He opts for the after-hours project

Nate timidly pressed the buzzer for Professor Walford’s apartment. This was most unusual – a “project” that involved going to her apartment at night. It gave him a very bad feeling. But he had ****. Otherwise he faced the end of his academic career.

The lock clicked open and Nate entered the building. He proceeded down a well-light corridor decorated with vases of carefully-arranged fresh flowers.

Soon Nate stepped onto the elevator. A bland, soothing melody on the elevator speakers helped calm him down. Someone who lived in such posh surroundings was not someone he needed to be fearful of.

He got off on the fifth floor and walked down a long hallway. The scent of lavender permeated the air. He hesitated a moment, taking a deep breath, before rapping on her apartment door.

The Professor was looking especially casual in snug jeans and a tight sweater. Don’t stare at her breasts, Nate sternly reminded himself. Or her curvy hips.

“Come in Nathaniel. I am so happy you agreed to this instead of making me go to the dean. Formal discipline at HHU is sooo tedious.”

She smiled playfully as she led him into a spacious sunken living room. “I think this evening’s discipline will be much more interesting.”

Nate stopped short. “Wait, what?”

“Oh now, I shouldn’t have said anything. Don’t want you to get your little nerd panties all in a twist – at least not yet.”

“Professor, I’d really – really – like some clarity as to what you have in mind for this, um, project of yours.”

“All things in due course, Nathaniel. Let’s play a little game first. A guessing game. Do you recognize this voice from your past?”

“Professor, I really don’t want to...”

“Hellooo Natey-boo.”

No. That voice. There was no mistaking it. He had made every effort to avoid it since freshman year. “It’s... *sigh* ... Tina.”

Emerging from a door at the other end of the living room, Tina looked much prettier than he remembered. Nate smiled weakly.

“Why Natey-boo, aren’t you happy to see me?”

“Of... course... I am,” Nate struggled to get the words out.

Nate had dated Tina briefly. Before he decided that she was not quite attractive enough for him, not to mention a bit clingy. He hadn’t handled the breakup very maturely, and simply cut off contact with her for weeks until she got the message. Fortunately, despite her intense preoccupation with getting into Nate’s pants, they had never gone any farther than making out on the couch.

“And one more,” Professor Walford chimed, a hint of glee in her tone.

“Hey buddy.”

It was a gruff male voice. Nate wasn’t sure at first. Then he realized.... Fuck, what was going on here.

“Jesse?”

“Indeed, it is Jesse, your high-school best friend... the one you edged out when you were the only one in the class accepted into HHU, and he had to attend his second-choice.”

“Hey man.” Jesse strode into the room, tall and lean, with a devil-may-care wave of sandy hair shading his eyes and a precocious smirk across his face. When the fuck did he get so handsome, Nate wondered.

Nate could feel himself starting to sweat. This was all very odd. “I don’t understand. Why have you brought us here?”

“Such a curious lad. But we should expect nothing less from our academic superstar, Nathaniel.”

Jesse scowled at him.

She continued, “My research concerns the archetypes of rivalry and rejection – and specifically how they interface with a classic paradigm of strategic self-interest”

“I... see....”

“Oh Nathaniel, you are such a conceited lad. You pretend comprehension, but you haven’t the foggiest idea what I mean. No need to admit your ignorance. Here it is more simply.”

Professor Walford continued, “The first element is a triad of individuals, with only one of the group previously aware of the other two. Secondly, the prior relationships must have involved rivalry – in this case the rivalry between two ambitious young men – and a resentful breakup – in this case your breakup with Tina.”

“How did you even know...?”

“What a silly question. Your online profile made it a simple task to track down individuals from your past, Nathaniel.”

She smiled condescendingly. Meanwhile, Jesse continued to frown at him, while, to Nate’s consternation, Tina was looking at him with the same lovesick gaze as when they were dating.

“Finally, the joust. I will open up some topics for discussion, and after each round, I will ask the three of you to vote on a loser. Of course, we’re not barbarians. I’m not going to administer an electric shock like they might have in the old days.”

“One of you will simply be asked to do the bidding of the two ‘winners,’ provided nothing remotely violent or painful is involved.”

Nate looked from Jesse to Tina. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that Tina still had her crush. She’d never do anything to hurt her Natey-boo. He suddenly felt sorry for Jesse.

“Got it. Let’s do this,” Nate confidently declared.