Other Duties, as Assigned

The next couple of days I almost managed to put Edwin, and what he’d done, out of my head. I didn’t want to think about it, so I tried to ignore the signs around me. Of which there weren’t many anyway: He covered his tracks well.

Of course there was Lily. She was in my bed every night, and even in a little dorm room there were more ways than I’d have thought for her to show her service.

I was seriously considering an apartment next semester: She couldn’t really do a uniform in our dorm room. I wasn’t sure if she should have a maid outfit, or just walk around naked. Maybe I’d alternate days.

But even that, if I wasn’t thinking about it, didn’t have to remind me of Edwin. Whatever he’d done, he was good at it: Being Lily’s mistress felt natural, automatic, right. It was how I was supposed to be.

So there was nothing to remind me that anything was different about it, unless I reminded myself.

The only real reminder I had was the bag of nanobot cubes sitting on my desk. I avoided looking at them. Or touching them. I’d have thrown them away, if I could have brought myself to bear the thought of it.

That changed on Friday. I was at the campus newspaper office: I usually was, this time of the week, working on some last-minute story. As normal, it was just me and Dr. Lehrer, the journalism adviser. I stepped into his office with some revisions for him to look over, which he accepted with minimal comment. “So, Ms. Hobbes, how are you coming on that Edwin Tolvaj story?”

The name should have warned me. He always called me Naomi. I leaned into the chair I’d taken, and sighed. “I don’t know. I could probably write it as a human-interest piece, but there’s not much there.” I hadn’t bothered to even try writing the real story. Even if I’d managed it, I had no desire to disappear into some third-world brothel.

“Oh? I thought you said you were sure something else was going on?”

I shrugged, controlling my urge to cry. I was managing a straight face fairly well here, I thought. “I thought there was. But there isn’t. I’ve dug as far as I can: He’s just what he appears to be, nice and charismatic student, who attracts people to him.”

He paused a moment. I think he licked his lips, but I wasn’t paying attention. I was too worried about what Edwin had done to me. “You know, I’m disappointed in you Ms. Hobbes. I thought I’d taught you better than that. That I’d taught you to follow a story to the end.”

“I did. It’s a dead-end.” But it wasn’t: it was the biggest story this school had ever had. This state. Heck, if I could write it, and be believed, it was worth a Pulitzer. A Pulitzer. Honestly. And I had to keep my mouth shut. And I would keep my mouth shut, whether I wanted to or not.

“And yet you’ve wasted all this time on it. Time you could have been working on other stories. Important stories. But you wanted to go chase some crush of yours.”

“I…! That’s not fair! I wasn’t doing this for some ‘crush’!” What was this? Dr. Lehrer was always nice. And he knew as well as anyone that sometimes a story didn’t pan out. Besides, my work on anything else hadn’t suffered from it. He knew that better than anyone.

“And what else am I supposed to call it, when a girl chases a boy around for two and a half months? You seemed quite set on him.”

“I thought there was a story, dammit. Something big.”

He just shook his head. “Really, Ms. Hobbes. And here I thought you could be professional about this. I may have to dock your grade.”

What!?! I wasn’t getting graded for this. I wasn’t even getting paid: The newspaper was run purely on a volunteer basis, as experience for the journalism majors.

“And here I thought you had such promise.” He shook his head again. “You may go. Pick up your things from your desk.”

He was firing me? Over this? I couldn’t believe it.

I got to my feet. I wanted to scream, to yell, to point out that this made no sense. But I walked meekly to the door.

And paused. “Dr. Lehrer? Are you sure that there’s nothing I can do to get you to change your mind?”

He looked up from his desk, where he’d gone back to work after dismissing me. “I can’t think of anything.”

I moved away from the door, accidentally closing it behind me. “I just… I can’t stand to think I’d drop my GPA over this. I’ll work really hard, really I will, on everything from here on out. I’ll focus right on the story. Follow it to the end. Always. Please, can you give me another chance? I’d be very grateful.” I was acting like some airbrained slut, trying to seduce her teacher for a grade.

I’d never seduce a teacher for a grade. And I wasn’t even getting graded for this work, anyway. It made no sense. It was like some scene out of a porno flick.

Some scene out of a porno flick…

Edwin! He’d said he was going to rent me out. He could control what I said, what I did. I looked at Dr. Lehrer from behind my lowered eyelashes. Yes, he was definitely getting aroused.

I was about to fuck my advisor. For a ‘grade’. Because Edwin wanted me too.

I couldn’t summon up any revulsion at the thought. And the thought that this was Edwin’s fault, that he was controlling me into doing this stirred my libido.

Damn him.

“Well, I’m not sure what I can say. I mean, you’d have to show me you can focus on something other than this boy.”

“He’s just an ordinary boy. Nothing special. I can see that now.”

“And what’s going to keep you from getting your head turned by the next boy who comes along?”

“I… I’d have to focus on something else.” Oh god, could this get any cheesier?

“And, what could that be?”

“I’d have to be something special. Someone who isn’t a boy. Someone who’s… a man.” Ok. Yes, it could.

I was just about in his lap at this point. Not quite. “And where could you find someone like that? Someone who wouldn’t pull you away from here, of course.”

“I… I’d have to look right here. See if I can find anyone willing to help me. Guide me. Keep me on track.” A thought suddenly occurred to whomever my body was playing. “Maybe… You could guide me.”

“Well, that is my job. I have to do my best to guide everyone who comes though my door.”

“Yes, but, maybe I could be your special project? Get some extra attention? So I’m not tempted to wander after little boys?” Careful girl, by the feel of that thing you’re stroking, he may not last until he gets you on the desk.

“Hmm. Perhaps. I might be able to come up with something.”

“I’d be ever so grateful.”

“Yes. Perhaps…” Whomever was writing this farce gave up, and Dr. Lehrer kissed me.

Good. My brain was rotting just listening to that stuff. Never mind the fact that I was saying it!

And… The kiss felt good. I’d expected it to. Edwin wouldn’t leave my performance to chance, after all. I had to want to taste this man.

The kiss started gentle, but that didn’t last long. Dr. Lehrer clearly wanted to get to the action, and wanted me out of my clothes. Even with me helping, he ruined my shirt. With a jacket, I could make it back to the dorms, but…

“Please…” He attacked me again, and soon I was, as expected, sitting on the desk, legs spread for entry.

He seemed to have forgotten he was still wearing pants. I reached down, and started to undo them, and caught sight of my handbag, thrown on the chair.

I had taken one piece of Edwin’s advice. I grabbed it, and started looking around in it’s depths.

“What?”

I found what I was looking for, and held up the little plastic-covered square. I could feel I had more control right now, not complete control, but a bit. I put on a sheepish, innocent face, and lied: “Please, I’m… Not on the pill.”

It crossed his mind to deny me, I could see it. But just for a moment. I’d struck the right note: He was married, and me having a child would complicate things. He nodded.

I put it on him. Expertly.

And then we rejoined the kissing. I was naked in his arms now, his pants were slowly falling. I managed to line myself up, and get him inside me. His thrusts were on automatic.

He lasted about 30 seconds, maybe, and I faked the biggest orgasm I’d ever had. “Thank you Dr. Lehrer. That was…” I obviously didn’t have the words. (Pitiful? Ridiculous? I’d have to be funny to be amusing, and I don’t think he’d quite managed that.) “I don’t think I’ll want to wander looking for some boy.”

Yeah. I’ve got a girl at home who can do better in her sleep. And has.

“Well, if you ever think you are starting to, just remember I’m always be here for you.”

“I’ll remember.” I slid, seductively, back into my torn clothes as he watched.

Then I slipped out the door. His pants were still around his ankles.

I waited until I was sure I was out of earshot before giggling. Was that the best he could do? Really? No wonder he was hiring me: His wife probably thought it wasn’t worth the bother.

That sobered me though. He had hired me. As a whore. From my pimp: Edwin.

I made a stop at my room to change clothes (throwing the old straight in the trash), then headed to Edwin’s room.

“So. I just had an ‘encounter’ with Dr. Lehrer.”

He glanced at the clock. “Oh?”

I rolled my eyes, and ignored the attempt to play innocent. “I have two questions: First off, was that a one-time deal, or should I be expecting this regularly?”

“One-shot. Although he may try to pay for another, if he can get the money together. He seemed to like the idea. What was your other question?”

“Who writes this stuff? I mean, that dialog was bad by porn standards!”

He laughed. “Usually the customer does. I try to edit, but I’m not really any good at it.”

“I can see you’ll need help there.”

“One reason I brought a writer on as an assistant.”

I didn’t have a reply for that.

“So, did he get his money’s worth?”

I couldn’t help it. I broke out laughing. There were tears in my eyes by the time I managed to get enough together to answer. “Nope! He barely made it to the finish line!”

Edwin glared at me. “I’m not going to have to give his money back, am I?”

I shook my head, still laughing a bit. “Depends. He got to play out his fantasy. He got all the way. Barely. But he did get to fuck me, if that’s the point.”

“Good. Here’s your cut.”

That shut me up quick. I took the check by reflex. There were… A lot of numbers.

I stared at it for a while. I mean, it wasn’t a fortune, or even enough to buy a nice new car, at least an expensive one. But… Well, an inexpensive one… “I…”

“You wanted a cut. 90%. We agreed. There you go.”

I looked up at him. If I took this… I didn’t want to think about it. And, I’d earned it. Reciting those cheesy lines as if I’d meant them. Making him feel like his miniscule spurt was the height of manhood.

And besides, it was a sign I was still my own person, somewhat. I wasn’t a slave, who just did what her master wanted without question, or recompense.

I was a whore instead. I looked at the number again. A highly-paid whore.

I shuddered, and shoved the check into my purse.

“He doesn’t expect you to know what happened. Or even to remember it.”

Well, that was a relief, of sorts. “So, I’m just supposed to pretend it never happened?”

Edwin nodded, then grinned. “Unless you want to forget about it.”

I paused and thought about that for a moment. If Dr. Lehrer had been a bit more forceful, if he’d abused me, or if he’d been halfway competent, I think I might have said yes.

But as it was, I could handle it. And I wanted to know what happened to me. “No. I want to remember. I’ll just not say anything. Pretend it never happened.”

“Ok then. See you later. Unless you want to come to the party with me.”

Oh, no wonder he’d been checking the clock. No way the most popular guy in school wasn’t busy on a Friday night. “Um, no, thanks. I think I’d rather stay home tonight.”

“Another time then.” He patted me on the head, and sent me away.