Julia blinked in disbelief.
“Did you ever see Pulp Fiction?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t like Quentin Tarantino. He’s too dark.”
“Then let’s just say that she likes to get medieval…in her personal life…on people’s asses. And she isn’t shy about letting people know it. She researches that stuff and posts her publications online.”
Julia swallowed a piece of chorizo quickly. “So that means that he — ”
“Is a sick fucker like she is. But he’s a hell of a researcher, as you saw this afternoon. I try not to think about what goes on in his personal life. I think that lovers should be gentle with one another. Not that love enters into what they’re doing.”
Paul surveyed the room cautiously before whispering in Julia’s ear. “I think if you care enough about someone to have sex with them, then you should care enough to respect them and not treat them as an object. You should be responsible and careful and never, ever hurt them. Even if they’re fucked up enough to beg you to.”
Julia shivered and took a very large sip of her second sangria.
He leaned back in his chair. “I can’t relate to someone wanting pain at all, let alone during sex. Sex is supposed to be about pleasure and affection.
Do you think Dante would have tied Beatrice up and worked her over with a whip?”
Julia hesitated, then shook her head.
“When I was an undergraduate at St. Mike’s, I took a course on the Philosophy of Sex, Love, and Friendship. We talked about consent. You know how everyone says that as long as an activity is between two consent-ing adults, it’s okay? Our professor asked us if we thought a human being could consent to an injustice, such as selling himself into slavery.”
“No one wants to be a slave.”
“They do in Professor Pain’s world. Some people sell themselves into sexual slavery — voluntarily. So is slavery okay if the slave wants to be a slave? Can someone who is in their right mind consent to slavery, or are they simply irrational because they want to be a slave?”
Julia began to feel more than slightly uncomfortable having this particular conversation so close to Professor Pain and Gabriel, so she tipped back the last of her sangria and swiftly changed the subject.
“What’s your dissertation topic, Paul? I don’t think you ever told me.”
He chuckled. “Pleasure and the beatific vision. It’s a comparison between the deadly sins associated with pleasure — lust, gluttony, and greed — and the pleasure of the beatific vision in Paradise. Emerson is a great dissertation advisor, but like I said, I stay out of his personal life.
Even though he’d probably be a hell of a case study for the Second Circle of the Inferno.”
“I can’t understand why everyone just doesn’t want kindness,” Julia mused, more to herself than to Paul. “Life is painful enough.”
“That’s the world we live in.” He offered her a sincere smile. “I hope your boyfriend is kind to you. Just be grateful you found someone who isn’t into the sick shit.”
At that moment they were interrupted by the waiter, so Paul didn’t see the color drain out of Julia’s cheeks and lips. She involuntarily peeked over at Gabriel and saw Singer whispering in his ear again.
Gabriel’s eyes remained stubbornly fixed on the table in front of him, teeth clenched and jaw set. He picked up his glass of wine, sipped it, and set it down again, all while Julia stared.
Look at me, Gabriel. Roll your eyes, rub your face, scowl…something, anything. Show me this is all a misunderstanding. Show me Paul is wrong.
“Julia?” Paul’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “Do you want to share the paella Valenciana with me? They only make it for two. It’s very good.”
Now he noticed Julia’s paleness and the fact that her fingers were trembling.
“Hey, are you okay?”
She rubbed her forehead. “Yeah. The paella is fine.”
“Maybe you should go easy on the sangria. You haven’t had much to eat, and you’re starting to look sick.”
He was worried that he’d shocked her with his salacious revelations, revelations that he had no right to offer to a fellow graduate student. So he changed the subject by telling her stories of his last trip to Spain and his fascination with Gaudi’s architecture. She nodded as if on cue and even asked questions from time to time, but her mind was far away, trying to sort out who exactly she’d shared a bed with a week ago — the fallen angel who still had goodness in him or someone much, much darker.
She noticed that Professor Singer’s left hand was suddenly hidden from view. She couldn’t bring herself to meet Gabriel’s eyes. But that didn’t stop Professor Singer from noticing Julia. Their eyes met just as Gabriel appeared to push her hand away under the table. Embarrassed, Julia turned to Paul, while Singer wore a look of inquisitive amusement that slowly morphed into an unblinking, fascinated stare.
Eager to escape the sordid spectacle she thought she’d witnessed, Julia made a feeble excuse to Paul about not feeling well and left the table. She climbed the staircase to the second floor and quickly located the restroom.
Examining her features in the mirror, she tried to process what he’d told her. Her thoughts were a sordid jumble of words and dark images, while her heart bled.
Why would anyone want to be hit? Gabriel and Ann…pain…control…
Ann’s fingers in Gabriel’s lap…Ann hitting Gabriel…Gabriel hitting Ann.
Julia found herself leaning against the counter as she fought a wave of nausea. She wasn’t sure how long she stood there, eyes closed, before someone pushed through the door.
“Hello there.” Professor Singer smiled widely, showing rows of shiny teeth.
Julia marveled at how the light glinting off the professor’s glasses tricked the brain into thinking that her green eyes were glowing red.
“I’m Professor Singer. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She extended her hand, and Julia took it reluctantly, mumbling a response.
The professor’s hand was cold but far from lifeless. She gripped Julia firmly and for far too long. When she released her, she trailed a finger down Julia’s lifeline as if she were intentionally measuring her. The act made Julia shiver.
Ann cocked her head to one side and narrowed her eyes. “I thought you were expecting me. Do I make you nervous?”
Julia frowned. “No, I came up here to wash my hands. I think I’m getting the flu.”
“That’s a pity.” The professor smiled more widely and took a step closer.
“You seem healthy enough. You have lovely skin.”
“Thank you.” Julia’s eyes darted toward the door, eager to make an escape.
“Not at all. Not at all. Are you wearing lipstick, or is that the natural shade of your lips?” She leaned forward at the waist and peered far too closely at Julia’s ripe, open mouth, their faces mere inches from one another.
Julia took a step backward. “Um, it’s my natural color.”
Ann took another step forward. “Extraordinary. You know, of course, that the natural shade of the lip is repeated across a woman’s body in more intimate places. Your color is so pleasing on your mouth. I’m sure it’s breathtaking elsewhere.”
Julia’s jaw dropped open.
“Look at yourself in the mirror. How could I not have noticed you downstairs? And fortunately, you noticed me too.” Ann took another step forward and dropped her voice. “Do you like to watch?” she whispered.
“Did you like watching what I was doing to him under the table?”
Julia reddened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Flesh changes color, you know, in response to increased blood flow.
Like now.” She smiled, exposing her teeth. “I’ve embarrassed or aroused you, so your cheeks have grown flushed and so have your lips. But you’re flushed elsewhere, aren’t you?” She dropped her voice stil further. “And lower down, I’m sure you’re begging to be stroked and teased…” She licked her lips and smiled. “My little pink pearl. I think you want me to tease you.
You’d make such a pretty pet.”
Julia stared defiantly. “I’m not interested in being anyone’s pet.”
That made Professor Singer back up. Julia’s sudden show of spirit was wholly unexpected.
“I’m a human being, not an animal. Leave me alone.” Julia did not know where in holy hell she found the nerve to dispute with Professor Singer, but she found it.
Ann laughed. “Human beings are animals, my dear. We share the same physiology, the same reactions to stimuli, the same needs for food, drink, and sex. Some of us are just more intelligent.”
Julia glared down at her. “I’m intelligent enough to know what an animal is. And I am not interested in being fucked like one. Excuse me.”
She sidestepped the professor quickly, heading for the door.
“If you change your mind, come and find me,” Ann purred.
“Not a chance in hell,” spat Julia. She fled, inhaling and exhaling very quickly as she began to jog down the hall.
A quick pair of footsteps followed close behind. She let out a shriek as someone pulled her into a darkened room, closing and locking the door behind them. She pushed against a hard chest roughly before someone grabbed her wrists.
“Julianne.”
It was too dark to see his face, but she recognized his voice and the strange sensation that hummed up and down her arms in reaction to his touch. She stopped struggling.
“Please turn on the light. I — I’m claustrophobic.” Her voice sounded to Gabriel’s ears like that of a frightened child.
He released her and pulled out his iPhone, holding it up like a lamp.
“Is this better?” Gabriel suppressed the urge to ask what light had to do with claustrophobia as he wrapped an arm around her trembling shoulders and pressed his lips to her forehead. “Julianne?”
She took a moment to examine their surroundings and realized that they were in a broom closet.
“Julianne?” he repeated, trying to capture her attention. “I saw Ann follow you. Are you all right?”
“No.”
“What did she do?”
“She said I’d make a good pet,” Julia whispered, her eyes downcast.
Gabriel scowled darkly. “Did she touch you?”
She closed her eyes and wiped a few beads of sweat from her forehead.
“Just my hand.”
He quickly dimmed the light on his phone so that they were only partially illuminated, for he was worried that Ann might see the light under the door.
“This is what I was afraid might happen. Why didn’t you do as I asked?”
“I told you, I didn’t get your text until it was too late. I didn’t expect to be hit on at a faculty dinner, by a professor who wasn’t you.”
Gabriel growled. “She was watching you across the table and was probably excited by your shyness, not to mention your beauty. Having you in the same room as her is the equivalent of dangling a lamb in front of a wolf.” He shook his head and cursed. “I tried to keep you away from her.”