Gravity (Greenford #2) - Romeo Alexander Page 0,16

yourself,” Caleb told him.

Dean Thomas smiled at that. “I appreciate that. Give me one moment. I’m going to pluck someone to do this. I’m sure one of the professors would be more than happy to call off their classes for the day, and I’m positive the students would be glad of it as well.”

Caleb chuckled softly at that. “I don’t doubt it. Class being called off without forewarning was always a cause for celebration.”

Dean Thomas eyed him for a moment before beaming. “A fair point and I think I have just the person in mind. Give me one moment.”

Before Caleb could ask who the older man had in mind, Dean Thomas disappeared behind his closed door once again. Caleb had a sneaking suspicion he knew who the man was going to pick for the job, despite Caleb trying to avoid just that the last time the two of them had talked.

He still wasn’t sure exactly how he felt about his run-in with Samuel at that little eatery. Caleb had gone there on a whim after deciding he needed a break from sorting through his things. It was one of the first places to pop up in his search for good places around town to eat, and after browsing the online menu, he’d decided to give it a try.

Caleb had known that running into Sam was inevitable. Greenford wasn’t exactly a sprawling metropolis, and they were working on the same campus. He had been hoping for a little more time before he had to face the other man, if only because he had no idea what he was going to say to Sam when he saw him.

Turns out, he didn’t have a whole lot to say if the surprise and awkward interaction on Saturday was anything to go by. Caleb couldn’t decide which was more awkward, running into Sam before he was ready or finding the man on what looked like a date. It certainly hadn’t looked like a first date either, as the tall man with Sam had looked very comfortable and even more telling, Sam had mirrored the other man’s comfort.

Well, until he’d started talking to Caleb anyway.

The double doors leading into the waiting room opened and Caleb’s heart sank as, sure enough, he watched Sam walk into the room. The man’s expression was locked into a thoughtful frown as he walked toward the door leading into the dean’s office. He glanced at Caleb, took another step, then stuttered to a stop and stared at him.

“You’re why I’m here,” Sam said slowly.

Caleb sighed. “He didn’t tell you why you were here?”

Sam shook his head. “No, he just told me to call off my classes and meet him in his office. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s called someone on the staff up randomly for a meeting.”

Sam seemed far less guarded and irritable than he had on Saturday. Then again, they’d both been taken off guard by running into one another out of nowhere, so Caleb couldn’t blame the other man for having been tense. There was still the familiar tenseness to Sam that Caleb hated, even after so many years apart. Still, it had been years, so he supposed he couldn’t blame him for that.

He just wished he didn’t know how impossible it was to bring those walls down.

“What,” Sam began but stopped when the office door opened and Dean Thomas hurried out.

“Ah, good, you’re here already,” he said to Sam, beaming.

Sam smiled. “I was grabbing a late breakfast when you called, so I was just around the corner.”

“Excellent, that works out perfectly for us since I’ve already kept poor Caleb waiting,” Thomas said with a wink toward him. “I need someone who knows the campus to show him around. Obviously, I won’t be asking you to show him the gym, pool, and all that, but I think we should start off with the campus proper. Some things have changed since the last time he was here, so it would be nice to have a knowledgeable person show him about.”

“I see,” Sam said, glancing at Caleb. “And you picked me for the job?”

“Well, of course. You were brought up in our first meeting and he mentioned he knew you, so I thought you would be perfect for the job. A friendly face always helps.”

“Is that right?” Sam asked wryly, still watching Caleb. “I suppose it also wouldn’t hurt that we could play catch up as well.”

“Precisely,” Dean Thomas said, apparently pleased that Sam was on the same page.