The summer before I was to start my second year as a Master's student at a prestigious coastal California university, I decided to participate in a 3-month fellowship through the University of British Columbia. The fellowship was a paid position where I would be trained in fish pathology, ultimately helping my academic career back in the States. The only reason I was chosen for this fellowship, it seemed, was the fact that the fellowship's director was an old fraternity buddy of my college advisor, Colin.
My travel plans included a one-way flight to Seattle, where I took a 2-day train ride to Vancouver. I didn't fly straight to Vancouver because I wanted to experience a mini-vacation before I was to start my grueling position. At 26 years old, I still looked about 19, and enjoyed an adventure as much as any fiery teenager.
After the second day of shopping, sight-seeing, and a short train ride, I arrived at a bus stop on Chancellor Boulevard. I knew the campus was to the southeast, but I had no idea where the science department was, let alone the fish pathology lab. I looked around the pristine streets bordering the campus. The landscaping was well manicured, there was not a trace of litter to be found, and in the distance I could see a great green forest. Not a bad place to live, I thought, while reaching into my pocket to retrieve my Blackberry. I had been instructed to call my new boss, Drew the fellowship director, as soon as my train arrived. I dialed the number I had been given, and listened to it ring.
"Fish lab, this is Casey," a voice came back.
"Oh, this is Janie, the new fellowship student," I said excitedly.
There was a brief pause.
"Hello?" I said, checking to make sure the line was still connected.
"I'm just a grad student here. I really don't have the faintest idea of what you're talkin' about. I need more info," the deep voice said.
"...oh, um...," I stuttered, "Drew said to call this number when I arrived at the northwest bus station."
Another pause.
Sighing, I continued, hoping any of my words would click with my new acquaintance, "I just had a long bus ride and I need someone to pick me up. Drew said to call and someone from the lab would give me a lift to my dorm."
"There's a summer fellowship position in this lab?!" the voice cracked a bit. "Why the hell didn't I know about it? It's not like I don't need the money!"
My face started to flush deep pink; this was so frustrating. "Well, they just offered it to me a couple weeks ago, doing fish path stuff." I didn't know why I felt the need to explain myself to this person.
The rugged voice continued, "Three years in this hell hole and what to I get? Shafted. Every time, I get shafted! What's your name again?"
A bit nervously, I stammered, "Janie...my college advisor...is Colin--"
"--I know Colin," He cut me off. "Drew and Colin are pretty much butt-buddies. Don't tell 'im I said that," he remarked with a laugh. "And now who is this fellowship funded through?"
"Um, I really couldn't say for sure," I confessed. "Truthfully, all I was told was to book a flight, and Drew would take care of me."
"Oh, I bet he'll take care of you," the voice countered with obvious innuendo. "Let me guess; blonde and beautiful?"
He was right. Even though I change my hair color quite frequently, my natural color is dirty blond. And more than a few people have told me I am pretty. I stand at about 5'7" with a classic hourglass figure and muscular legs.
Exasperated, I shouted, "Look I don't know a damn thing about your lab's politics, but I just arrived here from California, and I am hungry and tired and I don't want to sit at this bus station a second longer. So, PLEASE send someone to the Chancellor Boulevard bus stop to pick me up, or tell me how to get to the dorm and I'll call a cab!"
There was a sigh followed by, "Look, I'm sorry. It has nothing to do with you. I'll...I'll be there in 10 minutes."
The phone went dead; I held it away from my ear and shot it a puzzled look. What was I getting myself into this summer? Colin insisted Drew was a brilliant professor and that this was a great opportunity to learn all the necessary tricks of the trade. I certainly didn't want the baggage of sexual harassment to accompany my training. Plus, it seemed like no one in the fish pathology lab had ever heard of me.
Putting my Blackberry back into my loose jacket pocket, I sat down on the bench and stared down at my knees. Definitely not knobby knees. Actually nothing on me is knobby. I have 36DD breasts, a large bubble-butt, and soft curves everywhere else. I sighed, why was it so difficult to make a name in this field and at the same time lack a penis?! I rolled my eyes at the thought and then focused on the street. What was this 'Casey' character all about? I tried to imagine a physical extension of that voice on the phone.
After counting cars for a short eternity, I fumbled for my Blackberry, intent on calling Drew's office number, when a beat-up yellow Datsun pickup pulled up to the curb. It looked to be weighted down quite significantly by the single occupant inside the cab. Bright blue eyes and a jovial face (complete with dimples on both cheeks and chin) smiled at me from behind the tiny steering wheel. The door opened quickly and the man stepped out; when he righted himself he must have been well over six feet tall. The truck chassis squeaked in relief as the muscular man pushed off the seat and approached me.
"Janie? Hi, I'm Casey," he uttered in that same baritone. His huge paw of a hand stretched out to meet my delicate one.
"Oh, nice to meet you in person," I stammered trying to think of something witty to say to take my mind and obvious stare off those blue eyes. "I was about to call for reinforcements; thought you forgot about me."
Casey laughed, "No, my bad. I couldn't find my keys. The lab is a mess, you'll see." His blond shaggy hair and scruffy beard hid most of his facial features, except those eyes of course. He wore a dirty pair of jeans and a large gray t-shirt hung from his massive shoulders.
He yanked each suitcase from my grip and launched them, effortlessly into the bed of the truck. Then he walked around the cab and opened the passenger door for me. Any more force and I am sure he would have ripped the car door right off its hinges. We got on the road and headed down Chancellor Boulevard.
There was a brief awkward silence, while Casey fussed with the radio, which looked older than the truck itself. As he drove, I was amazed that his large right leg allowed enough room to shift gears. I tried not to think about what his cock might look like, and failed. I bet it was large to match his large frame. We made small talk before Casey again apologized for what happened earlier.
"Janie, I'm sorry for my outburst. As a grad student I'm over-worked and underpaid, which of course is no excuse to talk like that to a lady." He glanced over at me and his eyes wandered down to my cleavage. I pretended not to notice. He continued, "Sometimes I feel--we all feel--like Drew passes up his own students for fellowship positions. Our lab is about ninety percent men and Drew is an old bachelor. He tends to give the fellowships away to bright young women, and truthfully I can't complain. At least it brings some diversity to the place," he confided. "Drew is a space-cadet. He has 12 master's-level students under him, a wet-lab to run, classes to teach, too many grants to keep up with, and God-only-knows how many experiments in progress off Point Grey."
"Well, I can understand how you feel," I said a bit nervously, "You probably deserve this fellowship more than I do."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Drew slurred, "He might give up the goods to pretty girls, but he doesn't just give them to bimbos. I'm sure you'll prove your stuff this summer."
I blushed, not sure if that was an actual compliment or not. We approached an remodled Victorian mansion on the outskirts of campus. There was a large green lawn surrounding it, almost too perfect, and five or six cars parked in the huge driveway. Casey eased the old Datsun up behind a Volvo, and killed the motor.
"This is the dorm?" I gasped in disbelief.
"No, it's our dorm," Casey said matter-of-factly. "All the fish-heads live here. Your room is on the third floor."
I squealed, "Oh my God, it's huge!"
"Yeah, that's what all the women tell me," Casey joked. He smiled at me and I gave him a genuine smile back. I liked him. Very much.
***
The summer progressed steadily and I made friends quickly. Casey was right, out of the 13 students in the lab including me, there were only four women. Almost all of the students lived in the big white Victorian house, as the rooms were large and much less expensive than an off-campus apartment.
My fellowship was difficult; sometimes I pulled 12-hour days waiting for certain experiments to run. Drew was hardly ever in the lab. By the time my first month in BC was up, I had only seen Drew three times. He looked just like his photo online at the lab's web-site. At each of our encounters, he looked at me as if he had no idea who I was. He would then mumble something about Colin, and smile at me. Drew would give me about 30 seconds of his undivided attention, while I fired off questions about my project, all the while he would steal glances of my breasts. He was an attractive older man, so I didn't mind him looking. In fact, I found myself wearing more revealing clothing as the summer wore on, in hopes I would see Drew in the lab. I really have a thing for older men. Needless to say, I learned most of what I needed to know from Casey. But he wasn't the only one. I had three other male grad students in the fish lab clamoring for my attention. One was Michah, a tall curly-haired man of about 27. The second was Nate, a young quiet man with smooth gray eyes. And third, was a dark-skinned Asian man named Rene, who had a few tough-looking scars on his face. All four men were incredibly good-looking, with rugged appeal, and whip-smart humor. But I often found myself fantasizing about Drew as I lay awake at night masturbating.
Often on the weekends, the students would plan a hike up to the lake, a swimming hole about a mile up the dirt road from our Victorian house. The road spiraled back into the forest, climbed in altitude, and ended at a small dock and storage shed where supplies were kept in case of a tsunami emergency. It was the best spot for crazy beer-guzzling bonfires.
One Friday afternoon, I was busy cleaning up supplies in the lab, and putting my samples back into the freezer, when Casey came up behind me.
"You goin' to the lake with the gang tonight?" he asked me, a hopeful look in his eye. He nonchalantly washed a few glass beakers and tried to look casual.
Casey had been mildly flirting with me all summer and although I was getting pretty lonely, I had not responded to him in the way he had hoped. I did find him very attractive, but for some reason, I was obsessed with the thought of Drew in my bed.
I shrugged, "Yeah I thought about it, but it seems like that scene is getting old. I got pretty hammered last weekend anyhow." I turned away from him and disassembled my pipette and laid it out to dry.
Casey looked disappointed. "Well, this weekend will be better because Drew just got back from China and he's got some illegal fire crackers that he intends to blow up."
My ears perked up when I heard Drew's name. So that's where he's been these past few weeks? Casey noted my change in behavior. "Yeah, you should come; it should get pretty wild," Casey baited.
Yeah, he doesn't know the definition of "wild", I thought, remembering my summer in Alaska a couple of years ago. I smirked to myself.
Casey smiled at me, "What's that look for, Janie?"
