Page 22 of Campus Daddies

Sofia might be one of my busiest students. It looks partially self-imposed. Drive will do that to a person. It’s funny that she glosses over much of her day—the busy work of class, eating, and her job.

I might have done a little research since the last time we met. She works for a subscription box service meant to empower women. She only shows brief glimpses of it. And what I found when I looked showed me why. Sofia makes a ton of content for the business. Her trademark authenticity shines through the marketing, but some of the style choices are much different from what she shows me.

It’s clear she’s got a lot of material to work with, but much of it is going to get repetitive.

When I’m through, I turn my attention to Sofia, who’s just sitting there, back straight, legs bouncing in anticipation, ready to take notes.

I’m tempted to make her sweat, to draw this out, to let her stew in my silence. But that’s more for personal desires than it is to punish her. She’s too good for that.

“I’m surprised you skipped over your meeting with Professor Knight. The small bit we see of him… it seems like an interesting exchange.”

Her shoulders pull back. “I have more, but I didn’t think it was pertinent to the story I’m telling.”

Does she not see what I saw in that fifteen-second clip? The way he looked at her. It scrapes against the new raw spot where I’ve acknowledged my attraction to her. “There’s tension in the clip that doesn’t have proper context. I’m sure there’s some back and forth you can pull in to round it out. You’re keeping backups of the footage, right?”

“Yes. Always.” Although she’s concerned about adding this for some reason.

“Why does it bother you to include more about him? It’s good that you have his getting the Film Club on a prestigious set, but as he’s going to be somewhat of a constant in your life, and thus this project, for the next year, it’s better to establish your dynamic with him more fully. It doesn’t have to be a lot, but it should be more than it is right now.”

Sofia looks down at her notebook, scribbles, sighs, and meets my gaze again. Something about her interaction with him has set her on edge.

I want to poke at it, explore her discomfort, and I let her stew in my curiosity for a full minute.

Is she uncomfortable with the man’s attention? She doesn’t balk under mine. That makes me think she can take whatever Professor Knight aims her way. Maybe it’s that he’s too obviously a flirt.

Without more footage, I can only speculate, but it’s clear that Knight is taken with her.

And he’s not the only one.

I raise my brow at her when she shifts in her seat.

“He’s annoying.” Pink swathes her cheeks when she finally supplies me with the answer.

I crack a smile at her, small but clear because she relaxes a fraction. “Play around with it. You can certainly portray him as such if you wish.”

She sucks in a deep breath, which draws my attention to where her chest strains against her top. Fuck. Sofia’s skin is soft and smooth under the morning sun highlighting her from my window.

I force myself to move on. “I like the outing with Jordan. Do you think she’ll be a main focus as you move on? It’s not something you anticipated.”

Jordan seems like the perfect match for Sofia, both brazen and confident women, but it seems like Jordan has had a little less sheltering than Sofia. I enjoyed the unfiltered conversations between the two of them, even if she all but drooled at Dr. Braxton Barlowe. And their interactions…

“It’s not, but I plan to let it develop naturally. Maybe this will turn into a story thread of friendship and community.”

“Don’t let it dilute your goals.”

“I won’t. And it’s called evolution, not dilution.” The way she twists her shoulder is almost flirty. But I peg it as the confidently coy move it’s meant to be.

The way her eyes darken, it feels like I’m looking straight into her, but can she see what’s inside me? Does she know that her faculty sponsor is attracted to her? That her father’s friend is, too?

Why does that little spark I felt the first day of the semester feel like it’s burning hotter with that knowledge? Why does it suddenly feel inappropriate to be closed in my office with her?

“Anything you’re worried about? Feel like you need to figure anything out as you move forward?” I don’t feel like I need to do much other than prod her. It makes for a short meeting, and I might be trying to stretch it out.

She’s more than capable of adapting as she goes. That’s why the edits she gives me are rough. It’s why she needs to back up all of her film. I can’t imagine the amount of electronic storage she’s bought to make this project possible.

Sofia seriously thinks over my question, her head tilted back, looking through the top panes of the window behind me. It elongates her neck, exposing her throat to me. I want to lick and bite her, wrap my hand around it to hold her still as I do dirty, filthy things to her.

I clear my throat as I come back to myself.

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