Man Whisperer by Allegra Adams

Author:Allegra Adams
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Strebor Books

Dr. Winchester, the department chairperson, sat in the leather brown chair across from Allegra’s desk, impatiently chewing on his unlit cigar. He wore his customary gray sweater, sagging socks, and wrinkled gray pants that were four inches too short, exposing his hairy calves. The aroma of cigar smoke seeped through his pores. Allegra was startled to see him in her office.

“Dr. Winchester?”

“Good Day, Ms. Adams.”

“Did you not receive the curriculum for next semester that I forwarded to your secretary yesterday?” Allegra continued, reviewing incoming mail on her desk, and making sure that she had not left her pink vibrator on top of the paper-burdened desk.

“I did. But that’s not why I’m here,” Dr. Winchester replied, scratching the nape of his neck, near the red blotches.

“Oh?” replied Allegra, still standing.

“Have a seat, Ms. Adams,” Dr. Winchester firmly said, rising to close Allegra’s office door. Obediently, she sat down, on the edge of her chair, waiting for her department head to reveal whatever he had on his mind. Allegra prayed that he did not want to revisit the incident when she stabbed him with a fork for secretly feeling on her thigh. In her mind, four prongs stuck in the top of your hand should have been discussion enough.

Dr. Winchester cleared his throat, with a hacking cough. “I shouldn’t be telling you this...need to maintain my objectivity and all, where you are concerned, but there might be some opposition with one of the professors on the panel for your oral argument.”

“Opposition. How’s that?” Allegra’s mind was reeling. Her cheeks were warm. She had spent four years working toward her Ph.D. in anthropology, racking up nearly all A’s, winning a prestigious teaching assistantship, and earning a 3.90 grade-point average. All that remained were her final exam and oral presentation, each to be scored by a panel of professors chosen by Dr. Winchester.

“Well, Dr. Rosenthal has had to take a leave of absence. Health issues, I’m afraid.”

“Sorry to hear that. Who do you have in mind to replace her? Dr. Porter? They’re both familiar with my work.”

“It’s not that simple, Ms. Adams. Dr. Rosenthal has recommended that her friend and colleague, Dr. Henderson, who has just joined the NYU faculty from the University of Detroit. The Dean appointed her as Dean Faculty Representative, and thought this would be an excellent opportunity to begin her tenure here at NYU. Since she has guided several dissertations back at the University of Detroit, she was the obvious choice.” Allegra froze, blood draining from her face. In Rio de Janeiro, Dr. Henderson had made it a point to openly challenge Allegra during the question and answer session after her keynote speech.

Dr. Winchester cleared his throat once again. “I gather you know Dr. Henderson.”

“We’ve met. When I attended the conference in Rio, she was one of the attendees who had a few questions regarding my thesis.”

“How do you know that?”

“Well, she raised her hand and said as much. To keep her from disrupting the question and answer session, I had to cut her off.

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