Jean Dawson was setting in a booth along the far wall of the campus cafeteria. It was late, nearing eleven on a Wednesday evening. She often stopped here at this hour for coffee, before going to her apartment just a block off campus.
She was a sort of work-a-holic. As the recently appointed chair of the European History department, she was determined to prove herself worthy. And, as the youngest Chair in the history of the university, at 28, the pressure she placed on herself was even more intense.
She was reading an essay from the stack setting on the table in front of her. Her red pen getting a workout. This particular student trying to explain that the root cause of the Irish potato famine was caused by the over-burning of peat which caused a drastic lowering of oxygen levels across the southern Ireland farming belt. She shook her head as she scribbled on the page margin.
A shadow passing over the page caused Jean to look up. Beth Howard, Women's athletic Director and a stunningly beautiful 25-year-old woman, slid into the booth across from Jean. She smiled and sipped a straw in a glass of what looked like Sprite.
Jean waited, watched her. It was common for Beth to stop by. They were both prone to late hours. Jean put the essay, which she was about to grade a D, back on top of the pile. As Beth offered a sly grin, Jean finally spoke. "What?" She asked.
"My office." She said. "Half an hour?" She phrased the last part as a question.
"It's late." Jean replied. "I should be heading home."
Beth shrugged. She was sliding out of the booth. She looked back at Jean who was still eyeing her. Beth leaned forward, whispered. "Elle Blanchet." She said.
"The French exchange student?" Jean said. "She is in my Friday afternoon lecture." She then offered a questioning look to Beth.
"Yes." Beth replied. Beth was a tall, slender beauty and the nicely fitted black slacks she wore as she stood there, hands on her waist, feet apart, made her legs look even longer. "But this evening." She winked at Jean. "Ms. Blanchet will be In my office." She turned and started to walk away. Jean could still hear her voice trailing off. "Half an hour."
Jean watched Beth all the way to the double doors that led out of the cafeteria and out into the quad and to the West, past the fountain, was the Athletic department. Jean shook her head. She decided to pass on Beth's offer, To be a responsible Educator. She gathered up her files, placed them in a shoulder bag. Stood and smiled to herself. "The hell with that." She thought.
She headed to her office where she could drop off the homework she had planned to grade tonight. She checked her watch. It had been twenty minutes. She made her way to Beth's office.
When she arrived, there was a beautiful nineteen-year-old girl standing in the hall, looking at Beth's office door. Elle Blanchet. When the girl heard Jean, she turned to look in her direction. She seemed nervous. But then offered a smile when she recognized Jean.
"Professor Dawson." She said.
Jean grinned. "If you're going in there." She nodded at Beth's door. "I think you might want to call me Jean."
"Jean." Elle repeated. "Why are you?" She also pointed to Beth's door.
Jean grinned and tilted her head. "Beth invited me." She said. She reached out her hand, touching Elle's arm. She let her fingers trace down until her fingers found Elle's. "A problem?"
Elle paused. Looked at Beth and then down where the two women's hands were now clasped together. Jean Smiled. Elle finally shrugged. "No." She whispered.
Jean leaned forward letting her lips brush Elle's cheek. She whispered. "Are you going to open the door?"
After a pause, Elle reached for the door, eased it open. The light from Beth's office spilled into the hall. A hand on Elle's lower back guided her in ahead of Jean. Once inside, Jean closed the door. A nervous Elle did not hear Jean turn the lock closed.
Beth sat smiling behind her desk. The room was small, filing cabinets and bookshelves took most of the wall space. Two chairs in front of the desk were the extent of furnishings except for a small loveseat sized sofa at the far end of the room.