Teacher

by R. L. Merrill

  As for the weekend with your daughter, I would love to meet her, but I don’t want to intrude and I don’t want there to be confusion about what my role in your life is. I am your teacher, so I think anything we do together, especially with her around, has to be in that arena. Once you’ve earned your diploma if you choose for me to still have a role in your life we can go from there. If I know one thing about kids, it's that they don’t do well with ambiguity. They want honesty and they want to know what to expect from their world. Now, not to contradict myself, but if we were to view horseback riding and swimming as part of your physical activity log for P.E. credits (you still need five, that’s 30 hours of physical activity we need to log) and if we were to base our film selection on a novel you have read for class, perhaps those activities could be justified. You decide.

  Sweet Dreams,

  Jesse Martin

  Ok, that was clear as mud. Hopefully he understood that while I would love to spend time with him, I didn’t want to cause any problems, especially not with his fragile relationship with his Janey.

  My sleep was interrupted several times by loud noises next door and I had to get up and take more medication because my knees were swelling. I felt ok in the morning, just a little sore. I stretched the best I could, skipping some of the more strenuous activities and I readied myself for work. I dressed a bit more casual than usual since I was going straight to Danny’s and then to the Whisky. I wore black jeans with a sleeveless, sheer blouse and a cami underneath. I also wore lace up boots, hoping they would give me a bit more support since my knees felt stiff and sore after last night’s workout. I’d have to lay off the tap for a week or so.

  At work I had several parent meetings to discuss plans for next year and met with a few seniors to collect final work samples. I worked straight through lunch and didn’t check my email until it was almost time to leave.

  Jesse,

  I’m going to have to cancel our session this afternoon as things ran late at the studio and we still have a meeting with our producer. I'm really, really sorry and really disappointed I won’t see you. I’m not sure when I’m going to be done so can we just meet tomorrow? Or if you need a day off I can see you Sunday. Would you like to go together to the museum or do you want me to meet you there? Let me know.

  Thanks,

  Danny

  p.s. Glad you liked my story but I kind of like all of my voices and would like to continue using all of them if that’s alright with you. I’m being good. I’ve been using my phone to communicate all day today.

  A pang of disappointment settled on my good mood, but I was determined that I would overcome it. I went home and opted for a nice long soak in my beat up bathtub, then took a nap before dressing back up to head to the Whisky. I chose a short, flowy skirt with a tank and heels since my knees were feeling a little better and it was way too hot for jeans. As I was leaving, I ran into Jinx who had come back for more guitar strings.

  “Hey Jesse! Are you coming to the show?”

  He was locking up the door and I said, “Yep, I was actually just leaving. Mind if I catch a ride with you?”

  His eyes lit up. “Suuuuuuurrrre, as long as you don’t mind the smell. Some food item must have fallen out of a basket and is caught in the back somewhere. I can’t find it. It’s full on rank in there.”

  I rolled my eyes. I didn’t want to inform him that it could just as well be one of his shoes than a piece of rotten fruit. He wasn’t too far off though. The van did indeed smell disgusting. I prayed the stench didn’t settle into my clothes on the short drive to the club. I told Jinx to let Cosmo know that I’d take a cab home. I knew I couldn’t make it through a whole show. After we parked, I walked around to the front while he used the back entrance. Cosmo had put my name on the list so I made my way inside the already crowded club and headed straight for the bar.

  “What can I get you,” asked a cute little blonde with a pixie cut and about a zillion piercings.

  “Just some water, thanks.” She smiled and poured me a glass. I tipped her well and she winked at me. From my seat at the bar I had a good view of the stage and the opening band was just finishing up. There would be one more band before Cosmo and the guys, so I did some people watching and was pleasantly surprised that the opening band was pretty decent.

  There was a twenty-minute break before they started. The bartender was doing a great job of keeping my glass full and keeping unwanted male companions from getting too comfortable near me. I had just finished getting a refill from her when I felt a body press against me from the side. I turned to find a guy decked out in black jeans, black leather jacket, black fedora and aviator shades pushed up against my stool and paying no attention to me. I glared at him for a minute, but he didn’t turn to look at me. There was something familiar about his mouth, but I didn’t recognize him so I turned back around and chatted with the bartender. The next thing I know, Man in Black nudged me again and this time when I turned around I wasn’t going to let it go.

  “You know, there are other open seats at the bar,” I said loud enough I knew he would hear me. His mouth twitched up in a smile and a jolt of recognition hit me just as Danny lowered his shades a smidge and winked at me. “You shit! I was about to start elbowing back! What are you doing here?”

  My heart was pounding and I knew I had that stupid smile on my face by the tightness in my cheeks. Alex leaned forward from on the other side of him and he said, “We’re just out enjoying the nightlife, you know. Some regular Joes out on a Friday night on the Sunset. What are you doing here, Ms. Martin?”

  I laughed and Danny moved to my other side so Alex could scoot closer. I saw him motion to my water and hold up two fingers to the bartender. He leaned a little closer and I caught a whiff of his special scent that hit me below the belt with a delicious heat. I noticed he gave my legs a once over and then licked his lips. This man was truly going to drive me insane. I turned back to Alex before Danny saw how much he was affecting me.

  “Well, Mr. Regular Joe, I decided to come and support my neighbor and his friends tonight. I figured I might just have a good time while I was at it.”

  I turned to look at Danny sipping his water and while I couldn’t see his eyes behind his shades, I knew they were on me. Add x-ray vision to his super powers. I leaned in and whispered, “You shaved. You look different tonight.”

  He smiled without showing his teeth and it called attention to the little bit of a soul patch he’d left behind. He pulled out his phone and typed, “I swear I’m not stalking you. The guys mentioned coming here and I went along with it. I hope you don’t mind.”

  I read his text and gave him a big smile, shaking my head. “Not at all.”

  He typed, “I didn’t see my car outside. Did you hitchhike?”

  I nodded, seriously. “I did. I got a ride in a smelly van and I swear, the guy sure had a lot of Duck tape. Should I have been concerned?”

  He spit out the water he had just sipped and wiped at his mouth. The guy next to him gave us an ugly look so Danny moved even closer to me. He was pressed up against me so much that my heart was pounding.

  “What was that all about,” asked Alex, laughing at Danny.

  I smiled innocently and Danny dipped his fingers in his water and flicked me with them. I ducked, missing most of it and giggled. “I told you not to mess with me.”

  Alex’s eyes darted back and forth between us while Danny just stared at me incredulously.

  “What? You asked a silly question. I gave a silly answer.” I turned to Alex, “Is he always gullible?”

  Alex raised an eyebrow and said, “Only with the ladies. Unfortunately, that usually gets him in trouble.” His look of warning met with Danny’s scowl. I wasn’t sure what that was all about so I kept it light.

  “The only trouble he’ll get from me is if he keeps flicking water at me. He knows how dangerous I am with ice cubes.”

  Danny laughed, turning a lovely shade of crimson.

  “I don’t kn
ow what kind of school work has been going on but it sounds like a hell of a lot more fun than I had in high school.”

  Danny started typing and when he held it out for me to look at I gasped in shock.

  “I am not mean!” I moved to elbow him, but he hopped out of my way before I could get him. Alex was laughing at him as he walked away from us holding up a finger to let us know he’d be right back. I noticed that Bronson and Julian were sitting over in the VIP section with two girls on either side of them. Danny headed over to their table and shook hands with them.

  “It’s really good to see him laughing, Jesse. It’s been a long time.” I turned to Alex with a questioning glance. He held up his hands. “I’m only going to say I’m glad he’s doing this, getting his diploma. It’s good for him. You’re good for him.”

  I frowned. “I’m just doing my job. He’s working really hard.”

  He gave me a long, hard stare. “Danny has been my best friend for a long time. I love him like a brother. But he hasn’t been in a good place for years. Frankly, it’s been tough to be around him. If whatever you’re doing is making him happy, please keep it up. He needs some happy.”

  I had no idea what he thought was going on and I was just about to tell him when Danny came back over and showed Alex his cell. Alex looked over at the brothers in VIP and just shook his head.

  “Well, at least they’re predictable. I’m glad we arrived separately.” He finished his beer and ordered another one.

  Danny nudged me and showed me his phone. “What’s the plan for this weekend, Ms. Martin?”

  “I’m going to go buy a car tomorrow morning so I can return yours to you. We could get together to work after that if you want.”

  He pulled down his shades a bit and I could see he was frowning at me. He shook his head and started typing again. “Where are you going to get a car?”

  I read his text and said, “I was just going to start making random calls to Craigslist posts or maybe stop by Honest Abe’s used cars. Do you have a better suggestion?”

  He was still frowning and he typed, “Yeah. Keep mine.”

  “Da-,” I stopped myself before I yelled out his name. “I can’t do that and you know it. I’ll probably go to the Ford dealership and check out their certified used selections. For some reason I got my summer school check early and from an outside source this week. You wouldn’t have any idea how that happened would you?”

  He shook his head and smiled innocently.

  “Hey Jesse, is your friend’s band any good?” Alex leaned closer to me, waiting for an answer and I felt Danny lean in further against my other side.

  It was really hard to form a coherent thought with him so close to me. We were practically connected at the shoulder and hip. His arm rested on the back of my barstool, snug against my back. I could feel his breath against my hair and I shivered. This, whatever we had going on was even stronger tonight. It was taking all of my willpower to not reach out and touch his chest where his shirt was unbuttoned, his neck tattoo, along his jaw, his lips...

  I shook myself and tried to think of an answer to Alex's question. I wasn’t sure how to best describe Cosmo’s band.

  “I’ve seen them before. They’re pretty good. It’s sometimes hard to tell how good they really are when they practice at the apartment because there’s too much partying and girlying going on. They have really shitty equipment at the apartment, too. But they have moments when they truly sound amazing. Cosmo is a great singer and plays really well.”

  Alex nodded, taking a tug on his beer.

  I felt a nudge on my other side. I turned back to find Danny typing again.

  “Would you mind if I go with you tomorrow? Like, as your muscle or something, so they don’t try to fuck with you?”

  I giggled and pressed a hand to my chest. “Oh, why thank you kind sir! I don’t know what a woman would do without a big strong man behind her.”

  My Scarlett O’Hara impression was getting us a few too many looks, so I toned it down as Danny and Alex looked around nervously.

  “Sorry,” I whispered to them. “Yes, you can come with me. I hate dealing with those people. They always think they can take advantage of you. If anything, you can keep me from throwing a shoe at them if they piss me off.”

  He smiled and typed, “done!”

  The announcer came on stage to introduce the band and the crowd went nuts. The guys had quite a following on the strip and I was happy for them. Danny leaned back against the bar and put his arm around behind me, which was a frequent position for him. I couldn’t say I didn’t like it.

  Cosmo and the guys took the stage playing loud and dirty. Their sound was kind of a hybrid of Guns n’ Roses and AC/DC of the Bon Scott Era. Cosmo had a growly, sexy voice with quite a range. They never wore shirts on stage and they didn’t wear makeup. Those were their rules. Alex looked over at me and raised his eyebrows in appreciation after the first song and the guys clapped for them. They played three or four songs and then they slowed things down. Cosmo grabbed an acoustic guitar and stepped up to the mic.

  “I want to dedicate this next song to my neighbor. It’s called Legs.”

  There was lots of cheering to cover up my burst of laughter. Danny and Alex looked at me like I was crazy.

  The song that Cosmo sang was very sweet and soulful. I recognized the bluesy riff he’d been playing the other night.

  “Her legs walk in and I lose my nerve

  She smiles and it throws me for a curve

  My heart stops beating and for goodness’ sake

  I pinch myself to see if I’m awake

  I dream of those legs most every night

  Sometimes I think that I just might

  Reach out my hand and try to say

  How I feel but then her legs just walk away

  Those legs keep walkin’ right on by

  And I know there’s a heaven right inside

  But those legs keep walkin’ right on by

  And if they don’t stop I just might die

  I was floored. Poor Cosmo. Danny nudged me and held up his phone.

  “He’s right, you know. Not sure I would have put it that way, but your legs do inspire men to write songs.” His smile was sad and I knew he felt bad for Cosmo, too.

  When the song was over, the crowd went wild and someone threw their panties at Cosmo, which he expertly caught.

  “Thanks darlin’, I’ll just keep these warm for you.” And he tucked them in the front of his leather pants. Gross.

  “Well, I think I’ve seen enough. I’m going to catch a cab. You guys enjoy the rest of the show. Pick you up around 10,” I asked Danny, but he was showing a text to Alex who looked up at me and smiled. Danny turned around and took my hand to lead me out. I waved to Cosmo, but he was engrossed in his female fans.

  The night air was cool outside and Danny was moving fast.

  “Hey, what’s your hurry,” I gasped, practically running in my heels.

  He stopped just to the side of the building and pulled me close to him in the shadows. He pressed his lips to my neck and I melted into him just a bit. He whispered in my ear, “I brought my bike. Will you ride with me or do you want me to grab a cab? Because I'm seeing you home tonight."

  He was still holding me to him, but he pulled back enough to look at me over the top of his shades. We were the same height tonight, but I felt absolutely feminine in his arms. With the way his eyes were devouring me, it would have been so easy to let him take me for a ride.

  I looked down at my bare legs, however, and frowned. My skirt hit just above mid-thigh and the thought of leaving behind flesh on the road if we crashed had me shuddering.

  “I’m afraid I’m not really dressed for a bike ride, but it does sound fun. Maybe another night?”

  His lips twitched and for a moment I wished I could forget why I couldn’t just kiss him right now. He grabbed for his phone and typed one handed, his other hand still pressing me against him.

  “I’m still
taking a cab with you. I’ll drop you and come back for my bike. Want to make sure you are home safe.”

  I smiled at him and gave an exaggerated sigh. “Ok, if you insist.”

  He took my hand and we walked back to the front of the club. He spotted a cab, but unfortunately he was spotted by some fans in the process. Shrieks came from the line in front of the club and while the bouncer tried to hold them back, a few slipped by. Danny yanked the door open and helped me inside while cameras started flashing. He waved to his fans, then climbed in and told the driver to step on it.

  “That was close! Guess your disguise didn’t work very well.”

  He smirked and I gave the driver my address. Sunset was packed on this Friday night so it took about twenty minutes to get to my place. Danny held my hand the whole way. It seemed so natural for him to touch me that it was easy to forget that I shouldn't let him. His hands were smooth with the exception of the callouses from playing guitar. I took his hand in both of mine and turned it over so I could look closer at the tattoo. He had a skull on one hand and on the other, an hourglass surrounded by flames. His arms were covered with ink and over the past week I’d looked as much as I could without being obvious. He had coarse, blondish-red hair covering his arms too, and I ran my fingers through it tonight.

  Other than exchanging a few heated looks, we didn’t communicate. We arrived at my apartment building and I was suddenly really nervous. I was so torn. The thought of taking him to bed had me lightheaded and feeling pressure and pleasure in all the right places. But my saner side knew that I needed to say ‘thanks and goodnight,’ and send him on his way before things got critical.

  Danny got out of the cab first, asking the driver to wait, and then came around to open my door. He took my hand to help me out of the car and I thanked him. Again he placed his hand on my lower back as we climbed the steps to my apartment. When we arrived at my door, my heart was fluttering wildly and I felt like pterodactyls had taken up residence in my stomach. Danny took off his shades and we looked at each other for a long time. He obviously sensed my conflict and was trying hard to respect the boundaries I’d put in place.