~~Young~~

Chapter Four

   It wasn’t the deterrent she had hoped it would be though. Just the opposite, the Dean seemed to take it as an invitation. Apparently it didn’t bother him that his wife was as unfaithful as he was, probably thought it was his free pass…

   He looked at his watch again and then back to the hall, his beady brown eyes saying he was definitely contemplating how much time he had. And unfortunately for Sera, she knew exactly for what. She had honestly thought he had given up with her since she had not only turned down his invitations for “private” meetings endlessly, but also was the family of a personal friend of his wife who could so very easily put the man’s balls in a vice. And not that Sera approved, but at least Mrs. Grissom had the sense to stick with her own age bracket. The Dean on the other hand was of the ‘they stay the same age as I get older’ mentality. It didn’t even remotely bother him that he had children older than Sera or any of the other girls he tried to push himself on.

   And as he straightened his tie Sera knew he figured he had enough time to do what he did best.

   She had two options at that point, pack up her stuff and leave, or sit there and bear it.

   Only problem was leaving would make her look weak, make the Dean think that he had gotten under her skin even if he couldn’t get beneath her clothes. And Sera wasn’t afraid of him, she knew how to handle the randy bastard even when he threatened to take her status away from her in the sorority, expel her for denying him. She may not like her family but their power and influence did protect her even if it didn’t stop him from trying.

   Like now.

   Sera just continued on as if she was unaware of the Dean, flipping another page in her notebook so she could write down more coherent notes as the Dean was moving behind her. He stood there for a moment, trying to look down her loose sweater no doubt, before he came to hitch a hip on the desk beside her.

   “Always the busy one aren’t you Sera?” he said lightly.

   “My thesis isn’t going to do itself.” She scoffed.

   She could practically hear his thoughts as he shifted his legs, ‘neither will I’ and she knew exactly what was coming next.

   “You know…” he began slowly, “I can help you with that, lessen your work load some so you’d have more free time…” she was studiously ignoring him and he knew it, so to get her attention he brushed her hair from her shoulder- the one her sweater had slipped back down on- so his fingers dragged across her skin, “so you could have some fun.”

   Sera repressed the shiver threatening to run up her spine knowing the Dean would take that as desire instead of disgust. That she wasn’t going to sit around for, no matter how light a touch, she wasn’t about to let him put his hands on her.

   “Nope, I’m good,” she snapped as she shot out of her chair, grabbing her notebook in one hand and pulling her sweater up with the other, “but you’re right. I am a busy girl so maybe I’ll just come back when you’re not so…” she ran her eyes over him, giving a little huff as her eyes landed in his lap, “preoccupied,” she sneered and turned from him.

   But she didn’t get far.

   “Who do you think you are?” He bit off as he snapped his hand on her arm, squeezing tight, “how long do you really think you can tell me no for?”

   She tried to shake him off but he held on, “so help me Grissom, I will tell my Uncle about this if you don’t let me go.”

   “And then what? You don’t think he owes me a few favors for fucking my wife?” he narrowed his eyes at her, “I know you know, you Turners are all the same. You keep nothing from each other if it means having the upper hand over someone, but guess what sweetie,” he jerked her closer to him, putting Sera off balance so she stumbled into his lap, “I’ve got a few items on him. Blackmail works both ways,” he looked down to her with heavy lids, his fingers sliding her sweater back over her shoulder, “but maybe after this we’ll call it even.”

   Sera gripped the pen she still had in her hand with lethal force, ready to bring it down on the Dean’s lap, “fuck you Grissom.”

   She swung, but the Dean caught her wrist mid strike, “You better believe you will you little bitc-”

   A throat was cleared behind them, from the man Sera had completely forgotten was there, “I believe the lady said no Fred.”

   Sera didn’t hesitate. She pushed away from the Dean and bundled up her stuff the second his attention was elsewhere, putting as much space in between them as she could.

   “Who the hell are you?” the Dean snapped, pissed off over being interrupted, his eyes falling back on Sera with disappointment as she whipped her coat back around her shoulders.

   Curious Sera paused in her escape, she wanted to know who he was too, so she could come back and thank him later.

   The man opened his mouth as if to say something, but a quick glance at Sera and he changed his mind for whatever reason. Shaking his head with a smile as he pushed off the wall, “Gage, Gage Russell,” he switched hands with his coffee so he could offer one to the Dean, “I believe you were expecting me?”

   The Dean paled and a sheen blossomed on his every expanding forehead, “oh…yes, yes,” he stood up and smoothed out his suit as he approached the man, extending his own hand, “you’re the investigator from-”

   But the man, Gage, pulled his hand out of the Dean’s to cut him off, “I’d stop right there if I were you. Our…mutual friend isn’t quite ready to make this public, and since we’re in mixed company still…”

   This time it was the Dean who took a glimpse at Sera, “Yes…uh…” he frowned, “yes, very well. Sera, perhaps we should reschedule?”

   She shook her head at him, at his attempt to smooth things over as if Gage hadn’t just witnessed everything.

   “It would be for the best Ms. Turner,” Gage chimed in, “though I would like to suggest you bring an escort, perhaps of the male variety, when you do return.”

   Sera nodded to Gage, accepting his request, but just as she went to slip out the door he winked at her over his coffee. And as she closed the door and the both of them off behind her she frowned, sure of one thing as she went mindlessly back down the hall.

   Gage, even though it truly was none of his business. Something he easily could walk away from with a clear conscience, whoever he was, he was going to take care of everything. Make sure the Dean knew better then to try such a thing again.

   Even though he did his part simply by stopping the Dean in his actions and as such did what was right he was still going make the Dean pay, for her.

 Forget suspicion, now she was convinced Gage wasn’t what he appeared to be.