Hot For Teacher (51 page)

“Oh, you know, the bar and then school started. Mabel, this is Mr.… Uh…. Josh.” My heart speeds up with her cute stuttering and the sound of my name in her sweet voice. I hold my hand out to her.

“Mabel, it’s a pleasure.” She smiles and shakes my hand and then looks over at Emma.

“My! Such a gentleman and a real looker. You’ve been holding out on me, Em. Is he the real reason you haven’t been around? Hmmm?”

I laugh as Emma brings her menu up to her face to try to cover some of her embarrassment. “Oh, Mabel! Stop! No!” She brings the menu back down and looks into my eyes. “We actually just met and are just here for coffee.”

I look down at my menu and then back at Mabel when she speaks, “Psh, child. You never eat and barely sleep. You all should at least have one of my homemade cinnamon rolls. You are seriously gonna wither away to nothing. Come on, on the house. My treat.”

Our eyes continue to stare into each other’s and I grow very serious. “Well, we can’t pass that up.” I look up at Mabel and wink. “I’m in for any kind of homemade cooking. God knows I never get any.” She looks at Emma and she nods at Mabel and then back at me.

“Okay, I know what my girl drinks, what about you, sugar?”

“Just black please, but I’ll take some extra cinnamon drizzle on the top of the roll if you have it.” I smile.

“Only way to eat it right?” She winks and then walks away.

“So, how do you take your coffee?” I ask Emma and watch her roll her eyes and then laugh, and I feel comfortable already.

“Yeah, so, I have no idea what I want to do with my life but for now, I love working at Randy’s. It pays the bills and I’ll probably flunk Calculus anyway so….” We both laugh, and I’ve never had such a great time. We’ve been sitting here for two hours and I’m not even the least bit tired. I feel so comfortable around him, it’s almost scary. I’ve never met someone like him before.

“Ha! I’m not gonna let you flunk. Besides how can I take you out officially if you don’t graduate?” My heart stops at his words and we just sit there staring into each other’s eyes. “I…. I wrote that song for you, after I first saw you in class, after we spent time talking at lunch.” He sits up and leans his arms on the table. “I’m serious, Emma. I’d really like to take you out but right now? Well, you know that’s impossible as long as you’re going to school there. I could….”

I look down at my empty plate and stare. “It’s a whole school year,” I whisper as my feelings change to sadness.

I watch as he reaches over and takes my hand. The feelings that run through me are indescribable. My eyes shift up slowly and see he’s staring at me and by the look on his face I can tell he’s feeling them too. At least I hope so. “I know. I’ve never felt this way before and I wish things were different. Sad thing is we’ll have to pretend the whole time but I know we can do it, Em. Don’t you think it will be worth the risk in the end?” I nod sadly and squeeze his hand. “Come on. It’s almost five in the morning. You need to try to get at least some sleep.”

I hated to leave knowing that this will be the hardest thing to do, not being able to be friends like we want, not being able to hold hands, and show how we really feel. But reluctantly, we finally leave, me with a heavy heart and I think he feels that way too. I go home, take a shower and lie in bed, sleep not coming any time soon.

“Girl, if you don’t get some good sleep soon, you’re gonna fall over where you stand,” Tina shrills at me as I’m cleaning glasses behind the bar. “I mean it. Your late night hours, studying and classes are gonna do you in. I think you need an intervention.” I laugh, giggling uncontrollably, and then clamp my mouth shut. Her face then turns serious. “Em, you’re seriously slap happy. Take something that will knock you out or something bad’s gonna happen in the state you’re in. I’m serious!”

I roll my eyes and lean on the counter. “Tina, you’re one of my best friends.” She gives me her best smirk. “Okay, you’re like one of my two best friends and I appreciate your concern but I’ve been going like this for the last two years. If I stop now it’ll throw me all outta whack.”

She rolls her eyes and starts to walk away. “Oh, kay! But just remember I warned you.”

Tonight we were slammed with a bigger crowd than last night. I wanted to stop so many times to watch Josh perform but was killed at the bar. I did manage to sneak over to the hallway, lean against the wall, and watch as he sang the song he wrote for me. His eyes searched the crowd and the bar area, and I know he was trying to find me. Tina asked if I could give her a ride home, and of course I agreed. It’s raining pretty heavily by the time we walk out. I’m soaked to the bone when I get home, shivering and sneezing. Shit! That would be all I need now is to get sick. I go into my kitchen and take a bunch of vitamins and after a hot shower, crawl into bed. Again, sleep doesn’t come easily, but I finally manage to start dozing off after a couple of hours, visioning gleaming blue eyes, a gorgeous smile and all things Josh.

It’s been three days of sneezing, coughing up a lung and shivering and still I’m not feeling any better. Tina has called me five times yelling at me about not taking care of myself and how she knew this was going to happen. Just what I wanted to hear. Mom has called so much I had to tell her if she didn’t stop calling me so often I would never get any rest. Then I felt bad when she told me how she hated that she isn’t here to take care of me and nurse me back to health. Damn guilt trip but I love her for it.

The pounding of my head is magnified by the pounding at my front door. I get out of bed, throwing on my robe, and sneeze all the way there. I’m shocked when I look through the peephole to see Josh standing there. I open the door quickly, grab his arm and tugging at it until he enters my apartment, his hand holding a large paper bag and briefcase. “What are you doing here? You could have been seen, hurry!” I say my voice not only groggy from sleep but gravelly and hoarse from this damn cold. I start sneezing, my hair falling down over my face, my hands covering my mouth, and then I have a coughing attack.

“Here, come sit down.” He puts his arm around my shoulder, and his voice is full of concern as he leads me over to the couch. I sit down, continuing my ugly coughing and sneezing and when I finally stop, I look up to see him standing there with one of my pillows from my bed and a blanket. “Stand for a minute.” He smiles and when I get up my head swarms with dizziness. I start swaying, his arm moving around my waist fast, pulling me close to him, and with his free hand he sets the pillow down and spreads out the blanket. “Come here, sweetheart. Lay down and I’ll warm up this soup I brought.” I don’t argue as I’m in no shape to, and it feels good to lay down but then I start sneezing again. When I open my eyes, there’s a tissue in front of me, and I grab it. I look up at him, his eyes full of worry then he leaves my sight and I hear him in the kitchen. He’s gone for a few minutes, and my eyes start to close. I’m beginning to drift off, but soon I feel his presence and open them. He sits down on the couch next to my legs and my eyes close again as he reaches over, brushing some of my hair away from my face. I’m sure it’s a knotted mess, and I know I must look lovely with my red and watery eyes and no makeup.

“How did you find me? And you’re so gonna get caught coming over here. I don’t want you to lose your job because of me.” My voice is fading in and out, and I’ll be surprised if he can even understand what I said.

My heart begins to beat faster as I watch his eyebrows lower, worry lines creasing across his forehead and concern marring his gorgeous face. “After I received your email with the assignment then you didn’t show up for class on Monday, I started to get worried. Then I looked for you yesterday at lunch under the shade tree but you weren’t there. You not being in class again today did me in. I got your phone number from your file and I called several times but there was no answer, so I went over to Randy’s Place right after my classes were done and ran into Tina, who told me you were ill.”

Crap! Now I feel bad because I made him worry. My phone rang so many times and thinking it was Mom or Tina, since they were calling endlessly, I didn’t answer.

“Do you not answer your phone or listen to your voicemails? And who doesn’t have a cellphone nowadays?” He asks with a smirk.

“Well….”

“Don’t answer that, yet. I think your soup is done.” He rises but before he leaves he reaches down, and as he feels my forehead with the back of his hand, my eyes close. His skin is softer than I imagined. I don’t know why I didn’t think it would be, but not having been with guys much, who knew? As many romance novels I’ve read, I just thought it was all make believe that a man could be so incredibly beautiful and have soft skin. My eyes reopen and watch him walk around the couch, and he’s gone again. My eyes slowly close feeling heavy and swollen from all the watering and I drift off.

§    §    §    §

I stop short when I walk back into her living room and see she’s asleep. I take the soup and crackers back into the kitchen and after scouring the cabinets I finally locate a plastic bowl with a lid and pour all the soup in there and store it in the refrigerator, intending on reheating it once she awakens. I quietly walk back into the living room and sit down on the old beat up chair in the corner of the room and watch her sleep. She looks younger in her slumber but even without makeup she’s beautiful. I noticed she doesn’t wear much and I like that. I’m finding I want to know more about her. What are her parents like? Where did she grow up? What are her likes and dislikes to all different things? Why the hell doesn’t she have a fucking cellphone?

My eyes finally leave her and scan around the small room. She’s obviously a neat freak as everything is in its proper place and clean. Built in bookshelves along the longest wall, the books seem to be in order by author, a few shelves are more vacant but hold little nick knacks and framed pictures. I see what I imagine is her as a little girl, holding the hand of a woman who may be her mother. Both are smiling and look like they are close. Several other framed pictures are of her either by herself or with the same woman, but I don’t see any of them with a man, a father. That’s another story I’d like to know. Of course, she may want to know about my parents, and I’d tell her but it would be hard for me. How do you tell someone about your life growing up without parents and want them not to feel sorry for you? As I’ve gotten older it became easier to live with them gone and without the love and support of my grandparents I know I would have turned out differently.

Sitting on a small table across from her old and well-worn couch is a thirteen inch TV. On the bottom shelf of the table are magazines neatly stacked and a couple of books that maybe she was recently reading. I know her kitchen is small but kept clean and tidy as well. I can imagine her bathroom and bedroom are in the same cleanliness and my mind immediately wonders what her bed looks like.

A movement catches my eye and I look over at Emma. “Mmmm,” a groan leaves her sweet mouth as she stirs and when her eyes open lazily she catches me staring at her. “What time is it?” She croaks her voice almost gone.

I look down at my watch and then back into her eyes. “Seven thirty.” She struggles to sit up, so I rush over landing on one knee and help her with my hands under her arms, lifting her a little to lay back against her pillow. “Hey, you don’t have to do it all yourself. Let me help you,” I whisper. Her eyes snap to mine. Her chest rising and falling from the strain of her exertion. Standing up, I sit down on the coffee table and lean down, my elbows resting on my legs.

“Wow. You’ve been here for a long time. Hours. I’m sorry I’m not better company. You must be bored.” She covers her mouth with her hand as she coughs.

I’m up and quickly talking over my shoulder, “I was afraid to leave. You looked so peaceful and I can tell you’re exhausted.” After getting a bottled water from the fridge I take it back to her and watch her throat constrict as she drinks. “I’ll just….” I head back to the kitchen and take the bowl of soup out removing the lid and place it in the microwave. Once the soup is warmed up I pour some in a bowl, grab a spoon and napkin and take them into the living room, setting everything down on the coffee table. I look up to find her sitting up. Her hair is a bunched up mess, eyes swollen, bags underneath, and I swear she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. “Here. Try to get some of this down. When was the last time you ate?”

I watch as she leans over, taking the spoon, scooping up some soup and as her lips form around it, I swear my cock twitched. Her eyes close and I think I heard a small moan as she swallows. “That tastes so good.” My smile spreads and she continues to eat. After eating half of the contents she looks up and catches me staring. “So, aren’t you afraid you’ll get caught here? I mean, not that I don’t appreciate everything but…. I don’t want you to lose your job.”

I shift in my seat trying to conceal my cock that’s straining to be set free and smile. “Well, I informed Mr. Drake that you were ill and asked for your Calculus homework and I brought you the next assignment from my class as well. I figure I can help you get caught up. I’m glad that you at least emailed me your last assignment so you’re not so far behind with me. Don’t worry. It’s all good.”

Her phone rings and I quickly get up and grab it from the kitchen and hand it to her. She looks at the cordless receiver, which I didn’t even think they made anymore, and rolls her eyes. “Hi, Mom. Yes, I’m eating.” Her eyes move to mine and she smiles. “I know. My voice will be better tomorrow. Yes, I’m taking my vitamins and drinking juice.” She squints and shrugs at me.

I run into the kitchen and open her fridge door and see that there’s no juice in there. In fact, other than a small opened package of cheese, a jug of milk that’s almost gone, and a couple of apples, there’s nothing else in there. I calmly walk over to my briefcase, take out a pen and paper and start making a list. “What are you doing?” My head turns to the sound of her crackling voice and smile.

“I’m making a list and going to the grocery store. Is there anything in particular you need?” She begins to rise and I run over pushing on her shoulders gently stopping her. “Oh, no! Where do you think you’re going?”

Her eyebrows lower and I can tell she’s frustrated and then she sneezes, covering her mouth with both hands. Once her attack has stopped, she grabs a tissue from the box on the coffee table and blows her cute little nose. Her watery eyes look up from beneath her long lashes as she sniffs. “I want to give you some money. You’re so sweet to do all of this for me but you don’t need to pay too.”

I squat down in front of her and smile. “Just let me worry about it. You need to finish your soup and I’ll be back in no time. Where’s your keys?” She turns and points at the small table next to the front door and then looks back at me. “Good girl. Just in case you fall asleep. Now, I just want you to rest and let me help. Please?”

“But….”

“No, no buts. Finish up and then lay back down. I’ll be back soon.” Before I can think or stop myself, I lean towards her and kiss her warm forehead. I hear a small gasp, and then she relaxes. When I move back her eyes are half closed and her lips formed into a small smile. “I won’t be long,” I whisper.