Hopefully, her message would help her friends and fellow subs in the group understand their worth. The new ones especially were ready to do anything. She understood the feeling, wanting to please and give in. The hope of that deep connection and stunning release never went away. Unfortunately, she’d been around the block too many times to believe the romantic fantasy would fall into her lap just because she got on her knees.
Changing her focus, she checked her work email. There was no way to make her perfect Master appear in her life, but she could earn tenure and have job security. A PhD didn’t mean as much these days. She needed to publish another paper in the proper place and secure tenure. While she was popular with students and faculty, colleges were downsizing, as well. Her online skills helped there. She’d been the first in her department to suggest and volunteer for online classes. Some of the old dogs didn’t want to learn, but they already had tenure.
Her closest friend in the Literature Department, Colleen Sheppard, was quietly promoting Bridget’s name for tenure and helping her. As much as Bridget wanted to call Colleen and rant about the date, Bridget kept her kink off campus and it’d be hard to explain exactly what had been wrong with a veterinarian who made good money and looked great.
Minimizing the blog, she opened her latest paper. Much Ado About People was a critical piece on how Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing proved that perception and influence were powerful things. Bringing it forward to today, with instant information and rumors that could be pushed so hard they seemed true, no wonder people’s reputations meant nothing anymore. Anyone’s dirty laundry could be on display if someone dug for it. Celebrities were fodder for entertainment, much like public hangings once had been. Her piece pulled on her private life and felt highly personal even if it academically paralleled modern day to Shakespeare’s time. She loved her work and it was something she could control and succeed at all on her own.
Her career had to come first! Not that she’d ever give up working, even if the right Dom came into her life. She loved her career, the small college town and the routine she’d found. Since things hadn’t fallen into place romantically despite her best efforts, she needed to lock in the career that she loved.
One more round of editing on the paper, and she’d try to sleep. She had too much pent-up energy to relax now.
* * * *
Scott Kasten sat in his office in the history department and logged off his forum for the Modern Wars of Europe class. Online classes were a younger man’s game. At thirty-five, Scott didn’t mind virtual teaching at all, but he’d insisted on keeping some in-person education time. He didn’t want to be rusty in the classroom even if European History wouldn’t change.
A knock on his door made Scott sit back. Nelson Cannon from the Information and Tech department stood in the doorway. The lanky guy kept to himself and was one of the few people here Scott considered a friend. They shared some preferences Scott discussed with almost no one else. Still, Nelson rarely made it up to Scott’s office.
“G. Scott Kasten, PhD. What does the G stand for?” Nelson asked.
In the ten years Scott had worked there, five of which Nelson had been there as well, no one had asked that. Scott had taken enough crap as a child for his odd first name that the family had changed to using his middle name. “Gideon after my great grandfather.”
“Almost fits you better. Scott sounds more casual.” Nelson entered and closed the door behind him.
“Do you want something specific?” Scott and Nelson normally chatted over lunch or at the university gym. Scott knew if Nelson had made the effort to stop by it meant something was up.
“I want to help you. Did you see the new blog link go up in the local BSDM fetish group?” Nelson held out his Smartphone with the page pulled up.
Unlike some, Scott didn’t live on the BSDM fetish links. He knew what he was and what he wanted, but people rarely got what they wanted in life. Deserved or not. As he read the post, the passion of it caught him off guard, and he took in every word with sympathy for the woman. She knew her mind. Weak-willed subs had always bored Scott.
“So? You’re going after her?” Scott handed back the phone.
“Nope, she’s got almost a hundred local responses though. Some other subs in the same situation. Doms offering their assistance.” Nelson sat in the guest chair.
“You’ll beat them all out.” Scott had no doubt of Nelson’s skills. The man had been courted as a counterintelligence hacker by the government. If he could’ve passed the background check, he’d have had a cool career. But most everyone had a past.