like Anya see in a middle-aged academic with a receding hairline and ponytail?
    But Sean nodded. “Great. Where?”
    “The lounge in Edward Albee Hall. Seven-thirty tonight.” She looked over his shoulder, giving body language signals to someone behind him. He avoided checking out the distraction.
    “I’ll be there.” He smiled. “Thanks. Maybe this semester won’t be a total drag after all.”
    I hope I’m not overdoing it
.
    “See you there. I have to go.”
    She picked up her tray and walked away. Sean drained his milk and glanced discreetly over his shoulder. Anya emptied her tray, sorting the trash from the recyclables into separate containers, but he couldn’t see who she’d been making eyes with. As soon as she rounded the corner, he cleared his tray and trailed her.
     
     
    Leif met Anya in the organic garden.
    They rarely were alone on campus because it would have been improper, but why Leif worried about the conventions of society in matters of love, he didn’t know. Today, however, he didn’t have a choice. He’d tried to see her before class, but there were too many people around. After class, he couldn’t break free in time to catch her before lunch, and then she was eating with the new kid.
    He’d felt a whiff of jealousy seeing Anya with the handsome young man, which was unlike him. But what could he expect? She was lovely, a wisp of a girl really. Leif was twice her age. Not only were his feelings inappropriate, but the fact that he’d acted on them, that he’d pursued a relationship and had sex with a student — had fallen in love with a student — would get him in deep trouble. Though Rose College was progressive in academics and philosophy, the board could be rather uptight in matters of sex. Why wasn’t he surprised that such a forward-thinking institution would cave in to rigid societal mores, all for money? Because ultimately, they feared losing the tuitions from the wealthy parents who sent their children to the exclusive college.
    But Anya’s spirit beckoned to his. She was an old soul as well as a fresh idealist. He needed her like he needed water to survive. Leif loved her, an odd feeling for him. He’d never felt so strongly about another human being. His life’s work, his mission, had always been far more important than any emotional or physical attachment. But with Anya, he’d give up his tenure if that’s what it took to keep her.
    They’d agreed to keep their relationship discreet, even though Leif was the only one with something other than his heart at risk.
    In May, when she graduated, he’d ask Anya to share his life. Not within the constraints of man-made matrimony, but where it mattered. They’d be together for as long as their spirits complemented each other. For as long as they were satisfied and complete.
    When Anya approached him in the organic garden, wearing her customary long, flowing dress that made her look as sweet as her kind disposition, Leif couldn’t resist taking her hand and squeezing it just for a moment. He ran his thumb up and down her palms. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her pale skin was even more translucent.
    “Are you okay?” he asked quietly. He dropped her hands in case someone approached.
    “Yes, of course,” she replied. “What’s wrong?”
    “How was your lunch date?” He hadn’t meant to ask, it just came out.
    She blinked, unsure of what he meant, then said, “Sean? He seems very aware. Do you remember, he spoke up in class?”
    He remembered, though at the time of Sean’s impassioned plea for animal rights, Leif had been preoccupied with the news of Jonah Payne’s murder.
    “Was he with you last night?” Leif asked.
    “I — I don’t know what you mean. I just met him this morning in class, talked to him at lunch. What’s wrong?”
    “I know what happened.”
    He didn’t need to elaborate. Her eyes fluttered downward almost demurely.
    “Was he
there
last night?” he asked