Good Old Lazenby Ch. 01: Donors and Grads

Characters

* Old Lazenby- Gerhard- 'Gerry'- Lazenby, professor

* The Professor- Natalia Lazenby, his wife, professor

* Sandra Weston- graduate student

* Ben Weston- her husband, rookie police officer

* Martin Benning- graduate student

Donors and Grads

Sandie had been having sex long enough to know when she had experienced an orgasm very recently. She knew that weakness in the knees and that sense of euphoria that came with it. Sometimes a raspy throat from really breathing hard and deep near the peak. A bit of a scent, and that full, damp sensation down there that signaled she had become very aroused.

She felt all of these indicators and more strange sensations as Professor Lazenby led her downstairs from her private house tour. It was odd to have a sense that at least the past half hour of her life had somehow disappeared.

"Where have you been, baby?" her husband Ben asked as the Professor steered her toward the larger conversational group gathered with drinks in the big living area.

"The Professor gave me a tour of the upper level. Really beautiful old place. Do you know that she has her own private wing off the upper hall? Someday we need to own a place like this!"

"You must have seen everything up there. You were more than an hour, you know. I was wondering if you had just decided to go home."

"No, I guess we just lost track of time. It was very interesting. Remind me to tell you more about it when we get home. So, what did I miss? What's everyone been talking about down here?"

"Old Lazenby has been telling us about scholarships and bursaries that have become available for grad students in his department. Too bad you weren't here, but I'll fill you in after. You probably qualify for some of the money and department assistant opportunities."

"Too bad I missed that. You'll have to bring me u p to speed."

"Marty seemed very keen on it too. You know that he'll be trying hard to line up some funding to finish off his research. Maybe both of you can land something?"

Sandra Weston- Sandie to her friends- was a petite blonde university grad student. She had a friendly face, a winning smile, and big hazel eyes. Her trim figure was perfectly proportioned, a healthy athletic build. Sandie was outgoing and had always enjoyed lots of friends. And, she was smart too- the young woman had it all.

Sandie and Ben Weston had known one another since their final year in high school. They both went off to university, Ben aspiring to be a teacher. However, after graduating and training in education, he quickly found that it wasn't for him. So, when Sandie continued into a Masters program in Psychology, Ben went to police training, in search of a new career.

About this time they married, having already been together for several years. Sandie had always been drawn by her husband's handsome face and his relatively tall, muscular body. If he hadn't decided on police work, he would have been an ideal Physical Education teacher. Except for dealing with students. That just wasn't to his liking, as he soon found out.

Their first two married years had been difficult financially, the in-school couple racking up almost a hundred thousand in student loans, a crushing debt at their age. But, they were in love and deeply committed to one another. And, this academic year Ben was finished his training and had started his first policing job. The future looked bright, especially if Sandie could get some departmental funding for her studies.

While the couple was chatting privately, Sandie noticed Professor Lazenby staring at her rather intently, and then flashing a big smile when she caught the grad student's eye. Sandie returned her smile and continued talking softly to Ben.

"Did you know that up there they have two different wings- one for him and one for her- with a common bedroom right in the middle. She told me that the centre one is reserved for nights when they sleep together- you know, "not really sleeping at all", she said. Otherwise, they use their own separate quarters."

"You mean Old Lazenby still has sex sometimes. I would never have guessed it. He must be at least sixty, maybe more. Look at his white hair and stooped back," Ben commented.

"But she's probably just in her forties. So maybe she's the one who drags him to the centre bedroom once a month?" Sandie joked, and they both chuckled.

The couple was in their mid- twenties, so even forty seemed like an old person, unlikely to be interested in sex. Sixty was ancient, long past any sexual impulses whatsoever. Little did they both know how wrong their assumptions really were.

While they were talking softly on the perimeter of the group, Ben noticed that Professor Lazenby had come beside Marty and engaged him in conversation. He overheard her mention something about scholarships, then a few minutes later, saw the Professor draw Marty away from the group and lead him down a side hallway. Ben took note for a moment, then let it go.

There was a good mix of students, professors and some other adults that Sandie and Ben hadn't seen before. But, they had never been guests at the Lazenby's home, so didn't know the couple's friends and associates.

Both professors were in the Psychology Department, and rumour had it that Old Lazenby used to have his future wife in his class before they were married. Now he did limited teaching- mostly graduate courses- and some administrative work for the department. His wife, Natalia, was a popular professor in various undergraduate courses.

They often hosted house parties for staff, grad students, and other adult guests. They kept the liquor flowing and encouraged people to 'loosen up' and enjoy themselves. They were legendary for impromptu games and activities to make people mix comfortably. An invitation to their home was a welcome night out.

Something had Ben wondering why Marty was gone for quite some time- at least forty-five minutes- with Professor Lazenby. Then he noticed him back among the group, looking for his friends. Ben noted that he seemed a bit disoriented, almost as though he had been drinking too much. Marty had a sort of glazed look, a flat affect that was unlike him.

"How's it going, man?" Ben sidled over to Marty, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"Great, Ben. Good party, right? How are you and Sandie doing?"

Marty seemed pretty normal, maybe a bit happy with drink, but not much. Ben could smell the alcohol, but there was something else there too- an undercurrent of perfume. This seemed unusual because Ben thought that he'd been with a some male friends earlier, not his usual girlfriend.

"Who are you here with tonight, Marty?" Ben asked, checking a bit.

"Came with a couple of friends. Chantal is studying tonight. Why?"

"Just wondering about that perfume you're wearing, that's all."

Marty sniffed the air a few times, then his shirtsleeves.

"Yeah, I do smell perfume. But it's not my scent. I don't usually use that one," he joked. "I have no idea where that came from."

After that, Ben didn't notice Professor Lazenby giving any more house tours- or wherever she took Marty. There was good music, plenty of alcohol, and at midnight, a big buffet. Everyone knew that the food was a hallmark of the Lazenby house parties- always catered by a high-end place downtown- and a signal that afterward it was time to go home.

"Drink up everybody! Eat as much as you want. And for the students, take tomorrow's dinner with you in one of those plastic containers. Just drop them off at my office next week."

That's how Old Lazenby ran his house parties- the perfect host. Everybody thought that he was a pretty good guy. "Good Old Lazenby" they all called him.

The next morning, Sandie and Ben were nursing a second or third cup of coffee and talking about the party. Sandie was eager to learn more about the scholarship talk that Old Lazenby had been leading while she was upstairs with the professor.

"So, I missed out on all the talk about getting some financial support. I hope that you were listening closely, Ben."

"I didn't miss a thing. One thing I figured out last night. Those older adults we didn't recognize as profs are probably donors to the university. I overheard some of them talking about bursaries and scholarships. It seems that the Lazenbys have their house parties to promote donations."

"So, why do they invite students to the house party?"

"Maybe it's so rich grads can see struggling students up close. You know, get to know them a bit through conversation, games, even dancing."

"True. A couple of older men, had me dance with them. Guys my father's age. They were very nice, just asking about my program and so on."

"Probably by putting a human face on donating, the Lazenbys figure there'll be more money coming in for things like seminar leaders, research expenses, and such."

"They hold these house parties a few times a year I'm told, and its always the same sort of mix: grad students, some profs, and these other adults. Like you say, probably donors they're matching up with applicants. It's a pretty good system," Sandie commented.

"Yes. Winners all round. Grant money for you. Tax deductible donation for the rich. And money flowing into the Psych Department. The Lazenbys seem to have it all worked out. I wonder what's in it for them?"

"Oh Ben. You always want to find the negative in everything. Sometimes there isn't one. Maybe you're the right type to be a detective?"

"OK, I'm probably being too cynical. They seem to be a very popular couple. Everybody just calls him Good Old Lazenby when they talk about him. Hey, tell me about your upper house tour."

"What a lovely old place! I already told you about the unusual layout up there, and she only showed me a bit of his quarters and the common bedroom. She said that it was mostly just used "for those special nights," as she called it. A big room and a very big bed, as I recall. Some old portraits, and I remember several big gilt mirrors on the wall. It could have been a royal bedchamber, the way it was done up."

"And her suite?"

"Very private. In fact, she had keys for each of their private suites. The house seems to be in a flat V shape, with wings branching out from the central bedroom at the top of the stairs. On the way up, we used a back stairs off the kitchen area."

"Probably was the servants' stairs at one time, judging by the size and the age of the place."

"Anyway, the Professor's private wing, first opened into a sitting area, like a small library, with books along two sides, a big sofa and some side chairs. Very nice, but masculine, like a private club."

"I suppose this led into her bedroom, right?"

"No. She pushed a button and a door opened that looked like a wall panel. Inside there was another room, I think for her hobbies. I saw quite a bit of camera equipment and there were some portraits along one wall. Nudes. She told me that she had taken them using models."

"Oh, so buttoned-down Professor Lazenby has a wild streak in her! Who would ever have guessed she'd be into erotic photography! What else did you see in there?"

"Well, it is strange, but I don't recall anything much more. The hobby room opened to her bedroom through a short passageway, but I can't remember anything about it. Hmm...the bed was really soft. Like settling into a cloud, or something. That's it. Next thing I knew, we were coming down the main staircase, with her hand steadying me. For some reason I felt very shaky and light-headed."

"You were on her bed! And you don't recall anything else until coming back downstairs? What happened in between? What's the last thing you remember clearly?"

"Let's see. She was showing me an old clock in her hobby room- office and said that she thought that the little pendulum was not keeping time. I was to check it for her by watching it swing and counting the arcs for a minute."

"And then?"

"I don't know. Next thing I felt this soft bed, and then we were coming down the stairs. Strange."

"Did you have much to drink before or during your tour?"

"Well, a few glasses of wine before- maybe three- but nothing during the tour."

"Three's a lot for you. Maybe that's why your recall is hazy."

"Probably. Hey, I wonder if Marty and I are competing for some of that funding from the Lazenby's donors?"

"He's about a year farther along in his work, so they might be looking for research funds for him. You're on your coursework, so the two of you might not be after the same money. The Lazenbys must have plenty of donors, based on the number of non-professors I saw at their party."

"Marty wasn't there with Chantal was he?"

"She was studying so he came with some friends. Did you notice him leave the room with Professor Lazenby and then come back quite a bit later? She must have given him a tour too?"

"I can't imagine him being interested in anything much up there. Oh, except maybe the nude photos in her hobby room- office," and they both laughed.

"Yeah, he'd be interested in that alright. Did you notice if she was wearing perfume last night? Marty had a strong perfume smell about him after he came from his tour."

"Yes, I complimented her on it and asked the name. Hypnotique. A musky aroma."

"That's a good description of how he smelled alright. She must have been very close to him for a while because it was powerful."

"I saw him while I was dancing with one of the donors. Looked like Marty had a bit too much to drink last night."

"Well, that's two of you."

At the Lazenby household the conversation was also focused on the previous night's party. Old Lazenby- his actual name was Gerhard- looked rather tired and worn today. Natalia especially enjoyed their house parties and afterward had brought him to the middle bedroom for some sport. She looked full of energy that morning, obviously recharged by the evening's activities.

Gerhard Lazenby, AKA "Old Lazenby", had been a psychology professor for a good part of his life. He was sixty-four, a tall, slim man, now stooped at the shoulders, tilting his head a bit forward. His white mop of hair had once been a sandy blonde and his weathered face smooth and tanned. He was on the steady downslope of life now.

Students didn't know that many decades before, Gerhard had been an avid surfer, while a student in Southern California. Or, that at one time he suddenly left his first university teaching position there in a scandal involving a female student. In fact, there was a great deal about him that didn't meet the eye. Behind his kindly old facade lived a different person.

Natalia Lazenby, AKA "Professor Lazenby", had always been 'different' when she was growing up. Her family had come from South America to New York when she was young, and she had few real friendships. Instead, she indulged her interests in reading- often subjects like paranormal experiences and the occult. Enrolling in university psychology seemed an ideal choice, and there she caught the eye of a Gerhard Lazenby, a professor in his forties.

Old Lazenby had learned the importance of discretion with students, keeping his dalliances with Natalia a careful secret. But there was such an intense sexual fire burning in her, that he had to keep her for himself. Natalia moved into his fine old house- now their home- as soon as she graduated, and they eventually formalized the union. Her sexual furnace burned as brightly as ever, but now her husband's flame just flickered much of the time.

"Did you have a good time last night, Nattie?"

"Excellent, most excellent, Gerry. It was a fine evening all round."

"We do throw a good party, don't we, my love?"

"Yes, and you were very good yourself afterwards, you know. There seems to be something about being around the grad students that recharges your old batteries."

"So, you're satisfied this morning. As satisfied as I am tired?"

"Yes, for now. You'll have your energy back in a day or two, I'm sure. And I'll be ready for more by then. Lot's more."

"Insatiable. It's too hard for me to keep up with you anymore. You know that."

"That's why we play these other games, isn't it?"

"Yes. What did you think of your new candidates last night?"

"Excellent choices, Gerry. They will both be very responsive when needed. They certainly were last night. I think that they will be perfect, either alone or together."

"So, should I contact them about applying for bursaries or other departmental positions?"

"Yes. The young woman is married and still doing course work, so an assistant's role would suit her well. I learned that the young man is single- just a girlfriend- and a year farther along, finished his course work. He would be ideal for a research funding bursary."

"And they both did well on their preliminary assessments, you say?"

"Excellent. She is very responsive to stimuli. And, he is a large young man- copious is the best word to describe his volume."

Natalia smiled broadly at this last comment.

"I'm sure you appreciated that, didn't you, my love? You always like that, I know. Especially with my own capabilities in decline."

They both chuckled at Old Lazenby's last comment. Then he continued.

"Will we proceed in the same manner as we usually do, Nattie?"

"Yes. Why not? It certainly has always been successful in past. I think that these two will serve us very well, so you can contact them next week. Call them separately to appointments at your office to outline what you have available for them. They can come over here on separate evenings, first of all, to meet me for direction in filling out their applications."

"Very good. I know what you are looking for. And you know what I like. She is a very attractive young woman. Being married, I'm sure that she will be easy to bring along to your requirements."

"Good. It's all settled. Eventually they will be guests at my Donors Club group, I'm sure."

"Yes. I saw a few of them admiring the grad students whom they'd never seen before. That Sandra is very striking and will be much appreciated."

"From a woman's perspective, Martin will be much in demand, I know. I think that the two of them will prove wonderful finds. And, neither one of them provided obstacles to my powers of persuasion in the least."

"Well done, Nattie. Well done. It helps very much to continue securing and retaining our generous donors when they can receive such direct reward for their efforts, doesn't it?"

"A wonderful system we have, matching donors with rewards. I think that our department has the highest level of donor support per program on the entire campus!"

"Not that we don't directly benefit ourselves either. So, shall we take a walk this morning? I am beginning to feel more energized already, Nattie. You always manage to pick me up. To make me feel young again."

Sandie was very excited when she returned from the university on Monday. She had been called to Old Lazenby's office where he wanted to have a little talk with her.

"Close the door behind you so we have some privacy here. Have a seat and I'll join you. First, can I pour you a coffee? I was about to have one and my thermos is still quite full."

Good Old Lazenby was always like this. Eager to make a person feel welcome and comfortable. It was what he did with all the students, the reason he was very well liked.

"Now Sandra- may I call you Sandie? OK. Sandie, I called you to talk about some funding opportunities the department has for graduate students. Your name has come up for consideration, and you were introduced this past Saturday to some of our prime donors who support these gifts. I call them gifts, but you must understand that they all involve work on the student's part."

"Of course. No such thing as a free lunch, they say."

"That's true with these gifts, but we try to make the work interesting and beneficial. In your case, you haven't yet started your thesis research, though you are near the end of your coursework, correct?"