Indulging the Professor

Marcus Santos read over the text from his old college
roommate Logan Cole. He couldn't believe his carefree, panty-chasing friend had
not only settled down, but also now owned and operated a bed and breakfast with
his wife. Marcus never saw either of those things coming, but he couldn’t be
happier for his friend. Logan had, for the first time in his life, found a
purpose.

His friend had always been a player. The two had had a lot
of fun during their years together at Yale. If Logan could find love with a
good woman, then anything seemed possible. It was that notion that led Marcus
to pursue this upcoming weekend. Logan ran an inn that promised to make
fantasies come true.

Everything
is set for your weekend at Pleasure Inn. Elyse and I have arranged for all of
your requests. I promise we have left no detail unattended.

I
look forward to seeing you. We’re honored that you and Jacqueline will be our
first guests.

Marcus had high expectations for the weekend. He had been
counting down the weeks until his research assistant Jacqueline Kincaid
finished her Master’s Degree and no longer attended the university where he was
employed.

He’d taught the quiet but extremely sexy woman for the last
few semesters before she took on the position of his research assistant. He had
been hired to write a book on the Clinton administration and needed an aide.
When she applied for the position, he stopped his search immediately. There was
something about the intriguing co-ed that took hold of him. But he had a strict
policy when it came to dating his students. He just didn’t do it. Technically
Jacqueline wasn’t his student any longer, but she still attended the University
and he didn’t want to cross any lines. Gossip around the campus spread like
wildfire, especially with the advent of social media.

In the past few weeks things had gotten a little more
intense between them, but he promised himself he wouldn’t go any further than
kissing. He hoped that could change this weekend. His fantasy was to spend two
nights worshipping the woman who’d occupied his dreams for months.

During her undergraduate years, he’d found her striking but
quickly dismissed the thought. She generally sat up front during his lectures
and seemed to hang on his every word. She always came to class prepared and
asked intelligent, engaging questions. Political Science seemed to be her
strong suit. Her enthusiasm for his work excited him. At thirty, he had yet to
settle down or even meet anyone he considered spending his life with. He’d
always buried himself in his work, becoming more complacent as each semester
passed. Jacqueline’s presence made him restless. With her, he wanted more than
a casual fling. He’d wrestled with his feelings for her for some time. He’d
hired her to do a job; it would have been wrong to take things further. He
tried to convince himself of that, but with each day his attraction for her
grew stronger.

When she’d first begun working for him, they met two
evenings a week to do research assignments. Her firm grasp on the English
language proved quite effective as she tidily edited his work, polishing it and
making it sound twice as good as before. He knew very little about her life
outside of his class. Neither of them had offered more than necessary
informational bits and most sessions were spent discussing his book. It was
essential for him to keep it that way. It wasn’t until a couple of months ago
when she showed up at a bar where he’d been celebrating Logan’s upcoming
wedding that he realized just how attracted to her he’d become.

***

After another losing game of pool, Marcus took a seat at the
bar and ordered himself a beer. He waved to his friends to proceed without him.

“Chicken,” Logan teased as he racked up the balls. “You just
don’t want to owe me any more money.”

“I’m not stupid.” He took a swig of his beer. “I know when
to bail.”

“Professor Santos?” a soft familiar voice called from behind
him.

“Jacqueline?” He turned to find his pretty assistant
standing in front of him. She looked different than a few hours ago when she’d
left his office. Gone were her black yoga pants and pink t-shirt. She’d traded
them in for a pair of low-rise skinny jeans and a silver tank top. Her long
brown hair flowed down her back and over her shoulders; she usually wore it in
a messy bun on the top of her head. Not that her natural beauty wasn’t nice,
but this transformation was unexpected. The straps on her tank were so thin
there was no way she could have worn a bra. Her young, perky breasts did fine
all on their own.

“Hi.”

As he looked at her,
she fidgeted with her hands. He noticed she often did that when they were
together.

“Hey.” He cleared his throat and tried to wipe his mind of
his momentary inappropriate thoughts. “What are you doing here?”

They were about twenty miles from the campus. He hadn’t
anticipated seeing any of his students tonight, especially not her. From what
he did know about her, she kept to herself and favored her apartment to large
crowds or clubs.

“My friend’s brother is playing in a band in the back
tonight. We just got here and I noticed you playing pool, so I came to watch. I
don’t want to bother you. The band is setting up back there so… hi.” She tucked
a strand of her long dark hair behind her ear. “I didn’t expect to see you
here.”

“My friend Logan,” Marcus turned and nodded at his friend
who looked amused that he was talking to a woman, “is getting married. This is his
impromptu bachelor party.”

“I didn’t mean to disturb you. I just wanted to say hello.”

“You’re not
disturbing me. I’m happy to see you. Would you like to have a drink with me?”

“I don’t want to interrupt.” She looked over at his friends.
“You’re here with the guys.”

“Nonsense.” He stood and pulled out a barstool for her. “I’m
losing my house in that pool game. You’d be doing me a favor.”

“As long as you don’t mind.” She sat down. “I’m not really
into loud music but I wanted to support my friend’s brother.”

“What would you like to drink?”

“Just a coke. I’m the designated driver tonight.”

“Glad to hear you’re responsible.” He motioned for the
bartender. “The lady will have a coke.”

“Do you come here often?” she asked as the bartender placed
the soda in front of her.

He tightened his grasp on his beer bottle when she leaned
forward and wrapped her lips around the straw. More inappropriate thoughts
cluttered his mind. He noticed the stain her rose-colored lipstick left behind.

“I did when I was
younger.” He looked around the bar at the twenty-something crowd. “I seem to be
getting older though.”

“You can’t be more than thirty.” She sipped her drink again.
“Um, not that I stalk you or anything. I edited your bio for the book… That’s
how I know how old you are.”

“I know.” He laughed at her explanation. “So what do you
think – which picture should I use?”

“I like the close-up. It shows off your unique eyes.”

“You think my eyes are unique?” He finished his beer as he
thought about her observation. He hadn’t realized she’d noticed him at all.
She’d never given him any indication that she found him attractive. She wasn’t
at all like the other students he’d encountered through the years. She appeared
unaffected by him. Perhaps that was what drew him to her. He never worried
about her crossing any lines.

“I sound like a stalker again, don’t I?” Her cheeks turned
red. “I’ve just never seen such an exceptional shade of gray before.”

“My two brothers have the same color, so I guess I never
thought of mine as different.”

“They’re very nice.” She looked down at the floor.

“Thank you.” He sensed her discomfort but he wanted to talk
to her some more. When they worked on his book it was all business, but that
was his fault. He often buried himself in his research and didn’t allow for
much social time when he had a deadline to meet. “Have you given much thought
to what you’ll do when you graduate?”

“I’ve been offered a job in the governor’s office.”

“Impressive.” Her ambition didn’t surprise him. She excelled
at her education and did a stellar job when it came to his research. “You’re
putting that political science degree to good use.”

“It’s only entry level, but I’ve done several internships
there with school. I like the atmosphere.”

“You’ll be staying local?”

“I like Hartford.”

“Me too. I’m happy you’re not going far.” More now than he
had initially realized.

“Really?” Her chestnut colored eyes widened. “How come?”

“I’m in the process of signing another book deal and I’d
like my research assistant to be available.” The book deal wasn’t the only
reason he didn’t want her to leave after graduation. There was something about
her that intrigued him. They’d been working together since January but this was
the first time they’d encountered one another in a social setting. He wanted to
learn more about her.

“Of course.” She twisted her hands together again. “That’s
great news. I’d love to work with you again.”

“I hoped you would. I was going to mention it next week.”

“Hey, Jackie,” a tall, blonde girl called out from across
the room. “Hey, the band is about ready to start.” The leggy blonde friend
switched her attention to Marcus. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is Professor Santos,” Jacqueline offered. “I’m working
on a book with him.”

“Ah yes,” the woman said. “You’ve mentioned him a time or two.”
She looked him over. “I see what you mean.”

“Cara.” Jacqueline looked as if she might be sick, but
Marcus liked the idea of her mentioning him to her friends. It meant she
thought about him when they weren’t together.

“It’s nice to meet you, Cara.” Marcus stood and extended his
hand indicating the next barstool for her. “Would you like to join us?” He
hoped she would decline, but he wanted to be polite.

“Well, hello, Professor Santos.” She shook his hand
lingering a little longer than necessary.

Marcus was used to younger woman throwing themselves at him.
His colleagues said it had something to do with the tall, dark, Latin professor
persona he embodied. Marcus tried to ignore the stares and flirtatious advances
his students made. Perhaps that was why he found Jacqueline so refreshing.
She’d never made an inappropriate remark or tried to get Marcus to notice her.
There was nothing obvious about her.