A week later, we had managed to locate a balance between the proverbial work and play. Stefan found that focusing his entire attention on the problem at hand in the meetings exponentially (yet not entirely) decreased his desire to throw me on the floor, professor or not, and fuck me senseless. With this adjustment, and its inevitable snuffing of the sexy and dangerous (and mourned) fire in Stefan's eyes, came my ability to focus. Therefore, everything was going along swimmingly.
One day toward the end of the week, Professor Beauchamp surprised me with a comment.
"Say, Sarah, when are you finally going to pounce on Stefan?"
His query was met with a blank and slightly shocked stare.
"Don't be offended or anything... but I was just wondering when you were finally going to make a move. You two have been staring at each other like starving people eyeing a feast for the past week, and it's downright awkward. I'm planning on mentioning something to Stefan later today... just do me a favor and think about it, would you?" and with that, he patted me on the shoulder and left.
As soon as he left the office I burst into fits of laughter. The laughter was relief met with shock and just plain amusement. The fact that Beauchamp was okay with Stefan and I dating meant that we could stop this ridiculous charade and be natural around one another. Okay, not entirely natural... but we could drop the stranger act we had going. Relief and joy continued to flow through me for a good ten minutes.
A couple of hours later I was looking through the last manuscript I had produced, comparing ideas with recent medical journals, when I sensed somebody watching me. I looked up and saw Stefan in the doorway. I grinned at the impish expression on his face.
"Did Beauchamp talk to you?" I asked, my grin widening.
"How did you guess?"
"Luckily."
"Ha-ha," he laughed dryly. "He told me something very interesting."
"Oh, yeah? And what was that?"
He chuckled deep in his chest. "Let's see... I believe it was something like 'Listen, Stefan, if you don't ask Sarah out on a date soon, she's going to rape you in the bathroom.'"
"No!" I said, shocked, and proceeded to guffaw harshly. "Me? Rape you?"
"Hey! Are you saying that's not an inviting prospect?" he raised an eyebrow at me and let his gaze smolder into me for a few seconds. It had the desired effect, of course.
"I'm not saying that at all. I guess you just forgot who was undressing who with their eyes on the train!" I said, ducking to avoid his playful swat.
"Ah, yeah... hey I couldn't help it. Anyway, I figured that about you... that you were traditional... and I told Beauchamp as much."
"Oh? What did he have to say about that?"
"He said he figured too."