Heidi's next shift started in the usual way. She knocked on Dr. Martin's office door and pushed inside. His office was small. A practical metal desk sat facing the doorway. It fit almost snuggly against the narrow walls of the room. Bookshelves framed the doorway, reference volumes were stacked haphazardly to fill the shelves to maximum capacity. Heidi resisted the urge to run her fingers over their weathered spines.
James beckoned her into the office.
"Ah, just the person I wanted to see."
The professor sat at his desk, his back to a small window overlooking the campus mall. Heidi could see students rushing to class, already concerned about making the grade though the semester had only been in full swing for a few days.
"Good morning, professor," Heidi said, sliding into the seat facing his desk. She tried not to notice his steely gray eyes or the close-cut beard that clung to his heroic jaw. She failed.
"How are you feeling today?" James asked. He pushed aside a stack of papers and tried to make room on his cluttered desk. A laptop perched tenuously on the edge of the desk began to teeter. Heidi plucked it from harm's way and placed it safely on top of a stack of textbooks.
"Thank you," James said, with a little snort. "My electronics have a habit of meeting untimely dooms after only a few short months. Half the reason I need an assistant is to keep me from ruining my own research."
"So this position is part scientist, part maid, and part nanny?" Heidi asked.
James cocked his head to the side and furrowed his brow in confusion. Heidi wanted to reach forward and smooth out the wrinkles that formed over his nose when he frowned.
"Nanny?"
"Someone has to make sure you keep your clothes on," said Heidi, "and, from what I hear, that is a large part of being a nanny."
As soon as she said it, Heidi felt heat rise to her cheeks. Not only had she reminded the professor she had seen him stark naked in the middle of the woods, but she had reminded her body as well. Last night's dream came back to her in a rush. The feeling of his hands on her body, his cock between her legs, his mouth on her...
James laughed.
"Oh yes," he said, "that. Well, all workplace hazards, I'm afraid. If I kept my clothes on while I shifted they would be ruined and I would have nothing to wear after. It's either a few seconds of nudity or an awkward walk home."
"How PG-13," said Heidi.
"This is a position for adults," said James with a smirk. Heidi was certain that he noticed the blush spreading over her skin like a drop of blood in milk.
There was an awkward pause while Heidi tried to collect herself. She'd been lost in the deep eyes and the glint of mischief in the professor's face. Why had she come in here again?
"Right," she said, suddenly, "work. How do you want my teaching assistantship to work? Do you need me on more field operations, mostly paper grading, file organization, or what?"
"Oh, we'll play it by ear," said the professor. "Usually, my TA's spend most of their time grading papers. I find that work pretty draining. Actually, the more paperwork you can do for me the better. I want to focus as much of my energy on the field work. Do you mind paperwork?"
"I'm a beast at paperwork," said Heidi. She was. She had developed an entire filing system for her assignments all through college, her resume submissions, her side projects, anything that could fit on a crisp, white sheet of paper.
"Then they hired the right person for this job," James said.
"But of course," he continued, "there will be field work as necessary. Sometimes two sets of eyes are better than four. And it is difficult to take notes while I'm a bear."
Heidi laughed, "Noted."
"For now, though," said the professor, "just help me grade papers and keep me company."
Heidi smiled, "I can do that."