Tame the Beast

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Adam lounged on the sofa in his room as he flipped through the channels on the television for the third time. The ice in his whiskey melted long ago. A knock on the door pulled him from his futile search for entertainment.

"Dude, haven't heard from you all day," Luke said as he entered the room and took his spot in the armchair. "Had to make sure you were alive."

"Just living the life." Sarcasm dripped from his words.

"Uh-huh." Spotting the drink in Adam's hand, he asked, "Sneaking bottles out of the liquor cabinet again?"

"Don't have to sneak when Mother's not even home." Then again, when was she home?

"Come on, Adam, tell me what's up. You've been seriously out of it since the game, and we won."

They might have been best friends, but there was no way Adam was going to admit his foul mood was over a woman. Not just any woman, a woman who was probably too good for him in every way. The way she spoke to him at the game still haunted him, like he had insulted her. In hindsight, he shouldn't have shown up with Olivia after flirting all night with Clara. Women typically frowned on that sort of thing. Regardless, it wasn't like he was serious about either of them. Hell, he wasn't serious about anyone. So why did this one plague his mind?

"It's nothing." If he was honest, his bad mood had less to do with Clara and more to do with his mother.

"I don't believe you." Luke knew Adam well enough to tell when he was lying. He was probably the only one.

With a long exhale, Adam admitted, "My mother found out about Whitney."

"The T.A.?"

Adam took another swig of his watered down drink. "Yep."

"Oh come on, she can't put the blame it all on you."

"Oh, she didn't. Whitney's been transferred, and I was given an ultimatum."

A long pfff escaped Luke's mouth. "The chick's lucky she was only transferred."

"A transfer for her silence. Wouldn't want to dirty the Beaumont name."

Luke shook his head and snorted as he slumped further into the chair. "So what's the ultimatum?"

Closing his eyes, Adam downed his drink. "I've been told I must behave. No more living on campus. No parties. No women. I'm to be a respectable adult and not disappoint my father."

Luke's jaw almost fell to the floor. "She didn't."

"Oh, she did," Adam replied. It was barely a year ago that Edward Beaumont passed away from heart disease. His mother bringing up his father's possible disappointment in what little of a man his son had become was like pouring the largest salt grains in an open wound. His mother's voice echoed in his words. "She told me I won't receive my inheritance when I turn twenty-one. Not unless I can show I'm a respectable young man, worthy of carrying on the Beaumont name."

"Ouch."

"You haven't heard the best part. To make sure Whitney wasn't the only assistant I was sleeping with, she took the liberty of rescheduling my classes. I'm retaking any class that had a pretty assistant."

Luke couldn't suppress his laughter. "I'm sorry, man. I'm not trying to sound like an ass, but I can't say I'm shocked. You've been living large for how long? I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. I thought your parents were going to put their foot down after the time we threw that kegger here."