Page 47 of The Naughty Professor
“Uh,” she said after a long pause, “I’m sorry—what?You banged Professor Hernandez?And who the hell is Jax?”
Lorna threw her head back and laughed like she’d just heard the world’s filthiest joke.“Oh, sweetie, no!Though that wouldn’t have been so bad…” She gave me a wink that could’ve melted lab glass.
Juniper blinked.“We’re talking about Dr.Sterling, right?The same Dr.Sterling who has a panic attack if you move his test-tube racks from their special place?”
“Oh, you have no idea,” Lorna purred.“Apparently our shy little Felix has been hiding quite a secret side to himself.Watching him—well, watching Jax dance on that stage at Badlands last night was practically a religious experience.”
Juniper turned to me slowly, one eyebrow raised so high it nearly vanished into her bangs.“You.Were.Dancing.At Badlands?”
“Define dancing,” I muttered.
Lorna clutched her chest theatrically.“He was magnificent!Glitter everywhere, the entire club was screaming for him!I almost fainted when he made out with Professor Carr.”
“What?!”Juniper put her hand on her chest like she was having a cardiac event.
“I mean, who knew Dr.Sterling was built like that?”Lorna said dreamily.
“I’m not!”I snapped.
Juniper’s grin came slow and evil.“Oh, my God.You really did make the serum.”
“Juniper—”
She perched on the stool beside me, eyes sparkling like she’d just discovered the Philosopher’s Stone.“The shit didn’t kill you, so it can’t be that bad.You realize this stuff could make us rich, right?Whatever you cooked up—instant charisma, sex appeal, stamina—hell, this makes Ecstasy look like Flintstone’s chewable vitamins.”
“I’m not selling my personal biochemical humiliation,” I muttered.
“You’re telling me you wouldn’t bottle this?”she teased.“’Cause if you can turn into Magic Mike with a PhD, imagine what it could do for the rest of us mere mortals.”
Lorna was still smiling dreamily at the memory.“Mmm.Jax.What a man!”
“Please stop saying that name,” I begged.
Juniper nudged me with her elbow.“I’m just saying, Dr.Sterling—if you ever make another batch, you better save a dose for me.”
“I am never making that serum again.”
She smirked.“Yeah, that’s what every addict says.”
“Juniper—”
The lab door opened again, and the first wave of students poured in—fresh-faced nineteen-year-olds, chatting, laughing, completely unaware that their professor had just been outed as a part-time erotic dancer with a double identity and residual glitter in his hair.
Juniper straightened up, trying—and failing—to smother her grin.Lorna gave me a parting pat on the cheek.“Don’t be such a stranger, Jax.”
* * *
The rhythmic clink of glassware was the only sound in the lab—like a chorus of caffeinated crickets.For once, I was grateful for the noise.It drowned out my brain.
The caffeine and adrenaline had finally done their job; I wasn’t quite as hungover, and my stomach had stopped threatening mutiny.I moved between lab tables, pretending to supervise while my students measured out chemicals.“Careful with that titration, Mr.O’Neill.”
Juniper was in the back of the room, leaning over the desk of one of my older students—mid-twenties maybe, stubble, broad shoulders, the kind of guy who looked more like a bartender than a biochemistry major.His name was Ron, I thought.They were whispering to each other, but every few seconds I caught little bursts of laughter.Each time I glanced over, they straightened up and pretended to be terribly focused on their glassware, which was never a good sign.
I tried to focus on the nearest group’s experiment.“What color change are we expecting?”I asked two freshmen while keeping my eyes on Juniper.
“Uh… pink?”one guessed.
“Good,” I said.“Go with that.Pink’s nice.”
