He remembered a time when he’d been a student in one of Elias’s classes. He’d been caught mouthing off to a friend about how their “teacher” always showed up late on Wednesdays, so he didn’t see the need to show up on time.
Yeah, Elias had him wait in his office after that particular class for forty-five minutes. He’d missed a date he’d had later that night, and Leo would never forget the smug look on his teacher’s face when he’d walked in the office, told him not to have such a big mouth, then let him go.
Forty-five minutes for ten damn seconds.Asshole.
But that’s what made Elias Elias. He was a total hard-ass when need be, but Leo was also extremely lucky to have him in his life. He’d been a guiding hand to both him and Paris when they’d taken an extra interest in his courses. What had started as an academic relationship had eventually turned into a friendship that now spanned years.
Whoever said history was for geeks and old men hadn’t meant Elias Fontana. He was quite possibly the most intelligent person Leo knew, and he didn’t take shit from anyone.
Leo unbuttoned his navy-blue cardigan and took his bag off, placing it on one of the elaborate, wooden chairs in the room. Elias sure did like his collectables. The two chairs in his office were likely worth more than Leo could imagine, with the stunning silver engrained in the arms and legs. He always meant to ask him what year they were from but inevitably forgot.
It felt like years instead of weeks since he’d stepped foot inside the museum. Even then, he usually took the elevator down to where his office was located in the basement—or, as they called it, “his dungeon.” He rarely came up to the main offices.
He scratched the back of his head and thought about what he was going to say when his friend, and boss, finally did show up.
Maybe it would be best to go with the lie Alasdair had already told. At least then Elias will just be pissed, not reaching for the phone to have me admitted to the psych ward.
He sat down in the chair opposite the desk and tipped his head back, closing his eyes. As much as he wasn’t looking forward to this meeting, he was dreading the evening more. He still wasn’t sure whether or not he’d imagined Alasdair’s voice as he’d drifted off to sleep last night. If he had heard it, though, when and where the vampire would show up, he had no idea.
His eyes moved to the window on the left side of Elias’s office, and the sunrise got him thinking.
Can Alasdair move about in the daylight? Or is the myth about burning in the sun just a myth?
It would explain why he wouldn’t be around until tonight. So Leo pulled out the notebook he’d stuffed in his pocket earlier and removed the pen attached to the side binding. He always worked better when he had his questions written down. As if, when they were out of his brain, he had more room for other important things.
Last night, he’d started a list of questions he wanted answered if Alasdair happened to reappear in his life. Questions like: Can they eat normal food? It was a valid one, especially considering his blood was likely the desired meal of choice. He jotted down his question about sunlight, and when he was putting the notebook away, the door behind him finally opened.
Leo stood as Elias walked through the door. He dumped his briefcase on the ground, unbuttoned his black, woolen coat, and then came across the room and around the end of his desk. His dark hair was windblown, and the stubble on his face looked a day or so old. He pulled his desk chair out, but before he sat down, he raised his head to pin Leo with eerie, silver eyes.
Suddenly, Leo’s palms began to sweat as if he were seventeen all over again. He remembered the first time he’d really looked at Elias back then, and like now, his eyes almost shined at him. They were unreal. Everyone always said so.
“Are you early? Or am I late?” he asked as he shrugged out of his coat.
“You’re late.”
Elias threw the heavy material across the corner of his desk and sat in his chair. “Good.”
Leo grimaced as he took his seat and crossed his leg so his ankle rested on his knee. He bounced his leg as he waited for Elias to say more, and when he didn’t, Leo thought it might be best to get a head start.
“Elias, look. I’m so sorry—”
“Sorry? You’re sorry?”
Leo winced at the disgruntled question. So much for a head start.
“Do you know how fucking worried we’ve been these past two weeks? Sorry isn’t going to cut it here. So I sure as shit hope you have a better explanation than that.”
He opened his mouth, about to feed him the lie Alasdair had started, when Elias leaned across the desk and shook his head.
“And don’t you dare try to tell me you fell in love and disappeared for thirteen days, Leonidas. I’ve known you for nearly eleven years, and you’ve never been so stupid or thoughtless.”
Leo stared tongue-tied at the man he’d grown to admire and respect over the years. As Elias waited for him to tell the truth, Leo wasn’t quite sure what to say.
“Start talking, Leo. Give me something so I believe you still give a shit about this job you have worked your ass off for. Are you really going to throw your life away for someone you just met?”
“No,” Leo murmured.
“No? Then help me understand. Where the fuck have you been? Are you caught up in something you can’t get out of?”
Leo brought his head up and frowned. “Such as?”
“I don’t know. You tell me. Drugs? Does that guy have you doing things you don’t want to do? He looked the type.”
He didn’t mean to, but Leo couldn’t stop himself from laughing at the absurd thought of Alasdair as a drug dealer. He supposed, from an outside perspective, he did come off as arrogant and somewhat scary in the way nothing seemed to intimidate him.
But a drug dealer? No.
“I’m glad you find this amusing,” Elias grit out, his patience running thin. “Because if that’s what’s going on here, drugs, we can go down and report him.”
“No. No,” Leo denied adamantly, pulling himself together. He uncrossed his legs and sat forward, putting his elbows on his knees so he could rest his face in his palms. “He’s not a drug dealer. For God’s sake, Elias, give me some credit.”
“I’m giving you no fucking credit right now,” he thundered. “You don’t deserve it. You just took off. No note for your friends, no call to your boss—”
“I didn’t have a choice,” Leo finally said, getting to his feet. He ran his hand through his hair and then gripped the back of his neck as he stared at Elias. “I couldn’t call you.”
Elias tilted his head to the side, carefully contemplating his next words. “Why not?”
Leo dropped his hand and shook his head. “I can’t tell you.”
Elias sighed. “Try again, Leo.”
“I. Can’t. Tell. You,” he said, enunciating each word. “Look at me. Do I look like I’m enjoying myself here?”
The silence was strained as Elias looked him over, and all Leo could hear was the anxious beat of his heart. It was funny—Elias, in his own way, commanded a room as effectively as Alasdair did. The only difference was there was no immediate threat of death with this man.
Until today, maybe.
“Do you still want to work here, Leo?”
“Of course,” he answered immediately. “It was never about that—Jesus. I feel like my whole fucking life has turned on its head.”
Elias nodded and got to his feet. Leo watched him make his way over to him, reminded why he’d once had a crush on his university teacher. Elias was tall, his suit outlined his broad shoulders, and when he stopped so they were face-to-face, Leo noted, not for the first time, how handsome his friend was. It really was a shame he was straight.