Erin and the Professor

The Professor and Erin

Author's note: The viewpoints of the characters are pure fantasy and not a reflection of my own.

Ch1.

"Today's lecture will be on the male gaze and female empowerment," began Adam Hennesly. Adam was a young assistant professor in the psychology department at the University of Southern California. Something of a prodigy, he had earned his PhD in Anthropology at the age of 25, after having completed his thesis titled Women as a Spectacle: Reclaiming Agency. His dark eyes and elegantly tousled black hair and rakishly handsome features had made him quite a hit with the young ladies on campus, though he rarely took notice of the flirtatious glances sent his way. He was passionate about his subject matter and had little time nor interest in romance, particularly not with his students.

"Women are often objectified by the media for their sex appeal, as an unfortunate and direct result of the male gaze," he began. "Men are also objectified in the media though to a much lesser extent. In this more progressive era, we've begun to shift towards more inclusive representation, focusing on models with more realistic body types and proportions, as opposed to the unattainable ideals of the past."

He paused at the lectern to stare out at the students assembled in the large lecture hall. The light tapping of fingers on keys and the occasional cough were the only sounds that could be heard.

"While this has indeed promoted a more body positive environment, perhaps there are other ways for women to reclaim agency, that don't rely on changing the conventional attractiveness of the subject. What are some ways that women could still express their sexuality and individuality but not at the cost of being objectified?" he continued.

He loaded up his powerpoint and proceeded to give a few examples of women who embraced their sexuality and used it as a tool, a power, to captivate their audience while still retaining their autonomy. His students listened intently, nodding along as he talked at length about female agency and its implications.

"This doesn't mean that, if you are conventionally beautiful, you can no longer embrace your own sexuality. It's not about denying beauty or sexuality, but about owning it, on your own terms. Truly expressing your own identity."

The clock tower chimed softly in the distance, signaling the end of class.

"And that concludes our lecture for today. Next time we will cover the power of sexuality in performance, through dance, art, and theater. Don't forget to do the assigned reading." he said as students began collecting their bags and putting away their laptops.

He began gathering his notes and shuffling his papers. As the last of the students had filed out of his classroom, he looked up to see a girl, about twenty, standing in front of him. She had fiery reddish-orange hair that fell down to her waist in frizzy curls. She wore a long pale blue wool cardigan that matched her sky blue eyes and hugged her slender frame snugly.

"Yes...?" he asked, looking at her. He placed the last of his papers into his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"Erin." she said with a shy, flirty smile.

Oh dear. Not another one. "Erin." he repeated, nodding curtly at her.

"Your lecture today really intrigued me. Especially the part about expressing one's individuality through sexuality," she said, leaning against the lectern, her elbows perched on the top. She eyed him intently. Her voice had a very alluring quality about it. Slightly husky.

"Did it?" he said brusquely. He glanced at his watch. He had a luncheon at twelve with some colleagues that he had no desire to miss.

"Well, if you have any questions, be sure to attend the discussion session on Friday where we'll go over the reading in detail. You could also make an appointment to meet with me during office hours if you'd like to go more in depth." he said, starting to walk towards the door.

Erin was not deterred by his dismissive tone. "Actually, there was just one part that I disagreed with."

He stopped. That got his attention. Rarely did a student tell him they disagreed with one of his lectures. He turned slowly to face her. She was still leaning against the lectern, watching him.

"And which part was that?" he asked curiously.

"The part about objectification being a negative thing."

He eyed her. That was unexpected. "You disagree that objectification is a negative." he said slowly. If there was something he expected her to disagree with, this was certainly not it.

She tilted her head. "Not if it's done tastefully and with the subject's consent. Say a woman chooses to be seen that way, to invite that gaze. Couldn't that perhaps be empowering, Professor?"

He pursed his lips and thought for a moment, his luncheon briefly forgotten as he contemplated her question. He nodded slowly.

"You bring up an interesting point, Erin. I suppose context does matter. If it were indeed her choice then I suppose it could be empowering to an extent. Though there should be a line drawn somewhere. A lot of the content made by webcam models are consensual but I would hesitate to call that empowering. Perhaps once the content becomes driven by consumer demand and the creators begin to feel obligated to meet certain expectations that they themselves did not expect is where art ends and objectification begins."

She bit her lip, smiling. "And what if they did it freely? What if they only desired to be seen?"

"Then perhaps there could be a power to it, sure."

"One last thing professor."

He looked at her, waiting.

She came around the podium to stand before him. With a sensual fluid move, she carefully untied the knot around her wool cardigan and let the garment fall open slightly, revealing just enough for him to tell she was wearing nothing underneath. He caught a glimpse of the swell of her breasts and the small patch of hair between her legs before she wrapped the cardigan back around her.

Professor Hennesly's mouth dropped open- his brain still trying to process what had happened.

Then Erin gracefully redid the knot around her waist. Still smiling, she took a small piece of paper and wrote something on it, folding it, before taking his hand in hers and placing it in his palm. Then she gave him a playful wink and headed past him to the door, the curves of her bottom stretching the cardigan a bit as she sashayed away.

"Let me know if you ever want to see me 'reclaim my agency' Professor Hennesly," she said as she neared the exit. She gave him a wave over her shoulder and left the room. He stood there, shell shocked. Adam looked down at the folded note in his hand. He unfolded it carefully. On it in neat handwriting was her number.

Ch. 2

"Adam. Adam!" A sharp voice brought Professor Hennesly back to his senses.

He shook himself, closing his mouth and looked around to find Professor Vanessa Hitch and Professor Robert Jollins looking at him. They were all seated at the outdoor dining area by Michelson Hall.

"Wh- what?" he said, a bit disoriented. His mind was still on the way the blue cardigan had looked draped around Erin's slender frame. How it had hugged her curves. How it had fallen open.

Vanessa chuckled. "You seem a bit more distracted than usual Adam. Still thinking about those gorgeous coeds in your classes? I've heard you're quite the ladies man. They really seem to flock to your lectures." she teased.

Adam's eyes widened in guilt and he felt the back of his neck grow hotter. Thankfully, neither of them seemed to have noticed.

"Oh please." Robert scoffed. "Adam's more in love with himself than anything. He's probably just daydreaming about one of his lectures. Probably the Reclaiming One's Agency speech or that Social Conditioning one."

Adam shook himself. Then he grinned at their good natured ribbing. "No, I was just thinking about something one of my students said. She challenged the idea that objectification was inherently negative."

Robert chewed his turkey club thoughtfully. "That's a new one."

Vanessa arched her eyebrow impressed. "Not entirely. Self-objectification as performance can be empowering--if the subject is aware and in control. It's a hot topic in feminist theory right now. Still, it is a pretty nuanced view for an undergrad, especially so early in the semester."

"She said it could be a kind of power," Adam added, almost to himself. "That choosing to be seen could be its own form of agency."

Robert snorted. "Or a fancy excuse for attention-seeking. Depends on how you look at it."

Adam nodded slowly. "I suppose."

Vanessa grinned. "Sounds like she struck a nerve."

"You could say that." He said. Though he neglected to mention exactly which nerve she had struck.

"You know, I once had a student who wrote a whole paper on how camgirls were the new feminist revolutionaries." Vanessa shook her head. "This generation is something else."

Robert finished the last bite of his sandwich. "Well, I have another lecture I've got to prep for."

Vanessa stood up as well. "Right, I should be going as well, same time tomorrow?"

They nodded and each headed their separate ways.

Ch 3.

Once they had parted, Adam slipped the folded note from his pocket with trembling fingers. Should he text her? Images of him being dismissed from the university or as the new face of the #MeToo campaign flashed through his mind. He shook his head. He was being paranoid. Besides, it was purely academic, right? He tried not to think about how she had flashed him.

Before he could change his mind. He texted her.

Hey Jane, it's Professor Hennesly. You said you wished to discuss the lecture further? I'm free for the next few hours if you have time.

Almost instantly, he received her response.

Hi professor! I'm down! Can we meet at the Coffee Bean in fifteen minutes?

Sure.

A few minutes later he was outside the cafe. Erin was waiting for him by the door.

"Hi Professor Hennesly!" she waved at him.

"Erin." He nodded politely at her. "Shall we go inside?"

"I actually didn't want any coffee. I just wanted to meet up," she confessed.

"Oh?"

"Have you thought more about my proposition?"

"Proposition?" asked Adam, tilting his head to the side.

"I want you to see me." she said pointedly.

"Ohh." His eyes finally filled with understanding. He let out a small smile. "Well, you did leave quite a first impression.

She giggled. "Perhaps we could go somewhere more private?"

Alarm bells rang in his head. All of his instincts were telling him to run, to say no. What was he doing? He was in uncharted territory now. But his other head overruled his decisions. He nodded.

"My place is not that far from here."

"Lead the way!" she chirped.

Adam headed in the direction of his campus apartment with Erin falling into step beside him. She tucked her arms behind her back underneath her backpack and swayed from side to side, humming softly. She skipped ahead of him, her flip flops slapping against the sidewalk as she went. He had to grin. He enjoyed her playful energy.

They reached his apartment after another twenty minutes. The apartment itself was quite small and cozy- one of the older campus units with a creaky wooden floor and tall windows. It smelled faintly of cedar and coffee. Papers and books were strewn about the tables and on the floor. Adam looked a little sheepish. "Sorry about the mess. I don't usually entertain guests here."

Erin let out a bell-like laugh as she stepped gingerly over the papers, careful not to trample anything. "It's nice. It feels cozy. Like home."

Adam cleared his throat. "So, you wanted to show me something?"

Erin nodded and placed her backpack on his couch. She pulled out an expensive looking camera and handed it to him. Adam took it. It felt heavy in his hands.

"You wanted to show me pictures?" he asked curiously, looking for the on button.

She shook her head. "I want you to take pictures."

"Of..." he looked at her questioningly.

"Me." she said. Erin swept her hands downwards to gesture at herself with a flourish.

His cheeks turned a little pink. "Uhm... well I'm not really much of a photographer."

"That's okay. The pictures aren't that important. It's more who's taking them."

Erin moved in front of one of the tall windows on the west side, where the afternoon rays shone through like golden beams. The light framed her, giving her a golden halo that turned her silhouette completely black in the lens of the camera. Adam snapped a photo of her.

She stepped to the side, so that she was no longer just a silhouette. She turned to the side, pointing her nose up and closing her eyes, letting her hair cascade down her back as she adopted an elegant pose. She pulled the cardigan down, exposing a little of her bare shoulder. She turned slightly and tilted her head to point towards the ceiling with a grace that only a dancer could. Adam was transfixed, hardly daring to breathe, lest the illusion disappear.

The setting sun caught her hair just right and it shone like fire. Adam snapped a few more photos, kneeling to get a better angle.

Erin turned away from him and let the cardigan fall to the ground- pooling around her ankles in a soft blue puddle. She stepped out of her flip flops and faced him. One arm was draped across her breasts and the other was between her legs. She knelt on the rug with her legs apart, gazing up at him, as he straightened up to take a high angle shot of her. A confident smile curved across her lips and her blue eyes smoldered as she locked eyes with him. She was well aware of the effect she was having on him.

Erin stood up and approached him. Adam watched her approach, unable to move. Without taking her eyes from his face she took his hand, the one not holding the camera, and placed it on her breast.

"You can touch, if you'd like." she said softly.

Adam fondled her breast, squeezing it gently in his hand. He rolled her small pink nipple in his hand, twisting it slightly, causing her to let out a small gasp. Erin stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. He put an arm around her waist and pulled her against him so her breasts were pressed against his tweed jacket.

"I have an idea." He said, looking down at her. She looked up at him with wide eyes.

"How about, you let me pose you instead?"

A slow grin formed on her face. "Oh I like that idea, professor. What poses would you have me do?"

"Oh, nothing too explicit... yet." He said with a smirk. His hand slid between her legs to tap lightly on her vulva. She closed her eyes, her lips parting slightly as his fingers traced over her folds.

"More." she whispered, her hands gripping at his shirt.

"Not yet." He said back. She let out a sigh of disappointment as his hand left her sex.

He led her over to his rectangular kitchen table. "Lie down on the table."

"Arch your back and put your feet flat against the table, bending your knees."

She arched her back, pushing her chest out, curving her posture gracefully, drawing her knees up to place her feet flat against the surface. She looked at him, her lips parting slightly, her eyes half closed. Her breasts slowly rose and fell as she laid there, waiting for him to take her picture.

He took her arm and draped it over her stomach so that her fingers were grazing the outline of her sex. Then he took another photo, the flash briefly illuminating the room. A bit of moisture formed along her labia, dripping onto her inner thigh. The feeling of Adam positioning her on the table and photographing her while she lay naked before him was clearly having an effect on her. At the very least, It was certainly having an effect on Adam.

Adama placed the camera on the table, directly between her legs. Erin's eyes widened at the explicit angle but she didn't protest.

"Finger yourself." He commanded, setting the camera on record.

She gasped, excitement coursing through her. Eagerly she began to to rub her clitoris with her fingers, in slow circular motions. She sat up a bit, supporting herself with one arm, to allow Adam and the camera a better view of her. Erin stuck her fingers in her mouth, licking them, before plunging them inside of her. She began to finger herself with gusto.

Shluk.

Shluk.

Shluk.

The apartment was quiet save for the sound of Erin's fingers inside her pussy. As she began to near her orgasm, she tilted her head back, closing her eyes, and began to finger herself vigorously. She moaned. Then she came all over her hand, her juices dripping onto her thighs and onto the table.

"Fuck." She said breathlessly as she finished. She opened her eyes to smile at Adam, looking satisfied and immensely pleased with herself. Adam leaned down and turned off the recording.

Erin slid off the table and walked over to Adam. She kissed him lightly on the cheek. Then she stepped away and pulled on her cardigan. Adam let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

Tying the knot around her waist, Erin gave him a teasing smile. "So professor, do you think that was empowering or not?"

Adam found his voice. "Well it was definitely striking. However, I believe whether or not it was empowering, is a question only you can answer."

Erin nodded slowly, contemplating his words.

He handed her the camera. Erin held the screen up and looked through each of the photos. "You have a great eye, Professor Hennesly. Maybe photography is your true calling."

He chuckled wryly. "Perhaps it's easy when you have a great subject and an expensive camera."

She paused when she reached the recording of herself masturbating. She watched herself on the tiny screen. "I think I'll keep these."

"I figured you might." Said Adam, a twinkle in his eye.

She grinned back at him. Placing the camera back in her backpack she slung her pack over her shoulders. "I'll see you in class on Friday." She paused at the door and gave him a playful grin. "Perhaps we can continue our photography session then, if you have more time."

Then she was gone, leaving Professor Hennesly in a slight daze.