Kate Hallsworth was a petit young woman with big ambitions. Her short, slim stature hid a very focused personality. Eldest of three siblings, she set herself goals and generally attained them. She had her mind set on becoming a lawyer from an early age. Her father was a partner in a small town law firm and she saw it as her destiny to follow him.
While not extremely intelligent, Kate was a diligent worker and got good grades in High School. Her marks were high enough to get her accepted into a good College, where her first year was pre-law. This put her in competition with many other hard working late teens, who saw their destiny as being a Lawyer. Not all could go through, so competition was fierce.
Kate was prim and proper in her presentation and in High School wore her dark hair tied tightly back. She was very organised, and prior to leaving for College did two things. First she broke up with her long-time boyfriend, Roger, who remained back in their home town. They had gone together for three years, through to the end of High School. It was only near the end, once they had turned 18 years old, that the couple had graduated to having full sex. While Kate had enjoyed this, she wasn't the type of young woman who desperately needed a man and she had no regrets about heading onto College as a single woman.
The second action Kate took, was to cut short and style her dark hair. She did this the day before she departed her home town and was very pleased with the result. She felt it made her look older and more professional.
Initially, accommodation in the College Hostel suited Kate just fine at first. She was paired with Mary-Anne Basher whose company she enjoyed. Mary-Anne was also trying to get accepted into law and, like Kate, appeared willing to work hard to get there. However she soon acquired a boyfriend and this caused Kate some angst.
Kate had few friends and didn't actively seek them out. She was very single minded in her desire to graduate in law and return to her home town to live and work. One regular support she did have was a third year Law student, Amanda, whose role it was to mentor Kate.
Early in the year Kate's hard work paid off. She began to accumulate the 'A' pass marks she required in order to move into Law in her second year. Being a pretty girl with a slim figure she was asked out a couple of times. Each time she declined.
"There'll be plenty of time for relationships once I've made it into Law," she told herself.
The only time she felt a little drawn in this direction was when talking to Mary Anne, who was very much enjoying her relationship with a boy two years older. Her room-mate didn't tell all, but said enough at times to cause Kate to become just a little aroused.
As the year moved on the only paper of some concern to Kate was Political Science. This involved two lectures and one tutorial a week. In one early essay, Kate got a 'B-' and this horrified the straight 'A' student.
"I can't understand it," she complained to Mary Anne.
"You said you were struggling to get on his wavelength," her room-mate replied, referring to their lecturer, Professor Deacon. He was the Head of the faculty.
"Well yeah, but..."
Kate knew this was the truth. She was struggling to grasp the subject and this greatly concerned her.
"Why don't you talk to your Tutor? It's his job to help you through. What's his name again?"
"Samuel," said Kate, thinking about the tall, broad shouldered, African American, who took five of them in his tutorial once a week. "I dunno, he just doesn't seem that approachable to me. Maybe I'll talk to Amanda about it."
Samuel seemed intelligent, but Kate found him quite arrogant. He had told them he had been at the College many years and eventually intended to become a Professor. He said that Professor Deacon mentored him. In addition he shaved his head balled and this merely went to accentuate Kate's impression of him
By the time Kate spoke to Amanda over a week later, she had submitted a second essay to Professor Deacon to see if she was on the correct track. His feedback caused her further angst. He told her; once again, it was merely a 'C+', at best. Now she was really concerned. Despite the many A's she was receiving in other papers, a continuation of these lower marks would certainly see her miss moving onto Law, in her second year.
"You need to talk to Samuel," Amanda told her, just as her roommate had. "He has helped others in previous years and they always pass."
"I just find him hard to talk too," replied Kate.
"Why? Because he's six foot, black and bald? You don't need to talk much; you merely need to say you want to pass with an 'A'. He'll do the rest."
"Really?" said Kate in disbelief.
"Yes; but he won't do it for free. It'll cost you."
"I don't have much money. I guess I could ask Dad. How much do you think?"
"Not money," said Amanda looking directly at Kate, without emotion.
When she gave a puzzled look, Amanda quickly dropped her eyes down Kate's body and then back up to her face. At first Kate was uncertain, but then it began to dawn on her.
"You mean..."
Amanda quickly raised her eyebrows.
"No, I couldn't do that," was Kate's, initial reaction.
"You will if you want to pass with top marks. And he'll get you top marks, but you have to meet his price."
There was a full minute's silence, while Amanda let Kate dwell on what she had told her.
"How do you know all this, about Samuel?" Kate finally asked.
"I just know," said Amanda and Kate thought she blushed slightly. "He doesn't publicise such things and he is very cautious in making arrangements. Very cautious. But, once you agree to his terms it's not unenjoyable. Maybe a little humiliating for you. It depends how you treat the experience. But in the end you get your mark and that's what you want. Right?"
"Yeah; I guess."
Kate had now overcome her initial shock and returned to weighing up matters in a pragmatic manner.
"She means sex," Kate thought to herself. "I'd have to have sex with Samuel. In order to get my marks up, I need to sleep with that big black man. Can I do that?"
"You can tell him I said to come to him about help with your essay," Amanda said, butting into her thoughts. "If you don't mention someone he'll be very suspicious and likely rebuff you. Anyway, I'm in my third year of Law and doing just fine. At the moment you're not even going to make your first year. You think about that."
Kate decided right then that she would approach Samuel for help.
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"Amanda told me you might be able to help me write my essay," Kate said quietly to Samuel, after waiting to see him following the next tutorial.
Her heart was beating fast, both from the request she was making and the need to be alone with the man. Kate felt he had a real presence about him. She struggled to maintain eye contact as he stared down at her.
"Amanda said that, did she?"
"Yeah."
"Well; Amanda's not got that quite right. Did Amanda tell you what was involved?"
"Yeah kind of."
"Well I have run my eyes over student's work in the past, but only students I have a close relationship with. We don't have any relationship right now. You don't seem that friendly to me. In fact I've had the impression you're a bit up yourself," he said, turning to walk to the door.
Kate was taken aback. It had been humiliating and nerve wracking enough in approaching this arrogant man; she couldn't let him slip away. She walked swiftly after him and grabbed his arm. Now she looked up at him, holding his gaze and doing her best to smile.
I..., I ..., can be friendly. It's just that..., just that I'm a little overawed by you. That's all," she said falling over her words, disgusted in herself that she'd have to speak this way to him.
Samuel stopped walking.
