Sighing, I pushed my hair out of my eyes. “I wasn’t looking to leave the hotel, but…I’m sure there’s a corner store where we can pick up some rubbers,” I offered. She smiled, seeming satisfied with the suggestion. If I’d expected her to go back to my room and wait, I would have been surprised. We walked side by side back to the blessedly empty elevator. We couldn’t keep our hands off of each other, and I was tempted to rip her robe open as she rubbed the front of my pants.
I hadn’t expected to recover so quickly, but already, I could feel the blood rushing to where it was needed. Resting a hand on her ass, it took all of my control not to pounce on her as we descended flights. We managed to pull away from each other long enough to look at least the slightest bit socially acceptable while rushing out of the hotel and hailing a cab. It was chillier than I’d expected, although I imagined that was due to the fact that I was still soaked. I wouldn’t have been terribly surprised if a cabby refused to let me in, but when one stopped, he made no comment. I could only guess the seats had seen much worse.
I was taken off guard once again as my lover decided against fastening in, instead settling on top of me and kissing every part of me that she could get to. If the driver wasn’t going to complain, though, neither was I. I slid my hands under her robe, squeezing the fleshy globes of her ass as the battle between our tongues raged. I felt like I was floating on air, the alcohol seeming to affect me more and more as time passed. I could only guess it hadn’t truly settled in my system until we got to my hotel room, and the world seemed to spin as the cab weaved through the Vegas streets. It seemed there were plenty of night owls having their share of fun, but I couldn’t be concerned with any of them. All I could think of was getting those condoms and laying my lady down on every horizontal surface and pressing her against any wall that would support our weight. She continued to stroke me through my jeans, which only served to stoke the fire in my gut.
I wasn’t sure how long the cab had been stopped when the driver cleared his throat. Nudging her into the other seat, I kissed her quickly. “Wait here, okay? I’ll be right back,” I said in a rush, both to her and the driver. He seemed unconcerned as long as his meter was still running.
I hurried into the store, only just realizing I had forgotten to put my shoes back on. I could only hope I didn’t step on anything unsavory as I staggered into the corner store and looked for the condoms. A teenager behind the counter watched me with an amused expression, but I wasn’t going to be distracted from my quest.
“The quest to polish my sword,” I muttered on my breath, not realizing I’d spoken aloud until the young man began cackling.
“Condoms are behind the counter, dude,” he said, his voice cracking like he had just passed puberty. I paid little mind to his pockmarked face as I gestured wordlessly to the size I needed. He seemed vaguely impressed, though I didn’t want to think about starring in some kid’s fantasy. Slapping a twenty on the counter as he passed the package to me, I didn’t bother waiting to be rung up. In a hurry to get back to my goddess, I turned and darted toward the door. He shouted something about my paying too much, but I yelled back for him to keep the change. I began to stumble in earnest as I got closer to the car, lurching inside and nearly collapsing into my lover’s lap. She grinned, her dazed expression likely mirroring my own. Waving the condoms, I grinned and busied myself with kissing her again.
The cab driver asked for directions, but I could barely form coherent thought at that point. I called out an address as we desperately swapped saliva like our lives depended on it. Closing my eyes and pressing into her, I didn’t expect the sudden blackout, though I shouldn’t have been surprised. I could only hope I didn’t vomit on her as I fell unconscious, though she seemed to be in much the same shape.
Sunlight shone through the windows of my hotel suite the morning after, and although there was no birdsong, the obnoxious sounds of traffic were enough to wake me. I rubbed my temples, wondering how I’d ended up back in my hotel room. I vaguely wondered if the woman had been a dream, and if not, I hoped she was at least safe. It was like the night before hadn’t even happened. There wasn’t a trace of her to be found. At least, that’s what I thought before I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and became aware that something was amiss. There was a ring on my finger that had definitely not been there the day before. It took a moment for me to process the significance, but when realization struck me, I nearly vomited on the spot.
It wasn’t just any ring. It was a wedding ring. I’d gotten married. I’d lived every man’s nightmare and got drunkenly hitched in Vegas. I couldn’t remember a damn thing about the cab ride back to the hotel room, or much of anything after I’d bought the condoms. All I really knew was that my wallet felt significantly lighter than it had before the bachelor party – and I wasn’t the type to waste money on strippers. To make matters worse, I didn’t even know my wife’s name.
5
CHAPTER FIVE
Tiffany
It was back to business as usual, sitting behind my desk at the front of my classroom. My students obviously weren’t thrilled to be back at school, but I couldn’t exactly blame them. I wasn’t thrilled myself, although perhaps my reasons weren’t as conventional. After all, while I maintained the facade that everything was fantastic, I was internally screaming. I wasn’t sure how it had happened, how I had screwed up so magnificently, but it wasn’t something I could spend the entirety of my lesson thinking about. The weight of it in my pocket, however, served as a constant reminder of my mistake.
I had a wedding ring, and not just any ring! One of those rings that had probably cost more than my salary for a year. The type of ring that women pine for and are irrationally upset that they don’t receive – the type with a diamond so large that it was almost laughable. Except it wasn’t funny. It was the exact opposite, as far as I was concerned. The trip to Vegas…hadn’t ended on a high note; at least, not for me.
Kari seemed to have had the time of her life, so that was one positive outcome. I’d caught an early flight before my cousin had woken up, leaving a note with some excuse for bailing. She’d spent the night in that nerdy guy’s room, in any case, so my escape was relatively simple. I would get my ass reamed for leaving without saying goodbye, and I would probably be skewered by my mom and aunt alike for not hugging my cousin before leaving, but how was I supposed to face her?
Forget that! What would I have done if I’d run into my new husband before I could fly the coop? I didn’t even know his name, yet I had no doubts who had placed the ring on my finger. Memories of the strange man weren’t unpleasant by any means, but I’d had no intentions of getting hitched in Vegas. I’d thought it was one of those things you see in the movies – not one that happens in real life! I mean, I’d gotten blackout drunk a time or two, but…well, it turns out Kari wasn’t the only one who’d needed a buffer.
Of course, who knew that I would get shitfaced and get married? Neither of us would have thought it would be something that was remotely possible. In my quest to get back at Nick, I had done something very stupid. Although my body still remembered the sex and how my mystery husband had made me feel.
Resting my chin in my hand, I tried not to agonize about the whole thing while my students filed in through the door. A fake smile was plastered on my face, but when you’re dealing with fifth graders, most of your smiles are fake. You can’t exactly tell them how annoying they are, and while I held a certain affection for my students, all children at that age were insufferable. Not that I could really pass judgement on much of anyone at that point. A serial killer would probably even question my life choices. For what it was worth, I could hold on to the tiny victory that I’d had the best sex of my life. The tiny insignificant victory in a series of nearly endless failures.
I was prone to melodramatics, but I felt I had every reason for reacting the way I did. Fortunately, I’d been granted the small blessing of not crashing into Nick on the way to my classroom. I wasn’t sure how I’d deal
with the principal if I ran into him. My feelings for him had essentially dissolved into dust, and at this point, all I really wanted to do was throttle him. Maybe it was irrational, but it seemed so easy to just blame him for everything that had happened. Granted, I’d be willing to blame world hunger on the limp dick, so I suppose my opinion didn’t account for much.
I didn’t realize I’d zoned out, staring with a strange intensity at a single spot on the back wall of my classroom, until Katie approached the desk and placed something in front of me. I tilted my head, blinking my eyes back into focus and making out what seemed to be some sort of card. It looked almost like a credit card until I pulled it closer and saw that it was a gift card to the ice cream chain in town.
“Brad and I ended up going after all. After the party, though,” she paused, giggling secretively. “I saved my allowance because you do so much for us! It’s not a lot, but I figured everyone loves ice cream,” she continued, fidgeting a bit. “And you’ve seemed kinda sad,” she trailed off, not seeming to know whether or not to continue. I smiled, fondness washing over me as I stared at the card. It was some silly design, with a polar bear in a clown costume, and I was surprised to see it was for ten dollars.
“Oh…honey, you didn’t have to do that for me! I’m your teacher; I’m supposed to take care of you runts,” I said, the weight in my pocket temporarily forgotten. “But I appreciate that you thought of me. Thank you so much! Maybe I’ll go get a sundae after school today,” I smiled just as the bell rang. Katie lingered for a moment longer, seemingly weighing her options.
“I put enough on there enough so that you could take your…friend,” she smiled, glancing over her shoulder at Brad. He was watching with rapt attention, averting his eyes and blushing when her attention was on him. I felt my heart break a bit, feeling a bit pathetic, but I wouldn’t let it ruin the thoughtful sincerity of the gift.
“Thank you, Katie. Have a seat, and we’ll get class started,” I smiled, slipping the card in my pocket until I could get to my wallet. My fingers brushed that damn exorbitant wedding ring, and I almost let my mask falter. It would have been nice to go on one date before getting married to a handsome stranger, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
Approaching the whiteboard, I allowed my mind to drift as I taught class. It was so routine that I could likely do it in my sleep, although I suppose that was to be expected after teaching more or less the same material for years. It was like a choreographed dance, except I couldn’t pass for a ballerina if I tried. Tap the board periodically, especially when the content is important. At least, important in the sense that it’d be on a test. I wasn’t delusional enough to convince myself this class would actually have worth in their lives, but it wasn’t my job to prepare them for the future. Just the past, always the past. Meeting the eyes of each student throughout the class, I always made certain that no one felt neglected or ignored. Watching for raised hands, there were of course pauses to ask if there were any questions – especially if it was a complicated subject.
It was so routine, so easy, that I could allow myself to forget about all of the complications in my life. It served to make time pass relatively quickly – at least, when I was actively lecturing. The last thirty minutes of class each day was spent on a short worksheet covering the day’s topic, and those were always the longest thirty minutes of my life. It was especially true today, when all I could think about was the handsome stranger, Nick, and my meeting with the plastic surgeon later that evening.
Some might argue that by catching the attention of such a stud, I should have confidence that my body was fine as it was. I was never one to especially embrace logic, however, too caught up in the years of doubt that had been inflicted on me – all culminating with Nick cheating on me. When the bell to end the school day rang, I released a breath that I hadn’t realized I was holding. Students crowded toward my desk to place their sheets in the proper basket, shoving and getting rowdy as was always the case.
In the past, I’d tried to get my rugrats to form orderly lines, but you had to pick your battles when it came to my job. I sat with a forced smile until the classroom had dispersed, feeling a bit guiltily relieved that Katie and Brad hadn’t lingered that day. It was getting kinda sad to see children’s love lives developing more than my own. Then again, things were so much simpler when you were young. You didn’t have to care about how big your tits were or about finding your boyfriend in the closet plowing the art teacher – well, not to be terribly specific.
Once the room was empty, I took a moment to steel myself before pulling the ring out of my pocket and turning it over in my hands. It really would have been hilarious if it had been anyone else. The logical part of my brain insisted I could pawn it for a fair bit of cash, but the smaller, irrational part insisted that would be a callous thing to do. It wasn’t as if I’d ever see my handsome boy toy again, though.
“Ugh. Things can’t ever just be easy, can they?” I muttered, shoving the ring back into my pocket. I collected the papers that had been turned in, shoving them in my grading folder to deal with once I got home. To say I was grading them was at best a loose definition. The daily wrap-up sheets were more of a participation grade and a reference for my students to use during tests. Open book tests were always nice when I was young, but I didn’t see the point of making the children agonize to find the facts. If you’re going to let them reference their materials, why make the whole situation more anxiety-inducing than it needed to be? The papers would be graded, and the next morning they would be placed face down on each respective student’s desk with corrections. Those who cared enough to keep a tidy binder would pass through the class easy peasy. I had a few students, admittedly, who just shoved their things into their backpack with no rhyme or reason, but I wasn’t the sort of teacher to grade organization. People learned in different ways.
For example, I could have learned from the lifetime of bad decisions I’d made. Instead, I was bullheaded and insisted upon romanticizing my life. Scowling at myself, I gathered my things and slipped out of the classroom, locking up behind myself. I had hopes that I would get to my car and go home without any complications, but the fates never seemed to be smiling on me. I had to resist the desire to scream as I nearly bowled over Nick, who was standing in front of the art room with Ms. Hart. He looked at me with frustratingly bright eyes, and I narrowed my own eyes before hurrying past them. I knew he was trailing behind me without even looking.
I could only wonder why Ms. Hart allowed herself to be used in such a way, but I recognized that Nick had a way of bringing out the worst in people. I tried to ignore the squeak of his shoes as he followed me, which was somehow harder to tune out than his cries of my name. Exhaling wearily, I paused and adjusted my shoulder bag. I knew nothing good would come from the conversation, but if I didn’t bite the bullet, it would just be an issue for another day. I turned to face him, noting that he was smiling that boyish smile I’d once found so charming. Now, I just wanted to slap it off of his face.
“Tiffany, come on. Hear me out,” he said in sweet tones, clasping his hands in front of him in some sort of pleading gesture. I raised a brow, remaining silent in spite of all I wanted to say – and boy, did I have a lot to say! I was so hung up on the bastard that I’d been too quick to jump on a trip to Vegas just to get some distance between us.
Absence would either make the heart grow fonder, or I would simply move on; that had been my theory. I wasn’t any fonder, but I hadn’t quite moved on either. All I had to show for my efforts was a legally binding marriage to a man I’d had casual sex with. Oh yeah, and that damn ring. It weighed heavily in my pocket as I looked at Nick. I really just wanted to slap him and go.
“What is left to say, Nicholas? You cheated on me. You don’t even regret it. You don’t even care,” I said, my voice calm in spite of my words. I was tired of the same conversation, if I were being honest with myself, and I had his response more committed to my memory than the state capitals.
> “It was a one-time thing, baby. You know I love you, and I know you love me,” he paused, starting on the same old predictable note. I simply stared, idly thinking about the consult he was making me potentially late for. “Listen, Hart was just there for me when my mom died, y’know? You weren’t there when I needed you. I had to find someone, didn’t I?” he argued, the same logic as ever. I’d bought into it at first, but now, I was only bemused.
“You don’t even know her first name,” I observed, and that seemed to please him, as if he’d done something right by me. It was this type of behavior that made me hate him more than anything. I knew that the best move would be for me to forget about him completely. It wasn’t like I would miss sex with Nick, not at all. Now my body longed to feel my mystery husband inside of me once more. My mind flashed a memory of the night of incredible sex to make me think less of Nick. Or so that was how I took it.
“She’s nothing to me, baby. She’s just a set of tits. I mean, they’re fantastic tits, don’t get me wrong. And that ass…” he trailed off, spacing out for a moment. I growled under my breath, and he shook off whatever lewd thoughts he was entertaining. “But I don’t want some hottie that I have nothing in common with. You and I really connected, Tiff. It’s not something you’ll find with anyone else,” he continued confidently. I resisted the desire to inform him that I’d found another connection just fine, thank you, but I wasn’t exactly proud of that either.
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