One Night With My Alpha Professor by Eve Above Story

Chapter 254

Audrey

The bar was busier than usual for a Tuesday night. The air was filled with the low hum of conversation and the scent of alcohol and greasy bar food, some sports game or another playing on the big TV against the far wall.

We managed to claim our usual corner booth, tucked away from prying eyes and ears. The Silver Star was here, after all. People were already starting to stare.

“Ah, I needed this,” Tina said as she took a long gulp of her beer. It feels like it hasn’t been just us girls for way too long.”

Betty nodded in agreement, turning to me and Avis at the same time. “Seriously. It’s about time you two pry yourselves away from your men for five minutes.”

Avis and I both blushed, although we knew that Betty was just teasing.

Little did she know that she had a man of her own who was pining over her. Peter must have had it pretty bad, too, if he still hadn’t mustered up the courage to speak more than three words to her.

I smiled as I sipped my gin and tonic, listening to my friends‘ chatter. It really was nice to get out, just the four of us; no pack business, no pressing matters looming over my head. It felt like we were in college again, spending a typical night at the bar when we had nothing better to do.

But something wasn’t right.

My eyes kept drifting toward Avis, who was sitting beside me. She was unusually quiet, nursing a martini, but hadn’t taken

eyes distant. more than a sip. Her fingers circled the rim absently, her

I wondered if she was having problems with Gavin, although it seemed unlikely. Those two had been thick as thieves since they had started dating. No, it had to be something else.

“Hey.” I nudged her gently, lowering my voice. “You alright?”

Avis blinked, her focus snapping back to the present like she had just been pulled out of a deep train of thought.

“What? Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” she said, but I could see straight through her lie. All of us could.

“You don’t look fine,” Tina chimed in, blunt as ever. “You look like someone just kicked your puppy or something.”

don’t have a puppy,”

“Seriously, Avis. What’s going on? You’ve barely

heavily and pushed her glass away like she’d suddenly lost her interest in it. “It’s nothing,” she said, but her tone gave her away yet

I asked,

hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. The shop,” she admitted, her voice quiet. “It’s been… rough lately. I’ve barely had

Tina, and I exchanged glances. This was news to us. Avis’s shop was always busy–so busy that at least one of us usually had to help her on weekends just so she

amazing at what you do,” Betty protested. “How is

shrug, but I could see the tension in her shoulders. “It’s that

1/3

Chapter 254

so little

wasn’t the first time any of us

Tina sighed, scratching her head. “I

+5

grit her teeth

matching expressions of pain on our faces. Avis had taken a major leap of faith in dropping out of school and starting her

that business now going

I wasn’t going to just sit back and let this happen. “What

delicate lips pressed into a thin line. “Can’t afford it right now,” she said softly. “Like I said, I’m barely making a

digital tablet Edwin had bought me all those months ago–I carried it everywhere, just in case

mock exasperation. “Oh no,” she said, a teasing grin spreading across her freckled face.

navigated to a new document on my tablet. “Oh, hush, you.” I turned to Avis. “We’ll make a point of mentioning the environmental benefits

in my

Betty added. “And we can all help.

that night, Avis’s shoulders seemed to loosen just

pushing up my sleeves.

the flyers we drew up. More drinks were to be had, too, and by the time we were finished, we were all itching to drunkenly wander town and flyers

we hit the streets armed with stacks of paper and rolls of tape. The night air was cool and the sky was dark but clear, the scent of early autumn leaves on

streets were lined with boutiques, coffee shops, and small businesses. I pinned flyers to every community bulletin board I could find, and taped thefn in

with ink, and my feet were pleasantly sore. I made my way back to our meeting spot outside the bar, where I found Avis waiting with a small, tentative