The Pleasure of the Dean (3 page)

The Dean nodded, and Sophie continued.
 
“Dr. Mapleton who, as you know, is the
Director of the General Internal Medicine Residency program, has terminated my
residency effective the close of business on Monday.
 
He has not given me any firm
justification as to why, nor has he responded to any of my messages asking him
to reconsider.
 
I only have six
months left in my residency.
 
If I’m
forced to transfer into another program I’ll likely have to start from
scratch.
 
That’s
if
I’m accepted into another one.
 
Being terminated from the prestigious
University of Seattle’s program will be a black mark on my resume.”

“What would you like me to do about all
this?” Cole asked.

Sophie took a deep breath.

“From what I understand, the person with the
ultimate authority to terminate a resident’s appointment is the Dean.
 
You have to sign off on all dismissals.”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Cole, said.

“Therefore, I am asking you to reconsider my
termination.
 
If you ask any of my
faculty advisors, they will tell you I have been an exemplary student.
 
They have found no fault in my patient
care.”
 
Sophie reached into her
purse and pulled out a piece of paper.
 
She handed it to Cole.
 
“You’ll find their names and personal contact information on this sheet.
 
My advisors attempted to petition Dr.
Mapleton on my behalf, but he refuses to meet with them.”

Cole watched her silently.
 
Consideringly.
 
Sophie fidgeted under his perusal.
 
When she couldn’t sit quietly any
longer, Sophie said,
 
“I’ll do
anything Cole.
 
I’m desperate.
 
I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”

Cole took his gaze from her and looked down at
the paper Sophie handed him.
 
Her
list of champions included several
well respected
senior faculty members, including Dr. Evelyn Feldstein.
 
She was one of Cole’s favorite doctors
on the medical staff.
 

While he considered the situation, Cole
polished off his scotch.
 
He tilted
his glass at Sophie, silently asking if she would like another.
 
She emptied her glass as well and handed
it to him.
 
Sophie needed another
drink.
 
The alcohol was making her
feel more relaxed and less stressed.
 
She also appreciated the “liquid courage.”
 
Sophie watched Cole, appreciatively, as
he walked to the sideboard and poured them another scotch.

“Your termination packet actually came across
my desk on Friday.
 
I’m still in the
process of reviewing it,” Cole said, his back still towards her.
 
“From what I understand, you were placed
on probation three months ago.”

“I was caught moonlighting,” Sophie
replied.
 
“I worked in an urgent
care clinic on Bainbridge Island.
 
I
needed the money.”

“When you took the position, were you aware
moonlighting is forbidden in your program?”

“Yes, I did and I’m sorry I broke the
rules.
 
I accepted Dr. Mapleton’s
disciplinary action without appeal, and have not moonlighted since.”

Cole walked over to Sophie and handed her a
scotch before sitting down on the edge of his seat, scooting his chair closer
to her. Cole leaned his elbows on his knees and looked directly into Sophie’s
eyes.
 

“It’s unfortunate you broke the rules,
however I don’t think that is the reason why Dr. Mapleton is requesting you be
terminated from the residency program.”

“Then, why?” Sophie asked.
 
If Cole had any insight on the
situation, she’d be glad to hear it.
 
Sophie had no clue why she was unceremoniously booted from the program.

“I think it’s because of me,” he said
bluntly.

****

Cole finally gave in to the urge to touch
Sophie, placing a hand on her soft knee.
 
Sophie glanced at his hand and then up at him with look of confused
interest.
 
He knew the physical
contact was out of left field given their previous interactions, but Cole
couldn’t help himself.

He caressed the soft skin near her knee,
watching goosebumps rise on her slim thighs.
 
Cole nudged her knees apart and ran a
finger up the inside of her leg.
 
He
could see her lacy peach panties and a telling dampness.
 
It gave him permission to caress her
thighs more thoroughly, allowing his fingers to breach the hem of her skirt.
The only sound in the room was their increasingly labored breathing.

Cole tamped down the desire to continue his exploration,
knowing he owed Sophie an explanation before this went any further.
 
He raised his eyes from her thighs to
her face.
 
She looked dazed.
 
Her glittery eyes, slightly parted lips,
and pink tinge on her cheekbones revealed her arousal.
 
Good.

Sophie was aching.
 
Between her legs.
 
Her breasts.
 
She felt swollen with anticipation.
 
Wet.
 
Sophie couldn’t believe she finally had
Cole’s hands on her, just like she imagined last night.
 
She wanted his hands between her legs,
stroking her moist folds.
 
Her
clit.
 
She wanted to touch him.
 
To kiss Cole and suck his tongue. Sophie
felt drunk with arousal.

Cole cleared his throat, getting her
attention.

“When Dr. Mapleton told me about you
moonlighting and his intended punishment, I vehemently argued against your
probation.
 
Typically, residents are
given a warning in such cases.
 
If
they cease working outside of the hospital, no other measures are taken against
them.
 
It’s a common occurrence and
response.”

“Then why did Dr. Mapleton want me to go on probation?”

“Honestly, I don’t think he cares for you
although I’m not sure why.
 
Also,
the more I threw my support behind you the more adamant Dr. Mapleton became
about putting you on probation.
 
He
even mentioned the possibility of kicking you out of the program, citing some
vague improprieties.
 
I eventually
deferred to him, as he is the Residency Director, but I think my arguments put
a target on your back.”

“Why?” Sophie asked distractedly.
 
Cole started stroking her legs again
while he was talking.
 
She tried to
focus on what he was saying, since it was important, but his hands and the
throbbing at her core made it difficult.

“He hates me.
 
We’re involved in a complex political
tango.
 
My arguments made him aware
of my wholly inappropriate interest in you.”

“Interest?”
 
Sophie was having trouble
concentrating.
 
The most she could
manage was
one word
questions.
 
She spread her knees wider apart.
 
Sophie scooted her chair closer to
his.
 
Cole’s hand had breached the
hem of her short skirt.
 
She was aching
to feel it on her pussy, cupping it like in her fantasy.

“Wider.”

He nudged her knees.

Sophie complied without a second
thought.
 
She spread her knees wide,
giving Cole an unimpeded view of her lace covered sex.
 
He responded by moving closer to her,
intertwining their legs.
 
Sophie
held her breath, anticipating his next move.
 
She didn’t have to wait long. Cole
looked her straight in the eyes before running two fingers down the wet center
of her panties.
 
She moaned and
undulated against his fingers, trying to position them against the spot she
needed them the most.

In a heartbeat, Cole and Sophie came together
in a clash of lips, teeth, tongue and hands.
 
Sophie climbed on his chair, straddling
Cole and rubbing her aching pussy against his fingers.
 
She felt drunk with arousal and his
masculine scent.
 
Sophie moved her
mouth to the side of his neck and licked and bit it while she rode his hand.

Cole roughly pushed up Sophie’s tank top and
bra.
 
He unknowingly reenacted a
scene from her fantasy again, bringing his mouth to her breasts and sucking and
tonguing her nipples firmly.
 
The
pleasure pain sent a stab of arousal through Sophie.
 
She moaned in frustration when he moved
his fingers from her core, but when Cole moved aside the soaking crotch of her
panties and plunged two fingers inside of her Sophie moaned again in
ecstasy.
 
She ground against them as
Cole firmly kneaded one of her breasts while leaving a series of dark red suck
marks across the other.
 

She moved against him urgently, pushing
herself against his fingers.
 
He
managed to squeeze a third finger inside of her.
 
Sophie was overcome by the sense of
fullness.
 
It was better than she
even dreamed.
 
Sophie rode his
fingers, feeling the tension inside of her build higher and higher.
 
She strained, trying to reach the
pinnacle.
 
Finally, the tension
shattered.
 
Waves of pleasure
gripped Sophie, causing her to clench around Cole’s fingers.
 
When she was spent, Cole gently lowered
her back into her chair.
 
He pulled
out of her, causing Sophie to moan and ripple internally.

When Sophie was aware of her surroundings
again, she opened her eyes and looked at Cole.
 
She was stunned.
 
He was back in his chair with his
tumbler of scotch clenched in one hand.
 
He was flushed with arousal, his eyes
glittering hungrily.
 
Sophie looked
down, and noticed the raging erection tenting his dark slacks.
 
She belatedly realized she never even
touched his cock.

“As I said, he noticed my interest in you.”

Chapter Five

Crystal Bridges sat in her plush University
of Seattle Medical Complex office and smiled smugly at her computer screen:

TO: Crystal Bridges

FROM: Bruce Mapleton

Termination papers sent today to
Sophie Benedict.
 
Losing another
resident will reflect poorly on Cole Armstrong. Can’t wait to mention it at the
next faculty council meeting.
 
Drink
later?

Crystal unwound the tight bun she usually
wore and let her long hair free to spill down her back.
 
She undid the buttons of her impeccably
neat designer power suit and breathed a deep sigh of relief.
 
“Finally,” she thought to herself, “That
meddling Dean Armstrong will get what he deserves.”
 
How dare he come in to this university
and start making big changes without consulting her?
 
Everyone knew Crystal Bridges was the
most powerful person in the entire school.

 
          
In
her position as Director of Human Resources for the University of Seattle
Medical School, Crystal saw herself as the “axe.”
 
In her mind, the Dean’s signature on
appointment and termination paperwork was a mere formality.
 
Crystal was the person who decided who
was hired and fired.
 
She saw
herself as having total power and control over everyone’s lives, and she
relished that power.
 

When Cole Armstrong emerged as the strongest
candidate for the Dean position, Crystal knew he’d be trouble.
 
He was too sure of himself for someone
so young.
 
Cole was full of
dangerous ideas; ideas which would lead to change.
 
Crystal liked everything the way it was,
under her control.
 
She tried to
block the hiring committee’s decision, but it was too difficult.
 
Cole was smart, likeable, and
charming.
 
He won over the committee
with ease.
 
None of the other
candidates came close.
 
Crystal knew
she had to play things smart.
 
Even
though her position as HR director gave her a lot of power and influence in
making the final decision, she knew she couldn’t afford to alienate the council
members.
 
Those department chairs
and associate deans were too important to piss off in such large numbers.
 
In the back scratching world of
academia, you never knew when you were going to need someone’s proverbial long
fingernails.

           
Crystal
hated Cole Armstrong to begin with, but her inability to stop his appointment
caused her to hate him even more.
 
She knew the only way to deal with him was to take him down from
within.
 
She’d just have to help
everyone else at the hospital see what a mistake hiring him was.
 
The sooner his firing could be arranged,
the better.

           
Luckily,
she knew just how to poison the well.
 
Dr. Bruce Mapleton.
 
Crystal
was aware Bruce wanted the Dean job.
 
The man might be diminutive in stature, but there was nothing diminutive
about his ambition.
 
Crystal knew
that Bruce was just the internal faculty member to start causing Cole Armstrong
trouble.
 
And as the Residency
Director for Internal Medicine, he was in the perfect position to create the
most problems.
 
The residency
program was the major reason a new Dean was hired in the first place.
 
After five turbulent years under the
previous leadership, its national reputation was declining.
 
If they couldn’t keep attracting top
candidates from the best medical schools, the program and university would lose
money and prestige.
 

           
When
the previous Dean was ousted, Bruce thought he was a shoe-in. During his tenure
as the Rehabilitation Medicine Residency Director, he raised their national
rank from number thirty-three in the country to number four.
 
The faculty council recognized Bruce’s
success by recently appointing him the Director of the Internal Medicine
program, a more visible and potentially prestigious position.
 
He was sure he was the Medical Complex’s
rock star.

           
But
then along came Cole Armstrong.
 
Even Crystal couldn’t blame the hiring committee for selecting
Cole.
 
He had a charisma that
everyone responded to.
 
Men wanted
to be his friend, and women wanted...well, they wanted what was under his white
coat.
 
Crystal saw the hot looks the
female faculty tried to hide.
 
Their
nervous giggles and schoolgirl pie eyes.
 
Even Dr. Evelyn Feldstein, fifty years old and a grizzled veteran of
Emergency Medicine, blushed and stuttered after shaking his hand.

           
Crystal
rolled her eyes at the memory.
 
Most
women were so stupid when it came to men.
 
Men were only good for one thing: using them to get ahead in life.
 

           
Bruce
had been making passes at her for years.
 
Crystal ignored them and played professional.
 
If there was no career advantage,
Crystal wasn’t interested.
 
But she
knew all those glances down her shirt and questions about her weekends were
because Bruce wanted her.
 
He wanted
her bad.
 
He couldn't take his eyes
off her legs when they were in the monthly Faculty Council meetings.
 
Sometimes Crystal would cross and
uncross her legs just because she knew he was watching and because she could.

           
She’d
never seriously considered starting something up with Bruce.
 
She enjoyed the game of toying with him
too much.
 
But the minute she knew
Cole Armstrong was taking the Dean position, she knew seducing Bruce was the
easiest way to make sure he was on her side.
 
They would take him down together.

           
The
previous evening, after regular work hours, Crystal walked down the long
corridor to his office.
 
She knew
Bruce would be working late, he always did.
 
She tapped on his door and walked
in.
 
Dr. Mapleton was at his desk
going over patient files.
 
The
lights were dimmed and the screen of his computer illuminated his lustrous
chestnut colored mustache.
 
He
looked up in surprise.
 
“Crystal, to
what do I owe this pleasure?”
 
His
eyes immediately went from her face to up and down her body.
 
They rested on her chest.

           
“Bruce,”
she began, “You know how you always try to look down my shirts?”

Bruce started to stammer a denial.

           
“Well,
tonight, I want to show you what’s under here.” Crystal started slowly
unbuttoning her blouse.
 
Bruce gaped
in surprise.
 
She finished
unbuttoning and worked the sleeves down her arms.
 
Crystal’s shirt dropped to the floor,
leaving her bare.

           
“You
have a tit tat.” Bruce’s voice was a husky whisper.
 
“It’s so sexy.
 
You are full of surprises, baby”.

           
Crystal
had revealed one of her secrets.
 
Along the side of her left breast and reaching upwards and around her
shoulder was an elaborate tattoo of a thorn bush.
 
Some of the thorns had bright red blood
dripping off.
 

           
Bruce
couldn’t contain himself after finally seeing Crystal’s flesh and the surprise
of her erotic tattoo.
 
He leapt up
from his desk and ran to shut and lock his door.
 
Bruce walked back to Crystal and pressed
his body next to hers, grinding his hard-on onto her lower thigh.
 
She was about four inches taller than
Bruce, but she didn’t mind.
 
She
liked being the one with the upper hand, at work and when it came to sex.
 
Crystal ruffled his perfectly styled,
side-parted hair, and stroked his mustache, which was Bruce’s signature feature.
 
She knew he was vain about it.
 
Bruce groomed it constantly.
 
He moaned as she stroked it.

           
Crystal
smiled down at Bruce before boosting herself up onto his desk.
 
“Now get that mustache down here,” she
commanded as she opened her legs.
 
Bruce was only too happy to comply.
 

He’d been putty in her hands ever since.

           
Crystal
smiled at the memory and decided she would meet Bruce for a drink tonight.
 
“Might as well enjoy the perks of this
situation,” she thought. “Nothing like plotting the downfall of Cole Armstrong
while indulging in a gratis beverage.
 
Maybe I’ll let Bruce give me a mustache ride later.”