The Bourbon Shot

Sitting there watching my friends waiting for the next story. I couldn’t help a smile that flitted across my face.

“Okay, what was that? You just gave a quick smile, thinking I don’t watch you, girl. Fess up.” Joni said as she took a sip of her drink, waiting for me to spill my guts.

“ All right, the next one is a bourbon shot. His name is Professor Joshua Clark. Otherwise known to me J.H.” 

“He is only known to you as J.H.? Sounds…tasty,” Alex said as he glanced behind me.

He was supposed to be an inspirational piece for the paper. He is to this very day the youngest man on record to become a professor.

“Wait, he is not young? He has some greys at the edge of his dark hair.” Elene said, looking at me like I was pulling her leg.

“He is 56 years old. He became a professor at the age of 14. Now if you want to hear this, don’t interrupt me.”

“56 huh?” Sebastian whispered, at least he thought he whispered. We all looked at him with a question on our face, but we left it alone.

I was Upstate in Connecticut, visiting some family, when I received a call from my editor stating he wanted this piece written by me. Of course, I gave him hell because  I was on vacation, but I caved in when he said that I would get a little bump in salary if I did this piece.

 I called up the school to make some kind of arrangement to meet with Professor Clark, but I was greeted with a hostile assistant stating that he would not give any interviews to any news Outlet, publications, or frivolous online news.

As you guys very well know, I do not take “No” as an answer.  I looked up what would be considered “Yale attire,” and since they had a game that day, I used it as a cover. I was wearing the good old blue and white, and I managed to get onto the campus with my news badge stating that I was there to cover the game.

 Once on campus, I did a detour and went into the social science department. I made sure to memorize exactly the layout of where he would be so I would not be stopped looking as if I was lost

 I managed to get into the social science department with little to no communication with people passing by, and knocked on his door, and I was met with a gruff “Come in.” 

I entered his office, and he not once looked up to see who it was. I cleared my throat and proceeded to introduce myself when he cut me off and said, “ Delissa, if you come in here one more time to ask what you can do to get a favorable grade in my class, I will report you to the dean.”

 I stood there and thought, what was she proposing to do to get that favorable grade? Instead of voicing what I thought, I again tried to introduce myself.

 I am sorry to disappoint you, but my name is Renee Andrews, and I would love to just have a conversation with you.”

 Professor Clark looked up, and I was literally frozen on the spot. He was younger then, so that led to the charm of the chiseled face, the supple lips, the darkest brown eyes that you will ever come across, and when he looked up and realized that I was not who he expected, I could have sworn he took in a deep breath at the sight of me.

“ How did you get in here, and who are you? “He asked once he got his bearings.

My name is Renee Andrews, and I’m here from New York to write a story about you. Seeing that you’re the youngest professor in history to be documented.”

 He started to shake his head and look down at his desk filled with paperwork.” I see you guys finally got through my assistant. I’m not giving any interviews because I think this is a frivolous piece, and I do not condone these get to know your genius pieces.”

“So, do you admit that you’re a genius, being that you are only 14 years old when you became a professor?”

 He stood up from the desk, and I didn’t expect to see such a broad frame on him. I tried to keep my observation to myself and look him dead in the eyes to keep things professional. That was a mistake with J.H. 

To be a professor of social science, he observes the nuances of how people react in certain situations, and he has already caught that I sized him up as quickly as I did and kept my composure. So instead of me interviewing him, it seemed that the tables were turned and he started to interview me.

“Your first thought when you saw me was that I was an aggravated professor who wanted nothing to do with the world outside. Then your pupils dilated once I stood up. You caught a quick breath, but you did try to maintain professionalism when we both knew that you were attracted to me.”

 That right there. That statement flipped a switch inside of me so fast that I did not even realize the words that came tumbling out of my mouth.

 “Your assumption of me being attracted to you is far from reality. Yes, I was surprised that you are in physical shape because all the professors I’ve ever had were a little out of shape and more stressed and more rude than was necessary.”

  “You are standing there before me, lying, and I am supposed to give you an interview? How would I believe that you would write exactly what I say if you can’t even tell the truth?”

 My mind ran a hundred scenarios, and it still didn’t pick up on the scenario that unraveled with this interview.

“ Fine yes, I was attracted for the moment, but you’re demeanor and the way that you were speaking to me made me think otherwise. I am led by thoughts and not by emotion. Now, can we have an interview?”

 He must have realized that he overstepped his bounds, and believe it or not, my standing up to him actually relaxed him enough to give me the interview. After the interview, seeing that it was late, he asked if I wanted to have a drink before I left.

“What do you have? All I see here are books and papers that are strewn across your desk?”

“You know, Renee, I like the side of you. Not the professional reporter trying to get the story, but the laid back tell it like it is side of you.”

 He walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out three books, behind which was a bottle of bourbon and two glasses.

“Is bourbon all right? This is all that I have in here.”

“ Well, since it’s all that you have in here, might as well pour me some.”

 We sat there for hours, talking about society and the changes that were occurring. Between the heated discussions and quiet contemplations, I didn’t realize that we were circling each other.

 Like he was a planet and I was on one of the rings, but every time I came around, I moved a little closer to his pull.

“Renee, I’m going to break all social norms here and just state that I want you. The moment you walked in and I realized it was not my student, the moment you stood up to me as if I were the wall you were going to knock down, the absolute moment I watched that bourbon pass your lips and down your throat. I want you.”

 I stood there looking at J.H. and I would not deny myself anything. I took another swallow of the bourbon as he watched it go down my throat, put the cup down on his desk that he was leaning against, and kissed the most deliciously flavored lips I ever had.

 Remember, JH has some years on me, and the things he did with my body… he is a good study of social norms and abnormalities.

 When we finally came up for air, realizing that his office not only smelled of a heavy scent of bourbon, but also of us and whatever furniture polish they used, on all this wood.

“You did say that your here visiting family. Can I ask you how long?”

 That’s when this affair started, but just like Caleb, I was not ready to settle down, and he was willing to commute back and forth from Yale to New York to make it work. I was just not ready to have something that permanent. I told him that maybe in a few years we can see what happens.

 That’s when I saw another side of Professor Clark. The closed-off side of him bubbled to the surface, and his anger exploded. The reason he is so in shape the way he is is because he’s a boxer, and he was so upset that he scheduled an impromptu match that left the guy really beat up.

 That should have scared me, but to be honest, it didn’t. I left two days later to go back to my apartment in New York. I never heard from him again until tonight.

Bar

“Renee, you had two men willing to change their lives to be with you, and you turn them down,” said Elaine with a look on her face as if she was disappointed in me.

“A boxer, huh?” Another whispered statement from Sebastian that Alex couldn’t let go.

“ Sebastian, if this is the time that you’re going to come out of the closet, you need just to fess up. These little whispered thoughts are making us all think weird shit about you.”

 Sebastian looked at all of us and then took  a drink, then stated, “ I like to swing and Pam knows because she likes to do it too.”

“Since when? You haven’t even told me any of this. You’ve been with a man?” Alex said a bit more upset then the rest of us.

 Sebastian’s face turned a cute shade of pink as he looked out at the people dancing before he answered again.

“ It’s only been about 2 years, and that’s all I’m going to say.”

 We all looked at him, but we realized this wasn’t about him tonight, and it was more about the four shots that were before me.

“ Okay, Renee, why do you call him J.H.?” Joni asked

 I couldn’t help myself but laugh, and then I said, “ Jekyll and Hyde.”

 That was when the whole table burst out laughing and realized that the professor really embodied two different people.

“Okay, these stories are getting better and better. The next shot before you is the whiskey shot, and for some reason, even from a distance, I feel like that is trouble on two legs.” Joni said

 Little did they know that trouble does not describe Bradley Dorran the best.