The Pleasure of the Dean

by Nelson, Ann Marie

  The Pleasure of the Dean

  By Ann Marie Nelson

  Copyright © 2014 by Ann Marie Nelson

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

  may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

  without the express written permission of the publisher.

  Printed in the United States of America

  LWL Publishing

  Seattle, WA

  http://annmarienelson.blogspot.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Dedicated to the bureaucracy

  Chapter One

  All faculty, staff, residents, fellows, and medical students in the University of Seattle, School of Medicine, serve at the pleasure of the Dean. Only the Dean has the authority to hire and/or terminate their appointments.

  Sophie reread the passage for the 50th time before burying her face in her hands, dejected. This was her last hope. Two policy sentences on the School of Medicine’s website were all that stood between her and being kicked out of her residency program. Well, two policy sentences and the Dean.

  A year ago, Sophie started taking shifts at an urgent care clinic on Bainbridge Island. The stipend she received as a resident barely covered her student loan payments, rent on her tiny apartment, and the debt accumulated during her mother’s long illness. Desperate for additional income, Sophie decided to find outside work even though she knew US School of Medicine policy strictly forbade residents from moonlighting. She began working four hour shifts, two days a week, at the urgent care clinic. The $1,000 each month in extra income was a godsend.

  Then Dr. Bruce Mapleton, the General Internal Medicine Residency Director, found out and put Sophie on probation.

  Sophie had worked her butt off to get into the University of Seattle’s Internal Medicine residency program. Even though she’d done her undergraduate pre-med studies and received her MD through their prestigious medical school, being in-house was no guarantee of getting into the elite residency program. Some people were of the opinion it hurt her chances rather than helped them, since programs typically like to see diversity in applicant’s schooling.

  Every medical school graduate was required to complete an accredited residency program in order to practice medicine. The more prestigious the hospital, the more job offers a resident might receive after completing the program. New MD’s from all over the world tried to get into the two-year programs at the Seattle hospital, even though space was extremely limited. The US was known all over the country for its well funded research programs and its innovative leadership in a wide variety of medical specialties. They only accepted about 5% of applicants into their Residency programs.

  Sophie twisted locks of her long blond hair between her fingers and remembered how proud her mother had been the day she was accepted into college. Sophie had held up her acceptance letter standing in mom’s tiny kitchen. They both traced their fingers over the embossed seal logo of the University.

  “My girl, my baby girl is going to be a big success!” Her mom’s eyes misted over. “I’m so proud of you.”

  Sophie teared up remembering. She missed her mom so much.

  Pushing back sad memories, Sophie focused on the crisis she was facing now. Getting kicked out the residency program would be a disaster.

  For some reason, after three months on probation she was being dropped from the program. The Director wouldn’t even tell her why. Only that she, “Wasn’t a reflection of University of Seattle’s standards.”

  Sophie scoffed at that. She was an excellent physician. Patients gave her the highest clinical care scores. Sophie had not broken a single rule since she was caught moonlighting. She even volunteered to take on additional shifts in order to get in the Director’s good graces; all to no avail. Sophie had a feeling Dr. Mapleton, whom the residents secretly called “The Leprechaun” due to his short stature, prominent moustache, and smarmy personality, simply had it out for her.

  Sophie knew what she needed to do. She had to make an appeal to the Dean himself.

  Chapter Two

  Sophie walked the labyrinthine corridors of the University of Seattle Medical Complex. The structure was built south of the main college campus, a sprawling behemoth of interconnected research and teaching wings, all connecting up with the large public hospital. The complex was bordered on the other side by Lake Washington. It boasted beautiful views of the Seattle skyline and local mountain ranges.

  Sophie was glad she was wearing her running shoes. The building was known for being so large one could clock five miles in a day if they had to walk to several different offices. The hospital’s long corridors and the lifestyle of a resident, being on your feet for twelve hours at a time, had transformed Sophie's body. She was in the best shape of her life, her limbs long and lean from constant movement and the mini-yoga breaks she had trained herself to take whenever possible to keep herself loose.

  She stopped outside the Dean’s office suite. Sophie felt nerves build up in her stomach. Dean Armstrong always seemed like a nice guy, but he was very intimidating. He was so perfect. And it didn’t help that the Dean was drop-dead gorgeous, a fact that unexpectedly made Sophie feel like a tongue-tied teenager whenever she saw him.

  Gathering her courage she walked through the heavy frosted glass double doors. The open suite featured a comfortable waiting area stocked with the latest Medical School pamphlets and an enormous desk in the middle of the room where a small, middle-aged woman sat. She had a complex computer set up at her desk with two monitors projecting different scheduling software, plus stacks and stacks of multi-colored files piled up around her. She was paying no attention to the work at her desk, and instead was deeply concentrating on a mass of yarn, knitting fast and furious with deep blue wool. A brass name placard on her desk read “Kelsey Briars.”

  Sophie waited patiently, but Kelsey continued to ignore her and knit. Watching her fast hands work the yarn in and out was hypnotizing, but Sophie reminded herself she was on a mission. “Excuse me?” Sophie said tentatively.

  “Yes dear, what can I help you with?” The woman kept her head bent to her task, not even looking up at her. Sophie continued to stare at the top of Kelsey’s head. She noticed her gray-streaked dark hair was piled in a messy knot, held in place by a solo knitting needle.

  “I need to see Dean Armstrong. I’m Sophie Benedict… Dr. Sophie Benedict. I have an extremely urgent matter to discuss with him.”

  “Sorry Doctor. The Dean is all booked up,” Kelsey said, without checking the schedules displayed on her monitors. In fact, she had yet to look up at Sophie.

  “But I really, really need to see him,” Sophie argued. “It’s urgent. My life is at stake!”

  The odd woman finally set her needles down and looked up at her. “No need to get dramatic, dear. Let me see what I can do.” She began clicking away at her keyboard. Sophie noticed the desk area behind where Kelsey sat was filled with a variety of different pirate figurines.

  “Ok, I can get you ten minutes with him on September 28th. How’s that?”

  “No, that’s way too far out. My deadline is this week. Is he here now? Can’t I just pop in? I’ll only be a few minutes.” Sophie turned around, looking for the door leading to Dean Armstrong’s office.

  Kelsey stood up and waved her knitting needles like a sword. “Now, now, there’ll be none of that. Not on my watch. No one is allowed in without an appointment. Boss’s orders, and I follow them strictly.”

  Sophie took a step back. Was
this woman crazy?

  “Besides,” Kelsey sat back down and resumed her knitting work, “He isn’t here. Dr. Armstrong is at Oceanview Medical Center until very late in the day.”

  “Look,” Sophie pleaded. She was near tears, but trying to hold it together. “I really need to talk with him. I’m desperate. I’ll come in any time, no matter how early or late.”

  Kelsey looked back up at her. “I’m sorry dear. Really. The Dean is booked months in advance. I’d like to help you, and you seem like a nice girl, but my hands are tied.”

  Sophie’s face must have reflected her despair.

  Kelsey made a tsking sound and set her needles down to click back on her keyboard. “Look, this isn’t official, but his last meeting today ends at 7:00 p.m. Dean Armstrong usually leaves directly afterwards and heads to his car in the D-1 parking lot. Anyone could be down there at that time by coincidence, couldn’t they?”

  Sophie smiled. “Thanks. I appreciate the unofficial information.” She turned and exited the office quickly, anxious to leave Dean Armstrong’s odd assistant behind.

  Chapter Three

  That night, Sophie staked out the D-1 parking garage. She ducked low in the seat of her old Ford Focus with the lights off. Sophie hoped Kelsey Briar hadn’t lied to her about the Dean’s schedule in order to get rid of her. She didn’t know which car was the Dean’s, but it was late late and there weren’t many left in the garage. Sophie laughed at herself in disgust. Sophie couldn’t decide whether she felt like a private investigator on a stakeout or a complete and utter idiot. “I can’t believe what my life has turned into,” she said aloud, stifling the urge to burst into hysterical giggles.

  Sophie waited for an hour. She was close to giving up when she spotted the tall, dark, familiar figure of Dean Armstrong exiting the garage doors. He walked to a flashy sports car. Before she could react, he’d hopped in and drove away.

  “Shit!” she said aloud as she turned over her engine and sped off in pursuit. “I’ll have to follow him.”

  Sophie got lucky and caught site of the Dean’s deep-red Porsche at the next stoplight. She held back a few spaces and causally followed him through the winding streets to an affluent neighborhood near the university. It was the type of old-money area Sophie could only dream of living in. The neighborhood was light years from the modest, working-class, neighborhood where she grew up.

  She held back even further as they got into a completely residential street. Sophie pulled into an obviously newly renovated mid-century modern home. It’s sleek lines, floor to ceiling windows, and immaculate landscaping stood out even in the darkening Seattle evening. Sophie pulled to the side of the road about five houses away and watched him exit his car.

  She got out of the car to make her move when she noticed she wasn’t the only woman waiting for him on the sidewalk outside the Dean’s house. A tall brunette wearing a designer overcoat and five-inch, spike heels was walking towards him from the shadows of the driveway. The glamorous woman reached the Dean and threw herself into his arms, wrapping around him like an octopus.

  “Damnit! He’s meeting his girlfriend.” Sophie’s heart dropped. Losing her opportunity to confront Dean Armstrong tonight was disappointing, especially since she conducted an hours long stakeout, but Sophie also felt an unaccountable stab of something that felt an awful lot like jealousy. “Stop being silly,” she admonished herself. “Its not over. Now I know where the Dean lives. I can confront him tomorrow.”

  She returned to her car. As she pulled out, Sophie realized in order to exit the neighborhood on the narrow one-way street she would have to drive past the Dean’s house. Sophie tried not to stare as she went by, but couldn’t help herself. She was surprised to see Dean Armstrong and the woman engaged in a heated argument.

  Sophie smiled smugly. “Good,” she thought. Then Sophie chastised herself. What the Dean did in his private life was none of her business.

  ***

  Sophie couldn’t fall asleep, even though she was exhausted from working a grueling twelve hour shift. Sophie’s brain wouldn't stop spinning. She was consumed with thoughts of her termination and upcoming confrontation with the Dean. Sophie turned over and looked at the clock. It was 1:00 a.m. She’d been tossing and turning for over an hour. Her sheets were a tangled mess.

  “I’ll talk to the Dean tomorrow,” she thought. “After my shift, I’ll stake out his house. He can’t have a woman waiting for him every night.” Although Sophie wasn’t so sure about that. Dean Armstrong was seriously hot.

  Since sleep was eluding her, Sophie allowed herself to examine the Dean’s appeal. He was a triple threat: intellectually appealing, physically attractive, and a philanthropist.

  The Dean was a brilliant and charismatic physician and researcher. Sophie made a point of attending Grand Rounds when the he was speaking. This past week, Dean Armstrong presented his ideas on adapting operating room techniques for spinal surgery in third world countries, where operating rooms were essentially non-existent. Although spinal surgery was outside of her specialty, Sophie found his cutting edge ideas intriguing.

  The Dean was also an exceedingly handsome man. He was tall with a strong jawline, classic Roman features, piercing blue eyes, full-lips, and thick black hair. The Dean’s love of the outdoors was well known, and his extracurricular activities served to keep his physique rock hard.

  At the beginning of her residency, during the First Year Resident Retreat, Sophie was treated to an up close and personal demonstration of the Dean’s chiseled body. Dean Armstrong was an avid rock-climber and hosted an introductory rock-climbing course for interested attendees.

  Despite having no interest in rock climbing, Sophie had attended the course. She recalled that the Dean had worn standard rock climbing gear, tight pants and a sleeveless performance t-shirt. The outfit highlighted Dean Armstrong’s broad chest, muscled arms and perfectly sculpted backside. All the female residents had taken notice of the remarkable difference between the tailored business-suit wearing Dean and the hot Pacific Northwest mountain man.

  Sophie had listened to him with interest as he explained the mechanics of rock climbing. After his presentation, Dean Armstrong assisted the residents with their equipment. The female attendees seemed to require the most help. Sophie could swear they were tangling their harnesses on purpose.

  The Dean noticed Sophie struggling with her equipment, and came over to assist. He knelt at her feet and secured the buckles of Sophie’s harness high on her inner thighs. Recalling the sight of the Dean at her feet, with his hand close to her core, made Sophie break out in a sweat. He smelled so good, like pine trees, musk and something indefinable all mixed together. When Dean Armstrong ran his hand around the edge to make sure the strap was snug, she had felt a swift stab of arousal. Her nipples tightened under her form fitting workout bra top.

  Although she had ached to feel his fingers higher, pressing against her rapidly moistening folds, Sophie had suppressed the urge to act on it. He was out of her league. Also, lusting after the Dean or, god forbid, having an affair with him would not be good for her budding career. Relationships between junior and senior faculty with direct reporting relationships were forbidden.

  “Of course,” Sophie thought, “Thinking about him wasn’t against the rules.”

  She closed her eyes and replayed the scene in her mind. After securing the leg harness, Dean Armstrong reached around Sophie’s midriff to secure the buckle at her waist. His warm hand grazed the underside of her breast. Sophie wondered if it was accidental. What if his hand had just moved a little higher up? Sophie found herself breathing harder just imagining it. She used her own hands and cupped her breasts, imagining they were the Dean’s. Would he be gentle or rough? Sophie rolled her own nipples between her fingers until they hardened. The Dean would know just the right balance of when to be soft and when to be hard. Sophie continued to tease her sensitive peaks. She imagined the Dean’s wet mouth on her nipples, sucking them. Sophie moaned.

 
She let her hand drift down her flat stomach, to the area between her thighs, as she imagined the Dean moving his attentions lower. Sophie was aching and aroused. She ground her hips into her bed, not yet touching herself, drawing out the feeling of anticipation. Sophie’s core was dripping wet.

  In Sophie’s imagination, the Dean would first cup her damp center, allowing her to get used to the feel of his touch on her most intimate place. After petting her, he would slowly press one finger in, drawing it out and gently running it up and down the slick folds of her sex. Sophie’s finger followed her imagination. She moaned again. Sophie continued the soft touches, working her finger over and over, up and down, careful not to touch her clitoris yet. She began to throb there and felt herself getting wetter and wetter.

  Her vivid imagination made the fantasy seem real. Sophie could feel the heat radiating from Dean Armstrong’s body and the erotic press of his weight as the Dean positioned himself above her. He kept his fingers working while his mouth explored Sophie’s stomach with slow licks. The Dean alternated tongue lashes with playful nips at the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs, returning to Sophie’s breasts to suck deeply on her nipples and the flesh surrounding them.