The campus at Empire State University was bustling with activity, students hurried along finding their routes to their newly registered classes for fall semester, staff went about preparing their classrooms with needed supplies, and everyone it seems was at a steady panic. The school was centered among a commercially successful section of New York. Its buildings spread along the surrounding edge of a well landscaped park. Beyond the plethora of academic buildings were the surrounding streets full of trendy shops, night clubs, and restaurants all framed by antiquated brick and marked by the occasional sign of sloppy graffiti. Traffic stood still due to the steady stream of students preparing for their new lives, most hoisting furniture or clothes to their dorms. Everyone was in a rush, fall semester started tomorrow and time was running out for preparations.

Michael hated this time of year. It had been a good twenty years since he was "discovered" as a sixteen year old student in Greece and received a full paid scholarship to ESU. By the age of twenty-four he had graduated with multiple doctorates specializing in biochemistry and he'd accepted a position in the school's bio lab. It had been over a decade since then and though he had gained greater and greater fame in his field his life was the same as ever.

Every day he'd wake up in his small off campus apartment, eat at a local cafe and head to work where he stayed for ten hours overseeing tests. He would then head home exhausted, bathe, sometimes read, eat, and retire for the evening. The others in the lab thought he was a recluse, he never really smiled, he was never known to praise anyone for their work, and when he had taught a few classes in the years prior he had a legendary student failure rate. Sometimes he would catch wind of a new rumor about him that had been making the rounds. He would hear that he performed tests on student corpses, or that he had once poisoned all the fountains on the ground floor, or that he had been the subject of a small laboratory explosion gifting him with his trademark looks. He tried not to let it bother him, his looks after all weren't handsome by any means, quite the opposite, but he had never been in any explosions nor had he done any of the other immoral acts people talked about. Michael was pale by habit and had large eyes with a slight deformation in his nose. His wrinkles were firm pressed into the pattern of his face and he wore his hair long, it fell black and winding to his shoulders. He was just an introverted man who preferred to do things his way or not at all and he had no time to worry over his appearance. He had everything he could ever want anyways, his own lab, his own office, his own space that no one else could invade.

Today though, hah! Today the only rumors circulating would be ones of astonishment. He almost let a smile slip as he had received a call from the head of the medical department today at five AM. One of his patented devices this year had passed testing and was going to save thousands of lives for those people who needed organ donation. As a result it was announced overnight that he would be receiving a Nobel peace prize for his body of work in the medical field. It was a huge accolade and the school had a very vested interest in his award. Tonight he had a short shift because at six there would be an announcement. Saturday at eight there would be a black tie cocktail dinner where he was expected to make a speech and rub noses with some of the school's alumni and investors then at noon the next day a "science luncheon" where he was to talk to some of the most promising students in the research field.

He sighed under his breath and let loose a small string of Greek profanities. The entire weekend was shot, maybe next week as well and possibly more for the ceremony in December. It was to the point where he was putting his experiments off and charging others with the upkeep of his lab and he hated that, all the more chance for someone to fuck up his work. He took the steps up the front of the building narrowly dodging an idiot texting on their phone and walking. Jack Russel, one of the few men he could call "friend" was waiting for him when he got to his office. He was a tall and lean sort of guy who always managed to look like he had just scraped himself off of a barroom floor, but he had the good looks and the charm to pull it off. Michael found himself actually pleased to see him so soon in the day.

"Morb! I heard the news!"

Morbius side-eyed him while wrestling his key into his door. "Who would have thought you actually watch news, I would have thought you would never discover the nomination unless they printed it on a Budweiser label."

"C'mon now you know this is all over the school. Big fucking deal Mike, it's a huge fucking deal! This is some serious shit!" He threw his arm over Michael's shoulder to give him a forceful slap on the back.

"Fantastic. That's just what I wanted. I suppose you want my autograph now? To my loving friend Jack right? May he one day be able to drink beer that isn't swill and find a woman who can tolerate him for more than the three minutes it takes him to achieve orgasm." At this Michael finally let a smile slip. For all the inconvenience Jack caused he was rather good company and one of his only real contacts with the normal world.

Jack chuckled. "It's some serious cash too you know. They give you a big fat grant for this. Do whatever the hell you want with it too, could sit there playing with your dick if that's all you had the mind for."

"I think that is all that you have the mind for."

"And what about that party? Black tie my man! I hope you know I am breaking out my finest duds."

"A truly scary thought."

"And I've got Cindy all lined up as my date."

"Oh good lord. That poor girl."

"Yeah you go ahead and laugh it up but I'll be getting a little something that night ya' dig?"

"I don't have any idea what you're insinuating with such subtlety."

"You have a date? I imagine they're going to expect you to have some pretty thing on your arm."

Michael's smile quickly faded, for all his academic success he had never been good with the ladies and was always somewhat in awe of Jack in that regard. Hell, even his friend and lab assistant Emil had a girlfriend at home in Greece. Michael had gone on several dates in his youth but they went nowhere, most women wanted nothing to do with him. He was a workaholic, cold, logical, and ugly. Not a winning combination. Jack was quick to pick up on his state of emotional turmoil and gave him a few soft pats on the shoulder. Michael shifted his briefcase out of his arm and slunk down into his office chair to think.

"I could set you up. Cindy has a sister..."

"Oh no. No absolutely not. You remember what happened last time."

"She liked you man!"

"No, she did not. She was practically fleeing from me until you started spouting some nonsense about me being rich."

"Hey, you are pretty set and if that's what floats her boat then use it."

"No Jack." Michael craned his back and slid his head down onto his hands supported by the desk. "I want someone who actually likes me, not my bank account."

"Dude, you're what thirty-six now? Beggars can't be choosers." At this Michael made a tap with his hand over his heart, it was a gesture Jack understood well as a friend. Low blow. "look I'm sorry, how about I buy you a date?"

Michael sat bolt upright. "Oh good god Jack you don't mean.."

"NOT a prostitute, I promise. It's just an escort service."

"So exactly like a prostitute."

"No man this is legit. There's no sex. They send a nice lady in a fancy gown, she walks with you, laughs at your horrible jokes, makes the other faculty wicked jealous, helps you look somewhat like a human being..."

"Et tu Brute."

"Huh?"

"Look Jack, I appreciate the thought but I'd rather go solo than have someone I've paid to be there."

"Really? Because you remember Larry's gal right?"

Michael let loose a slight involuntary shudder. Larry Burghouse was a department chair and had an exceedingly beautiful, seductive, and morally deplorable girlfriend. Every function that Michael attended she felt like offering her assistance as to how he could acquire a plastic surgeon's services to "fix his face", be set up with one of her newly single friends (who were all equally deplorable), or how he could invest his liquid assets in her modeling business. She viewed Michael as her personal pet project. He had tried simply staring daggers at her when she talked but she was vacant enough that it went unnoticed and he was not the kind of man who could straight up tell her to "go fuck herself". Anything was better than putting up with her for another evening.

"Fuck. Fine. Do it." He slammed his hand down on the desk eliciting a thud.

"Whoah seriously Mike? Cause I'll do this."

"Yes, if it'll spare me an evening cornered by that injection molded Barbie doll I'll do it. What do I have to do?"

"Cool. We'll do this then. They'll call you tomorrow night to arrange details like what you want her to wear, where you'll meet, so on and so on. Mind if I borrow three hundred bucks?"

"Let me guess, for the escort?"

"Perhaps..."

"Just give me the damn number Jack."

That night after the school announcement Michael said his goodbyes to the small assembly of faculty dispersing cheap champagne in plastic ware with the excuse that he had an early morning tomorrow. They were pretty used to it by now, Michael had slipped out of every function or party the school had ever thrown, and before he found his escape he usually just sat by himself in a corner and talked to no one. He slowly walked home to his apartment enjoying the sunset and the clear weather. When he finally got to his building he took a deep breath and unlocked his door to step inside.

It was a snug modern apartment with decidedly masculine furniture all dark and angular, the carpet was colored a rich maroon and it had a lovely open floor plan with a kitchen counter complete with barstools that overlooked the living room. He had splurged on a few nice devices, a 50 inch Samsung TV he barely watched, a small laptop computer, but aside from the occasional stack of books or empty beer bottle the entire apartment was immaculate and sparsely decorated. A cleaning service came in twice a week while he was at work to tidy up and do the laundry but he never really left anything else dirty. The phone, mounted to the counter, was an old shiny black office model with a cord. He had a cell but preferred to make business calls from home when he could, he enjoyed the privacy it afforded him.

He put down his case on the granite counter and lifted himself to sit at a stool. Michael was not a man who suffered from any great anxiety but this was no normal call, he drummed his fingers on the granite and fished out the number that Jack had given him. It was a small card with raised red ink "Royalty Escorts" and the image of a champagne glass embossed on the back, it looked legitimate enough from what he could tell. "Okay, I can do this." He picked up the phone and quickly dialed. After five rings and an overcome temptation to hang up and forget the whole thing a shrill voice answered.

"Royal Escorts. How may I help you today."

"Umm... yes I was referred to you to schedule a.. date?" He tried to hide his nervousness and failed horribly when his normally deep voice cracked halfway through.

"Name of your referrer please?"

"Jack Russell"

"Ah, and how is Jack lately?" She broke into a much friendlier tone. It figures, Jack knew all the women somehow.

"He's good. His usual self. Constantly in trouble."

She giggled. "That's Jack for you. Well can we have your name and location? Oh, and the date and time of the event. Please know we are not a full service escort service sir."

"Full service?"

"Ahem, you know. No illegal activity..."

"Oh, yes. Of course. Um address is Michael Morbius, five-thirteen Opera drive, apartment D. The date will be Saturday the 6th from.. well the dinner starts at eight."

"We'll mark you down from seven-thirty onward, you work at the school with Jack?"

"Yes, and that is where the event is as well."

"Okay, Michael. It'll be one hundred and fifty per hour, we prefer cash for two hours up front with the remaining paid at the end of the date. She'll meet you at your residence and will need to check in with us twice during the evening is that okay?"

"Yes."

"Alright, this is a formal event so she will be dressed accordingly. Do you have any preferences? Like short, tall, eye color, race, hair color?"

Michael paused for a moment in thought and on a brief impulse mumbled "Blonde. I prefer blonde."