Page 62 of Forbidden Romeo
The golden liquid sloshed in the glass as I lifted it to my lips, the amber color catching the dim lights of the bar.
I threw back the double shot, the whiskey burning as it slid down my throat. A mix of sweet and smoky flavors danced on my tongue and I winced as the burning heat melted into a pleasant warmth, spreading through my chest.
I gestured at the bartender for another. “I’m sorry, man. You could retaliate, you know? Go to the dean; tell him how McCay sleeps with her TAs.”
Keith shook his head, hands clutching the sweating pint glass. “If I do that, then I risk not graduating. My entire three years of grad school and grades I’ve received from her would be called into question.”
I snorted. “A fact that, I’m sure McCay made sure you knew,” I muttered more to myself than to Keith.
“At least this way, I’ve been assigned a new advisor and I can still graduate on time. The showcase you guys did last semester counted as my final thesis.”
“Well thank God for that,” I said just as the bartender slid me another drink. Grabbing my whiskey, I held it up toward Keith. “To Remy and Julie,” I said. “And to the best new playwright this world will ever see.”
Across the bar, the sound of Katherine’s laugh caught my attention and I looked over just in time to see Nate lifting her up and twirling her around. The margarita in her hand sloshed over the rim of her glass, dripping over her knuckles.
“Well that’s a new development,” Keith said, quietly eyeing me.
“Is it? Nate has liked her all fucking year,” I grumbled bitterly.
“Sure,” Keith said. “But she hasn’t exactly liked him back. Besides, I was talking about her drinking.”
I clutched my second whiskey glass, the cool condensation making it slippery. “She’s been drunk before,” I admitted. “Also with Nate. Believe it or not, between him and me, I think I’m the better influence.”
Keith chuckled. “Wow. That’s saying something.”
“He just pretends to be innocent a whole lot better than I do.”
“And yet…” Keith said, leaning back in his stool with a stretch. “You’re the better actor.”
“So people keep telling me.”
“Trust me, Holden. It’s my seventh year at this school. I’ve seen a lot of people come and go within this prestigious department. You and Kate? You’re both the real deal. You could make it.”
“Kate’s the real deal,” I nodded a confirmation. “Jury’s still out on me.”
“If I had to guess which one of you would make it? It would be you, Holden.”
I snapped my gaze to him, confused. “You just said she’s talented?—”
“She absolutely has the talent,” Keith said, his eyes skimming over the crowd to where she was now dancing with Jill. “But it takes more than that. It’s expensive to pursue your creative dreams. It takes a certain level of privilege to even be able to try.”
I snorted and scrubbed my hands over my face, this time sipping my whiskey, not shooting it. “Great. So because I’m born into wealth, I have a better chance at making it than her?”
Keith shrugged. “Isn’t that true about all things?” We were silent for another long moment before Keith added, “I heard last week that she was moving out of her dorms. She couldn’t afford the cost of them or something.”
Well that woke me up from my stupor. “What?”
Keith nodded. “Before Laurie and I… before I moved advisors, we got a change of address notification on her paperwork for the semester. She has to move next week.”
With a swift motion, I pushed the stool back and retrieved a handful of bills from my wallet, causing Keith to jump.
“Where are you going?”
I tossed the cash onto the bar and finished my whiskey in a few quick gulps. “She’s not fucking moving. Not on my watch.”
Keith grabbed my sleeve as I turned to leave. “I don’t know either of you super well, but I can tell you for certain that Kate doesn’t like charity.”
“I don’t fucking care. She’s not moving into the shitty dorms on the other end of the campus. Not on my watch.”