"We bought you a gift."
The small, rectangular shaped box was placed on Emma's desk as she was grading exams in the classroom. Her early morning class was already out, so she had been sitting there alone for a while.
"Oh?" Emma replied, looking at the small, gift wrapped item.
"A few of us chipped in on something special for you," Catalina replied. "Just the ladies for this one, of course. You'll see why when you open it."
Emma's eyebrow rose. "Really? We did the gift exchange last week? Or was there another secret thing that I'm not aware of?"
"It's a little something extra. As this year's 'Teacher of the Year' winner, we thought you deserved an extra prize."
There was a zest in Catalina's statement, which Emma knew all too well.
"Is it?" Emma asked skeptically.
"Yep. It's something to keep you warm over winter break. Go on, have a look."
Emma played along. "Hmm? What could keep me warm over winter break and fit inside this box? A tiny scarf? A miniature heater?"
"You're way off. Why don't you open it and find out already?"
"Well, then, I love surprises. And thank you for this, I owe you ladies something I return, I suppose.
Catalina gave a cryptic grin. "Don't thank us yet. But I'm sure you will later."
"Fair enough."
Emma dug her fingers in and tore into the gift wrap to reveal a white, unmarked box. When she lifted the lid, she got the surprise of her life.
It was a vibrator. Silver. Shiny. New.
"What the---" Emma gasped.
Catalina smiled. "Like it?"
"We're in a classroom," Emma gasped again, then closing the box.
"That's okay. No one is around. It's just us."
"It's a vibrator."
"Don't be judgmental now. It's 2018, almost 2019. Plenty of women use these."
"I've never," Emma said.
Catalina shrugged. "Times are changing, Em. Nowadays, they're opening sex brothels for men, where all the 'women' are sexbots which almost look lifelike. They're making those for women, too. Compared to that, a vibrator is practically a relic of the past."
"So this is welcoming me to the 21st century."
"Uh huh."
Emma pushed the box towards her colleague. "Don't you have anything better to do on finals week?"
"So you're rejecting the gift?"
"It's not a real gift. It's a gag gift."
"Depends on where you put it," Catalina quipped. "Even you are savvy enough to know where a vibrator goes."
"Very funny. Now please, you keep it. I insist. It'll be my gift to you."
"You always used to say that re-gifting was rude, didn't you?"
"Vibrators were never part of that equation," Emma said.
Just as she said that, a pair of students walked down the hall, having a conversation about how difficult their calculus exam was. It was a reminder to Emma to keep it down, or risk any passersby hearing this embarrassing conversation.
"Keep an open mind," Catalina said, sliding the box back to Emma. "Can you do me that favor? We spent a lot of time thinking about what to get you, and we spent a few bucks also."
"How much is it worth? 30 dollars?"
"$500 to be exact."
"For this?" Emma asked incredulously. "On a teacher's salary?"
"It's an advanced model. It has all the latest ribbings, along with all sorts of vibrational stimulators, designed to target all of your pleasure spots. Yes, it's worth every fucking penny."
Emma felt compelled to lift the lid of the box a little and take another peek at it. After stealing a glance, she closed the top again.
"No promises," Emma said. "But I'll hang onto it, because I don't want to reject a gift from you all."
"That's the spirit."
Their private conversation was interrupted when the Dean swung by and gave a knock by the open door. He had walked over so fast, that it was unlikely that he heard any sensitive information.
"Hey ladies," Michael said with a wave, while holding a large folder with his other hand. "I hope I'm not disturbing anything. Emma, we still need to go over next year's scholarships, along with budgeting plans for the Math department next semester."
Emma casually clenched the box, protecting her secret. "Right, I still remember. I've already typed everything up."
"Perfect. Are you free in 15 minutes? What time is your next final?"
"10 am."
"Excellent," Michael said. "Would you mind swinging by my office in 15 minutes? I'll show you everything on my board. You'll be out in no time."
"That works for me," Emma replied, relieved that she had a solid excuse to exit this vibrator conversation, so she could talk about important things, like student education.
"Wonderful. I need to take care of a few more things and I'll meet you in my office after."
Michael gave a quick wave before leaving down the hall to finish up some menial tasks.
"You heard the man," Emma said, hiding her smile. "I've got to go."
"And your vibrator?" Catalina asked. "Where's that going?"
"Hiding someplace in my office, where no one will ever find it."
Catalina sharpened her gaze. "You know, I have a feeling we're going to become a lot closer before the afternoon is over."
That certainly kept Emma on her toes.
***
For the past few years, rumors had swirled about Catalina, the spicy and flirtatious Latina professor.
There were whispers that Catalina was a part-time domme at a sex club. Or that she had sexual relations with other professors -- men and women -- in the office or locker room. Some students have claimed to have seen the aftermath of Catalina and another professor leaving a room after a 'session.' A few professors had whispered that Catalina never wore panties while teaching a class-- or ever.
The list went on and on.
Emma had heard every dirty rumor. And through their friendship, she had come to learn that roughly half of the rumors were true, and the other half were either misunderstandings or personal fantasies.
After she hid the vibrator in the drawer of her office, Emma stopped by the Dean's office for their quick meeting. And if anything was true about the Dean, it was that he liked moving fast.
She handed him the papers, and he showed her all the plans on the board. As the Chair of the Math Department, it was Emma's job to be on top of all of this. This was something she took great pride in. Yet, all she could think about was the shiny silver object sitting in her drawer...
"Did I lose you?" Michael asked, looking at her the way a doctor would examine an injured patient.
She snapped out of it. "I'm listening. You said the department's budget might be cut 15% next year, pending State funding."
"Yes, I thought I lost you for a moment."
"Math is my strength," she replied, which instantly made her think of Catalina again, who was also a math professor.
"No worries. That's something we have in common, but, this is part of the process and tough decisions may have to be made."
She nodded. "That's for sure. As soon as we get the news over the break, I'll be ready to prioritize our budget immediately."
Michael was impressed. "I love your spirit. I might regret this, but there's something I want to tell you. You might hate me for it later."
Her ears perked. "Oh?"
