Susanne Novan: Driven

“Not particularly. More of a Cat Hodges fan.”

The sober part of her brain looked on in horror at the developing situation. Though hardly a prude, she’d also never been the type to outwardly flirt with women, especially in straight bars. Her libido, however, aided by the alcohol, was firmly in control of the rest of her. “A fan, huh?”

“Oh yes. A very…big…fan.” Hodge’s eyes nearly popped out of her head when the redhead put a hand on her knee and slowly drew it upward. “Who

would love the opportunity to pay you back for the hours of enjoyment you’ve given me.”

In a last ditch effort to bring her suddenly rebellious body back under control, Hodge pushed back and stood up, not even noticing as her chair toppled over backwards the moment it was free of her weight. “Air!” she squeaked. “I need air.”

With a tiger’s smile, the redhead stood and took Hodge’s hand. “What a wonderful idea. Let’s take a walk.”

Hodge looked desperately over her shoulder, but her friends were too busy searching for tonsil scars on their latest dates-du-jour to pay her any mind at all.

Then the redhead slid a sly thumb across Hodge’s sensitive palm, and she pretty much stopped thinking for good.

Hodge wasn’t sure how they ended up back at her dorm room, but by then she’d given up asking those sorts of questions. Her body craved what the

redhead was offering and gleefully pounded the little voice of Catholic guilt in her head into silent submission.

Managing to get her key into the lock on the third try, she pushed the door open and made a gallant gesture with her hand to allow her date to enter first.

Then she dropped her ‘Do Not Disturb, upon penalty of death’ sign on the knob and closed the door.

Turning, she stripped off her jacket and let it drop into a heap on the floor. “So Red, whaddya think?”

“I think I should help you get the rest of those clothes off so I can see that delicious body up close and personally.”

“Sounds good to me.” Hodge had a stupid grin on her face as she walked to the bed.

*****

The ringing phone went through Hodge’s head like a dentist’s drill. She would have covered her ears had her hands not been trapped

beneath….something. The ring came again, and she dragged her eyes open, then shut them immediately as the light streaming through the window set

what was left of her brain on fire.

“Oh god, just kill me now,” she mumbled, finally yanking her hands free, and managing to reach the phone just as it stopped its infernal jangling.

Her eyes slitted open, carefully this time. She froze as it became readily apparent that the “something” which had trapped her hands was a very warm,

very naked female body pressed tightly against her.

“Ohhh shit,” she breathed, lifting the sheet to find that she was as naked as her guest. “Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.”

She looked around her room, trying not to turn her head too much, and found various articles of clothing strewn about. Very briefly she wondered if that

was her bra hanging off the mini basketball hoop over the bathroom door.

The phone rang again. “What!” she growled into the mouthpiece, and immediately regretted it. Her head spun from the sound of her own voice.

The mocking tones of the dorm’s RA, Cookie Reese, filtered through the handset, adding nausea to the list of complaints Hodge’s body was voicing. “Hate

to disturb you and your ‘date’, Kitty.”

“Don’t call me that.”

A snicker. “There some guy named Mac here to see you.”

Hodge looked down at her bed mate, who was finally coming awake. “Your boyfriend no doubt, here to kick my ass.”

Another snicker. “Wrong, sweetie. This guy says he’s from some basketball team or something.”

She sat up ramrod straight, her face paling to the color of curdled milk. “What?!?!?”

Cookie heaved a dramatic sigh. “For goodness’ sake, Kitty, were you so hot to get laid last night that you didn’t listen to the message I left you? I told you he would be here this morning.”

Slowly turning her head, Hodge looked down at the phone whose red message indicator was flashing urgently. “Ohhhh shit.”

“Better get some clothes on, love. I’m sending him down right now.”

Click.

Hodge stared at the phone as if it had suddenly grown fangs, then slammed it down. “Shit! Shit! Get up! Get up now!”

Jumping out of bed, Hodge grabbed the tangled sheets and pulled. The redhead tumbled to the floor with a startled squawk. Hodge ran around the room

gathering up her guest’s clothing, then pulled the indignant young woman up by her arm and shoved the bundle into her chest.

“Closet! Now!!”

“What?!?”

“Get in the closet and don’t make a sound till I tell you it’s ok.”

Turning away without waiting for an answer, Hodge grabbed her own clothes and started shoving her limbs into them, almost tripping herself as she tried

to stuff two legs into the same hole. “Shit!”

Finally she managed to dress herself in wrinkled clothes that stank of smoke and stale beer. Grabbing her brush, she pulled it through the tangled mess of her hair, then gave up and pulled it behind her head in a ponytail. She stiffened as she glanced quickly into the mirror and spied the redhead, still naked, and still staring at her, bewildered.

A knock on the door sounded a split second later.

“Just a minute!” she managed to get out in a voice that sounded more like a frog’s dying croak than anything else.

Turning on her heel, she grabbed her date’s clothing bundle and shook out the dress she’d been wearing the night before. “Put your arms up.”

“What?”

“Arms up! Now!”

Still bewildered, the young woman did as she was told, and Hodge yanked the material down over her arms and head. “There. No go sit down at my desk

and pretend you’re studying or something.”

“Cat….”

“Please, please do as I say. Please!”

The knock sounded again.

Praying she’d somehow wake up from this nightmare she was trapped in, Hodge walked over to the door, twisted the lock, and pulled it open.

A huge man filled the open space, staring down at her with a polite smile on his face. “Catherine Hodges?”

“Um…yes. Yes, that’s me. Can I help you?”

“My name is Mac MacKenzie. I’m with the Birmingham Badgers.” His voice trailed off as he looked into the disheveled room. “Have I come at a bad

time? Your Resident Assistant told me you’d be available this morning.”

“Oh. No…no….you’re fine. We were just…studying.” She looked over her shoulder at the redhead, who hadn’t moved an inch. “Right….?”

“Phyllis.”

“Phyllis, right.”

There was a sick smile on her face as she turned back to the door. “We have finals next week.”

Mac looked at her doubtfully. “I can come another time, if….”

“No! No, please, it’s fine. Phyllis was just leaving. Weren’t you, Phyllis.”

Finally, the redhead moved from her spot. “Yes, that’s right. Just leaving. We’re all through…studying…for today.” Walking forward, she made sure to

brush by the sweating Hodge. “Give me a call later if you want to study some more, ok?”

“Yeah. Sure. Fine. Just…go now, ok?”

“My pleasure.”

Mac stepped out of the way, and Phyllis left, but not before bestowing a lewd wink on Hodge.

“Please,” Hodge said sickly, “come in.”

Hodge pulled the door wider and moved aside as Mac ducked into the room. Once he had fully entered, she swung the door closed, only to find its forward

progress halted halfway. Angered at the thought that her pushy bed mate had returned to embarrass her further, she swung around the door, ready to