Aug 2011
Library Science Just Got Sexy
(formerly "Public Exposure")
Short Story
Available from Silver Publishing.
Pre-order for Aug 27 release date
Drake Talbott is a young university professor with a big secret: he's been dating a student. Hunky, handsome Kerry Monroe isn't in any of Drake's classes, but he has a public sex kink that Drake is in no particular hurry to curb. In fact Kerry's brought out a wilder side of Drake that he never knew he possessed. When an extracurricular tryst in the library stacks nearly brings their relationship to the attention of the powers that be at the university, Drake's just not sure whether his career will survive Kerry's appetites--or his own.
The afternoon following their night on the beach, Kerry came bursting into Drake's office on campus. He had a quirky, charming way of sharing his infectious and boundless level of enthusiasm for just about everything. It was one of the reasons Drake had fallen in love with him and was willing to risk a relationship the university might not be so enthusiastic about. Once inside the office, Kerry closed the door behind him, letting Drake know the discussion was going to be personal--and private. Kerry held up a plastic laminated card, but from halfway across the office, Drake couldn't make out what it was.
"Do you know what this is?" he asked as he headed toward Drake's desk.
"Your student ID? Organ donor card? Secret launch code for the nukes?" Drake guessed, eyebrow raised with curiosity and amusement. "Is this a trick question?"
"All wrong. Guess again." Kerry was thrilled about something, but Drake couldn't figure out where this was going. That alone should have alerted him to danger.
When Kerry didn't get a reply, he continued. "It's a stack pass for the grad library."
"Congratulations, I have one too. I'm just not sure why you're so excited about it." Drake wondered what he was missing. All faculty members had a pass for the stacks, and he couldn't quite understand why Kerry was so excited about this.
"Undergrads usually don't get them, right? But as an honors thesis student, I got one. Now I can go into the old stacks on the upper levels of the main library."
"Well, you'll need that to do your research...."
"That's not what I meant. I checked it out last night. Those stacks are all dark and kinda spooky, and they have a bunch of little rooms where you can study, or not study...." Kerry's voice trailed off, but the tone gave Drake an indication of what Kerry had in mind.
"Are you saying you want to fuckin the stacks?" Drake hoped he'd misinterpreted Kerry's intentions. Even Kerry wouldn't suggest something that daring. Would he?
"Yeah. Tonight." Another big grin. "There are too many people around to go now, but I'd be up for it if you want to."
Now why didn't that surprise Drake? He didn't know whether to laugh or freak out over this suggestion, and he did a bit of both as he considered it. But he admitted the idea was growing on him. Not about heading over to the library in the middle of the afternoon--that was a definite no, but he'd consider something after hours. How on earth did Kerry manage to have that effect on him time and again?
"I have a department dinner tonight, you know that. I won't be finished until nine or nine-thirty." God, how he hated these boring--and mandatory--dinners. It would make the time pass more quickly if he knew he had a rendezvous with Kerry planned for afterwards though.
"Okay, that's fine. How about if you come to the main library at nine-thirty? I'll text you exactly where later, after I scope out the perfect spot."
Knowing he might live to regret this, Drake agreed, and Kerry took off out the door in much the same way he had come in. Drake tried his best to concentrate on his work for the rest of the day, though a mixture of excitement and dread filled him about what he'd agreed to. His body loved the idea, but his brain kept shouting danger signals at him. So far, Drake's body was winning the battle, and he fought off a recurring hard-on all afternoon as he worked on a lecture for his graduate seminar.
* * * *
Available from Silver Publishing.
A previous version of this story was published by Cobblestone Press, called "Public Exposure." The Silver Publishing edition is expanded and updated.