With a sigh, she followed Professor Salinger into his office. It wasn’t at all what she expected. The typical college-issued clunker of a metal desk and torn vinyl office chair were nowhere to be found. In their place were a grand oak roll top desk and a high-backed burgundy leather swivel chair. And the walls were literally lined from floor to ceiling with bookcases. Allison longed to browse the enormous collection of books, but that would have to wait.

Colin Salinger shrugged out of his suede blazer and settled in his chair. “Have a seat, Allison,” he invited, gesturing to the burgundy leather couch next to his desk.

Allison complied, sitting her backpack on the floor at her feet. She nervously tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

“So tell me more about ‘Passion in the Park’…” Professor Salinger prompted as he folded his hands in his lap.

Blushing slightly, Allison looked down at her feet. “Can we please just forget about that?”

“Why?”

“God, let it go already!” she wanted to scream. Instead, she managed a lame, “Aren’t we supposed to be talking about my writing assignment? I don’t want to waste your time…”

The hunk of a man in front of her smiled warmly. “Trust me, it’s not a waste of time.” He leaned back in his chair, unwilling to let the subject drop. “Come on, I really want to hear what you think,” he almost begged.

Wondering why a college professor was so captivated by a trashy romance novel, Allison shifted uneasily in her seat. What exactly did he want her to say about it? Did he want her to mention the author’s effective use of punctuation, her vivid descriptions and chatty dialog, or was he fishing for something a bit more personal? Like the fact that the sexual tension made it virtually impossible for her to put the book down, or that while she read it, she fantasized about her roommate’s boyfriend.

Allison would have given anything to come up with an intelligent sounding response, but apparently it wasn’t in the cards. She shrugged and mumbled a noncommittal, “Well I kinda liked it.” Oh and that says a lot, she thought to herself with an embarrassed grin.

“I got that,” Professor Salinger chuckled. “I mean you didn’t even hear me walk down the hall while you were reading, which means the story obviously drew you in.”

She nodded. There was no denying that. Nervous, she fiddled with the zipper pull on her backpack.

Seeing her discomfort, Professor Salinger mercifully changed the subject. “Tell me what you were thinking of writing about for the first assignment,” he prompted, leaning back in his chair.

Allison bit her lower lip as she gathered her thoughts. “The character I outlined in class last night was a lot like my current roommate,” she explained. “I was thinking of writing a story about the trials and tribulations of her being a competitive drama major.”

Salinger held up his hand in a silent command to stop. “Where’s the excitement in that?” he asked, wrinkling his nose ever so slightly. “I mean in order to be good, it really needs to go beyond so-and-so beat so-and-so out of the lead role in the fall musical.” He stood up and began pacing the room as if energized by his thoughts. “It needs to have some…” He paused, searching for the right word. “…passion. Passion and conflict are the key ingredients to a good plot.” He took a moment to stare out the window at the students milling about the walkways below, and then turned back toward Allison. “So tell me…what did you feel as you read ‘Passion in the Park’?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, I haven’t gotten very far into the story yet.”

“May I?” he asked, holding out his hand for the book. Allison complied with his unspoken request. She unzipped her backpack, pulled out the book, and placed it in his hand. The professor flipped through the pages, slowing down somewhere near the center of the book. Clearing his throat, he began to read an excerpt of the story aloud.

Allison gulped. She hadn’t gotten to that part yet, and to hear it read by the handsome, sexy professor… Oh how she wished she could think of him as anything but ‘Professor Salinger’… ‘Professor’ seemed like a title better suited to older, distinguished looking men, not the glorious vision standing before her.

“Adam tilted Maddy’s face up to him,” he continued, “rubbing the backs of his fingers against her delicate cheek. She sighed into his mouth, pressing her body closer to his, feeling him grow harder with each swirl of the tongue.”

Without realizing it, Allison leaned back into the couch and closed her eyes, taking in the scene that he painted.

“Her lips traveled down Adam’s neck as her fingers teased his nipples through the fabric of his shirt. ‘So beautiful, Maddy…so beautiful…’ he sighed as she moved down his body. Maddy knelt down before him and took the zipper of his jeans between her teeth. With a zzzip that echoed in the scantily decorated room, his jeans fell into a puddle at his feet.”

A smile appeared on Allison’s face at the image, but Professor Salinger was the only one to notice it.

“Maddy grinned at the challenge ahead of her as she fingered the white cotton of his briefs to free his bulging manhood. She gasped at the sight of him, licking her lips in anticipation. Tentatively, Maddy kissed the head of his penis, smiling in satisfaction when it jumped to her touch.”

The professor looked up from the book just long enough to see Allison’s smile widen, her eyes still closed hard at work he was sure recreating the scene as he read it.

“Adam ran his fingers through Maddy’s flowing hair, pulling her closer to him. She flicked her tongue over his tip before slowly pulling him into her hungry mouth.”

Allison’s eyes popped open. “Wait a minute, they don’t do that in those kinds of books,” she protested as if she had read thousands during her short lifetime.

“Hush, darling,” he commanded, rolling his eyes. “You’re ruining the mood!”

She giggled in response, shaking her head. For a moment she actually forgot to feel uptight… Allison closed her eyes once more, awaiting the next words.

“Maddy swirled her tongue around Adam’s hardening shaft. After a few moments of pure ecstasy, he pulled out of her mouth, reached for her hands, and helped her to her feet. ‘My turn,’ he muttered into her lips between kisses. His thumbs teased her hardening nipples as she squirmed against him, moaning with pleasure.”

He looked up from the book once more to see if Allison had gotten back into the story. From the look of utter contentment on her face, Professor Salinger guessed that she had. He smiled as his eyes returned to the book.

“Adam slid his hands under Maddy’s sweater, seeking contact with her velvety skin. She trembled at his touch. He sunk to the ground, leaving a trail of feathery kisses down her flat stomach.”

Allison shifted uneasily, certain a book for sale at the campus bookstore would not be quite that explicit. But she was enjoying it, so she sure as heck wasn’t going to say anything now to spoil the mood.

“Maddy sucked in a sharp breath as Adam’s fingers slipped under the edges of her waistband. He eased down her pants and pulled them along with her panties down in one gentle tug. The musky scent of her juices drew him closer.” For the sheer sport of it, the professor glanced over at Allison, saw she was still entranced by his words, and added, “Colin nuzzled her moist pussy, breathing in the scent of her.” Grinning at the fact that his young student hadn’t caught the substitution of his name for Adam’s, he went on. “With a moan of ecstasy, Colin licked Allison’s ready slit, eventually capturing her bundle of nerves in his taught lips.”

At last, Allison’s eyes popped open. “Hey!” she protested.

Professor Salinger grinned mischievously and handed the book back to her. “So what did you think? Surely the story made you feel something…”

Duh, you’d have to be dead not to feel anything after hearing that, especially coming from such incredible lips, Allison thought. But how much dare she admit without looking like a fool? It hardly seemed appropriate discussing sex with a teacher. But then again… Her lips formed a tight straight line as she contemplated her response.

“Well?” the professor prodded.

“Well…” Allison repeated. “I don’t see how a person could be human and not respond to writing like that.” Feeling somewhat braver, she added, “But I seriously doubt you read what was in the book anyway. When you changed Adam’s name into yours and Maddy’s name to mine, I was certain of it.”

The professor shrugged. “Okay, if you say so…” He turned to his file cabinet on the opposite wall and pulled open a drawer as if searching for something.

Seeing her instructor was temporarily occupied, she opened the book, frantically scanning its pages for the excerpt he had just read to her. Without warning, Professor Salinger spun around. “Caught ya!” he said, flashing a Cheshire grin. Allison felt the familiar warmth spread across her face.

Even so, she was going to say anything to regain the little self-respect she had left. “You didn’t catch me doing anything,” she said, a belligerent edge to her voice.

“Okay…whatever you say, but what were you doing rifling through the book the instant I turned my back?”

Allison thought a moment. “I was simply trying to check your story. As for my timing, it would have been rude to do that while we were talking, so…”

“So you couldn’t have waited until you left my office?” he badgered.

“Of course I could have,” she retorted. The professor could almost hear the silent snort that punctuated her little white lie, and he could definitely tell she rolled her eyes as she spoke. “I just didn’t want to,” she explained with a nonchalant shrug.

He smiled at that. “You haven’t told me what you felt while I was reading yet,” he persisted.

Surely Kaija would have been ready to attack the poor guy for a passionate sexual interlude, but Allison felt threatened merely by being in the same room with him, much less talking about such “inappropriate” subjects. Not that he scared her or thought she would be physically harmed by the well-meaning instructor, but…

Allison cleared her throat and rubbed her eyes as she searched for the best words to convey her thoughts. “If you’re asking whether or not I felt something for the characters, the answer is yes. It was pretty obvious they loved one another and weren’t simply engaged in some cheap tryst. However if you were asking me whether or not I personally felt anything…” She didn’t want to say what she was thinking aloud for fear it would plant seeds in Professor Salinger’s head—seeds that the thought of them together even crossed her mind. Allison wasn’t that kind of girl. She could barely imagine having a boyfriend let alone getting “close” with a teacher. And why in the world was she giving the situation so much thought, she questioned herself, biting her lower lip. Me thinks the lady doth protest too much, she teased herself.

“I guess that’s a start,” the professor responded, falling into his high-backed leather office chair. “An important part of creating a vivid scene for readers involves putting all of the senses to work.” He ticked the items off on his fingers one at a time. “Make them feel the warm sand beneath your character’s feet. Make them smell the scent of ballpark hotdogs and onions. Make them hear the soft tinkle of wind chimes in the distance. Make them see the lace-filled bedroom decorated in shades of forest green and peach. Make them taste the fruity flavor of a fine white zinfandel wine… You get the idea. It all falls under the old ‘show don’t tell’ umbrella.”

Starting to relax a little once again, Allison nodded her agreement.

Professor Salinger leaned back in his chair, lacing his hands on his lap. “I think you have an enormous amount of potential as a writer, Allison. You just need to loosen up a bit. You know, let the story draw you in. If you can experience it, so can your readers.”

Allison smiled at his use of the word ‘readers’. It made her sound so…accomplished. Or at least potentially accomplished. Yeah, she had a long way to go to get to that, but it was fun to dream.

“I mean it,” he added, as if sensing her disbelief in his words. “I wouldn’t have let you in this class at such a young age had I felt otherwise.”

Loosening up, Allison asked, “So tell me…how does one relax to get into the flow?”

A smile formed on the professor’s face. “I’m so glad you asked,” he said, standing up and heading over to the window. Professor Salinger drew the blinds, and then headed toward the door of his office. Seeing him reach for the light switch, Allison freaked. She was instantly nauseous and panicked, trembling at what she feared would come next.

“Don’t be afraid,” he murmured in a soothing voice. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to try a variation of the exercise we did in class to help heighten your senses.”

Touched by his responsiveness to her fears, she smiled. “I know,” she reassured him with more conviction than she would have thought possible given the circumstances.

Nodding in acknowledgement, he flipped off the light. Allison took a deep breath to reinforce the fact that she had made the right decision in trusting him. The next thing she heard was the squeak of the leather couch as Professor Salinger sat down next to her. Allison took another cleansing breath.

“Tell me what you hear,” he said in a soft yet sexy compassionate voice.

“Hmm… Let’s see, I hear a group of students running down the hall…the sound of a beep a heavy truck makes when backing up…

“Good…”

“And god, the obnoxious ticking of that clock above your desk. How can you stand that anyway?” Allison giggled nervously, but Professor Salinger made no comment.

“Anything else?”

“Yeah… The marching band must be practicing down at the football field. I can hear the drums.”

“Terrific. Let’s move on. This one will be tricky since I turned off the lights, but use your mind’s eye. What do you see in this room?”

“For starters, I remember that god-awful institutional-looking clock over your desk. You know, the one that makes that annoyingly loud tick.” Allison laughed nervously before listing her next item.

“You makin’ fun of my clock?” Professor Salinger asked with mock annoyance.

“Yes, as a matter of fact I am.” Oddly enough, something about the darkness actually made Allison feel less tense. Maybe it was because she couldn’t make contact with his mesmerizing eyes… “I mean you’re a professor for crying out loud. You’d expect to see a crystal clock on your desk, or at least something a bit more artistic than that thing.”

Even in the darkness Professor Salinger could see Allison jerk her head in the direction of the clock. He smiled at the image. “So what else do you see?”

“That Escher print in the black metal frame—the ramps look like they’re moving down, but the water looks like it’s flowing upwards. It’s so cool how he does that…” her voice trailed off. He could hear the smile in her tone.

“I’m impressed! How about smells? Anything come to mind?”

“Dry erase markers. You must have been making notes on the white board for a project, class or something.”

“And?” He leaned in toward her a bit more to see just how perceptive her sense of smell was.

“Hmm…cinnamon?” Her statement was more of a question as she wondered how she could be smelling cinnamon in Professor Salinger’s office.

“Excellent!” he praised. “I popped a cinnamon Tic-Tac into my mouth just before I got here. You’re really good at this, Allison, and your writing will eventually show it. And when it does…watch out!” She blushed at the compliment, though mercifully he couldn’t see her in the dark. “You like Lifesavers?” he asked.

“It depends on the flavor, but yeah…most flavors I like.” Allison heard the tearing of a candy wrapper. Immediately she knew what was going to happen next.

“Open up and tell me what flavor you think this is.”

Allison opened wide and stuck her tongue out. Miraculously, the professor managed to find it in the darkness. He placed a round holed candy in the middle of her tongue. Instantly, she recognized the tang of lemon. “Mmmmm, lemon…” Allison’s voice was soft as she sucked on the candy.

“Terrific. Finally, the sense of touch.” Professor Salinger gently grabbed Allison’s hand and placed it on his arm. “What does that feel like?”

“Smooth suede like the jacket you’re wearing.”

“And this?” He held her hand in his.

His soft, warm hand gripped hers firmly. She liked the way it felt—warm, secure, and strong. “Your hand of course,” she giggled. “Unless you invited somebody else into the room…”

“Nope. You’re absolutely right.” He grew silent as Allison took in the sounds of the between class rush out in the hall.

Allison startled suddenly as the professor’s hand settled on her knee. Her heartbeat sped up gradually as his hand moved up her thigh. His touch felt totally decadent, and there was no denying the sparks that flew within her as he moved up her leg. But there was no way she was ever going to admit it. She had to find a way to make him stop touching her or she was certain she’d do something she’d live to regret. It’d sure be fun, but it wasn’t her in the least.

“Please stop,” she whispered hoarsely.

Professor Salinger immediately pulled his hand away and stood up. “I’m sorry,” he apologized as he flipped on the light. “It wasn’t what you might think. I wanted to elicit an emotion from you with my touch, not touch you inappropriately. I didn’t scare you, did I?”

“No,” she lied. Even though she said no, something within her believed his intentions. “I’m fine. You just surprised me a bit, that’s all.”

“Sorry… Well I think we’re about done anyway. You’ve outlined a character and are more aware of your senses now. And I know you’ll come up with a captivating plot on your own, so go to it. I look forward to reading your story in class next week.”

Allison stood up and tossed her backpack over her shoulder.

“And finish reading ‘Passion in the Park’. You might be surprised how much it’ll inspire you.”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t usually read trash like that anyway,” she said, waving off his suggestion. The only reason I bought it was because it was set in this very area. I figured that’s why the campus bookstore carried it even though it’s far from fine literature.”

A wave of nausea rose from Allison’s gut as the professor grinned at her. “What would you say if I told you there may be a second reason you’d want to read it?” he asked.

Allison shrugged, unable to imagine such a scenario.

Deciding to play with her mind a bit, the professor asked, “Who was the author of that book again?”

“Sally Collins,” she supplied.

He was surprised she didn’t get the connection instantly. She seemed like a bright girl. “And what’s my name?”

“Professor Salinger.”

“No,” he groaned in frustration. “My real name.”

“Colin Salinger,” she responded, shifting the weight of her heavy backpack.

“Sally Collins…Colin Salinger… Don’t you notice anything?”

“Well no ‘cause you’re a guy, and that’s a woman’s name. Unless you’re telling me that your wife or girlfriend wrote the story…”

Professor Salinger sighed. It would have been so much more fun if she had figured it out on her own, he thought to himself. “I’m not married, and I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Well good. I’m glad to see you’re not related to someone who writes that kind of garbage.”

“But I am. Kind of…” She raised her eyebrows, looking at him curiously. “I am Sally Collins.”

Allison’s mouth fell open. “You had a sex change?!?” Her voice was a little louder than she had intended.

Professor Salinger shook his head. “Of course not, it’s a pen name. A combination of Colin and Salinger. I had to make the name female since only women write those kinds of stories.”

She sat down again, reeling from the shock of his words. Then it hit her—a sick feeling that she had made the most incredibly stupid blunder of her life. She had referred to the book as ‘trash’ and ‘garbage’.

Oh god, she sighed to herself. Open mouth, insert foot! Allison ran out of the office like a deer away from a speeding car, her face stinging with embarrassment.

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