Emily Barlow sat in the outer office of her faculty advisor, impatiently waiting for an appointment scheduled more than a half hour ago. That the twenty year old redhead wasn't alone in that regard - there were three other students also waiting - did little to alleviate her frustration.
"I'm sure Professor Nelson will be along shortly," the gray haired secretary, whose nameplate identified as Norma Wood, said, repeating the assurance she'd given when Emily had walked in, barely a minute before her scheduled appointment, and then fifteen minutes later when the next student arrived.
Normally, Emily would've been out of there after ten minutes, not being all that big on waiting. This time, however, that wasn't an option. Her final grades didn't become official until an advisor had reviewed her record and certified that she had indeed met all the requirements for graduation. Once that was done, she could put North Brighton Community College behind her - something she couldn't wait to do. The only reason she was even here in the first place, she reminded herself, was that her father had insisted she get at least an associate degree before he let her join the family's lumber business. As if she was really going to do anything at the company that would require a degree, she reminded herself.
Three years before, Emily had been part of the freshman class in the much more prestigious Walker College, the same school her two older sisters had graduated from. Unfortunately, despite the alumni donation her father had made to the school to encourage them to overlook certain academic deficiencies, it didn't take long for Emily to fall back into the same pattern she had followed at Clayton Falls High, with more time devoted to guys and parties than books and exams. She was on academic probation before the end of her first semester, and advised that perhaps a less challenging school might be more suitable by the end of her second. In other words, North Brighton, which would take just about anyone as long as the tuition check cleared.
Not that Emily applied herself any more at North Brighton than she had at Walker, but the smaller school had a much more relaxed standard. Even so, there had been a few setbacks along the way, but they had been handled, and in only a few days she was finally going to walk out of here with a degree in hand. A smile formed as she additionally recalled that, aside from the promised job, there was also the new car her father gave all his daughters at graduation. Since she was only getting an associate degree it wouldn't be as grand as the ones her sisters had gotten, but it would still be better than most of the cars her friends drove.
The phone on the secretary's desk again rang loudly, and Emily just knew it was going to be more bad news. Sure enough, Norma apologized once more, adding this time that she was deeply sorry, but that it seemed that Professor Nelson now wasn't going to be able to make it in this morning at all. His car trouble had turned out to be more of a problem than originally thought and he had to call a tow truck to take it to the garage.
'Now that's just fucking wonderful,' Emily thought as she glanced around the room at the faces of the other students.
"But not to worry," Norma quickly added before disappointment could be reflected on all the prospective graduates' faces, "Professor Nelson has arranged for one of the other professors to take care of your final reviews. She should be here in about ten minutes."
'They couldn't have damn well done that a half hour ago?' Emily thought, only seeing her own inconvenience.
Nine minutes later, the outer door opened and all eyes turned to watch Professor Paulette Darrieux stride into the room. Dressed in a conservative skirt and a loose fitting white blouse buttoned all the way up to her neck, the short- haired brunette's style of dress seemed more appropriate to the nineteen fifties than the early twenty-first century.
'Oh, this day just keeps getting better and better,' Emily thought as she saw the History Professor.
If she had to draw up a list of the people she would miss the least from her time at North Brighton, the unexpected arrival would without a doubt be at the very top. She'd had the misfortune to have been in Paulette Darrieux's class twice in the last two years. The first in a class that she'd failed, and then, during the most recent term, one she'd barely squeaked by in.
Professor Darrieux didn't seem to even recognize Emily as she glanced at the row of waiting students. Instead, she turned her attention back to Norma, picking up the small pile of folders from the desk and asking who was up first.
"That would be Mr. Jenkins," Norma said, indicating the name typed on the flap of the top folder, "followed by Miss Jones, Mr. Clarke, Miss Barlow and then Mr. Allen."
"Then that is the order we shall go in," Paulette smiled, her voice still carrying a touch of a French accent, even after spending the last third of her life in the States. "Just give me a few minutes to go over the first file and then send Mr. Jenkins in."
Ten minutes later, Mr. Jenkins had been replaced by Miss Jones, and fifteen minutes after that her place in the office had been taken by Mr. Clarke. Figuring that she had at least ten to fifteen minutes, Emily decided to answer nature's call and make a quick visit to the ladies room across the hall. She was as quick as she could be but, to her dismay, Ben Clarke was already exiting the faculty advisor's office when she stepped out of the bathroom just eight minutes later.
"I missed my turn?" Emily asked as she stepped back into the office, noting that all of the seats were now empty.
"No need to worry, dear," Norma said. " I just switched the order and you can go in next. After all, the professor is a busy woman and we can't waste her time, can we?"
'What about my fucking time?' Emily thought but prudently didn't say as she retook her seat.
Unlike the previous review, the one with Gerry Allen took almost twenty minutes. Long minutes during which, more than once, Emily had heard laughter though the closed door. Gerry had been in Professor Darrieux's class with her this year, but, unlike the redhead, had excelled in history. Hardly the kind of guy she normally associated with, the straight A student had actually asked her out once. As if she would even be seen with a dweeb like him, much less involved.
Finally, the door opened and Gerry stepped out, with Professor Darrieux right behind him. She handed the three completed files to Norma and said that since it was already nearly lunch time, why didn't the secretary take off and she would lock up the office when she was done. Having been on the verge of calling to cancel her lunch date, Norma thanked her and, grabbing her jacket, quickly exited the office.
"Well, Miss Barlow, shall we?" Paulette said, waving in the direction of the still open door of the inner office with the file in her hand.
Once they were both inside, two long minutes passed as the older woman sat at the desk and read through Emily's file. As she waited, Emily brushed her long straight hair off her shoulder and, not for the first time, wondered what it was that Professor Banks saw in the woman waiting to pass judgment on her, William Banks being both her English professor and Paulette's husband of ten years.
With a short pixie haircut, the twenty year old thought the professor attractive in her way, although she would probably use handsome to describe her rather than beautiful, or even pretty. Still, her features gave her a youthful appearance, one that made her students think her younger than her thirty-eight years. It was hard to judge her figure under the unflattering outfits she wore to class, other than it being slim, almost boyish. For some reason, Emily had taken the older woman's lack of imagination in dress and demeanor to signify similar shortcomings in bed as well.
"Well, it looks like you'll be leaving us," the professor said as she finally looked up from the file.
"That's the plan," Emily said with a grin.
"Although I must say, in looking over your final grades, I'm a bit surprised by them," Paulette remarked as she looked once more at one of the papers in her hand.
"In what way?" Emily asked, curiosity coupled with a touch of caution.
"Their inconsistency," she clarified.
