The Pleasure of the Dean (7 page)

           
“Don’t
worry, Sophie.
 
You know I’d never gossip
about you.
 
Have you and
Cole
actually
talked about not seeing each other anymore?”

           
“No,
but we have a silent understanding.”

“Sure Soph,” Oz said with a grin.
 
“Until you actually say the words, you
and the Dean are an item.
 
He’s
probably thanking his lucky stars you gave him a chance, and I bet he’s willing
to take the risk of being with you.
 
I know I wouldn’t let any risk stop me.”
 
Oz returned his full attention to the
last taco on his plate.
 
“Just be
careful.”

           
Sophie
was quiet for a minute. "Let's change the subject.
 
Tell me what's new with you? I see
you’re still doing the rock god thing and fighting off the women, so what's
going on with work?
 
Have you found
a research project for your faculty track yet?"

"Actually, I've come across some very
interesting work being done in a lab at the University of Scotland. They have a
pilot project on mitigating the effects of infectious diseases on babies in
utero.”

"Sounds intriguing." Sophie
said.
 
“Didn’t you write your PhD
thesis on a similar topic?”

"Yes.
 
I’m surprised you remember,” Oz
replied.
 
“I’m interested in meeting
up with the director of the program, Dr. Liam MacGregor.
 
If we’re on the same page, I want to see
what Dr. MacGregor thinks about collaborating.”

“Planning on moving to Scotland?” Sophie
asked.

“No way.
 
I wouldn’t want to leave my fans in a lurch.
 
Or my sweet house.”

Oz lived in a huge old Victorian near
campus.
 
The owners rented rooms to
residents, postdocs, researchers, and short-term lab staff doing rotations at the
University.
 
The house was notorious
around campus for being the medical school’s party house.
 
It was the scene of so many sexual hook
ups it earned the nickname “The Petri Dish.”

"Hey, living at the Petri is awesome,”
Oz said.
 
"It’s near work, I can
afford the rent on my paltry stipend, and, since my bandmates live there, we
get lots of practice. In fact, we're having a party there this weekend. You
should come and hear us play."

"No thanks.
 
I'm over the party scene,” Sophie told
him.

"You only over it because your new
boyfriend is ancient,” Oz teased.

"I have no idea what you’re talking
about.
 
Cole is not my boyfriend and
even if he was, he’s the perfect age.
 
Like a well aged scotch,” Sophie said with a blush, remembering the last
time she indulged in the liquor with Cole.
 
“And besides, that’s over.
 
We’re definitely most likely not seeing each other naked anymore.”
 

Sophie took a deep breath.
 
"Let's change the subject
again."

"Hey, no worries. If you change your mind
about the party, you know you're always welcome. Or, you can check out our
upcoming gig at the Black Sun."

The Black Sun was a local bar frequented by
University faculty and staff.
 
Oz
and his band were regulars on stage there.

"It’s a deal," Sophie said as she
gathered her lunch trash. "I gotta get back to clinic. I'm working at
least three more hours plus I offered to be on call tonight, which means I’ll
be sleeping in the break room."

"Yeah, I gotta motor too Soph." Oz
stood up and stretched, his tight black t-shirt riding up and revealing six
pack abs.
 
"I'm waiting on
samples sitting in a PCR machine. They should be about done."

They walked out the big double doors of the
Circulata to the hallway leading to the medical center.
 
"Back to the grind," Sophie
sighed.

"Tell the leprechaun I said “hi”,” Oz
called out as he and Sophie parted ways and began walking in opposite
directions down the corridor.
 
Sophie continued walking and flipped Oz the bird over her shoulder.
 
His responding chuckle echoed in the
hallway.

***

Crystal Bridges was seething.
 
She looked down at her plate of barely
touched tacos.
 
Crystal was so
wrapped up in overhearing Dr. Benedict and Dr. Magnuson’s conversation from the
other side of the pillar, she’d barely touched her lunch.

           
The
Iron Giant?
 
How dare they make fun
of her and the fact she practiced by-the-book university HR policy?
 
Providing Sharelink brochures to
disgruntled employees was exactly what the Central Employee Relations
Department taught as standard protocol.
 
It wasn’t her problem that her self-confidence intimidated others, and
she wasn’t
that
tall.

Then Crystal smiled, recalling the tidbit of
useful information she learned during her eavesdropping session.
 
“So, Dean Armstrong and Dr. Benedict are
sleeping together,” she thought.
 
“That explains a lot.
 
This
is fantastic.
 
Dean Armstrong will
be ruined if the faculty council finds out about his slip up.
 
He’ll be forced to step down.”
 
Crystal, suddenly hungry, dug into her
tacos like a ravenous wolf.
 

           
But
how to use this information?
 
“I’ll
need proof,” she strategized.
 
“And
I’ll need help. I’d better talk to Bruce.”
 
Crystal took out her smartphone to compose a message.
 
She changed her mind and slipped her
phone back in her bag.
 
“This is too
important for email,” she said to herself.
 
Crystal finished the last of her meal and gathered up her things in a
flurry.
 
She hastily sorted her
trash at the recycling station before power walking down the long corridor,
straight towards Dr. Mapleton’s office.

Chapter Ten

Crystal burst into Dr. Mapleton’s office, out
of breath from her long walk.
 
He
was sitting at his desk, having cleared his afternoon clinic schedule in order
to strategize the demise of Dean Cole Armstrong.
 
Cole had overridden his authority by not
signing off on Dr. Benedict’s termination, which, in Bruce’s mind, meant they
were now engaged in all out war.
 
After a game of darts, using a picture of Cole as a target, Bruce was
now playing handheld electronic solitaire and drinking bourbon from a
flask.
 
He was hoping the mindless
activity would clear his brain, allowing a brilliant idea as to how to take
down Cole to coalesce.
 
Then Bruce
would finally ascend to his rightful position as Dean of the US School of
Medicine.
 

Crystal’s abrupt appearance startled Bruce,
causing him to lose the hand of poker.
 
He looked up intending to give her a set-down, but he changed his mind
and gave Crystal a salacious grin instead.
 
Maybe a physical release would help with his strategy session?

“Anxious for some afternoon delight my
cupcake,” he drawled, stroking his mustache suggestively.
 
“I’m busy, but I can spare a few minutes
for you.”

“No you idiot!” Crystal barked, before she
could stop herself.
 
Bruce looked at
her in confusion, surprised by her tone.
 
Crystal usually only whispered sweet compliments to him.

She immediately checked herself.

“Silly,” Crystal purred, walking to his desk,
“I’m still too sore from the last pounding you gave me.”
 
She leaned over.
 
Crystal’s blouse gaped, giving Bruce an
unimpeded look at her braless chest.
 
Bruce stared, mouth agape, mesmerized by the sight of her thorny
tattoo.
 
He put down his game, stuck
his hand down her shirt, and began pawing her breasts.
 
Crystal resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
 
She didn’t have time for this.

“Brucey,” Crystal said, running a fingertip
down his face and gently tilting his chin up so he looked her in the eyes.
 
She needed him to focus.
 
“I came to see you because I have some
information you’re going to
love
.”
 
He ignored her and went back to his
exploration of her tattoo, replacing his hands with his mouth.

Since sweet words weren’t breaking through to
Bruce, Crystal decided to try another tactic.
 
“Cole Armstrong is fucking Sophie
Benedict,” she said bluntly.

“What?!” Bruce said, finally unlatching from
her breast.
 
“How do you know
this?
 
Do you have proof?”

Crystal adjusted her blouse, covering herself
back up.
 
“I overheard a
conversation between Drs. Benedict and Magnuson in the Circulata.
 
They were gossiping about the Dean like
schoolgirls.”

“I knew it!” Bruce replied,
triumphantly.
 
Ever since Cole
Armstrong’s impassioned defense of Sophie, when she was caught moonlighting,
Bruce had a suspicion the Dean wasn’t only interested in Sophie’s brain or superb
patient care.
 
After that incident
Bruce watched Cole and Sophie’s interactions carefully, but Cole was too savvy
to do anything untoward in the hospital setting.
 
He gave her a little extra attention and
Bruce observed some longing looks, but nothing that would be the proverbial
nail in Cole’s coffin.
 

Bruce was actually slightly surprised Sophie
returned Cole’s affection.
 
If he
knew she was interested in powerful older men, he might have been more lenient
with her.
 
Bruce could be flexible
when the situation warranted.
 
As
long as the payoff was worth it.
 
Just the thought of Sophie’s long blonde hair, cherry lips, and pert
breasts made him hard.
 
Bruce
imagined running his hands along her nude nubile body.

“Mmmm, a sexual scandal,” he said.
 
“Better men than Cole have been brought
down by their peccadillos.
 
If we
can come up with proof of the affair, we can use the information to get the
Dean terminated.
 
Should we get
Chambers in here to pull their email and phone records?”
 
Eric Chambers was the IT Director for
the School of Medicine.
 

“Too risky,” Crystal replied.
 
“I don’t trust Chambers.
 
He’s not a team player.”
 
Crystal’s past experiences with the
brilliant IT Director left a bad taste in her mouth.
 
He didn’t take orders well.
   

“Then how do we obtain proof?”

“On my walk over, I formulated a plan for
gathering evidence of the affair,” Crystal replied excitedly.
 
The thought of putting Cole in his place
and terminating Sophie filled her with glee.
 
She was flushed with excitement.

“How?”
 
Bruce asked.

“I believe the dirty work is best left to the
professionals.
 
We should hire a
private investigator.”

“Have you used one in the past?” Bruce asked.

“No, however they’re commonly used in these
types of situations and the
internet
is obviously the
best way to find a good one.”
 
She
pointed at Bruce’s desktop computer.
 
“Web-search “Seattle private investigator”,” Crystal commanded.

Bruce turned to his computer and performed
the search.
 
The first result that
popped up was for:
Alex Jones
,
P.I.
 
Anonymous and Discreet Investigations.
 
He clicked on the link.

“Alex Jones gets good reviews,” Crystal said,
pointing to the P.I.’s 4 out of 4 star rating.
 
“Plus, assignments can be made via
email.”
 

Anonymity was important to Crystal.
 
She didn’t want her name connected to the
investigation in any way, in case the situation went south.
 
If, somehow, the P.I. came up empty
handed and the Dean discovered the investigation, Crystal would claim she had
no knowledge of the situation and point a finger at Bruce.

“Brucey, you should email the P.I.,” she
purred.
 
“You’re more powerful and
well-connected than me.
 
He’ll work
harder for you.”

“Of course,” Bruce replied.
 
Because of his position at the hospital
and visibility in the community, Bruce was used to people going above and
beyond to fulfill his wishes.
 
Crystal Bridges, while at the top of her field, didn’t have the same
kind of clout.

Dr. Mapleton opened up his email

TO: Alex Jones

FROM: Dr. Bruce Mapleton

Mr. Jones.
 
I would like to contract your services
in order to obtain evidence, preferably photographic, of an affair between Dr.
Cole Armstrong and Dr. Sophie Benedict.
 
They are both employees of the University of Seattle Medical Center.
 
Please respond ASAP with a cost estimate,
and I will provide you with additional details.

“P.I.’s are lowlifes desperate for cash,”
Bruce said, even though he had never dealt with a private investigator
before.
 
“I bet $200 will get us the
proof we need.
 
In fact, I won’t go a
dollar above $215.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Crystal replied
absentmindedly.
 
She was already
imagining Cole being disgraced and dismissed by the faculty council and Sophie
being booted out of her Residency program.
 
That would teach them to taunt her and usurp her authority!
 

Bruce, on the other hand, was not only
imagining Cole’s downfall but also the salacious pictures the P.I. was going to
provide them with.
 
He knew they’d
be graphic.
 
He prayed there’d be
video.
 
Bruce couldn’t wait to see
Sophie in her element, the bedroom,
acting
like the
sexy little kitten he knew she was.
 
His erection roared back to life.

“Now that that’s taken care of, I need to
head back to my office,” Crystal said.
 
Bruce grabbed her hand as she started walking away.
 
He pulled Crystal to him.

“Before you leave, there’s something I need
you to take care of first,” Bruce said, bringing her hand to his raging
erection.

Crystal inwardly sighed.
 
She didn’t have time for this, but she
knew she needed to keep Bruce happy and under her spell.
 
Crystal sunk to her knees, and unzipped
Bruce’s pants.

He watched as she pulled his cock out, and
efficiently sucked it into her mouth.
 
Crystal pumped his length with her hand, milking Bruce and trying to
speed up his orgasm.
 
He groaned,
closed his eyes, and imagined it was Sophie with her mouth wrapped around his
cock.
 
He came instantly.