by Mia Ford
“Brett March,” I said angrily. “Come with me.”
The other students were silent as I took Brett’s arm and walked him down the hall to the principal’s office. He was silent the whole time, his face clouded with anger and rage.
“I didn’t even do anything,” Brett whined. “Why are you picking on me?”
“Because you’ve been a really naughty little boy,” I said angrily. “And I’m not going to tolerate that kind of behavior in my classroom.”
The principal was in a meeting, so I left Brett with his secretary and pushed my way into the hall. My face was flushed with anger and my heart was pounding. I knew that Thomas wouldn’t be happy with Brett, and I desperately hoped that I wasn’t killing our relationship before it had even gotten off the ground by disciplining his son.
“Hey June.”
I jumped. Andy was standing right behind me, smirking.
“Oh, hi,” I said quickly. “I’ve got to run back to class, Andy, I just had to take a kid to the principal.”
Andy raised his eyebrows. “So, when can I take you out again, June?”
“I’m really busy,” I said quickly.
Andy laughed and looked hurt. “I didn’t even mention a date yet,” he said. He crossed his arms and frowned. “Why don’t you want anything to do with me?”
I swallowed, feeling uncomfortable. “I’m just really dealing with a lot of stuff,” I said.
“Well, I’m not asking you to marry me,” Andy said. “Come on, June. I’m asking you for a date. Just one more date, okay?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Andy, I really don’t know.” I shifted my weight from one foot to the other.
“Just say yes.” Andy’s eyes flickered with anger. “Just say yes, June. Just one dinner.”
“Okay,” I said quickly. “Fine. But I’ve got to get back to class, Andy. Bye!”
Turning on my heel, I jogged in the other direction. I was only grateful that Andy didn’t follow me.
Back in my classroom, Ruth had things under control. I flashed her a grateful smile as I took my place at the front of the class. In a span of just a few minutes, I’d gone from feeling bad to worse. I couldn’t believe that Andy had pressured me into saying yes. I didn’t even like him! I just felt obligated, and he was so pushy that I couldn’t stand it.
I sighed. “Okay, class,” I said. “Please take out your copies of Misty of Chincoteague and turn to Chapter Two.
“Yes, Miss Rogers,” the class echoed in unison.
At least I’m doing one thing right, I thought as I lifted my copy from my desk and began to read. So at least there’s that.
--
By the time the bell rang at the end of the day, I couldn’t wait to get home. A low-grade migraine had started to throb at the back of my neck and my eyeballs were aching with tension. The only good thing was that Andy was leaving me alone…even if I was trapped into going on a date with him sometime in the nearby future.
When I got home, Angela was still at work. I took a long hot shower until the water ran cold, then wrapped myself in a fluffy bathrobe and made a mug of hot chocolate. Just as I was curling up on the couch with Wuthering Heights, the door flew open and Angela stalked in.
“I can’t believe it,” Angela said. She groaned. “There’s something outside for you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What?”
Angela smirked. “Go and see,” she said. “It must’ve come after you got home.”
I frowned. “I thought I heard someone ringing the buzzer,” I said. “But I guess I thought I imagined it. I was in the shower,” I added.
“You’re so spacey,” Angela said. She rolled her eyes. “Go and see. I promise, you’ll like it.”
Cramming my feet into an old pair of slippers, I went out into the hall. When I saw, what was waiting for me, I gasped. An enormous display of white roses, shaped perfectly like a cube, was waiting for me. It was easily the most beautiful display I’d ever seen. When I saw, the card marked with ‘June,’ I shivered.
“Can you help?” I called. “These things are heavy!”
The flower cube had a convenient little pedestal stand and Angela and I worked hard to push it into our apartment. Soon, the whole flat was filled with the delicious scent of roses.
“You’re lucky I like floral scents,” Angela said sarcastically. “That’s the biggest bouquet I’ve ever seen!”
“I know.” My mouth felt dry and I walked in slow circles around the cube of white roses, gently brushing the tips of my fingers against the petals.
The card read: “June – I can’t wait to be with you again. You’re even softer than these roses. Thomas.”
I blushed. “I can’t read this out loud,” I confessed. “You read it.”
Angela held the card in her hands. As her lips moved over the words, she blushed and her mouth formed a small ‘o.’
“Wow,” Angela said. “He really likes you!” She laughed. “And I hope you didn’t do anything that would make my dress need to be dry-cleaned.”
“Definitely not,” I said quickly. I recounted how Thomas had touched me in the restaurant and in his car. “But it didn’t go further than that,” I said, blushing hotly. “I wanted it to, though.”
“I bet,” Angela said dryly. She tucked the card down into the beautiful white roses. “These really are gorgeous,” she said. She sniffed. “No one has ever even sent me carnations,” she added sourly.
I laughed. “Want me to ask Thomas if he has any single billionaire friends?”
“Oh, could you?”
We burst out laughing together. “I’d feel so weird,” I said. “Ugh!”
“So, how was your day?”
I shrugged. Something told me I shouldn’t bring up Andy, but I couldn’t help mentioning it.
“It was so creepy,” I added. “It was like he was so persistent, but he wasn’t even being nice about it! Like, why the heck would he want anything to do with me when he has this much disdain for me?”
Angela eyed me for a long time. “June…someone sent you this,” she added, pointing to the white roses. “And you’re thinking about going on another date with that loser?”
“I don’t want to,” I said honestly. “I just…well, I don’t really know what to do. I feel like I have to! He wouldn’t take no for an answer, Ang.”
“Call him and tell him that it’s off,” Angela said. “He can’t possibly back you into a corner when you’re just on the phone with him.”
I sighed. Just as I was about to reach for my phone, it started to buzz. I leapt up in excitement when I saw Thomas’s name on the caller identification.
“Hello?” I was flushed and breathless as I answered.
“Hello, June.”
“I love the flowers!” I gushed quickly. “They’re so, so beautiful, Thomas! I’ve never seen anything like them before!”
Thomas chuckled. “I’m glad you like them,” he said. “I picked them out with you in mind.”
I squirmed and flushed, biting my lip.
“June, come out to dinner with me this Saturday,” Thomas said firmly. “I’ve got this great new wine bar – you’ll love it. Lots of vintage blends and little tapas.”
“Yes,” I said instantly, not even thinking about it. “Yes, I’d love to.”
“I’m sorry that it’s going to have to be around eight,” Thomas said. “I have a meeting earlier in the evening, but I’d love to see you. If that’s too late, let me know – I could always send you dinner first.”
“No, no,” I said quickly. “That’s not too late. Eight sounds perfect.”
“Good,” Thomas said. I could tell from the sound of his voice that he was smirking. “I can’t wait to see you, June.”
His voice was full of dark promise. I shivered, closing my eyes and thinking about what would happen between us.
“I can’t wait, either,” I whispered hotly into the phone.
We hung up and I clutched my phone to my chest, smiling happily and sw
aying from side to side.
“Thomas?” Angela asked.
“Oh, yeah,” I said smugly. “He called me and asked me out on Saturday. We’re going to a wine bar,” I added. “With vintage blends. And tapas!”
“That sounds great,” Angela said enviously. “God, can you bring home your leftovers?”
I laughed. “It’s tapas,” I said. “Unless I only have like one bite of each thing, there won’t be any!”
“Find an invisibility cloak and take me with you,” Angela said. She smirked.
I didn’t reply. Something had just popped into my head.
“What? June, it was a joke,” Angela said. “I didn’t actually mean—“
I grinned. “I don’t have to go out with Andy,” I said.
“Duh, now just call him and tell him.”
“No,” I said impatiently, shaking my head. “I don’t have to go out with him because Thomas asked me for a date at the same time I was supposed to meet Andy.”
“You’re just going to ghost him?” Angela raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you think he’ll be pissed?”
“Yeah,” I replied nervously. “But like, maybe he’ll get the message this time, you know?” I frowned. “I don’t want to be rude, but if he asks me about it afterwards, I’ll just tell him I was honest when I said I was busy. That way he shouldn’t ask again.”
Angela laughed. “That’s bold for you, June,” she said. “But yeah, you’re probably right.” She sighed enviously. “I’m so glad Thomas asked you out again.” She leaned in close. “Do you think you’re going to sleep with him this time?”
I flushed. “I hope so,” I said quietly. “God, I’m nervous.”
“Don’t be!”
“I am,” I said. I bit my lip. “You know I only slept with Aaron a handful of times.”
“And he was a college boy who didn’t know shit,” Angela said firmly. “Thomas is a man. Don’t be nervous, June. I’m sure he’ll be great in bed.”
I blushed. “I’m just worried that I won’t be,” I said.
Angela laughed. “Don’t be,” she said. “You’ll be fine.” She sashayed into the bathroom and closed the door, humming merrily.
I sank down on the couch and looked at my hands. As much as I wouldn’t have wanted Thomas to know, I was nervous. I’d only had sex with one guy before – Aaron, my college boyfriend. We’d been together for two years, although I hadn’t felt nearly the same way about him that I felt about Thomas. It was more like we were just friends, who started dating because it was the right thing to do. Aaron had always pushed me for more seriously commitments, but I hadn’t been ready to give him anything even close to what he’d wanted.
I just hoped Thomas didn’t view me in the same light.
Chapter Nine
Thomas
After my meeting on Saturday, I was dying to see June. We’d made arrangements to meet at La Toscabelle, since I was coming from Jersey. I couldn’t believe how crazy I acted whenever June popped into my head. I hadn’t been this crazy over a girl since I’d first met Marlene…and that obviously hadn’t worked out.
When I walked into the restaurant, I saw June instantly. She was sitting at the bar, bare-armed and beautiful in a white dress that set her pale skin and black hair off in a perfect contrast. She was sipping something that looked sweet and fruity. My skin crawled when I thought about how it would feel to tear that white fabric away from her pale, sweet body.
Still, I knew I had to restrain myself. June was young, and obviously inexperienced – it was part of her charm. But I couldn’t frighten her off. I had to play the gentleman until she was all but ready to throw her lithe little body in my arms.
“June,” I said in a deep voice.
June blushed. She spun around on the barstool. I grinned as she stuck her little pink tongue out of her mouth and licked her lips. Like a goddamned kitten, I thought. My cock twitched inside of my briefs. I wanted to pick her up and crush her to me, kiss her deeply until she was moaning and purring in my arms.
But I restrained myself.
“Our table is ready,” I said. I offered June my arm and she slipped her silky fingers through my elbow and rested them on my bicep. We walked to the table together. I knew, as always, that I attracted the attention of every woman nearby. But with sweet little June on my arm, I barely noticed. Look at this goddess, I thought, juicily hungering for the curve of June’s ass pressed against my crotch. She doesn’t know how perfect she is.
We were seated at a back table – the most intimate in the restaurant. This wasn’t an accident. I’d arranged everything beforehand with the maître d.
“Wow,” June breathed. Her voice, as always, was slightly husky. “This is really something, Thomas.”
God, I love the way she says my name.
“Yeah,” I said. I felt weak. “It’s a really nice place.”
June could barely tear her eyes away from me as I ordered two white wine flights for us.
“I thought you just liked reds,” June said. I couldn’t be sure, but it seemed like there was a touch of coyness in her voice.
I smirked at her and lifted the first glass, a beautifully woody chardonnay, to my lips.
“I like all wine,” I said. I sniffed. “And La Toscabelle does a beautiful job.”
“Mn,” June purred. She closed her eyes and took a long sip. “This is delicious,” she said softly.
When it came time to order, I laid the whole menu down and smiled.
“We’ll take two of each tapa,” I said. I smirked at June. “My date hasn’t ever been here before. I’m sure she’d love to be impressed.”
The waiter’s eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. “Oh, yes sir, very good sir,” he said quickly. He bowed and gave a polite smile to June before taking our menus and disappearing.
“This is nice,” June said quietly. She smiled happily. “I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying myself.”
I grinned. “Good,” I said. “That’s what I like to hear.”
June blushed. “This sounds silly,” she said quietly. “But I’m glad we don’t have another bitchy waitress.” She rolled her eyes and I laughed.
“I know,” I said. That also wasn’t an accident – I’d called ahead of time, when requesting the private table, and asked for a male waiter who wouldn’t comment on our appearances.
June grinned, obviously oblivious of my scheming. “It’s just a nice change,” she said. “I know it’s stupid, but that idiot Katharine almost ruined my time last time.”
I smirked. “Not stupid at all.”
I scooted forward in my chair and reached my hand under the table. When June realized what I was about to do, she bit her lip and blushed. I began stroking her knee. Her skin was as soft and smooth as silk and I could barely keep my eyes from rolling back in my head as I moved my fingers higher and higher.
June let out a soft little sigh. Her pink lips parted and she tilted her head back, moaning too quietly for anyone to hear but me. By the time I was touching her soft, narrow thighs, my cock was rock hard in my pants. I wanted to tear her panties away from her skin and fuck her right then and there, throw her over the table and ram my cock inside her soaked pussy until we were both sweaty and spent.