Not What She Had Planned (CLOSED)

[wickedpen]

Sara was lighthearted and happy, now sitting with her crush at a nice breakfast place, no matter the circumstances. Sara thought how nice if they had slept over and just came for breakfast.

Of course Dr Adler was all business, wanting to talk about the "research" which Sara found silly but liked Dr Adler so she entertained her.

"Yeah, yeah, not too much to tell other than what you saw." Sara says taking a bite of her toast. She pulls her bare feet up onto her seat and holds her coffee with both hands as though warming herself.

Then she dropped the hammer about how including her was dangerous and could "corrupt the data."

"I am sorry" Sara said a little offended by Dr Adler's harsh condemnation of what Sara thought was an ingenious way to open up the research.

After the waitress refilling Sara's coffee that seemed to be disappearing at an alarming rate, Sara asked, "what exactly are you studying?"

Dr Adler just looked at her with an expression of "I can't tell you or I would have to kill you."

"OK OK you can't fault a girl for trying can you?" Sara said with such a lightness, the nonchalance that i was as endearing as her watching the bumble bee buzzing the fresh cut center piece.

"So last night.." she said looking off as though trying to recollect a challenging memory.

"I guess I am a little confused, most guys I know can be picked up by whispering an offer of almost anything. I guess not everyone is confident enough to just sit next to a guy and when they interact simply ask them to fuck in the bathroom." she said and the patio seemed to go quiet as she dropped the f bomb.

"Sorry" she said holding her hands out as some of the older people looked offended, but really she did not care to play their reindeer games.

Sara looked at Dr Adler expecting similar derision but she seemed nonplussed and on top of that her lips wrapped around a perfectly ripe red strawberry. Sara could not help but react as her own tongue wet her lips in response. as Dr Adler's focus returned from the berry Sara moved on.

"So, last night, we left the U and about half way to my apartment I developed a migraine, explaining how I get them sometimes when I get really excited. I took his number and promised I would call him. Then I ran into Natalie and we watched a movie and fell asleep at her place and now I am headed home. That's about it." she said honestly and forthrightly.

"I can write it up for Monday, if you want." she said dismissively as though nothing interesting happened.

Sara finished her toast and coffee and pulled her bag to her lap feeling their time was ending. She rifled through the same blue bag from last night. She put her cigarettes, lighter and phone on the table next to her plate as she continued looking, in theory for money to pay for her breakfast.

 

[ms_tiff]

Suppressing the urge to sigh, Penny nodded her head at Sara's offer to write everything up for their Monday meeting.

"Yes, do." She said, "It's important that you get into the habit of writing everything down. It will be important later on when I compile everything for my paper. Please make sure to include the events in order as well as your observations of the interaction, your own thoughts and emotions, and anything else you think pertinent."

Penny cut into her French toast. The syrup had begun to congeal as her breakfast cooled. Such a shame.

Out of the corner of her eye she watched Sara dig through the contents of her bag. Eyeing the pack of cigarettes, Penny shook her head.

"That's a disgusting habit, you know." She took a drink of coffee, her mind drifting slightly. "I once dated a boy who smoked. He always reeked of it. I couldn't stand to kiss him; like making out with an ash tray." If she thought hard enough, Penny couldn't almost taste it.

"Your breakfast is on me." Penny added, using the term breakfast loosely. "This was a meeting after all. Any expenses incurred during research I will cover."

Penny signaled for the check.

"Now, I must be going, I have a schedule to keep. I trust I will see you in class Monday morning and then at our scheduled meeting in the afternoon." Gathering her bag, Penny stood and tapped the pack of cigarettes. "You really should consider giving these up."

 

[wickedpen]

Sara was stunned. Dr Adler was like her mother tapping her Camels box admonishing her to quit "a disgusting habit". At the same time watching how she moved, so precise and elegant. Composure was what she had, as her crisp money matched the bill plus twenty percent with hardly a glance. Sara was so drawn to her yet, she could hear her own mother's voice. " reeked " and "making out with an ash tray" in her words. It was not cool.

"Ah, yeah, I will be there, bright eyed and bushy tailed!" Sara said borderline sarcastic as the image of her professor crush and reality began to collide.

"And I will write up my experience." Sara added, submissively looking down at the table where the check and Dr Adler's money lay. She felt sixteen again under her mother's thumb.

"I will take your other request under advisement." she said looking up at the doctor with a smile.

Sara stood up gathering her things into her bag only to turn and realize she was gone. Dr Adler seemed to almost disappear with her pace and directness.

"Whatever, see ya" Sara said to herself disappointed Dr Adler was gone.

Sara continued her walk towards her apartment down the sidewalk and lit a cigarette. At first the taste and sensation of nicotine but then all she could think of were Dr Adler's fingernails tapping the box. Her fingers firm and thin. She looked at her own nicotine stained fingers sadly. She felt something was happening. She felt it yesterday and every day since meeting Dr Adler. She dropped the cigarette half smoked into the gutter.

She reached her shaded abode. She showered and washed herself, trying to get the nicotine off her fingers. She brushed her teeth until the ashtray taste was gone. She brushed her hair until as manageable as possible then pulled it back into a pony tail and pulled on grey sweatpants and an old dye died tee shirt. Sitting under her window with the creamy pages Dr Adler had given her she thought back on the night.

 

[ms_tiff]

Tap. Tap. Tap. The pen in Penny’s hand tapped absentmindedly against the desk. It was Monday morning and she was supposed to be going over her schedule for the day. Instead, her mind was miles away. Rather than focusing on the classes and meetings ahead of her, Penny’s mind continually drifted to the dream she’d had the night before.

Sunday had been an uneventful day. It was the one day that Penny allowed herself to go without a schedule and she had spent the morning at the farmer’s market and drifting around antique stores. Devlin had called her that day and asked her to dinner. It had been a pleasant evening of drinks, a lively discussion about their work and lives, a walk through the park. Then it was back to Penny’s apartment where Devlin had kissed her goodnight. It was a rather lovely kiss; one that had started off sweet and innocent and ended with Penny pressed against the door of her apartment with Devlin’s hands on her ass. The only thing that kept Penny from inviting him inside her apartment – and her bed – was that she had a strict rule against sleeping with anyone on the first date. The two had parted with the promise to see each other again soon. And Penny fell into bed with the taste of him still on her lips.

Her dreams that night had been filled with delicious thoughts of Devlin, naked, in her bed. His mouth moving over her body, worshipping every inch of her with his lips and tongue. When he buried his face between her legs and did wicked things with his tongue it didn’t take long for Penny to be screaming out in pleasure. But when he lifted his head it wasn’t Devlin between her legs, it was Sara with her manic pixie grin and disheveled hair that stared back at Penny.

She’d woken from her dream frustrated and confused.

Now, sitting at her desk trying to prepare for her first class of the day, all Penny could think of was the way Dream Sara had climbed back up her body to kiss Penny like there was no tomorrow.

“Fuck.” Penny threw her pen down. Pulling the clip from her hair, letting the auburn hair fall around her, Penny ran a frustrated hand through the strands. She could not let this dream get in the way of her research. She needed to push Sara back into the box of Research Subject, not Dream Lover.

Her eyes fell on the clock and she cursed again. She should have already left for her class. Gathering her things quickly, Penny stomped from her office and down to the lecture hall. As she marched through the door to the lecture hall, all eyes fell on her expectantly. Whispers traveled through the room as the students took in appearance of their usually prim and proper professor. Penny cursed under her breath as she realized she forgot to clip her hair back up. No matter, she could still lecture without her hair up, it wasn’t that big a deal. Still, her fingers itched to tidy the rest of her appearance. Her black, pinstriped pants were perfectly pressed and her white blouse neatly tucked. Her fingers gave a quick brush of the pants, ridding them of imaginary lint.

Turning her back to the students, Penny placed her things on the desk and took a deep breath. When she turned back around, her eyes fell on Sara, who had claimed a seat near the front once more. She quickly looked away, barking at the students to turn off their phones.

“I trust you all did the reading for today. Put your books away and take out a sheet of paper. We’re having a pop quiz. I want at least three well written paragraphs, using references to the assigned reading, on the difference between erotica and pornography on the human psyche. You have twenty minutes.”

As the class groaned and got to work on the quiz, Penny sat at the desk and tried to readjust her lecture to fit into the allotted time. She hadn’t been planning a quiz for that day, too soon into the semester after all. She was off her game, the balance of her life slowly unsettling.

Every time she glanced up to survey the students, her eyes found Sara and she had to force herself to quickly move on. It was all that damn dream’s fault.





She moved through the rest of her day in a daze. Every moment her mind was idle it was moving back to that dream. She couldn’t focus, couldn’t keep her head in the game. She tried to pour herself into her work, but it wasn’t helping. All she could think about was Sara’s face slick with Penny’s cum, grinning up at her.

The clock ticked on, counting down the hours, minutes, seconds until her meeting with Sara. When it was finally time for Sara to arrive at Dr. Adler’s office, Penny was seated at her desk with a glass of Scotch in her hand, trying to pull herself together enough to focus on the task at hand.

 

[wickedpen]

I could not hide my pleasure to see Dr Adler come into class with her hair down. Her beautiful straight auburn hair, straight and perfect, just like her. Sara frowned at the "straight" bit, but perked up as she took in her immaculate clothing, so stylish. Sara was smitten.

The quiz was not difficult as Sara had done the reading and even penned an erotic story, trying to find the border with pornography. "After breakfast" it was titled and now laid on her table written in her distinct script on a creamy page from the journal Dr Adler had given her. She felt guilty ripping it out but could not help herself.

As Sara walked up, ankle bells jingling, to put her quiz on the desk, Dr Adler did not look up.

"I will see you later." Sara whispered with a devilish grin as she tapped her thumb on the leather journal. Dr Adler's eyes rose in a strange acknowledging then confusion before returning to the papers on the desk without a word.

"That was weird." Sara thought walking out of the classroom. Sara wore a pair of purple yoga pants and yet another tie dyed tee shirt, this one mostly yellow and sized for a man, she had knotted it just above her navel to keep it from draping her to her knees. She was a blur of color as she moved across the old wooden floors in her distinctive graceful flow.

With time to kill she sat and had a cup of green tea with Natalie at the coffee shop.

"Wanna have a smoke before you go?" Natalie asked seeing Sara getting her things together.

"I quit." Sara said with a smile, bringing Natalie's lovely jaw nearly to the ground. "Day two and I don't even want one." Sara continued proudly.

"Wow. Look at you. What's next?" Natalie said rolling her own cigarette between her fingers in anticipation. Natalie was happy for Sara, whatever it was, it was good to see her happy.

"Have fun." Natalie said as Sara pushed out the door, bringing a smile to Sara's face as she looked back at her friend.

She went into the bathroom in the Psychology office building where Dr Adler's office was. She looked at herself in the mirror, not exactly primping but also not. She washed her hands, a new passion to get the cigarette stains off her long fingers.

Sara's heart raced as she walked towards the office. Her head a mess with thoughts and emotions and no nicotine, but she pressed on and checking her Apple watch, 5:43. "Shit!" she said quietly realizing she was late. Being a minute late was never something that would have even been acknowledged by old Sara. New Sara however was distressed and walked into the office without knocking.

"I am so sorry I am late." she said rapidly, perhaps a bit more frantic than she needed to be. She put the journal on the desk and said "I wrote what I think was relevant. I hope it is helpful, and I am open to criticism." then looked up.

* * *

Experiment #1
by: Sara

I walked into the student Union on a busy Friday night wearing an old full length blue skirt and white blouse. Hippy chic some might say, but I found it comfortable.

I received a text with a description of my target for the experiment. He would be at the "Main St Cafe" counter with short brown hair.

The goal of the experiment was to seduce the target. Although the description of him was vague, luckily there were only three other people at the counter, one was a woman, one a man who appeared to be over seventy, so I assumed it was the younger man, about my age. He was an attractive man wearing jeans and a tweed blazer with elbow patches with a yellow button down underneath, probably a grad student. Not exactly my type but this was for science. I later learned was named Evan

I flopped down in the stool next to his and dropped my head on to the counter. Classic pretty girl with a problem behavior (aka seeking attention). After a few minutes of me not moving, I had not started crying yet, he touched my shoulder and asked "Are you alright?" I popped up and spun on my stool to face him. My body language was completely open to him as my skirt spread across my open thighs, and my hands on my thighs. I let him get a good look at my unbound breasts bouncing freely in the loose blouse before speaking.

Being an above average looking woman with natural blonde hair, natural blonde is the operative phrase there, my approach to this was not as much formulaic, as it was pragmatic. My thinking on planning my approach was as follows. It was the first week of school I took a chance that he was a new grad student. No wedding ring so he probably had not gotten laid in a few weeks. I knew by the way his pupils became these black holes after I sat up and he got a good look at me. So when his eyes roamed over my body with little remorse I surmised he was attracted to me. The grinding of his teeth and his awkward napkin adjustments in his lap spoke volumes on his readiness. I thanked him for his concern, and invited him to the back stall of the ladies room to show more of my gratitude. I admit there was a mutual spark between us.

I do want to say, this is not how I normally operate. This was an experiment with little guidance, so I just went for it.

Although the subject paused for a few moments pondering my offer, he eventually met me in the bathroom. We kissed and would have completed the act within minutes had Evan had his way. I redirect him to my place. We left the Union together with the intention of going to my apartment. The obvious next step would be sex so I would say I succeeded in my task.

For the record I did not have sex with him and claimed a headache before we reached my apartment.

 

[ms_tiff]

The jingle of anklets sounded in the hallway right before Sara barged into the office in a whirl of hippie chaos.

“I am so sorry I am late.”

The journal landed on the desk as she curled up in what Penny was coming to think of as Sara’s chair.

“I wrote what I think was relevant. I hope it is helpful, and I am open to criticism."

Penny picked up the journal absentmindedly, flipping open to the entry from Friday’s assignment. She downed the last of her Scotch as she finished the entry and set both the glass and journal on her desk.

“It’ll do.” She said standing up and walking to the bar cart in the corner by the door. She poured herself another glass of Scotch and held the bottle out towards Sara.

“Would you like one?”

Granted, drinking with a student wasn’t exactly a good idea. Especially when Dr. Adler wasn’t sure if said student was even of legal drinking age. But Penny wasn’t feeling herself that day and she felt silly drinking alone. Hospitality and all that.

“Are you free tomorrow night for your next assignment?” Penny walked back and perched on the edge of the desk.

 

[wickedpen]

"It'll do" was the highest praise for Sara who sat horrified she had crossed all kinds of boundaries and wires and was making a fool of herself, for no apparent reason other than nicotine withdrawal and suppressed desire for the woman a few feet away in a closed office.

Sara felt like she was twelve again as her mother offered her a taste of her Canadian Club. She had loved it then and she loved it even more now, and that was not even scotch.

"Uh, yeah, sure." she said trying to adjust to this women's company. Sara was fairly convinced Dr Adler was putting up with her to get some research, and that was it.

As she reached out and brushed Dr Adler's perfect manicured finger handing her the crystal glass of whiskey Sara blurted out, "I quit smoking." then regretted it. Every time she followed her instinct and did or said anything it was wrong in Dr Adler's eyes.

With her hair down and her piercing eyes looking down at her Sara felt like she had left this life and entered some other strange alternate reality.

"I mean it's only been two days but I think you may have tossed that monkey right off my back." she said looking up at Dr Adler. Her mind begged for this woman to throw her the smallest chance.

Sara lifted the heavy glass and sipped, more than a sip, and smiled as the wonderful rich beverage warmed and calmed her.

"Good scotch." she said wiping her mouth with the back of her hand before she could stop the old habit from back home. Seeing Dr Adler's disapproving look was not what Sara wanted but she smiled and bounced up nervously looking at the objects on the bookcase shelves.

"These are interesting." Sara said as she became aware of Dr Adler's observing her.

"So I have to ask you a question?" Sara said in a serious tone turning back to the professor.

"At what point do I get to use your first name?" Sara said sounding sad and left out.

 

[ms_tiff]

The girl was rambling, not that Penny was really listening, but the noise was nice to have in the otherwise silent office. She watched Sara, making note of the fact that she seemed more well groomed than usual. The hippie vibe still clung to her, but it appeared she was making an effort.

She still had some habits that Penny did not approve of, such as wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. But Penny was certain that a little bit more time and Sara would turn around.

The girl bounced up and began looking over Penny's bookshelves.

"These are interesting." She commented, looking at the vast collection.

Setting her Scotch down, Penny moved towards the bookcase.

"This is Rati, goddess of passion. I got her when I spent a few months in India." She pointed to a gold burnished statue of a naked woman entwined with a man. "And this is Milda," she indicated a stone statue of a woman standing with her hands, palm up in the air, "she's the Lithuanian goddess of love and freedom."

She moved along the bookcase, pointing out different statues and objects, giving Sara a quick history of each.

"So I have to ask you a question?" Sara turned to face Penny. "At what point do I get to use your first name?"

Penny stepped away from the girl, noting how close they had gotten.

"Our relationship should stay professional." Penny said, moving back to her desk. "I believe it best if you can continue to call me Dr. Adler."

Boundaries. Penny needed to set clear boundaries if not for Sara than for herself. Dreams like the night before could not continue. Penny needed to maintain a professional distance from Sara for everyone's sake.

She downed the last of her Scotch and took a seat at her desk.

"Should we get back to work. We should discuss the next assignment. It's going to be a bit different than your first one..." She pulled her notebook towards her, grounding herself in the familiar. "You'll be going to a coffee shop this time. The...Cup of Fame," she looked down at her notes, "are you familiar with it?"

 

[wickedpen]

Sara had moved to the bookcase to try and hide or distract herself, but then there she was.

"So close." Sara thought studying her peripheral vision, terrified of her seeing. Her clothing was so nice, perfectly tailored and wonderful fabrics, matched perfectly.

"When I grow up I am going to try to look like Dr Adler." Sara laughed to herself in her head.

"India? I have always wanted to go. It's like the ultimate pilgrammage, right?" Sara said excited to have something in common. "Have you ever been? It must be amazing." her words tailed off into a dream of bathing in an idealized Ganges, all as one, natural stoned with oneness.

".. goddess of love and freedom." struck Sara as odd. Still lost in her fantasies, "aren't those mutually exclusive?" she head herself say, not having mentally vetted it, which was her usual way, but not here, not with her. She smiled as she did a postmortem on her say anything way.

Dr Adler gave her a kindly smile without referring to her question, or was it a joke, and continued on giving her museum tour of the forth shelf as Sara felt an impending question, "we are both adults why am I referring to you as my superior?"

"OK, Dr Adler." she said trying not to make it sound too much like she thought it was bat shit crazy, and was really bringing down her fantasy of kneeling in front of this woman and seeing this neatly buttoned up professor knock over half full wine bottles in the throes of passion, and just leave the red wine on the cream carpet until tomorrow.

Sara returned to her seat feeling like a corrected child when Dr Adler motioned her to it. Sara watched Dr Adler swallowed the last of her Scotch. Sara was surprised the good doctor would consume such spirits and in aggressive amounts she noted to herself. Being at this "professional" distance forces her to study Dr Adler from a distance. This was unusual for Sara who easy fell in and out of people's lives, usually physically first. Then Dr Adler started talking about the "next assignment.".

"Cup of Fame, ... are you familiar with it?" she said then looked over her glasses at me bouncing nervously still holding my unemptied glass of Scotch.

A smile popped bright on Sara's face as Dr Adler mentioned a pick up the "Cup of Fame."

"Uh yeah, one of my best friends works there. I love that place." Sara said genuinely excited. "This will be fun." she said crossing her legs under her and sitting up on the front of the chair, so open to woman.

"Same kind of thing? I get a text with whom I should," Sara flutters her eyelashes and in a deep breathless voice, "seduce?" Sara was clearly having fun, and research normally isn't this fun. She catches herself as a nagging feeling comes back about all this. She turns her head and looks up at the doctor who appeared much taller.

"Sorry." Sara said looking at Dr Adler, "Why did you pick me for this? I mean, do I have slut written across my head or something?" She regretted it as soon as she said it. She did not want Dr Adler to tell her why she was selected as a seduction experiment subject.

Sara suddenly realized she may be the subject of these experiments, not the men. The horror of thinking there may be no chance with Dr Adler. It was like having a guy you like come over and ask out your friend who is sitting next to you. Like you don't exist.

She looked at Dr Adler trying to keep a stiff upper lip as she wavered in limbo wondering what was really going on.

 

[ms_tiff]

"Uh yeah, one of my best friends works there. I love that place."

“Good, then you’ll be familiar with the clientele and staff there.” Penny nodded absent mindedly, trying to keep her mind focused on the task at hand. “No, this one will be a bit different. It’ll be your choice who you approach. And you’ll be approaching more than one person. The point is to gather as many phone numbers as you can.”

She focused on the notebook in front of her, making sure she was hitting all the points of the assignment. Sara’s question pulled Penny’s attention back to the woman in front of her.

“Pardon?” Penny shook her head, “No, it’s nothing like that.” Closing the notebook, Penny settled into her seat, leaning back and surveying Sara. “You have an ease about you. You can approach a person without difficulty and strike up a conversation that instantly draws them in. It’s quite fascinating actually.”

In truth, Penny envied Sara’s ease with people. Dr. Adler had never possessed that quality. In fact, she found talking with people tedious and unnecessary.

“There is also the fact that you are a beautiful woman.” Had she really just said that aloud? Penny bit her lip and reached for her glass before realizing it was empty.

“I think that’s enough for today. I will see you tomorrow at 6:30 at the Cup of Fame. Please remember that we are not to interact at all. I am there merely to observe you.” Penny gave a small smile, hoping that she had put Sara at ease with her response.

 

[wickedpen]

Sara felt like she was watching an iceberg that could never crack, suddenly groan until the sharp snap released the pressure. But then it was gone and Dr Adler's glass was empty and it was time for her to go.

"She said I was a beautiful woman." Sara thought, fighting a huge smile, looking at Dr Adler, hoping she did not know how obviously in love with her she was. Her social senses kicked in and broke her moment with Dr Adler before she could get rejected.

"6:30 Cup of Fame. Got it." Sara said slowly rising and saluting Dr Adler as she eased around the chair. At the door Sara looked back, her heart a twitter, "Thanks for breakfast the other day. Maybe we can happen into each other again sometime..." she said then slipped out the door like a table cloth in a magicians hands. She wanted to wait for a reaction or answer, but knew it would be a real drag to get a standard, disciplined, "It will interfere with the data." from drill Sargent Adler. Sara pulled the big door shut and smiled pressing her back against the door frame, savoring the sensation of touch while close to her.

Walking home Sara was happy and smiled at everyone she saw. The jingle bells on her ankle seemed to accentuate every other sound. Walking next to a car idling she became part of the rap beat thundering from behind closed windows. Further into town "Jerry" was playing upturned plastic buckets for change where she danced in for a brief duet. A couple frat guys tossed in cash in hopes of catching her eye, as Sara beamed dancing in tune with her friend Jerry.

She spun away into the cool evening euphoric, "she said I was a beautiful woman" she said skipping up the driveway to her apartment.

"Would she like breakfast again?" Sara pondered happily up the wooden steps leading to her apartment over the garage under the trees. She let her mind run and was soon tidying her place up as her fantasy had them ending up here Friday night, "analyzing data" she said with air quotes and a serious look.

"At least the apartment is clean." she said finally sitting, "she'll probably never see it but whatever..." a dark pessimism, or she called it reality, always pressed on Sara no matter how high she got herself, she always expected the worst.

 

[ms_tiff]

Dr. Adler arrived at Cup of Fame nearly an hour earlier than she had anticipated. Her meeting beforehand had been canceled, leaving her with an unscheduled block of time. With nothing else on her agenda, she had decided to go ahead and stake out her observation spot. Walking into the bustling coffee shop, Penny’s heels clicked across the hardwood floors as she made her way to the counter.

“What can I getcha?” The barista asked with a grin. The girl had hair nearly as red as Penny’s own and was wearing it in two, long, school girl pigtails.

“Latte with two extra shots.” Penny said as she glanced around. Off in a corner, lounging in a plush arm chair, sat Devlin with a book in his lap and a stack of papers on the table beside him. He looked up and caught sight of Penny, a wide grin on his lips.

Penny paid and thanked the barista before making her way to Devlin. She settled into the empty seat next to him.

“Fancy meeting you here.” Devlin grinned at her. “I was just thinking about you.”

“Really?” Penny crossed her legs and met his gaze. His eyes drifted down to her shapely legs, on full display in her white sheath dress. “And what exactly were you thinking?”

“I was thinking,” he leaned in closer to her, his eyes traveling up the length of her body, “about how much I wanted to kiss you again.”

His words brought a gentle blush to Penny’s cheeks. “I do believe that can be arranged. I’ll have to check my schedule of course…” She teased.

Devlin laughed, the sound like warm chocolate against her skin.

“Here ya go.” The barista set Penny’s drink down and eyed Devlin with a wicked gleam. “Anything else I can get for you?”

“That is all. Thank you.” Penny dismissed her, happy to see that Devlin was paying her no mind.

“So, what bring you here tonight?” Devlin asked as the barista started to walk away.

“Research.” Penny replied, taking a slow, savory sip of the latte. “My research subject has an assignment tonight. You can help me observe if you’d like.”

Devlin’s eyebrow arched. “Dr. Adler, is this you asking me on a date?”

“Hardly,” she laughed, “trust me, Professor Miles, when I ask you out, you’ll know.”

The two fell into a steady rhythm of conversation, Penny keeping one eye on the door for when Sara would arrive.

 

[wickedpen]

The science project with Dr Adler was starting to consume Sara's every thought, or was it Dr Adler? Standing in pink cotton panties and no bra Sara stared into her closet where she had cleaned up her room into.

"What a disaster." she grumbled to herself as she tried to find something to wear on her speed dating assignment. Doing at the Cup was going to be awkward and fun. She was a regular so she would have to hit on strangers, while staff and regulars watched and or made comments. The thought made her smile as she eyed her favorite jeans. They hung on her hips and looked awesome. The knees organically ripped up and she knew it did amazing things for her ass, as so guys tell her. She pulled them on loving the creamy firmness of them in all the right places.

"Now I need something low cut enough to flaunt the merch, yet not slutty." she said throwing stuff from the front to the back, hoping to find the right... Then her hand pulled it out of no where. The white Bernie Sanders campaign tee shirt.

"Perfect!:" she said holding the slightly too small shirt over her naked shoulders. "Conversation started and shows the merch." she said with a smile as she beamed with excitement.

She tucked in the bright white tee shirt with "Bernie!" painted across chest into her jeans and looked into the standing mirror in the corner. She played with her hair but decided to leave it. She slipped on her sandals and headed to the coffee shop.

Out side she briefly considered bumming a cigarette to calm her nerves but quickly lost interest as she saw Dr Adler through the window sitting with a man.

"What the fuck? She brought an audience?" Sara thought as her anger made her blood boil. She stepped back and closed her eyes and took a deep breath as her yogi had taught her years back. After a few moments she felt better and tried to lock her interest in Dr Adler into a hidden box. She walked in no making eye contact with the doctor sitting across the way.

"God she looked good." Sara thought as she moved to the counter and saw Natalie.

"Hey" Sara said sitting next to a professor, probably in his fifties, greying and wearing the academic issue blazer and khakis.

"Hey Bernie is my guy too." he said letting his eyes roll over her chest longer than necessary.

Swallowing her anger she switched back into operational mode. She turned and leaned into him, "he is awesome isn't he?" she said wide eyed and open to this man old enough to be her father. "His criminal justice policies give me hope." she said beaming into his eyes.

"What can I get you?" Natalie said emphasizing "you" as though she was something unusual.

"Green tea with lemon please." she said without breaking from her moment with the professor dad. "Maybe I could get your number and we could help organize campus?" she said without batting an eyelash as Natalie's eyes nearly rolled out of her head as she filled a cup with hot water.

The professor was a little confused by this beautiful woman's interest and offer.

"Uh, yeah sure," he said patting his brown tweed jacket for a pen, as Natalie leaned over and handed him one as she looked at Sara. He wrote his number on the back one of the paper place mats and ripped it off and put it in Sara's hand.

"Great thanks." Sara said putting her other hand over his and letting her finger wiggle enough to send him home with some less than political ideas.

Sara sipped her tea and tried not to smile at Natalie as the professor droned on. Eventually his phone pinged, the wife Sara imagined and he paid his check and left.

"What up girl?" Natalie said beaming at her friend.

"It's the experiment." Sara said trying to keep it quiet. Natalie picked up immediately.

"I thought that good looking red head was too uptight for this kind of place without a reason." Natalie said nodding towards Dr Adler. "Your girl huh?" she said looking at Sara watching Dr Adler through the mirror behind the coffee machines.

"Yeah" Sara said quietly but could not contain her excitement.

"Whatever." Natalie said moving on to her other customers.

Sara began looking through the mirror for her next target...

 

[ms_tiff]

The evening passed with Penny observing Sara move about the coffee shop, flitting from one customer to another. Some she spent time with, chatting and flirting before finally getting their number. Others handed their number over without more than a hello.

Beside her, Devlin had given up the pretense of grading papers and offered his own commentary and observations. Normally a stickler for silence and pure focus during her work, Penny found herself being pulled into conversation with Devlin, laughing quietly at his witty comments and flirtatious banter.

“What do you say to throwing a new twist into her assignment?” Devlin whispered, his lips close to Penny’s ear, sending a thrill down her spine.

“What did you have in mind?” Penny glanced at him from the corner of her eye, her focus still on Sara as she moved on to her next target.

Devlin leaned in closer, his lips brushing her skin, as he whispered his idea.

“You’re brilliant.” Penny turned to look at him, their faces so close, their lips a breath apart. It was so tempting to kiss him, but, public displays had never been Penny’s thing. She found couples who engaged in PDA to be annoying, in fact. She pulled away slowly, a gentle blush on her cheeks as she reached for her phone.

A second later, she watched Sara glance down at her phone to see the new directive to the assignment.

Very good job. You need one more phone number before tonight is complete. Your next phone number should be that of a woman.

 

[wickedpen]

Sara was getting a little tired after an hour of flirting and theoretically campaigning for Bernie. She felt bad that she had sorta cheated playing the political campaign to get phone numbers was not what Dr Adler wanted. She wanted to see sincere attraction.

Her phone buzzed as she sent a thirty year local welder off into the night, either sincerely interested in Bernie for President, but more likely the set of tits behind "Bernie!" on Sara's tee shirt.

"...a woman?" sent a thrill through Sara like Dr Adler finished that with "so you can prove you are at least non binary." Sara took a drink of the coffee Natalie was keeping warm. She looked up at her friend and it would have been so easy. Hell they had made out before, a while ago, and it never went anywhere since neither could stand the idea of losing their friend.

"She is amazing though." Sara thought as she turned from Natalie and looked for someone. She had decided this would not be a campaign sign up either. This would be an honest to god call her later number. Sara initially passed the professor sitting in the nook by the window. She taught medieval lit or something and was always around here, but always alone. Sara winked at Natalie and walked over and stood next to Constance, she soon learned.

Sitting across from Constance Abernathy, PhD was enlightening for Sara. She never realized how pretty she was, not how old. She looked forty but from other indicators she was probably closer to sixty. What was initially judged early grey, was certainly late grey with the few black strands still stubbornly keeping her angular thick bob from being "all grey". Her neck was shaven and her hair was cut perfectly straight just below her ear lobe, as edgy as her attitude and confidence. Dressed in black jeans and tee shirt under a red flannel she was blunt but kind, and Sara's interest was rising.

Black coffee and a book on Medieval Erotica, under her more appropriate Chaucer, fed the flames in Sara.

Sara sat and chatted about the college and the town, the weather and anything that came to either of their mutually excited and attracted minds. A random touch and shared laugh gave Sara such pleasure she forgot all about the experiment. After an hour and a half, Natalie wanted us to leave, and it had only then dawned on me, the place was empty save Conni and me.

Standing awkwardly outside in the dark sidewalk it became obvious what an odd couple they would make. Conni smiled with a hint of regret seeing Sara was a few years older than her grand niece.

"Maybe we can shut down the Cup again sometime?" Sara said with a meek smile.

"I'd like that." Conni said the looked up and down the sidewalk be then leaned forward and kissed Sara on the lips. Just a peck but lip to lip. Then Conni's cool severe cool demeanor evaporated and she blushed and began walking towards campus without looking back. It was awkward and cute as Sara was thrilled and wanted to run after her, but didn't. If she could have seen Conni's face she would have seen the smile of someone having satisfied a long time crush.

Sara smiled and headed home with Professor Abernathy's card in her sweaty palm.

 

[ms_tiff]

“Hello, Dr. Abernathy.” Penny greeted the other professor.

“Dr. Adler, how are you doing?” Constance smiled at her as Penny took the empty seat beside her.

“Well, thank you. I trust the semester is going well for you.” Penny replied, her answer far from the truth.

The night before, she had thought that the added twist to Sara’s assignment would put an interesting element into the research. But when Sara had targeted Professor Abernathy and ended up spending the rest of the evening with the woman, it left Penny feeling uneasy.

Devlin had seen her home that night and, as they left Cup of Fame, Penny hadn’t been able to keep her eyes from drifting back to where Sara and Abernathy had been obviously flirting with each other. Penny, who had always prided herself on her ability to read people, would have sworn up and down that Sara was straight. However, after seeing her laughing and flirting with Dr. Abernathy, Penny was rethinking her first assessment of the girl.

Her lecture that morning had been brutal as she forced herself to ignore Sara, even though her eyes kept wanting to go to the girl in her usual third row seat. But ignore her she had, even slipping out of the classroom as soon as she dismissed the students to avoid any after class interactions. Penny still wasn’t sure how she would handle their meeting that evening, but that was a problem for another time.

For now, Penny had to get through a mindless committee meeting.

“Very well. And I gathered last night that yours is going well, too.” Constance leaned towards her, a glint in her eye, “I saw you getting all cozy with that delicious Professor Miles at Cup of Fame.”

“Oh, yes, I believe I saw you, too.” Penny placed her notebook, trying to appear nonchalant. “In fact, I think you were talking with one of my students.”

“Sara is your student? She’s a very…interesting girl.” Constance grinned.

“Yes, that she is. I do hope you don’t mind that I’ll have to include that interaction in my research.”

“Research?” Constance quirked an eyebrow.

“Yes, she’s taking part in my latest research project. I was observing her last night. She was supposed to get as many phone numbers as she could. I’m meeting with her after this to go over her interactions.”

“Oh, she didn’t mention that.” Constance’s gaze focused on the table as her fingers rubbed at a water ring.

“No, I don’t suppose she would. She was under strict instructions after all not to let anyone know the reason she approached them.” Penny threw a look towards Constance, taking in the stoop of her shoulders and the slight frown on her lips.

Further conversation would have to wait as the committee chair walked in and called the meeting to order.

~*~*~
​

Sitting in her office, Penny looked through her observation notes from the night before as she waited for Sara. She felt sorry for what she had done to Constance, but something had sparked in Penny and she couldn’t stop herself from saying what she had.

It was best not to look too deep into her motivations. To do so would open a can of worms that Penny simply did not want to touch.

The door opened and Sara wandered in, her usual ethereal self, and Penny forced herself to focus.

“You did well last night.” She said by way of greeting as Sara took her usual seat. “Do you have your notes?”

 

[wickedpen]

"Not yet." Sara answered more casual than usual. Her sundress was a simple design but the yellow brought out Sara's tan, while projecting the lightness of her hair.

"I need to collect my thoughts before i put them down. Today they are all just a scatter." she said with a warm smile hoping Dr Adler saw her in a new light, a light where they could be friends.

There was something new in Dr Adler today. Maybe just a bad day but Sara could detect subtle changes in the force, and Penelope seemed to be experiencing it. Sara decided in her own head she will refer to her as Penelope, it is less formal but not casual.

"Is everything OK, Dr Adler? You look a tad, unbalanced?" Sara asked genuinely concerned as any subject under Sara's keen study with the slightest aberration is investigated.

Dr Adler redirected without a word but only a glance, and Sara followed. Striking how submissive Sara was to this woman's peculiarities.

"So I saw you with a boy?" Sara said dropping into a sixteen year old girl voice. The discomfort could be felt before Sara had even said it, She knew better but wanted to get under her skin, under her blouse, and slacks, and garters, and see what made Penelope Adler scream into the night...

"Oh yes of course, the work." Sara said instinctively having found herself off the path of the doctor and submissively returned to line as directed.

 

[ms_tiff]

Penny could barely keep up with the constant jump of Sara's thoughts as the girl commented on Penny's mood and the fact that Sara had seen her with "a boy" the night before. How could one person jump topics so quickly?

The desire for a drink was strong, if for nothing else than to have something to do with her hands and to calm her racing thoughts, but Penny knew it would be a mistake. With her dark mood, one drink would lead to another and then another and another. She needed to keep her wits about her when Sara was around, other wise...Penny didn't know what she would do.

"If you don't have your notes, then tell me about your observations last night. I noticed you spent a particularly long time with Dr. Abernathy, what did you think of her...about your interaction with her?"

 

[wickedpen]

Sara had to tell her. She had to be honest about how she had been playing this game, not exactly as Dr Adler had designed it. She was about to apologize when she asked about Dr Abernathy and the extended time spent with the medieval lit professor.

"Well," Sara tried to collect her thoughts. "Conni is a lot of fun." came out of her mouth before she even thought about it, then went with it. "She is a fascinating woman with a lot of interesting thoughts on things. We had a lovely conversation. We closed the place." Sara said jokingly as if they had closed a bar or some club.

"I did get her number and hope to have coffee again with her, but I doubt it will really go anywhere." Sara said looking off forlorn. Then she looked at Penelope who was staring at her deep in thought. "The age thing." Sara said breaking Dr Adler's concentration explaining the main issue with a relationship between Sara and Conni was the age difference.

Sara watched Penelope as she seemed distracted. Sara could look at her all day, studying each polished detail. Wondering what was really going on behind those serious eyes and delicate glasses.

 

[ms_tiff]

Conni was it? Penny arched an eyebrow, studying Sara as she practically gushed about Dr. Abernathy. Well this was an..interesting development. Penny adjusted her glasses, giving herself time to think.

"I'd like to remind you of a clause in the contract you signed," Penny said slowly, as if the thought just occurred to her, "which stipulates that you are not to engage in a relationship with any of the people you encounter during the research. So if you and...Conni, intend to pursue anything then I must inform you that you'll be in breach of the contract."

She set her glasses on the desk and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She was tired. Tired of her thoughts jumping constantly, tired of what this girl was doing to her. Standing, Penny moved around the desk and sat on its edge, facing Sara.

"You are a good student, Sara. I would hate to have to drop you from this project and from class."

Grabbing her notebook, Penny gestured to the settee, "Now, let's get comfortable. I'd like to take a little more time tonight and spend some time talking and getting to know more about your history."

Settling herself onto the delicate couch, Penny crossed her legs, setting the notebook on her lap.

"First, I'd like more information on your sexual history. For instance, when you became sexually active. How many partners? You get the idea."

 

[wickedpen]

"Breach of contract?" Sara thought sounded a bit heavy handed but Dr Adler was a mystery wrapped up in a wonderful wrapper, always. Penelope looked tired and Sara wanted to slide behind her and massage those kinks right out of her.

"Uh yeah, I know, pssh." she said trying to play off any possibility with Conni. Looking back at Penelope, "How long can this research go on anyway?" Sara said as a joke but clearly Dr Adler was not entertained.

Getting more comfortable was what Sara was all about. Seeing the doctor sit with less than of perfect posture, well less than stiff upright posture was refreshing and invigorated one young ladies imagination.

"... sexual history" broke Sara out of her imagination and into the reality of what she was being asked.

"When did you become sexual active?" was the first cage rattler as Sara suddenly became self conscious. Dr Adler was not used to how things are below her ivory tower and Sara had come a long way in her few short years.

"OK so you want to know, what do I have to hide, Eighteen." Sara said as the truth seemed so strange to her normal cool persona. "I was a freshman and drunk and he was too. Exciting huh? Probably expected some horror story of incest and such being from Idaho, no?" Sara said suddenly very defensive. "I am sorry, I just don't.." she stopped and looked at the doctor, "I don't talk about this stuff much."

Sara was freaking out. "horror story of incest?" what was she thinking. Dr Adler scribbled madly at her notebook.

"Uh yeah, partners..." Sara tried to keep the conversation moving, cause where it was was bad.

"Twenty" she said watching Dr Adler for a reaction. Sara's mind raced, "Was that a lot, a little? Am I a slut, a whore or just a sexually healthy woman?"

"This is kinda embarrassing." Sara said as her cheeks turned a wonderful red. "I mean you are the 'Doctor of Mystery'" (with air quotes) Sara said looking at Penelope leaning back, her arm over the back of the couch. "I am telling you things and your not telling me anything." she says. The words came out of no where and Sara wish she had not said them but she did and Penelope's reaction was apparent. Sara moved next to Penelope on the couch.

"Tell me something about you." Sara says as though it's a game.

 

[ms_tiff]

Penny dutifully wrote her notes as Sara spoke quickly of her first experience. The girl was jumping over it quickly, as if she didn’t want to fully divulge her history. Penny could relate to that. Her first time hadn’t been anything to write home about; a fumbling, awkward experience in the backseat of a car.

"Probably expected some horror story of incest and such being from Idaho, no?" When Sara’s tone took a defensive edge, Penny paused, looking up at the girl.

“I make it a habit not to have preconceived notions about a person.” Penny replied. “Nobody is ever what they appear, after all.”

"I am sorry, I just don't…I don't talk about this stuff much."

The hesitancy in Sara’s voice gave Penny pause. There was something this girl wasn’t telling her, she could feel it. But this wasn’t a therapy session and Penny wasn’t about to dig into the girl’s psyche.

Sara quickly continued, giving her approximation of sexual partners. Dr. Adler had to hide her grin at the girl’s worry that she was a slut.

“From my estimation, you’re fairly average.” She replied without looking up from her notebook. “Besides, I do not agree with the use of slut or whore. Women have been given to view their sexual exploration and experiences as a wicked thing, which is simply not true. Men can have as many sexual partners as they wish and others praise them for it. The same should be true of a woman.” Penny glanced up, offering Sara a slight smile, hoping to put her more at ease.

“This is kinda embarrassing. I mean you are the 'Doctor of Mystery'. I am telling you things and you’re not telling me anything. Tell me something about you."

Penny’s brow quirked as Sara sat on the couch.

“Doctor of mystery?” She set her pen in the notebook, closing the book and watching Sara intently. “I’m hardly a mystery, Sara. I simply like to keep my work and personal life separate. It’s too easy to muddy the waters otherwise. Besides, as a professor, I make it a habit not to get close to my students. There are far too many rules governing the interactions we can have and I’d rather not be brought to task by the Dean. He’s a very tiresome man.”

Turning so that her body faced Sara, Penny propped an elbow on the back of the couch.

“But, as you have been open with me, and I want to build trust between us, I will allow you one question. You can ask whatever you like and I will be completely honest in my response.”

 

[wickedpen]

"All business Adler" Sara said as she spoke of muddying the waters and the work.

"Back home I often thought about that expression, my mom was fond of it too, 'Don't muddy the waters.'" Sara began as she threw caution to the wind.

"When I was little I loved to go to this creek that ran behind our house. I always muddied the waters either chasing crawdads or skinny dipping on a hot day. I brought this up once with my mother saying 'I can't have any fun at the creek with out muddying the waters?'" Sara continued as Penelope seemed to be hearing her.

"And my mother said 'as long as you get a good look first and remember where the rocks are, you should be OK.'" Sara finished and smiled at her teacher.

Dr Adler continued and almost bent a rule by allowing Sara one question. Sara panicked and her mind went completely blank. Then she opened her mouth and said "Do you like that man you were with at the Cup?"

 

[ms_tiff]

Penny listened as Sara recounted the tale from her childhood, the girl seeming to open up more as Dr. Adler let her own guard down. Wanting to keep the dialogue going, Penny left her notebook where it sat. This wasn’t a time for notes. She would commit it to memory and write it later. Right now, Sara obviously needed her attention to be willing to share more.

"Do you like that man you were with at the Cup?"

The question wasn’t what Penny had thought she would ask, so it took her a bit by surprise.

“Professor Miles does intrigue me.” Penny said after some thought. “I enjoy discussing our work. We have similar interests in our studies. And I do find him attractive. As I did promise you honesty, I will tell you that we have had dinner on two occasions and the thought of a sexual relationship does interest me. Is that a satisfying answer?”

Penny sat back, surveying Sara. A thought occurred to her, perhaps this was how she could get Sara to trust her and to give Penny more information for her research.

“I have a proposition for you, Sara. For every question I ask you tonight, you may ask me one in return. Does that sound agreeable to you?”

 

[wickedpen]

Sara smiled at the offer.

"..a sexual relationship does interest you huh?" Sara repeated her words as she studied the doctor who was as stoic as ever. "I'll take that as a yes." Sara said with a smile.

Dr Adler went on to offer a one for one question exchange.

"Seems fair to me." Sara said pleased to have broken the ice to some degree, well really just managed to a chip off.

"So, Conni, she was the most interesting of the night. I have recently become aware of being a but less than binary, if you know what I mean?" Sara said leaning towards Dr Adler playfully but not even a shrug of response.