Snapshots: Academic Pursuits!

she was oblivious to the palpable thumping of every male heart in the ballroom as she strode across the floor.

"dr. charles! you look absolutely divine!"

foxy smiled at the dean of the anthropology department. "dr. dean, you're too kind. and the ballroom looks lovely! i'm so glad that we're hosting the annual conference this year. it's good publicity for the department and the school."

"dr. dean!"

the new voice was low, deep, and self-assured, and foxy found herself turning toward it the way a cobra obeys a snake charmer's flute.

"brett, my boy!" dr. dean reached out to embrace a tall young man with wavy, jet-black hair, steely grey eyes, and a noticeable scar running jaggedly from the outside corner of his left eye down toward the ear lobe. the scar enhanced rather than detracted from his primitive good looks; the broad shoulders and lean hips didn't hurt matters, either.

"dr. charles, allow me to introduce dr. brett cobalt. brett accompanied me to Papua New Guinea five years ago to help me study the wedding rituals of the aboriginal tribes there."

"enchanté," dr. cobalt bent to kiss foxy's hand but his eyes never left hers. "your work on immigrant influences on american culture is both fascinating and unprecedented."

despite being caught off-guard and more than a little breathless, foxy managed a winning smile and comeback. "but nowhere near as exciting as your recent research on the impact that illegal drug trading is having on south american farmers. very dangerous work, indeed!"

dr. cobalt ran a finger down his scar. "well, it certainly has its moments." he held out his hand. "shall we dance?"

"oh, we shall. we certainly shall!"

foxy's feet were as light as the butterflies in her stomach as the dashing dr. cobalt twirled her across the dance floor. she sensed the raw heat and strength that his body could barely contain. he was a man of action, yet also a distinguished scholar in her own field. he was her intellectual equal, but his physicality had no rival.

when the song ended, he noted, "you dance beautifully, dr. charles. would you join me for a glass of champagne?"

"i'd be delighted, dr. cobalt."

her knees weakened slightly as his hand gave hers a squeeze. she found a wall to lean against and compose herself while he walked off to find champagne. she smiled when he appeared again in front of her, a fluted glass of golden bubbles in each hand, when suddenly her arms were wrenched behind her!

"buenas noches, señor cobalt," a sinister voice behind her said.

cobalt's face hardened and his eyes gleamed like sharpened flint. foxy could sense the untamed animal inside him overtaking his scholarly veneer.

"let her go, carlos."

"why should i?" the sinister voice retorted. "your research exposed a very profitable operation for my family and caused my brother to be killed." foxy felt something cold against her face. "how is it you americans say? 'revenge is served with cold cuts?'"

foxy shook her head. "no, carlos. it's 'revenge is a dish best served cold.' it's very common for people who learn english as a second language to--"

"stop it! cierra la boca!"

cobalt took that moment to throw the champagne flutes at the sinister carlos, who took the bubbly full in the face as foxy, anticipating cobalt's move, threw herself to the side. cobalt rushed forward to grapple with the villain. they rolled back and forth across the floor, writhing and growling in a tangle of taught tendons and bloody, exposed flesh as each man had a hand on the knife and used it against the other alternatively. suddenly, carlos grinned and, releasing the knife, reached behind his back.

foxy screamed, "brett! he's got a gun!"

she saw the knife thrust down toward carlos' throat as the gun went off.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

she rushed forward and knelt beside cobalt, rolling him off of the lifeless carlos.

"no, please...." the red froth at cobalt's mouth matched that at the wound in his chest, and she knew there was nothing anybody could do.

his flinty eyes softened as he looked into her face. he brought his fingers up to her lips. she kissed them gently and he brought them back down to his own lips as the light faded from his eyes and his chest stopped moving.

dr. dean dropped down and placed a comforting arm around her shoulder. "are you okay, dr. charles?"

she nodded. "i am unharmed, dr. dean. but poor brett..."

the dean nodded. "yes, a tragedy in every sense of the word. a brilliant mind who quite literally gave his life in pursuit of greater understanding. he's an example for all of us to follow, young and old. come, let us let the authorities tend to their duties."

"let me in. i'm a doctor!" a woman with a black medical bag knelt down opposite foxy and placed her fingers against cobalt's neck. "he's still alive. here, place this over the wound!"

foxy applied the plastic sheet to the gaping chest wound and held it in place while the doctor attached strips of tape to three sides of the patch, leaving the fourth side to open.

"that's to let the bad air out, but it won't allow any bad air in," the doctor informed her. sure enough, she saw the open side flap open as cobalt exhaled, and flatten against his skin as he inhaled again.

"is he going to live?"

the doctor rolled him over on his side. "yes, i think he will. he's strong and we got to it pretty fast. now, clear the way for the paramedics."

as foxy stood to get out of the way, she realized with a blush that she seemed to have ripped her bodice somehow...