Chapter Eight
Chance
It had been a long day, and I was eager to put it behind me. I had noticed the dark-haired girl in my morning lecture. As usual, her hair had been tied back in a ponytail, and she wore the same oversized clothes that seemed to swallow her whole. I had also noticed Jason staring at her a little more than I thought was necessary.
I shook my head, trying to snap myself out of the weird funk I had been in lately. Am I really so hard up that I am fantasizing about students now? I decided to go out that night and work out some of the sexual frustration that seemed to be building up inside me. I had just turned the corner into another hall reserved for professors’ offices and consultation rooms when a sound caught my attention.
I stopped walking and concentrated on the familiar sound. It couldn’t be what I thought it was. I wondered if my own desires were simply making me hear things. I walked further down the hall, and the sounds became more pronounced. It was the unmistakable thumping of flesh on flesh, and I knew instantly that I wasn’t imagining anything.
Half shocked and half amused, I tried to figure out which office the sound was coming from. I was almost at the end of the corridor when a door to my left opened, and Lindsey stuck her head through. She was disheveled and panting heavily. Her blouse was hanging out of her skirt, and her hair was a mess of tangles. She gasped audibly when she saw me standing there, and I raised my eyebrows at her.
“Chance,” she stuttered.
“Professor Hayes.” I smiled.
Caught in the act, she sighed and hurried to straighten out her hair. Then she tucked her blouse in hurriedly and donned a more formal tone of voice. “Mr. Stevens, you are excused.”
A moment later, a young man walked out of her office. He wore a smug and satisfied smile on his face, and I could tell he was bursting to get back to his dorm to share his conquest with his friends. The moment he had disappeared from view, Lindsey ushered me inside with a silent gesture.
As soon as she had closed the door, I let out a low whistle. “Is this the new extra credit system?” I teased. “Because if so, I’m afraid I’m doing something wrong.”
Lindsey groaned and dropped her face into her palms. “How much did you hear?”
“Just the finale,” I said, dropping into the chair opposite hers.
“But you could hear everything?”
“Pretty much,” I nodded. “You weren’t exactly quiet.”
“I was trying to be.”
I laughed. “You’ll need to try harder from now on.”
She sat down on her desk next to me so that I had to look up at her. “You’re not going to tell anyone, are you?”
I put my hand over my heart. “You can trust me.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “You’re enjoying this a little too much.”
“I have to say, I’m impressed,” I told her. “It takes a brave woman to risk her job for a relationship with a freshman.”
“He’s a senior, not a freshman,” Lindsey corrected me. “And, it’s not a relationship. It’s just sex.”
“You’re risking your job for sex?”
Lindsey gave me a sly smile. “I’ve gotten away with it this long.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You do this often?”
“Well… I wouldn’t say often,” Lindsay said. “A couple of times a month.”
I smirked. “I would say that qualifies as often.”
“It makes life interesting.”
“And, you’re really not worried about your job?” I asked seriously.
“Of course, I’m worried,” Lindsey sighed. “And usually, I’m much more careful. But Jeremy walked in, and he was so confident…it was a turn on. So, when he pushed me against the desk and raised my skirt—”
“All right,” I said quickly. “I don’t need the play by play.”
“My point is… I was taken unawares this evening, and I let my hormones take the lead,” she explained. “I’m just glad you’re the one who overheard us. I can count on you to keep my secret, right?”
“Scout’s honor,” I smiled. “But you really should be more careful.”
“Don’t worry,” Lindsey nodded. “I will.”
“So, you’re going to continue seeing…what’s his face?”
Lindsey smiled. “I’m not going to continue to see him – I’m going to continue to fuck him, at least until he gets boring. Then I’ll move on.” She paused for a moment. “Just so you know, he’s not my student nor has he ever been.”
“Is that how you justify it?” I teased.
“The whole point of that ridiculous rule is to prevent sex being used as leverage for better grades. But since I don’t sleep with my students, there’s no chance of that happening. As far as I can see, I’m doing nothing wrong. We’re all consenting adults here, and we have the right to make our own choices. Allowing the faculty to dictate who we can and can’t sleep with is ridiculous.”
“I hope that argument stands if you’re ever caught.”
She sighed. “I doubt it would.”
“You’re a gorgeous woman, you know,” I pointed out. “You don’t need to sleep with students. You can have any man you want.”
“Well, aren’t you sweet,” Lindsey smiled. “But it’s not that I don’t have other options. I just like having fun, living on the edge. The risk involved is what makes the sex so exciting. Plus, I find that younger men tend to be more…eager to please.”
“I resent that,” I said.
“Please,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You still fit into the younger men category.”
“Thanks,” I said smugly. “I was hoping you would say that.”
“Plus, these boys are young,” Lindsey continued. “They’re not looking for anything serious, and neither am I. It’s the perfect setup, really. You should try it.”
The way she looked at me, it almost felt as though she could read my mind and saw the baser desires lurking just beneath the surface. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably and tried to keep my face free from expression.
“Nah,” I said casually. “I don’t think it’s for me.”
“Come on,” she said. “Don’t tell me you haven’t even thought about it?”
I paused for a moment. I couldn’t deny it outright. Lindsey would see through that immediately. I gave her a smile and a shrug. “Of course, I’ve thought about it,” I said. “I’m a red-blooded man, and this campus is teeming with hot young women. But it would just be too messy.”
“Why?”
“Women tend to get more attached than men do.”
Lindsey narrowed her eyes at me. “I resent that.”
I laughed. “No offense.”
“Offense taken,” she said. “You do realize that I am currently involved in unemotional relationships with several different guys?”
“You’re different,” I said. “And college girls don’t compare.”
“I’m flattered, Chance,” Lindsey said, giving me a wink. “But I also happen to think you’re wrong. Women are just as capable of casual hookups; it just depends on the girl.”
“I suppose you’re right,” I nodded. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. I’d prefer not to get involved with a student.”
“Suit yourself,” she said. “You know, I’m not a student.”
I smirked. “Haven’t you had enough fun for one day?”
Lindsey threw back her head and laughed. “You can never have enough fun, darling,” she said, lightheartedly. “So now that you know my big bad secret, how about you tell me one of yours?”
“What makes you think I have secrets?” I asked innocently.
“Please,” Lindsey said, rolling her eyes. “Everyone has secrets. Have any of your students caught your eye?”
I smiled.
“I knew it,” she said. “What’s her name?”
“I don’t know, actually,” I admitted.
Lindsey frowned. “How can you not know?”
“I have a lot of students,” I said, with a shrug. “Plus, even though I do all the lectures, I only teach two classes, and she’s not in either one.”
“What does she look like?”
“Oddly, she’s not my type at all,” I admitted. “And still…”
“You can’t get your mind off of her?”
“Yup.”
“Hmm…sounds like my first time,” Lindsey said fondly.
“Do tell.”
“I had been teaching for about six months,” she began, launching into her story immediately. “And, I kept noticing this one guy in the first few rows of my lecture hall.”
“I thought you don’t get involved with your students?” I asked pointedly.
“That was the first and last time,” Lindsey clarified. “Once I decided to make it a regular thing, I knew I couldn’t keep doing it with the guys I taught.
“So anyway, after class he came up to me and set up a consultation time. He claimed that he needed some help with his paper. That evening, when he arrived at my office, he told me that he didn’t actually need any help, he just wanted to see me again.”
“And one thing led to another,” I filled in for her.
Lindsey nodded. “It was one of the more exciting things that had happened to me in those few years. And, I saw the possibility in that kind of arrangement.”
My mind flashed to an image of the dark-haired girl. “So, how long did that first hook up last?”
“About three months.”
“That long?”
Lindsey nodded. “Only because he was amazing with his tongue.”
“Geez, thanks for that detail.”
“My pleasure,” she laughed, unconcerned with my reaction. “You know what? I’m actually glad you found out. It’s nice to have someone to talk about this with.”
“No one else knows about…you know?”
“No one,” she confirmed. “Just you.”
“I guess that makes me special,” I said.
“I think that qualifies you as my best friend.”
“I haven’t had a best friend since high school,” I said.
“You’ll just have to get used to it again,” she said. “So, where were you off to before you started spying on me?”
“It didn’t take a lot of skill on my part to ‘spy’ on you,” I pointed out. “I was just getting back home.”
“Quiet night in, then?”
“Not exactly,” I admitted. “I was actually thinking of hitting a bar tonight. It’s been awhile since…” I trailed off, wondering if I needed to be sharing this with Lindsey. But she knew what I was saying instantly.
“Time to let off some steam, huh?”
“So to speak,” I admitted.
“I can’t imagine it’s been all that long for you.”
“A month or so,” I said.
“That’s not so bad,” Lindsey said.
“I know,” I nodded.
But ever since I had become preoccupied with the dark-haired girl, my need had been running a bit high, and I knew I needed to get laid in order to satiate that desire. I hoped it would help put her from my mind so that I could give my damn lectures without constantly getting distracted by her.
“I better head out then,” I said, standing up.
Lindsey patted my cheek with her hand as she gave me a wink. “I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”
“Should I be scared?”
She rolled her eyes. “Get out of my office.”
Laughing, I waved goodbye and headed to the staff parking lot where I had been allotted a space. As I got into my car, I decided to avoid the blondes that night and approach someone dark haired.