It was a picture perfect setting in academia. Claire sat upright by the desk with flawless posture, while grading papers in the classroom. Her thick-framed glasses and long ponytail gave her that classic teacherly look that so many young men found attractive.
Most of the community college students had already gone home since it was mid-afternoon. She took pride in being a calculus teacher and held firm in the belief that students should be pushed to their limits, knowing it would prepare them for future challenges.
The door opened and her son Jeremy entered after seeing that no one else was there. She watched her son smile and close the door. She lived for his smiles. Jeremy's smiles always warmed her heart, and someplace else too...
As fate would have it, Jeremy was her student! Although it was their little secret, she never cut him any breaks. Since day one, there was a firm agreement that he'd be graded just like any other student.
"I'm glad you're still here," he said, still smiling as he approached the desk.
Claire adjusted her glasses. "I'm just finishing up final exams so I don't have to do anything at home."
"What a coincidence. I was hoping to talk about that test. Can I sit?"
As Jeremy grabbed a seat alongside the desk, Claire already knew what was coming. In all her years of teaching, she was familiar with all the tell-tale signs of a student anxious about grades: nervous smile, deep breathing, extra politeness.
Sometimes she'd feel badly. Sometimes not. Students were given ample time to prepare and she felt her exams and grading policies were reasonable. Whatever the case, she never gave special favors. As a professor, that went against her code of conduct, which she took very seriously.
"I haven't gotten to your exam yet," she exhaled. "Anything you'd like to tell me?"
He sighed, knowing he was busted. "I sort of underestimated the last few chapters. I mean, you know how difficult my other classes are, right? I'm under a lot of stress."
"Jeremy, we've talked about this," she said, hiding her disappointment.
"I know, I'm sorry. But I was thinking..."
"No, don't say it. I never give special favors. How could you even ask?"
As a mother, the look on her son's face was heartbreaking. She watched countless students deal with the same situation over the years. But this was her son! The pain was overwhelming.
She resisted the powerful urge to just lean forward and kiss him on the mouth in an attempt to make him feel better. In truth, it would make her feel better, too. Jeremy was the man of her dreams, in many ways. Yes, she desired her own son. It was her dirty little secret.
"I can't transfer if I get a D in this class," he said. "I'll have to spend another semester here."
"Oh goodness."
She briefly dropped her head and rubbed her eyes. It wouldn't be the end of the world. After a few extra months her son could transfer, but knowing her class would be the one to hold him back was especially difficult to face.
"Sorry," he said, sincerely. "It's entirely my fault."
She suddenly sharpened her gaze. "Are you trying to put me on a guilt trip?"
"Huh? What makes you say that?"
"I'm a teacher, I know all the tricks. And as your mother, I recognize that tone in your voice and your choice of words. You're trying to make me feel guilty, aren't you?"
He shrugged, breaking character. "Okay, I am trying to make you feel guilty. But still, what's the big deal? I might only need a few points."
"How do you know? I haven't graded your exam yet."
"I'm estimating based on my past scores."
"The final exam is always much harder, so I add extra points to offset any drop in grades. You'll probably be fine. You're a smart guy. Be confident. But my goodness, what on Earth gave you the idea that I'd give special favors?"
"I don't know," he said with a vague shrug. "Just a guess."
Claire peered at Jeremy with suspicion. She knew all the tricks in her son's playbook and he was definitely evasive about something.
"Tell me, right this instant. You're only making things worse by being so secretive. Maybe I'll need to deduct points from your exam if you can't be honest."
He turned sheepish. "Well, I heard rumors that some professors were flexible with grades. That's all."
"What are you talking about?"
"You know, that they might help students out of a tough situation. I've heard that some things can be negotiated."
She lifted an eyebrow. "How so?"
"Well, it's kind of like a bartering system. You must know what I mean."
Claire's interest was piqued. Did her son know about the naughty school secret? Could he possibly have found out that some professors abused their power? If so, this situation was going from bad to worse.
"Okay, start talking," she said firmly. "What have you heard?"
He blushed. "I heard that thing about Professor Andrews."
Claire maintained her poker face. A year ago, there were whispers in some circles that Professor Andrews had solicited (and received) oral sex from college girls in exchange for A's. The students never showed up to class, but did suck his cock a few times. A short-lived investigation followed.
There was never an official resolution on the matter because the girls refused to cooperate and denied everything.
"You heard about Professor Andrews?" she asked curiously. "What are people saying?"
"Just that if a student desperately needs help, he can be flexible with grading."
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, flexible, as in girls get on their knees underneath his desk."
"Among other things," he replied, blushing really hard.
"That's really an inappropriate abuse of power, to be honest."
"Kind of," he shrugged. "But if
you
did it, I'm sure there'd be a line forming around campus to join your class."
Claire couldn't help but giggle. Her son was right; if she exchanged good grades for sexual favors, the line would be endless. Plenty of students wanted to fuck her; of that she was sure. She frequently noticed male students leering at her, especially when she wore skirts with heels. Her ass was to die for.
"Look," she said, calming down after the moment of humor. "I might help you out, but ONLY if you need a couple of points. Nothing beyond that, okay?"
His smile was wide. "Thanks, you're the best. I'm sure that's all I'd need."
Claire sorted through the stack of exams until she found the one with her son's name. The room was totally silent while she swiftly graded his test. Through the corner of her eyes, she could see her son tremble each time she marked a wrong answer. As she flipped through the pages, he gulped with each turn.
In a weird way, she liked having this power over her son. In a dark corner of Claire's mind, dominating her son was the ultimate sexual fantasy. The taboo nature of her secret desire made it even more alluring. She kept her lust private and Jeremy never knew how badly she wanted him. But when hot and bothered after a particularly long day, she'd masturbate to the thought of Jeremy providing her with sexual favors.
Reaching for her calculator, Claire tallied up the points. Then she looked him straight in the eyes.
"65," she said without emotion. "You're 5 points below passing."
Jeremy looked as if he had been punched in the gut and she felt truly awful that she had given him such bad news. But she still held firm, resolute in her desire to maintain ethical standards.
"So you won't give me a 70?" he asked in a soft voice.
"5 points is too much to give away."
Jeremy begged, "Seriously? I did study! You saw me studying at home all the time for a bunch of tough classes."
"Well, when you were going out with your friends every night, I figured you had it covered," she countered, as only a mother would.
Claire noticed her son's expression change as he realized he couldn't whine his way out of this. Rather expectedly, he changed strategies.
He carefully chose his words. "What about Professor McAdams?"
That particular professor was an attractive older woman, who had been Claire's best friend on campus for over a decade. One more than one occasion, McAdams had admitted to having a long term lesbian relationship with a female student and Claire had agreed to keep that a secret. In fact, Claire spent countless nights masturbating to that very image.