Page 48 of Teaching Roman

Chapter Twenty-Two

Saturday nightwe beat everyone to Garrett’s and grabbed a booth. The MCATs were behind me, and I felt good about them. I probably wouldn’t break any records, but I thought my score would be strong enough for applications. The real celebration was that Roman had passed his defense. In a few weeks, he’d graduate, but all that was technical. He had his PhD, and I was buzzing with pride. Despite the accomplishments, I was more than a little nervous to be here with Roman—in public, particularly a college bar. Jillian had begged and argued her case. Then Cassie had gotten in on the action. God help the American justice system if those two ever opened a law firm. I glanced around shiftily like I was about to rob the joint. It wasn’t as if most people would think anything of seeing the two of us together. He wasn’t much older than me and dressed down in jeans and a T-shirt he just looked like another hot guy at the bar.

But I knew and couldn’t help but feel nervous.

“Stop fidgeting, mi bella,” he whispered, taking my hand into his so I couldn’t bite my nails.

“What if the dean walks in or something?” I asked.

“I hear he hangs out here all the time,” he said wryly. “And even if he did, he has no clue who I am. I’m not a tenured professor, remember? Just an instructor. No one in my department is going to show up at a bar on a Friday night.”

He was right, but that fact did nothing to calm my racing heart. Without the others here to distract me with stories and bad jokes, I had time to think and there was only one thing on my mind: getting caught. Although technically we were both students, I knew our relationship existed in a gray area. I’d always been one to follow the rules. My driver’s license photo probably appeared under the definition of good girl in the dictionary. The trouble was that the initial thrill of rebelling had been usurped by something scarier. Being found out wouldn’t just spell trouble, it likely would force us apart. I didn’t even want to think about it.

Thankfully I was distracted from my analysis by the appearance of Cassie. She strutted to the table, looking her usual fashionable self and then unleashed a string of curses that would put a sailor to shame.

“Having a good day?” I asked, already feeling more comfortable.

“Computer crashed, so I have to rewrite an entire paper by next Friday.” She waved over Frank to place an order for the special: frozen pizza cooked in their toaster oven. It wasn’t gourmet, but it was cheap and a tradition.

Frank, the resident bartender, ambled over, scratching at his bushy eyebrow. “The usual?”

“You have a usual?” Roman asked under his breath.

Frank might have as much hair growing in his ears as on his head, but he caught it, glancing at Roman with disapproval. It was the look he gave any guy who dared to sit with us.

“Yeah, but double it,” Cassie said. “We brought the boys.”

“Where’s your boy?” Frank asked.

“No more boys for me. Unless you’re available, Frank.” She batted her eyelashes at him suggestively.

“I’m too old for you, hon. Thought I told you to stay out of trouble this year.” His words were gruff, but we all knew he was a teddy bear underneath his tough exterior. He’d seen his fair share of our love interests through the years, and he treated them like any father figure would: as jerks until they proved otherwise. He had only stopped calling Liam ‘that Scot’ a few weeks ago.

Cassie shook her head, spilling dark locks of hair over her shoulders. “Boys my age are trouble.”

“Been telling you that for years,” Frank called over his shoulder as he headed back toward the kitchen.

“Hey guys! Doctor Markson.” My head perked up on hearing the familiar Scottish accent. Liam bowed like Roman had been coronated.

“That makes me feel old.”

“Maybe someday there will be two Doctor Marksons.” Leave it to Cassie to wreck a celebration with expectations. I kicked her under the table.

“That sounds like a sitcom,” Jillian said, immediately shutting up when I shot her a warning look. She hadn’t sat down yet, so I couldn’t kick her. Unlike Cassie, she got the message and swiftly changed the subject. “I can’t believe it’s May.”

Liam caught on and began discussing summer plans. He wanted to go camping with Jillian, which was one of the worst ideas I’d ever heard. Over the past year, I’d grown to love Liam as much as Jillian. Judging from how she clung to his side that might be a stretch. The two of them looked relaxed and happy. In fact, I’d never seen Jillian so content before and I could only hope it would last. They scooted into the booth next to Cassie. It was a tight fit but no one complained. Having my whole, extended family here was enough to put me instantly at ease. Within an hour, we’d polished off both combo pizzas and the conversation was flowing as swiftly as the penny pitchers.

“Any news?” I asked Jillian as the men discussed soccer.

She stiffened in her chair and took a long swig of her beer. She was on her second of the night. I’d been counting, knowing I’d have to step in if she tried to have more or risk it interacting with her medications.

“No official news, but the student liaison’s office says it doesn’t look good. Apparently every foreign exchange student wants to come to Washington.” Judging from the tension ticking in her jaw as she finished speaking, she thought this was unfair. “Why can’t we go to school somewhere boring like Cleveland. I mean, Liam’s already here. Why not let him stay?”

“You could marry him,” I said with a shrug.

Jillian’s face turned fire truck red, but next to her, Liam laughed and leaned over to me. “Careful, now. You’re going to mess up my plans.”

“Shut up,” she said, turning even brighter red.