Chapter 36

Ally had often heard the expression 'you look like you've seen a ghost', but never before had she seen it so perfectly depicted as she did at that moment. Of course he also appeared to be hearing rather than seeing this particular ghost, but that was beside the point. Had Ben been standing when he took that call, Ally was certain he would have needed to pause to sit down before continuing the conversation. "Is everything all right?" she mouthed to h

im, but he was so focused on the voice at the other end of the line, he didn't hear her.

Ben said very little as the conversation continued. Finally, he said a quiet, "Yes, sir, I'll be right there."

The only thing Ally could think of was that something had happened to a member of his family. She couldn't imagine anyone else ordering Ben around like that.

He clicked off the phone call, his fingers still trembling, and his face still the color of vanilla ice cream. "You finished, Ally?" he asked, his voice cracking some. "We need to get going."

"Look, I'll clean up here, you go ahead," she said, reaching across the table to gather his trash, too. "I don't obviously know what's going on, but I can tell you're needed somewhere else. We can talk later."

Ben reached over and clamped his hand over Ally's. "No, you need to come with me. Let's go."

Okay, he hadn't told her a thing, yet he was ordering her to come with him. She had class in just over a half hour for crying out loud! Frankly, the bossy attitude was pissing her off again big-time.

"Kind of bossy today, aren't we?" she said through gritted teeth and a plastered on smile. "I'll be there for you if you need me. Always know that. But Ben, I have a class starting in..." She looked at her watch for confirmation, more for his benefit than hers. "... just over a half hour. What's going on here anyway?"

"Honestly?"

"No, lie to me." She tilted her head and sighed in exasperation. "Duh, of course I want the truth!"

"Honestly, I have no idea what just happened there, Al," he said, referring to the phone call. "But we have to hurry if we want any kind of an explanation."

"Ben, if you think I find this mystery man crap irresistible, you've got another think coming." She crumpled up the last napkin and tossed it on her tray into the heap of trash.

"It's you who need to woo me, remember?" he pointed out with a grin. Ben had no idea she was such a firecracker when he first met her. And now, even though teasing her could easily cause him bodily harm, he couldn't resist doing it just the same.

Rather than admit he was right, Ally had apparently decided to ignore the comment. "So you're telling me wherever we have to go is more important than showing up in class?"

He pursed his lips, thought about it a moment, and then nodded. "If the person who called me has information about what I think he does, then yes, it'll be worth missing class for." Ben stood up and tossed his backpack over his shoulders.

Ally latched on to the fact that it was a male caller instantly. "A 'he' called you?" she asked, wide-eyed. "Was it Professor Salinger?" she asked hopefully, even though the odds were against it. Besides, Ben would have been much more excited by the call if it were the professor.

"I didn't recognize the voice. Now would you please come on so we don't miss him?" Ben said, trying to pull her out of her chair.

"Okay, okay," she agreed reluctantly. Ally picked up the tray, dumped the garbage into the trashcan, and then grabbed Ben's hand as they made their way out of the building. "What did the guy sound like?"

"Not as young as the average student on campus, but older than Salinger," he answered, knowing where Ally's mind was headed.

"Hmm... Did he say what he wanted?" she asked, as they made their way through the underground tunnel to the main part of the building.

"Not really. He basically just told me to get my butt over there to see him."

"And you think this is relevant to me because... why?"

"Because he asked me to meet him just outside of the English building." Her eyes brightened, and he could just see the hopefulness all over her face. "Look, I'm not a hundred percent sure you'll find this meeting interesting or helpful in your quest for answers, but it's worth a shot, isn't it?"

Ally had to admit that it was, so she nodded her agreement. Maybe if they could find out once and for all what happened to Professor Salinger, they could put that chapter of their lives behind them and start writing new ones. Like ones containing adventures in kissing, fondling, sucking, tickling, rubbing, nibbling, and thrusting, Ally thought, her mind going wild with the possibilities once more.

"Where did you go just then?" Ben asked, holding the door open for her. Wherever it was, she looked mighty damn happy, he thought. I just hope I was with her...

She blushed, embarrassed at being caught. "Wouldn't you like to know," she teased with a wicked smile. A wicked smile Ben was growing intensely fond of.

"No matter, I'll get it out of you one day. I have my ways," he said ominously as he threw her a wicked grin of his own.

God, they had such good chemistry, Ally thought. And it wasn't just sexual chemistry either. She could hardly wait to get rib of some of her emotional baggage so they could take their relationship to even greater depths.

Still holding hands, they finally approached the English building. A lone figure stood out front, but the face was impossible to make out in the wash of sun. A few steps further, and Ben was able to make out the identity of the figure. Then Ally saw him, too. Ben could tell the instant she recognized his because her hand went limp and fell from his grasp.

"Oh my God," she said, her voice shaky with disbelief.' Ben, he's alive!"

"'Bout time you showed up, Mr. Pruett. We had an 11 o'clock appointment today, or didn't you remember," Professor Salinger said, eying Ally as if she were to blame for the distraction.

Ally could tell he didn't like the idea of she and Ben being together, and it made perfect sense. Ben was the one who rushed her out of his house after writing class. But as she watched Ben and the professor talk, she vacillated between wanting to strangle the guy for making them worry, and wanting to lavish him with overbearing we're-glad-you're-okay hugs.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Ben began sheepishly. "But we thought something had happened to you."

Then Ally entered the conversation. "You should have heard all the rumors floating around while you were gone!"

"I'll bet," Professor Salinger said sarcastically as he kicked a few loose pebbles with his shoe.

"Some people said you were suspended, and others thought you had died in that awful car accident a few nights ago. And when we didn't find you at your house again..." Ally was starting to babble, but she felt like she had so much to get out.

"You two actually came looking for me?" He seemed touched by the gesture. As if no one had ever cared enough to do that to him before. It nearly broke Ally's heart. No matter what Erica had said, or what had happened to Gina in the past, she felt her insides melt once again for the sexy hunk of a professor.

Of course her awareness of the man was made even keener by the fact that she had acquired at least some sexual experience since she last saw him. As he shifted his weight innocently, Ally found her mind wondering how big he was. She already knew he was a red-hot kisser, so that seemed to be the next logical question. And while she couldn't be a hundred percent certain, Ally would have bet her right arm against a cheese burger that Salinger wouldn't have stopped if she asked him to make love to her after a scorching make out session!

This was bad. VERY bad. There she stood, right in between her boyfriend and the professor she had a crush on, thinking about having sex. With each of them!

Ally's jumbled mind rejoined the conversation just as Ben asked Professor Salinger where he had been. Good. She hadn't missed anything major.

"Ya got a few minutes?" Professor Salinger asked. "We could get some drinks at the snack bar in the psych building, and I could bring you up to speed."

Ben nodded his agreement, but his mention of the psych building reminded Ally that she was going to be late for class if she didn't hustle. In light of what was happening, cutting class seemed to make the most sense. She knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate anyway if Ben and the once AWOL professor were in the very same building going over the last few days' events. Not without her!