Time Out (3 page)

“I never thought football was so intellectual,” Kristina smiled, slowly pulling
away and
sipping her latte. She did not w
ant to allow herself to crush too deeply on him.  She knew she was nothing that he would ever be attracted to and that his gestures were just sweet, friendly ones.

“That’s the same issue I have with my kid sister.  I keep having to remind her that I might be a jock, but I’m not stupid.  Believe it or not, football is as intellectual as is it physical,” Bryon said seriously. He w
asn’t happy with her withdrawal, but he accounted it for nervousness.

“I’m glad I got to meet you.  You’re really helping me a lot, Bry.  Thank you so much.”

“No, thank you.  It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a nice time with a beautiful woman.” He touched her cheek, making her blush. Good, he got
a positive reaction!

“Stop it. Finish explaining your game plan thingy. Do you do that to help get a home run?”  Kristina asked, her eyes glittering.

Bryon groaned. Little smart-ass. He was going to h
ave fun with her just as soon as he broke through her insecurities. He suspected it would not take long, especially with Suzanne’s assistance.

* * *

Suzanne beckoned to Kristina after lecture that Friday. “How did it go? Do you think he can help you?” she asked, gathering her briefcase.

“He’s really sweet
and such a gentleman
.  We’ve gotten together twice now
and he’s given
me a lot to think about. Thanks for the referral, I really appreciate it.”

“He’s a big boy, huh? I hope he didn’t scare you too much,” Suzanne smiled, walking towards her office
and holding the door open for the girl to enter
. 

Kristina shook her head. “Not at all, I really felt safe with him. It helps that he’s really handsome, too,” she giggled. “He definitely
knows how to hold my attention.  Bryon
mentioned that you might have some extra-credit
assignments
that I could do to maybe bring up my grade.  Do you?”

“Hmmm, I think we could work out something.  Please, sit down.” Suzanne tapped her chin, thinking quickly. “I’ve been doing some research for my new book that you might be able to help me on.  It’s about the psychology of philosophy.  Does that sound like something th
at might interest you
?”

“What’s it about?” Kristin
a asked, settling in the chair across from Suzanne’s desk.

“I’m investigating aspects of alternative lifestyles and the thought process behind those who invest in them.” Suz
anne studied the girl carefully, watching her body language.

“Like cross-dressing and stuff?”

“A bit.  My publisher wants me to do a follow-up to the last book I wrote, the one about PTSD adult regression. My primary interest this time is in the genre of age-play.  In particular, I w
ant to explore the reasons that
full-grown, well-educated, and successful adults subject themselves to being treated like a child, and the resultant patterns of adult behavior following the activity.”

“I never heard of that,” Kristina’s interest was piqued. She le
aned forward, eager for more.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of BDSM, yes?”

“Of course.  Whips and chains, leather, masks….” There w
as no judgment in her tone and she continued to leave her body language open for more discussion.

“There is so much more to that community.  In fact, what you described is just a tiny portion of what it entails.  It’s a worldwide phenomenon and is
attracting the involvement of
more high profile individuals.  I can’t even begin to tell you the different levels that exist in that lifestyle.  This one, however, grabbed my attention because it was so opposite of its association with BDSM.”

“Could you give me an example?”

“My understanding is that an adult, of any age, gets involved in a relationship in which their partner assumes the role of either a parent, extended family member or a guardian.  Depending on the age bracket the couple decides upon, each member would live and function in that age group with the same responsibilities and consequences.”

“Are you saying that there are people my age who wear diapers and get spanked?” Kristina’s eyes opened wide.  There was no repulsion visible in her expression
and her hands remained calmly placed in her lap
.

Suzanne kept a straight face.  She was good at reading people and Kristina was very curious.  Good start. “Yes, some do.  Other’s play an older role.  My question is, how do these couples determine the age-bracket and why? What are their variables and how do they employ them? What is gained or lost?  Wh
at dynamic occurs when other people, such as extended family members, interact as multiples?
Ultimately, what is the provocation to engage in this lifestyle?”

“I don’t know what to say.  I’m captivated,” Kristina said, thinking.  “If you don’t mind my asking, what got you into this research?”

“I was counseling a friend of mine who verbalized interest in pursuing the lifestyle with her girlfriend.  Although drawn to it, she was afraid there was something wrong with both of them.  That’s when the questions started.”

“What’s the problem if they are two consenting adults and no one got hurt?” Kristina asked.

“That was my disposition.  However, as we talked, we discovered there was much more under the surface.  She desper
ately
desired control, direction,
and discipline.  To her,
it felt like she put female independence back thousands of years by wanting this woman to be her mommy.”

“It sort of sounds that way, especi
ally i
f the equ
al rights issues were involved.  I
would cert
ainly see that attitude forming for those involved in a heterosexual relationship. I would think there are very few women today that would appreciate a man being invited to have that kind of control.  What I don’t understand is that i
f she trusts her partner, why not? What h
arm could it do if it satisfies both of their needs?
”

Suz
a
nne w
a
s impressed with the girl’s thought process. She w
as open-minded and genuinely objective.
“Th
at is e
xactly how I feel. So, do you think you might be interested?”

“Absolutely! It sounds fascinating.”

“It would require a lot of personal research and serious soul searching.  You’ll need to be very honest with your own preconception of life and de
al with
any prejudice in your belief system in order to approach this objectively. Do you think you could do that?”

“I’m pretty open to other people’s preferences.  One of my sisters is gay and seems really happy. I mean, who am I to judge, right?”

“Very good.  I like that way of thinking. I also believe th
at this approach will greatly
benefit you in your writing.  Bec
ause of that,
I’m offering you a position as my co-author.”

“Are you serious?” Kristina asked, stunned. 

“Of course I’m serious. I’ve read several of your pieces
and recognize your
talent to puzzle together information and present it in
an
informative and palatable m
anner
for any level of reader. I want to publish this study for both professional and layman us
age
.  It would require a one year commitment from you with
authorization of
a very generous stipend.”

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but why me? I know nothing about alternative lifestyles.”

“I see something in you that has tremendous promise.  I’m also paying it forward.  When I was your age, I had a professor who gave me a break.  I was very insecure
and self-conscious, and people believed I was stupid because I looked like this, “she swept her hand over the length of her body,” He gave me the confidence to explore my options and the means to follow my goals.
It if wasn't for him, I would never have gotten where I am today. I’m 41, a full professor with tenure, 6 publications, and yearly research grants for whatever I want to pursue. Not too bad for a girl from a low-income family from Nebraska, huh? Well?” Suz
anne waited patiently, seeing the girl struggle. “
I re
ally believe you can do this.  Don’t be afraid to try something new. I won’t let you fall, I promise.
”

Kristina finally nodded.
“I’ll take the job.  Thank you so much.”

“You didn’t ask me what it pays. Or what I will need from you.” Suzanne raised her eyebrow.

Kristina shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. You’re right.  I’d be a fool to pass up an opportunity like this. I’ve got to stop being so
a
fr
aid and reach out for new experiences, especially as a writer.
I promise Ms. Bichat, I’ll do my best to make you proud.”

“Call me Suzanne. Bec
ause this is a new situation for you, I suggest that you
start keeping a personal journal of your questions, thoughts, feelings, and impulses.  Even the intimate and uncomfortable ones will help you become more aware of those around you and your perception of them. Just remember th
at the basics of p
hilosophy will be the thing you’ll need to give you true insight into your study. I’ll download the research folder to you so you can start adding information as you gather facts.”

“I h
ave a question.
How do you make a fact out of something that’s so subjectively personal and private?  I wouldn’t even know what type of questions to ask if I ever met anyone who was into this.”

“Start from the beginning. You need to take the first step towards a goal before you can achieve it.  What do you think th
at would be
? T
ake the idea literally.
”

Kristina thought for a second about Bryon’s st
atement
concerning how he worked a play in his game book. “You have to first crawl, then stand and walk.”

“Go on,” Suzanne urged, pleased to see that Bryon’s assistance was already getting the girl pointed in the right direction for her studies.

“The three positions allow us to view our world from five different perspectives.”

“Interesting.  Why five and not three?” Suzanne was intrigued.

“Before you can crawl, you have to be able to roll over.  The fourth perspective is looking up, the fifth is looking down.” Kristin
a considered Bryon’s lesson about the box, and that it actually served a purpose beyond giving her headaches.

“Excellent!” Suzanne clapped her hands happily while Kristina blushed with pleasure at her Professor’s praise. “Let’s not forget looking from side to side and behind. Ok, now wrap it up, my girl! Go beyond the liter
al.
”

“Don’t you have to be cognitive of the past, present and future before you can recognize a goal for what it is?” Kristin
a asked, uncertain if this response was what her teacher sought.

“Amazing!  I need to give that boy a huge hug!” Suzanne was thrilled at Kristina’s progress in just two tutoring sessions.  The young woman w
a
s taking everything Bryon talked about to both heart and mind!

“I suspect he’d be just as happy with a couple of blackberry pies and a gallon of Rocky Road ice cream,” Kristina commented, feeling a little twinge of jealousy.  Where did that come from?  Bryon and Suzanne were good friends; that was all.  She also suspected that dear Professor Bichat had something to do with the young, handsome man with light brown hair who came to her class twice a week. And th
at her interest
had nothing to do with his schoolwork.

“That he would, Kristina; that he would.  I’m impressed in how you managed to get his favorite desert information out of him without even cooking dinner,” Suzanne mentioned merrily, not missing the little green monster pop out briefly from the girl’s eyes.  Suzanne had known for a long time about how charming and enjoyable Bryon was, so Kristina’s instant sense of possession truly did not surprise her. In fact, it pleased her to no end!

“Why would knowing someone’s favorite desert be impressive?”

“Bryon is a sly little fox in a very big, hungry body.  His sister is a culinary student and had to try every dessert recipe she could come up with to finally get a worthwhile response.  It took her four months.”

“I’m sure he m
anaged to
enjoy all the other things she made in the meantime.”

“Trust me, he did not suffer in the least bit,” Suzanne laughed.  “Now, back to your research.  That is where your journal comes in.  Put yourself in one of their shoes and ask these questions to yourself. Who would you w
ant to journey with you?
Why would you be brought to
a
pl
ace of wanting this type of relationship
? What would you want once you got there? When would you w
ant to be fully involved and h
ow would you feel during the process of discovery?  This is the philosophy of self, the eternal questions of Who am I
and
Why
am I?
”

“I noticed you said ‘one of their shoes.’ Why not both?”

“Ah hah, you’re catching on.  Can a person be both a child and an adult at the same time?  C
a
n
another be both a parent and a lover, barring the stigma of incest?
The one to pick to study should be the one you h
a
ve the most difficulty rel
ating to
.  By struggling with yourself, you will be able to formulate the right type of questions.  Let Bryon help you with that decision since he’ll be spending all that time with you during the project.  He’s very objective and I trust his opinion.”

“Yes, ma’am,” came the eager response.

“Oh, yes.  When you do decide which role you are going to explore, please let me know.  I might need to find another individual to rese
a
rch the opposite perspective. There are too many variables that we’ll need to identify as the study grows for just one field worker to handle. There are also gender considerations, as well as relational and cultural.”