Straight A's: A Professor Justin Romero Romantic Adventure
Straight A’s
A Professor Justin Romero Romantic Adventure
By
F. O. Linden
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: The Start of Spring Semester (P. 3)
Chapter 2: Of Grades and Grapes (P. 23)
Chapter 3: An Office Visit and Grade Change (P. 35)
Chapter 4: Happy Hour and Fun in the Bathroom (P. 43)
Chapter 5: Friendly Neighbor and A Racket Revealed (P. 58)
Chapter 6: An Unexpected Surprise (P. 69)
Chapter 7: The Gym and the Dean’s Wife (P. 84)
Chapter 8: Making Moves (P. 97)
Chapter 9: Setting the Trap (P. 107)
Chapter 10: Caught in the Act (P. 114)
Chapter 11: Exam Week and Desktops (P. 127)
Chapter 12: A Long-Delayed Fantasy (P. 133)
Chapter 1: The Start of Spring Semester
The Spring semester at Carmen University is Justin’s favorite. The campus is awash in colors, as various flowers, plants and trees all emerge from their winter slumber, or at least what we call winter in Miami. Plus, the spring signifies moving past the mid-year hump, towards summer and a break from teaching. Professor Justin Romero enjoys teaching, no doubt, and a campus alive with students and faculty, as well as the activities and events they host. Of all this, however, it was the students Prof. Romero enjoys the most. They are inquisitive and insightful, with fascinating things to offer in the classroom. Given the breadth of their backgrounds and experiences, this isn’t all that surprising. Prof. Romero often tells his students that he learns just as much about the world around him from them, as they learn from him. One of the most rewarding aspects of being a college professor, for Justin, is seeing his students’ growth over the semesters, intellectually, as they discover and adopt new ideas and ways of thinking, and personally, as they turn into young adults with goals, excitement, and bright futures ahead of them. The spring signified something else, though, the nearing of summer, when Prof. Romero could return to his other true love, his research.
Justin Romero was a tenured, mid-career professor in the Department of Social Sciences. At 38, Prof. Romero had established himself as one of the university’s most sought after professors, with students waiting their whole college careers hoping to take his course “Social Sciences for Industry.” At 6’ 2” and 170lbs., Prof. Romero stood tall and had an athletic build. He could be found in the gym several days a week taking different exercise classes, lifting weights, stretching or on the elliptical machine. His athletic frame was decorated with a full head of thick dark hair. About 3 inches long on the top and sprinkled with a few grays, it was shaped up on the sides and back. Dark brown eyes framed by thick black brows and long lashes, and a constant 5 O’clock shadow, a little on the salt-and-pepper side, complemented the hair on his head. A wardrobe of assorted suites, vests and suspenders brought it all together and communicated one word to everyone: distinguished. That’s the word students used to describe him, distinguished and hot. He heard the rumors and even read them on the different online evaluation sites, “Prof. Romero is the best professor I’ve had. He’s smart, friendly and sexy. Take his class!” “I took Prof. Romero’s course Social Sciences for Sports and learned a ton about how to apply the content to the real world. Plus, I could stare at the most handsome professor on campus. I wish I could take another course with him before graduation.” Students found him attractive and admired his knowledge and confidence. Women and men wanted to be in his presence, some wanted more.
Carmen University was a renowned liberal arts university of about 5,000 undergraduate and 2,000 graduate students. It consistently graduated students who became famous authors, researchers, politicians, and business leaders. The university was unique in its student body, which contributed to its strength. Its relatively small size allowed for more intimate classrooms and teacher-student interactions. Students got to know their professors and professors got to know their students. There were a couple large lecture courses, but most were small and intimate. If you skipped class, the professor knew. If you didn’t contribute to class, the professor knew. The expectation was that professors remain available for students, and many would keep their office doors open for the visitor who wanted to follow up on the day’s class material, talk about other courses or graduation, or just stop by to chat about whatever was on their ...