Rebecca cursed herself under her breath as she rushed into the lecture hall, doing her best to ignore the knot in her stomach. She should have set the alarm on her phone before pulling an all-nighter getting ready for her Modern Literature final. Then she might have had time to shower and eat a little breakfast to settle her stomach. And it would have to be Dr Parker's class. His presence was almost palpable and had set off palpitations in her heart, as well as other parts of her body from the first time she saw him. You would think a college Senior, almost ready to graduate, would be better able to control her reaction to a man.
And it isn't like he is a classical perfect specimen of manhood she mused. Yes, his face was attractive enough. His 5'9" frame isn't that tall and he isn't all that athletic looking appearing to carry a few more pounds than the ideal. Most younger professors tended to wear khakis more than suits and looked out of place when wearing a suit. Not Dr Parker though. He filled his suit coats with his presence. Although informal discussion was an integral part of this class, Rebecca had never been able to relax and engage the way her classmates did. Although he encouraged this interaction, she almost felt it would be disrespectful to Dr Parker.
Rebecca held her own when discussing classroom discussions but was not her usual confident self in his class. She was proud of her 3.82 GPA and the A she was currently carrying in this class. She could totally bomb the final and still have a strong grade. Her acceptance into grad school was already signed. She didn't feel the need to date often and hadn't been in a relationship the past couple of years. Not that she lacked for opportunity. Both men and women were attracted to her 5'6" body with plenty of curves in the right places. She embraced being bisexual and open to one-night stands on occasion. She just hadn't found the person yet to captivate her. Until Dr Parker. Turning the last corner before the door to the lecture hall, another spasm gripped her midsection, making her miss her stride for a moment. She hoped this upset stomach wouldn't affect her test today. For some reason the thought of disappointing Dr Parker gave her a deeply uneasy feeling she couldn't identify. Coming to the door to the lecture hall, Rebecca took a deep breath to steady herself walked in, quickly taking a seat in the front row since the seats further back were taken.
Setting her backpack on the floor and opening the zipper to retrieve her pencils, she couldn't help but glance at Dr Parker under the fringe of her bangs. She didn't understand why she had such a hard time looking at him directly. No one else had this effect on her. As she sat back up she was startled to find Stacy, Dr Parker's TA standing by her seat holding out her test packet. It was unnerving how Stacy seemed to just appear at times. Rebecca thanked Stacy, opened the booklet, and started in on the test.
As she worked on the test, she barely noted the passage of time or her classmates finishing and turning in their work one by one. Her stomach was still bothering her from time to time but her concentration on the test kept her from dwelling on it. However, as she was finishing her test she became aware of an uncomfortable dampness between her legs. As she completed her last question and closed her booklet, the cause of her earlier stomach pain and wetness dawned on her with dread. How could she have forgotten that her period was due? Quickly looking around to see who else was left, she found that she was the last student. As she looked back forward, there stood Stacy, holding her hand out for the test. Rebecca motioned for her to lean in.
"I need your help. My period started and I know I leaked and have made a mess. Could you help me get to the bathroom and get some cleaning supplies? This is so embarrassing and it would be worse if Dr Parker finds out." The surprise and instant sympathy in Stacy's eyes gave her reassurance.
"Just stay right here. I will try to think of something to get Roger to leave." Rebecca realized this was the first real conversation she had with Stacy. Although she knew Stacy had a killer body, she had never really looked close enough to realize just how beautiful she is. She watched Stacy approach Dr Parker and lean in to whisper in his ear. A wave of anxiety washed over Rebecca in fear that Stacy was telling Dr Parker exactly why Rebecca was still seated in the classroom. Normally having her period was of no real concern for her and she was open about when she had it. But having Dr Parker know mortified her. She knew that Stacy was finishing up her doctoral studies and had been offered a position here for the fall semester. Rebecca had hoped to selected as Dr Parker's new TA even if he did make her uncomfortable. Oh how she wished she could hear the conversation taking place at the desk in the front of the class, if only to calm her nerves.
As Rebecca watched the conversation, she saw Stacy quickly bow her head, turn on her heels, and quickly leave the room. Oh. My. God. Why did she leave? Where did Stacy go? Rebecca felt like she was going to be sick. What was she going to do now? She couldn't believe that Stacy would just leave her like that. Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus. As time ticked by, the fear that Stacy wouldn't return seemed more fact than imagination. She kept coming back to one option, one that filled her with dread. She was going to have to just get up and leave. Once she cleaned up and took care of her needs in the bathroom, she would bring back whatever supplies she could find in the bathroom to clean her seat, providing the room was still unlocked. She felt resentment build towards both Stacy and Dr Parker. Hell, she would have preferred Stacy tell him why he had to leave over having to traipse in front of him with an obvious period stain on her skirt. And she just knew with how damp she felt that there would be blood sliding down her thighs when she stood. She would have to move quickly to the nearest bathroom once she stood. Steeling her resolve, she reached for her backpack and began to stand up.
"I thought Stacy told you to stay sitting there. I know I haven't dismissed you yet. Sit back down." Dr Parker's voice had a tone she had never heard from him before. Without any thought on her part, she sat back down and dropped her bag. As soon as she sat, she wondered to herself why she did it so quickly. "I am almost done grading your test. Be patient, little one. All will be well soon." Dr Parker hadn't so much as looked in her direction through this entire conversation, but Rebecca was sure he was aware of her every movement. Surprisingly, being called "little one" didn't upset her, rather it gave her a strange sense of peace despite her uncomfortable situation. The minutes seemed to fly by as she saw Dr Parker flip through her test booklet. After several more minutes her anxiety started ramping up again as he turned to his laptop and started tapping away. Just how long was he going to make her sit and stew she wondered. The only break from his tapping was when Stacy returned to the room carrying a tote bag, but instead of coming to Rebecca, she walked to stand behind Dr Parker. Without making eye contact, she began collecting Dr Parker's items and placing them in his briefcase. When he was finished with his laptop, she secured it in the briefcase as well.
Rebecca realized she had been staring at Stacy when Dr Parker stood and walked directly in front of her. "Since I just submitted your final grade, you are no longer an official student of mine. That is not to say I haven't been studying you all semester." Again, Rebecca found herself looking at Dr Parker's chest and not his eyes, although she didn't understand why. She knew it was normally considered rude to not make eye contact with someone speaking to you but meeting his eyes felt more disrespectful when she thought of him. "You don't even realize what you are, do you?" Rebecca tried to straighten out her thoughts to reply but the silence only increased her anxiety, her concern about her period long forgotten.
"I...uhm...I really don't know how to answer you, Sir." As soon as she said the words, she wondered why she had called him "Sir" instead of Dr Parker. She couldn't even fathom calling him Roger like Stacy did. The title felt natural to her without conscious thought. Dr Parker cupped the side of her face, tangling his fingers in her hair. Rebecca leaned into his palm, barely suppressing a moan.
