No matter how ridiculous things became, I kept hoping that my predicament would somehow sort itself out. Without the demands of saving the day as the superheroine Argent, I could just focus on fulfilling my responsibilities as Professor Alexis Ames, PhD. In addition to teaching a full schedule, submitting original research to journals, and assorted work on academic committees, my responsibilities now also seemed to include private tutoring sessions with the girls of the Chloros Neraida Sorority, twice weekly trips to the salon to keep my hair and nails looking their best, and satisfying the carnal desires of any number of private citizens with pearl-level membership at Club Absinthe.

A canceled committee meeting gave me an afternoon free of obligation. I took the opportunity to close my office door and redraft the outline of an article I was writing on feminine virtue in Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene. Finally, I would get some actual work done!

I’d barely opened my laptop when there came a knock at the door.

“Alexis, do you have a minute?” The voice was a fellow professor, Grant Kerry. Although he was only a few years older than I, Grant was a rising star in the English department. His support had been instrumental in my securing this position, and he would be up for tenure in the spring.

“Just a moment,” I said. I pushed aside my laptop and opened my compact to check my makeup. I touched up my lipstick, smoothed my silk blouse, and straightened my retro tweed-with-elbow-patches jacket. “Come in, Grant. Can I offer you some tea?”

Professor Kerry entered, wearing faded jeans and a blue button-down shirt with a small food stain on his loosened, striped tie. His black beard and unkempt hair formed a dark halo around his face. “No, nothing like that, thank you. There’s something important I need to discuss with you.”

“Of course, Grant. Have a seat.”

He carefully closed the door and sat down. Right away he began fidgeting like a student that didn’t know the answer. “It’s come to my attention that … well, I mean that I’ve discovered … not that I was looking, mind you. It was more that I stumbled across it and now my ethical responsibility is complex.”

“Grant, I’m not sure what has you so worked up, but I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

He let out a tiny, sardonic laugh. “Your offers of help might just be the problem, Alexis. It will be easiest to just show you. I need to decide how to address this.” He handed me his cell phone. A video was already playing.

“Hi! I’m Professor Pearl Girl!” said my own voice from the phone’s tinny speaker. “For anyone who loves knowledge—carnal knowledge, that is—I’m ready to help expand your mind—and certain other body parts. Come meet me and I’ll arrange an oral examination you’ll never forget. My private lessons are just one more perk when you sign up for pearl-level membership!”

The video replayed itself on loop. It was obviously shot in this very office, the books and degrees on display behind me. It only showed me from the midsection up, but I wore the same retro tweed jacket I was currently wearing. However, in the video, I had neither blouse nor bra on underneath. The tweed barely covered my nipples. My single strand of pearls glistened beautifully on the tiny screen of Grant’s phone.

Instantly, my mind was filled with questions: Why didn’t I remember recording this? Why would I ever agree to it? Who was distributing this video? Who else had seen it? Did I really look this sexy to other people? How had Grant found it? How could I keep this from destroying my academic career?

As I pondered, the video looped again. Grant’s eyes were closed but he was lip-syncing the words as my voice rattled off the string of cheap sexual innuendos. My crime-fighter’s mind seized on that detail. It meant that he’d watched the video enough times to memorize my little speech. That meant his interest was more than simply professional. Also, he was nervous. That meant he hadn’t spoken to Dean Dickinson or anyone else yet. There was still a chance to keep this under control.

I stroked the string of pearls around my throat and felt my body relax just a bit. Pasting a smile on my face, I reached out and took Grant’s hand. “Thank you for coming to me first, Grant. That was so thoughtful of you.”

“It was the least I could do, Alexis. But I have a duty to the department and to the university to—”

“Something like this raises a lot of questions, Grant. People could interpret it the wrong way.” I rubbed his hand with my thumb.

“True, but there aren’t that many ways to interpret—”

“People could wonder where you came across that video, Grant. They’d want to know what sort of web sites you were perusing when you found it. Not academic sites, I’m sure.”

His face turned red. “No, but that’s really not the point—”

“Of course not. You’re human, Grant. You have needs, just like every other man. Your wife has been out of the country for four months, hasn’t she?” I guided his hand to rest on my stocking-covered knee.

“Six months, actually. Hipolyta’s been researching some fascinating—”

“Six months! Goodness, that’s a long time, Grant. A long time for a man to be alone. A long time for his needs to go unmet. It’s perfectly understandable that you would want an outlet, Grant. It’s perfectly natural that you would be looking for something to satisfy your desires. It’s perfectly human to want to touch and be touched in return.” By inches I drew his hand up my thigh until I felt his thick fingertips on my bare skin above my stocking-tops.

“Alexis, I—”

“It’s time for an oral examination you’ll never forget.” I leaned over and kissed him tenderly. He gave a small gurgle of reluctance. Pressing my palm against the bulge in his pants, I gently squeezed. He moaned and opened his mouth. I slid onto his lap, kissing him passionately. He started rubbing my hot, needy mound through my panties. I returned the favor by opening his fly and pulling out his cock.

Sliding off his lap, I knelt between his thighs. Licking and sucking his stiff prick, I luxuriated in the feel of it against my palate. Grant started to moan, so I slid my fingers into his mouth to keep him quiet. He nibbled on them reverently. When his moans became too insistent, I swallowed the full length of him, allowing his salty spunk to fill my mouth and dribble down my chin.

I kept licking and nibbling so that his cock was hard again within a few minutes. Standing, I repositioned the laptop and bent over my desk. Pulling my skirt up and my panties down, I offered Grant my naked, weeping pussy. Without hesitation, he pushed his cock inside me and started pumping. Each thrust brought another wave of pleasure, and another moan from Grant. It wasn’t long before he grabbed my hips and buried his spurting man-sword deep within me. When he finally pulled out and collapsed into the chair, I could feel his hot seed running down my thigh.

Grant struggled to catch his breath. “Alexis, that was incredible. That was … I never thought …”

“That’s right, Grant. You didn’t think.” I tilted my laptop so he could see the video of our fucking, his face clearly visible. “If anyone sees that video of Professor Pearl Girl, I’m afraid that your wife will see this video of Professor Unfaithful. That’s not something either of us wants, is it, Doctor Kerry?”

His faith was deathly pale. “No! Um, no, Doctor Ames. That won’t be necessary. I’m so glad we reached a mutually-beneficial agreement.”

He tucked himself back into his pants and headed out the door. I collapsed on my office chair, still sticky and stinking of sex, pondering how far I had stooped to protect my shameful secret.

—To Be Continued…