Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
2
Mari
Jessica dressed me this morning.
I tug on the hem of my shirt to cover my stomach, but that leaves my breasts a lot more exposed than I’m used to. I’d pull up the skirt, but it already barely covers my butt as it is. My socks are pulled up to my knees. Jessica wanted to put me in heels, too, but I drew the line at that.
I’m already so far out of my comfort zone that I want to cry. This outfit is nothing like the jeans and t-shirt I usually wear.
Turning on my heel, I walk away from the English building. I can’t do this! It’s too embarrassing.
But then I stop myself and turn around again. Jessica thinks this will help with my future grades; after all, it can’t hurt to get in good with my professor. Even if it doesn’t get me an A on the next paper, it could develop into a relationship that leads to a recommendation letter for me.
I pause outside of the English building. The possibility of a good recommendation is enough to make me want to walk in, but it’s still hard to bring myself to enter the building. I feel ridiculous in this outfit! I look like Britney Spears in the “…Baby One More Time” video, except not as hot. I’m like a little girl playing dress up.
Thank goodness there aren’t many people around this morning. It’s Thursday, three days after I got a B on my English paper, but it’s only a little after eight. Most students are smart and don’t have classes this early. It’s annoying that Professor Boynton’s office hours are so freaking early. I don’t have class until ten on Thursdays, but I couldn’t sleep in because Professor Boynton only holds office hours from eight until nine on Thursdays. If I want to meet with him, it has to be now. And I didn’t want to risk coming later and finding a line of students at the door. I’m embarrassed enough without an audience watching me.
I hesitantly open the door to the English building. I only have one English class this semester because I’m getting my general education requirements out of the way, but I’ll be spending most of my junior and senior years in this building. It’s best I get used to it now.
I know Professor Boynton’s office is on the second floor, so I find the nearest stairs and climb them. The hallway is deserted, but a few classrooms have noise coming from inside them. I feel bad for anyone with eight a.m. classes. That will never be me – if I can avoid it.
Of course, the door I enter is on the opposite side of the building from where I need to be. I make it to the end of the hall and turn right. The numbers are getting larger, which is what I need them to do. Then they stop. Ugh! Am I ever going to make it to his office?
Maybe the universe is telling me not to go. I should turn around and run while I still can.
As I’m contemplating my escape, I spot a smaller hallway that bisects the building. That must be where the faculty offices are.
I stop again at the mouth of the hallway. My heart is beating erratically. This is ridiculous. Why am I here, dressed like this?
I want to kill Jessica. I feel like she picked out this short skirt and revealing top as a joke. She probably expected me to run into a bunch of people and then never want to show my face on campus again.
Luckily for me, I’ve only seen two people total on my trip from my dorm to the English building. Jessica is going to be so disappointed.
My phone pings with a text. Go to office hours, Mari!
I look around. There’s no way Jessica could know I haven’t gone into his office yet. She’s not here. It must just be a lucky guess on her part.
I don’t want to, I respond.
Do it anyway. You look hot. This is a good plan. Go!
I tuck my phone into my bag, right next to the paper I’m supposed to be discussing with my professor. Ugh. I want to turn tail and run, but I can’t. Jessica’s motives may be off, but she’s smarter than she looks. If she thinks going to office hours will help, I trust her.
Gripping my purse tightly against my side, I take a few steps and reach Professor Boynton’s office.
There. That wasn’t so hard.
The office has a plain, wooden door with a frosted glass pane in the center. Professor John Boynton is written on a plaque next to the door. At least I know I’m in the right place.
I lift my hand to knock when a sound inside gives me pause. It almost sounds like…moaning? Surely that can’t be what I’m hearing. Why would there be moaning coming from my professor’s office?