The Dating Game — Part 7 — by Mollie Blake

Please Sir…

“Right.” David got to his feet. “That will do for now. Hand your papers in by the end of the week.”

He sauntered across his office to the far window and gazed down at the concourse beneath. Students were stretched out on the lawn enjoying the late afternoon sunshine. A tutorial on the lush grass would have worked well today, but it was too late now. Hopefully, there would be more opportunities to work outside. It always made a welcome change from the confines of his office. Not that it was a bad office.

“Professor Forbes.”

David turned around to see Hector hovering at the doorway with some reluctance to leave.

“Yes, Hector?” He waited to hear what was holding back this mature, postgraduate student.

Hector hesitated a moment before closing the door and approaching the table where he had been sitting with three other postgrad students. He hovered behind a chair. “I — I just wanted to let you know. I was in L — L — London recently.”

This could be a long conversation, thought David, knowing only too well how badly the man stammered. Hector Horrowan seemed to live in a permanent state of agitation and was regarded as a recluse. There was always an air of unease about him when he attended the intimate tutorials…