The library was caught in that magical time of the day, somewhere between being too bright for the lights to come on, but dark enough to remind them all that the day was wearing on. Diana was still making her way through her to-do list, frustrated that Peter Knox's interruption earlier had resulted in her being so far behind. She'd just reached for the next book in her pile when a large hand closed gently over her own, trapping it between cool flesh and sun-kissed leather.
"I think it's time we call it a day," Professor Clairmont suggested gently, withdrawing his hand to elegantly flick the book he'd been reading shut.
Diana allowed her eyes to drift back down to her list. She had marked off more than half of the items on it, but not enough for her to feel happy with what she'd managed to achieve that day. Her anger at Knox flared again at that moment, but instead of white-hot rage burning through her veins, it felt like a sharp ice-cold wind rushing through her ears.
Clairmont's hand closed over her own once more, pulling Diana's attention back to the present. He'd probably been trying to talk to her and she'd likely ignored every word he'd just said.
"Sorry. I uh … I think you're right. I'll save this and then start packing up."
Diana turned her attention back to her laptop and quickly began saving all of her files. From the corner of her eyes, she watched as Clairmont cleared away whatever project he'd been working on all day, and then neatly stacked the books he'd been using for it. Diana did her best to organize the mess of open books around her into two stacks to return, while stuffing notepads and pens into her bag.
"Let me takes these for you," Clairmont offered, as he added his own books to the pile Diana had made to return to the stacks around them.
"Thank you."
Somehow, even with two different sets of books to put away, Clairmont was still back at Diana's side as she swung her bag over her shoulder and grabbed the manuscripts she needed to return. She didn't need to check to see if he was following her out of the room. She could feel that soft flurry of snow dancing over her shoulders as she made her way towards the returns desk.
"All finished for today, Diana?" Sean asked, when she set the heavy books down in front of him.
"Yeah, but I haven't finished with this one yet." Diana ran her index finger gently over the spine of the book at the bottom of her small stack. Thanks to Peter Knox, she hadn't even cracked it's cover open. "Could you keep it aside for me and I'll start with it tomorrow?"
"Of course." Sean lifted his head from the computer screen he'd been staring at to offer Diana a reassuring smile and then reached for the books she wanted to return. "So, uh … what are your plans for the rest of the night?" he asked, as casually as he could manage.
"I'm just gonna get some food and finish working on a paper I have due next week." Diana's tummy gave a small growl of agreement at her plans and she hoped that it was quiet enough to go unheard by the two men around her. "Have a great evening, Sean."
"Yeah … you too, Diana," he called back, gathering up her books and turning from the desk just as she pushed her way out of the building.
"That boy has a crush on you," Clairmont stated, when they were finally outside. His tone was completely emotionless, almost like he was remarking on how dull the weather was.
"I'm aware of that."
It hadn't taken long for Diana to notice how flustered Sean got whenever she was around, or how he always seemed to ask about her plans for the evenings and weekends. As much as she hated to see that look of disappointment on his face whenever she made it clear that she wasn't free, Diana knew she was doing the right thing. She already felt like she was being weighed down with the workload expected from a Ph.D. student. She couldn't imagine adding dating to that mix – especially if her date was someone like Sean, who she'd have to see on a regular basis even if things ended badly. After all, it wasn't like she could avoid the library for the rest of her stay in Oxford!
"So, where would you like to go?" Clairmont asked suddenly, pulling a set of car keys from his pocket.
"Go?"
"Do you prefer eating over coffee or wine?"
It took a moment for the words he'd spoken and the meaning behind them to fully sink in. "You don't have to do this," she told him. "Knox isn't here. He's not gonna know you were lying earlier to cover for me. And even if he did somehow find out, I could always say that something came up."
"I wouldn't have made the offer if I didn't intend to follow through with it," Clairmont assured her.
Diana remained frozen in place for a few seconds as she briefly considered her options. A part of her knew that her time would be better spent in the safety and comfort of her own room, studying before bed while she heated something to eat in the microwave. But a much larger part relished the thought of possibly being able to pull more information from Clairmont while they were off-campus, and in a more relaxed setting.
In the end, it was her desire for answers that won out over the more rational side of her mind.
"A glass of wine sounds good after today."
Clairmont's smile widened as he nodded for Diana to begin walking again, and then fell into step beside her. When she made a move to turn left and head for the pub, however, his hand shot out to tug gently on her arm, pulling her in the opposite direction.
"The pub's this way," Diana protested, hooking her thumb over her shoulder.
"And my car's this way."
"It'll probably take you longer to get parked than it would for us to walk," she argued.
"We're not going to that pub, Diana. That weak fruit juice they sell there is an insult to vintage merlot."
"Then where are we going?" she asked.
"To a little place I know, not far from here. Trust me, you'll still be close enough to home to feel safe, but you'll also be able to order a decent drink there too."
Diana stopped moving for a moment as she considered her options once again. If she'd been with anyone else, she'd have refused and headed straight back to New College. Everyone knew that you didn't get into a stranger's car, especially when that stranger was being so cryptic about where they were planning to take you. But if Clairmont had wanted to hurt her, he could have done it a dozen times over already. So with a slight nod of her head, Diana let him guide her towards the black Jaguar parked just down the street.
Thanks for reading and reviewing.
For those of you who don't know, I'm going through some difficult times personally at the moment both with my health and in my private life, so I'm afraid updates will remain sporadic for the time being because I just don't have the time or energy to dedicate to my fandom life right now.
