Note: This fluffy one-shot is a re-edited "outtake" from an old story I coauthored with Surly Coach that is no longer in the archives.

Admission Granted

Three hairs stuck up on Eric's head as he leaned back against the headboard of their king-size bed in the oversized master bedroom of the updated house Tami's "housing allowance" had enabled them to buy. Braemore had set them up "college style," if you associated college with granite countertops, soaking tubs, and his or her closets.

She smiled at his appearance as she slid into bed. The disarray was mild. Three stray hairs weren't a sign of any inner turmoil. They were just evidence that he could never be completely, 100 percent tamed, which was just fine by her. She enjoyed a good squabble from time to time. Tonight she didn't expect one, though. Eric actually seemed rather relaxed for a change as he turned the page of his book. Tami reached over to the nightstand and grabbed her own book off it.

"Babe, I've been meaning to tell you," he said as she settled into a reading position, "how very, very much I appreciate everything you do. You're amazingly generous."

She smiled at him. "What are you after?"

"Nothing. Can't I express my gratitude from time to time without suspicion?"

"You can express it as often as you like, and I always like to hear it, with or without suspicion."

He reached out an arm to her. She scooted over, leaned back against his chest, and cracked open her book.

"What are you reading?" he asked. She raised the book and turned the cover toward him - The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College.

"I figured now that I'm Dean of Admissions, I should stay informed of what's being said about my kind."

He smirked. "If you're the gatekeeper, does that make me the keymaster?"

She laughed. "Shush it."

"Interesting book?"

"Some of it's very interesting. I'm at a really boring part at the moment though. What are you reading?"

He turned his cover toward her – The Big Miss: My Years Coaching Tiger Woods.

"Good?" she asked.

"I don't know. There's a lot of stuff in here that has nothing to do with coaching. Or even golf."

"Well…." she smiled at him. "Maybe we can think of something more interesting to do in this bed tonight than reading."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is the gatekeeper saying that admission is granted?"

She chuckled. "I don't know. I might require an admissions interview first. You know I have a very selective admissions policy."

He put his book on the end table. "Shoot."

She closed her book and set it aside also. "Of all the available options out there, why is" - She waved a hand up and down her body - "this one your first choice?"

"Hmmmm..." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Diversity."

Smiling, she shook her head. "What?"

"I thought that was always the right answer at an admissions interview."

She laughed.

"And you're certainly diverse, Tami. Mother, lover, friend, wife, chef, master organizer, sex goddess…"

"Sex goddess?"

"That's right, baby." He pulled her on top of himself and kissed her, and there were no more questions.

#

Later, after the lovemaking, the cuddling, and a good twenty minutes of talking, Eric tried to go for two, but Tami told him it wasn't happening. He clicked off the light and snaked down under the covers, put his head on the pillow, and closed his eyes. "Read me a bedtime story," he said.

"From my book?"

"Sure. I could apparently use some admission tips."

"You were admitted."

"With my first application. But then when I applied for the top tier, I got turned down."

"Oh, that first time wasn't top tier?" she asked.

"Well, now….I didn't mean….Just read to me. You have a very relaxing voice."

She laughed and shook her head. "Okay." She rooted around for the book where she'd tossed it on the floor, found the spot where she'd left off, and began reading: "The deans of those colleges were capable of presenting me with a highly sanitized…" Two minutes later, she glanced down at him. He was sound asleep.