Summer Internship

"And the guy last night?" I found myself saying, trying to hold back my anger. "With the tattoos? What did he give you?"

"Dick," she shrugged. "Sometimes that's all I want in a man. And... well, if you don't mind my saying so?" She patted my thigh. "I think if you'd have just treated your Ponk the same way, you might still be there. Doing your fishery work."

"I'm doing fishery work here." I slowed as we approached the B&T, scanning for parking. "Same stuff, actually, and the State pays more than the feds did."

"Yes. But here?" She pointed out a space across a street already crowded with beachgoers. "Here, there's no exotic dick for you to give yourself to."

"You're very crude, Alicia." I said it quietly as I hooked the U-turn. St Bede's ugly spire rose just down the inland hill, my apartment just steps away. I had a sudden urge to let this girl off and just go home.

"I research sexual impropriety and power imbalances." She shrugged again. "It gives me sort of a twisted perspective, and I apologize. But... well." She turned her shades to me. "I call 'em like I see 'em, Annabeth."

"Yeah." I pulled in and turned off the car, then smiled again. It felt brittle. "Let's go on in, shall we?"

The place was hopping, but most of the business wasn't staying: they bought their overspiced mega-espressos and then went walking, so Alicia and I found a table at the back with no real trouble. Hell, the patio was more full than the tables. I deployed my giftcard for Gretchen behind the counter, and she spewed out a pair of cold brew lattes with her usual winsome smile. There was another girl who could have any dick she wanted, another girl I'd never ever been.

"So." Alicia broke out her laptop on the little table, tapping nimbly. "Thanks again for agreeing to answer my questions, Annabeth. Can we jump right in?" I nodded, and to be fair to Alicia? The next ten minutes or so passed very professionally, even pleasantly. The girl certainly had her thesis all set up in her mind, and she was very focused. Much of what she wanted to know was background: where had I lived? How often had I interacted with the Ponqui? How long had it been before they'd gotten used to me? Were they suspicious of me?

I sipped at my drink, wondering whether I should ask. "Um. Have you reached out to Randall yet?"

She smiled. "No, not him. But that gave me the idea to send out a questionnaire to a bunch of other tribal police departments down there and I heard back from two." She raised her cup. "See? You've helped me immensely."

"Aw." I felt a glow. This did seem like friendship. "I'm glad."

She was about to say something else, but her computer chirped. "An email," she mused, her eyes flickering across the screen. "Yada yada... work study... research opportunities..." She read on, and then her eyes opened wider. "Wait. This is you!"

"Huh?" I blinked. She turned the computer toward me.

"See? This says the bio department is seeking summer interns for the fisheries project headed by Beth Ronson, PhD!" She beamed at me. "That's you!"

"Oh. Wow." Brennan had not told me he'd approved. "It's just lab work. Analysis, mostly. Data entry." I shrugged modestly. "I asked him if I could give three credits."

"This says four." She narrowed her eyes. "That's half a total science requirement for a soc major like me..." I could almost hear the wheels turning. "Is it, like, technical?"

"It's probably a lot of spreadsheets." I smiled at her sudden enthusiasm. "Some hiking, not much. I don't really need help with the tagging or trapping, but I guess if people want to get out into the woods, I could... you know..."

"I hope you get some applications. Mostly in the lab, then? That lab in Deesy?"

"Yeah, mostly." I smiled shyly. "Honestly, Alicia, it's probably a little boring? I'm sure word will filter through the bio students; someone will sign up." She wasn't listening, though, her fingers rattling a quick drum roll on her keyboard.

"Summers aren't bad here." She smacked ENTER with a certain satisfaction, then gave me a quick wink. "It'd be a good excuse to stay in the dorms too. Parents are boring. I'm sure some kids will be super-interested." She hesitated, sipping the last of her coffee. "Can I ask you one more question, Annabeth?"

I blinked. "Of course."

"You said Randall always gave you the best sex of your life," she began, her voice sober as she watched me carefully, "but what's the worst thing he ever did?"

So many things... "I don't know, honestly," I lied. So many things leapt to mind... too many things: the belt. The webcam. The taunts. Making me watch while he fucked Rayleen. The racism. The scorn. Withholding himself, time and again, in every way... but of course I knew the real answer, right away. "A lot of it runs together, the good with the bad."

"But it was bad, overall?" She stared into my soul through those sharp hazel eyes, and I almost physically shrank in on myself.

"I was better off leaving that situation," I sighed. "That's a certainty. It was obvious then, and it's obvious now."

She nodded slowly. "Do you know how much I appreciate your help, Annabeth?"

"No," I smiled, shyly; I'd never really had much help worth giving, I thought. It was a new experience for me.

Alicia smiled. "I'll figure out a way to repay you," she promised.

* * *

"Two internship applications, Beth; should I close the window on that? Or did you want to give it another week?"

I sighed into the phone. "It's already summer, Dr Brennan. Why don't I just go with who you have? What are their names? I can train them this weekend."

* * *

"So, yeah. That's all of it."

It had been a very hectic day. The databases and spreadsheets I'd become so used to in keeping track of the various fish populations, it turned out, were difficult and tedious things to convey to others. Especially when those others had no biology background. And when one of those others had been talking to you intently about your sex life.

For my two summer interns turned out to be Alicia Romano and Kaylen Rapp. On reflection, it wasn't really surprising that Alicia had signed up; as she put it, "you're helping me with my research, so it's really the least I can do." But I hadn't expected curvy Kaylen showing up as a bonus, even though it turned out she was much quicker to pick up the databases than her friend was.

For most of the training day, all I could think about every time I looked at the redhead was how she must have looked riding the man with the tattooed arms. All night. Screaming.

But there was no denying she was by far the cleverer of the two girls, so as five o'clock drew near and I realized I needed to get moving for one last check of my traps before sundown, Kaylen was the one I gave the lab key to. "Guard this with your life," I told her. "It's my only extra. And always make sure you lock the door behind you."

"Got it." She'd been chewing gum all day, and now she grinned as she tucked my key into her bra.

"That's not the safest place for it, given how quickly it comes off," Alicia snickered.

"You'd know," Kaylen sighed, rolling her eyes. She turned to me. "If I told you how many times this little bitch has used my tits to get her some dick? Your head would spin."

"Well." Alicia sniffed, rattling off a text. "What's the point of having such an ideally built wingman, if not to use her?" They both laughed, and I joined in very uncertainly.

"Look, girls," I began loudly and (I hoped) authoritatively, "this data needs to get recorded accurately, otherwise? The University loses this grant." Meaning I would lose this grant. "I'll come in with you guys next week, to make sure you get your feet wet, but after that? Daily observations, and they're on you. Okay?"

"Sure." Kaylen did not roll her eyes, though I could tell she wanted to. "I'll make sure this dumbass does it right," she added, elbowing Alicia.

"So," Alicia asked, hiking her butt up onto my lab counter, "I guess it's fine if we bring guys up here, then?"

I blinked, my heart lurching. What had I gotten myself into? "Why?"

They traded a glance, and I once again got the impression they were holding back eye-rolls. "Like, to fuck," Kaylen explained.

"Are you kidding?" I wailed, knowing my eyes had popped incredulously wide. "That's so risky!"

Alicia cocked her head, confusion spreading across her pretty face. "It's not that risky. We're on the Pill, and we usually use condoms."

"No! I mean, you can't be caught having sex in the lab," I blustered.

"Oh," Kaylen drawled, shrugging, "we won't get caught. We're good at this kind of thing. Besides, it's summer." She looked theatrically around at the silent building. "There's nobody here."

This was spiraling out of hand. "But... no. You guys have a suite. You can bring men there."

"We do," Alicia agreed, "but sometimes, a change of pace is nice."

"Yeah," Kaylen nodded. "It's extra spicy, doing it at work. In a lab. Admit it, Dr Ronson," she winked, "you've put out over a lab counter or two, haven't you?"

"Giving it up among the Bunsen burners?" Alicia leered.

"Collecting your biological samples firsthand?" They laughed, and to my horror I found myself smiling.

"Well," I said quietly, "maybe a make-out session or two..." Not in college, though. It had been Randall, misusing his police key to get into my little shack in the backcountry so that he could make me suck him. "Look, don't do anything stupid. As long as your data collection and entry are accurate," I finished, meaningfully, "and just make sure you're careful."

"We won't make a habit of it, "Alicia promised. "I'm sure the novelty will wear off pretty quickly. We're here all summer, after all." She cocked her head. "Kaylen," she said playfully, "I'm not sure how far Dr Ronson has gone in a lab..."

"'A make-out session or two' does not sound healthy," Kaylen agreed. She licked her lips. "I think you need to get plundered in this lab, Doc."

"Call me Beth," I corrected weakly.

"Don't change the subject." She yawned elaborately, stretching her arms high, arching to flaunt those perfect curves. "Just say the word, Doc. We share."

"We sure do," Alicia giggled. "I think that's going to be our goal for the summer, Kay: get Annabeth Ronson to put out in her own lab." She winked.

"Just let me know what kind of penis you want," Kaylen put in.

"She wants native American dick," Alicia crowed before I could answer. As if I would have said anything. "That's hard to find here, but anything within reason?" She gestured toward her friend. "Again, I'll just use Kaylen's tits to get whatever you need."

"Totally," Kaylen confirmed, cupping her breasts and holding them up for inspection. "Guys love these."

I was damp by then, unfortunately, which was not the appropriate reaction. I just gaped at them. "Girls. This... well, this isn't what I was expecting for the summer." I allowed a small smile. "It would be pretty hot to get laid in the lab, though."

Kaylen snickered. "Don't worry, Annabeth," Alicia urged, grasping my upper arm with a sweet smile. "We got this." I wasn't sure whether she was kidding, nor was I sure whether I quite wanted her to be kidding.

* * *

Nothing happened until July.

My summer interns turned out to be everything I'd hoped for: thorough enough to do the data entry properly, reliable enough to actually show up and graph the daily census, and smart enough to realize what a sweet deal they had. So they made sure to do a good job, leaving me free to do what I loved: hiking the wilderness, reading the fish, daydreaming about Officer Jacobsen and his ilk, and generally doing my best to find my peace.

And I was, too. Finding peace. Enjoying my new job. I was even getting used to the ugly-ass church across the street. I was walking a lot, and relaxing in front of the TV after work for the first time in ages. I was masturbating when I felt like it, and from time to time I was even secretly basking in the reflected sexual glory of my interns.

Speaking of which.

I had found a grand total of one stain on a stool by the microscope that really could have been anything, and that's it. Nothing else. If the girls were using my lab as a brothel, they were at least cleaning up after themselves. I'd even prodded through the trash a couple of times, seeking condoms: nothing. So I was totally unprepared for what I saw when I stopped by just before the long Fourth of July weekend.

I let myself into the lab on an otherwise deserted floor late that evening, thinking I'd leave my turbidity gauge and a bunch of samples there in a milk crate for me to process next morning: I lugged the damn thing up the stairs and down the hall, then jammed it against the wall while I fumbled my key into the lock. The heavy door swung open with its usual grumpy groan, and I backed into the little office area without thinking anyone would be there.

Until I heard the hard, rhythmic slap of flesh striking flesh at high velocity from just behind me.

I whirled.

The man was not incredibly attractive. That was the first thing I noticed. But the second thing was that his looks were not what mattered at all to Alicia, who was bent over my desk with her boobs on my keyboard, getting thoroughly fucked. No, what seemed to matter to her was what he had between his legs, and judging from the enraptured expression on her face? It had to be amazing.

She had her face turned sideways toward me, but she'd clamped her eyes tightly shut over reddened cheeks smeared with tears and sweat. Her mouth was a soundless O, completely slack, in a look of endless bliss; it suddenly occurred to me that she was probably having an orgasm, right there as I watched. It was the only way I could explain a face like that. I'd never seen anything like it before.

But, of course, her face didn't hold my attention for long.

I peered down her body, past the pushed-up shirt and the mangled bra, past where the man's hand was gripping tightly at her exposed breast, past where her ribs showed and her torso twisted and her ass shook as he drilled her; past all that, my eyes darted greedily between their bodies, hoping to catch a glimpse of the guy's dick, plunging in and out with the piston-strokes of his ass driving him fast and hard into her. I caught it at last, glimpsed, a thick dark snake connecting her to a pale bush of hair on his nondescript belly, and I unconsciously licked my lips as I stared, my head automatically nodding to the rhythm of their furious coupling.

I watched a few seconds before I shook my head and glanced up over my milk crate, only to find the guy staring curiously back at me. He had flat eyes, not at all exceptional, over a sneering wide mouth. "Hi there," he said calmly, his body still jerking and twisting in that same punishing rhythm, sending his penis crashing into her overwhelmed body.

I lowered my eyes at once, embarrassed for all three of us, only to see Alicia's shorts and panties bunched carelessly around her ankles. "Excuse me," I managed, still looking away. "I'll come back later."

"I mean, it's fine," he shrugged, his fingers still kneading Alicia's breast. He had that skateboarder affect I'd always found oddly attractive in men. That, plus the size of the penis he was currently pummeling my summer intern with, gave me a good idea of how he'd been able to score Alicia. "She already came. I'll be finished in a second."

"Oh my god." Alicia's eyelids fluttered open now, dreamily, her body still sliding across my desk to the rhythm of the man's hips. "That was fucking great, Jason."

"Yeah, seemed like it," he agreed. His eyes were on her ass now, as if I wasn't even there. "Kneel down," he commanded, smacking the side of her hip. "I want to cum on your face."

"Okay." She pushed herself up off the desk with that feline suppleness she and Kaylen seemed to share, that physical grace I'd always lacked, and as I watched spellbound she fell nimbly to her knees with her head back, staring up at the man who'd been so comprehensively plowing her.

"Take your shirt off," he warned, his voice raspy; my eyes were riveted to his cock, now fully exposed as he jacked it over her waiting body. His eyes had a feral look, greedy, like a victorious hunter as Alicia ripped her wrinkled shirt over her head and knelt straight-backed, facing him, ready. The man chuckled. "Good slut." He reached roughly down to tug at her nipple. "My balls. Play with them." She obeyed without question as he glanced over at me. "Feel free to come join in..."

"Oh my god!" I gasped, my mind utterly blank: this was nothing I was prepared for. Vaguely I sensed that I was already deep, deep into whatever was going on here, so I set my milk crate down and then kicked the door closed behind me, watching the whole time as the man's balls jiggled in Alicia's willing hands with his hard, eager pulls at his penis. He was still looking at me when an odd, almost petulant expression crossed his face, his mouth falling open, and then with a long sighing gasp he came.

I loved the way she obeyed. Unquestioning. Just like me, with Randall.

She took it all, unflinching, her open mouth curling into a delighted grin as he shot four or five hard, fast spurts onto her face: eyes, nose, lips, he was equal-opportunity, coating them all in thick white spunk. She giggled, her hands rising to wipe at her eyes while he finished, stepping boldly forward to wipe his ridged cockhead on whatever parts of her face remained unpainted. "There you go," he sighed, his lips quirking cruelly; his penis was a bold, fat stalk jutting thick and brutal out of his body, and for a split second all I wanted to was crawl forward and lick her juices off it. "Good girl."

She was already leaning forward, scooping big puddles of semen into her mouth like a man squeegeeing his window at a gas station, her eager tongue lapping out to collect the last of it off his head. He heaved a deep breath, standing there with a pair of basketball shorts around his thighs and a t-shirt bunched underneath his armpits. He looked casually back at me. "We'll just be a minute. You the professor she's working for?"

My mouth goldfished open a few times before I stammered, "I'm a Research Associate. I'm not a professor."

"Whatever," he sniffed, "it's your name on the door." He smacked her nipple one last time, drawing a leaping yelp out of the radiant Alicia. "Thanks for letting us use the lab, I guess." He snickered, pulling his shorts up, that splendid penis disappearing behind its elastic curtain. "Maybe we'll do it again sometime, Alyssa."

"Alicia," she croaked, gulping down a few more drops of his semen. Her face was still all crusty next to her nose.

"Yeah," he nodded vaguely, looking through us both. "Not a bad ass, professor," he added as he strode behind me toward the door. "See you around."

She hopped to her feet, strings of cum still trickling from her chin down to her chest. "Hi, Annabeth!" she beamed, stretching up on her tiptoes. "That was fun."

"What the hell was that?" I demanded, incredulous that anyone would do anything as reckless as fucking near a microscope.

"That," she shrugged, "was Jason." Her eyes took on a distant expression as she shifted her weight a bit, her fingers fluttering at her reddened vagina. "Fuck. He really rearranged me in there," she laughed.

"No!" I cried. "I mean, why the hell were you having sex with him? This is my lab!"

Her hazel eyes framed me coolly, head cocked as she shrugged off her ruined bra and bent to pull her shorts back up. "We told you we'd be bringing guys here to fuck," she pointed out reasonably. "I thought you were cool with it. He's like the third guy I've done that with."

"It's a lab," I seethed, "not a strip club!"