Her Teacher's Temptation

by Vos, Alexandra

  I had a shower and dressed in my formal clothes, cursing my aching muscles and bags no amount of concealer could hide. We hadn’t even got back to the hotel that late, it was what happened for hours after that had sapped my energy. When it was time to go down to the lobby, I wasn’t sure whether I should knock on Ollie’s door or not. I didn’t really have many other options.

  I twiddled my thumbs awkwardly until he opened the door and noted, with slight curiosity, that he was wearing different clothes again. Maybe he’d been planning the same as me after all. “Ready?” He inquired, eyes glancing over my outfit, but expression not changing.

  “Yeah,” I acknowledged, shifting slightly. There was supposed to be a buffet at the reading, which I really hoped was true. The fact I hadn’t eaten yet was starting to make me feel even worse. My stomach rumbled loudly and I flushed bright red. It was at least slightly worth it considering I got a laugh out of Ollie, though.

  “You’ve got everything sorted?” He checked, his voice returning to a slightly strained tone. “I don’t know what order everyone is going in.”

  I nodded. “I think so,” I admitted. “I have it on the cards, though, so I don’t think anything could go too wrong anyway.”

  I glanced at the clock and realised we were five minutes late when the other contestants and teachers gave us disapproving glances as we walked into the lobby. I just hoped I didn’t look as rough as I felt. I’d put significantly more make-up on than normal and I knew my hair and dress were pretty. Ollie looked just as good as normal.

  I stared at the fully stacked buffet in awe as we walked into the large lecture theatre where we’d be doing our readings. There were a surprising number of people there, I supposed some of them were the parents of the other contestants and the rest were students of the university.

  The format was that half of us would read, there’d be a break, and then we could finally get some food. After drawing names out of a hat, it was revealed that I’d go first. I grimaced. That would mean I wouldn’t even get to judge the competition before having to go.

  We were all seated on the front row, though, so I had Ollie’s encouraging face to ground me. It had been morphing into a faraway look when he thought I wasn’t watching.

  Smoothing down my skirt in the first real show of nervousness I’d had since being in Newcastle, I finally let the reality that I had to speak in front of all of these people hit me. I’d been distracting myself fairly effectively last night with going out and today with the repercussions of going out, but now I was walking up and onto the stage I realised my smile was completely false and my hands were sweaty where I held my cards.

  Ollie seemed to notice how nervous I was, though, and wiped any negativity off his face to replace it with a wide, almost teasing smile, which did more than I thought it would.

  My first few sentences were shaky, but when I got into it, it was almost easy to forget that so many people were watching me. I did a good job of focusing on an air vent on the opposite side of the hall and I knew the words off by heart. I’d been impressed with my writing and that helped loads when it came to remembering it.

  I flushed at the round of applause I got when I finished and hurried off the stage back to my place beside Ollie. “Well done,” he congratulated me with an almost smug smile.

  I raised a curious eyebrow at him. “What are you looking so happy about?”

  He grinned. “You’re my student, so everyone’s going to think it’s because of me that your reading was so awesome.”

  I shook my head in amusement, though my cheeks were so red it was impossible to hide my embarrassment from his praise with a neutral expression.

  The other contestants before lunch were good, there was no doubt about it, but their interpretations were generic and I wasn’t sure whether that favoured me or not. Either way, I was happy not to think about it as Ollie and I made our way to the buffet as quickly as possible.

  A familiar face met us there and I smiled at Annabel politely. She was grinning at me. “It was very good,” she applauded me. “Risky, but good. I’m kind of surprised they put you through.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  “Feeling rough?” She directed this at the two of us and we nodded dismally.

  “My head feels like it’s going to burst,” Ollie complained. “And it doesn’t help that half these kids have whiny voices.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Kids?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow at him.

  He smirked. “You know what I mean.”

  An elderly lady approached us then and smiled up at Ollie with some missing teeth. “We just need to discuss with you and the other teachers about the awards ceremony.” She explained, before walking off and clearly expecting him to follow. He offered us an apologetic smile before leaving us alone.

  “I’m surprised you both look so civil with each other after what I feel sure happened last night,” Annabel commented when we were alone, causing me to almost choke on the bite of sandwich I’d just taken.

  “Erm, I don’t know what you mean?” I attempted, but I knew I was completely unconvincing.

  “Oh, please. I saw the way you two were dancing, and that kiss before you left. Please don’t make me actually say the words. But, yeah, I thought it’d be more awkward than it seems to be.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. It probably will be. It definitely was this morning, but I suppose it’s easier not to be when there’s other people around and we’re actually doing something.” I groaned, cutting my blithering short. “Oh God, we have a two and half hour car journey. I might have to pretend to go to sleep.”

  Annabel chuckled, but then frowned slightly. “Is he actually okay, though? He’s the kind of person to really beat himself up about this, even though Jemma is a complete bitch.”

  Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair, no doubt ruining several ringlets that I’d spent so long trying to get to stay. “I think he’ll be okay. This, erm, almost happened before,” I averted my gaze slightly. “And he was okay. Maybe this will be a wakeup call, or something, about how he clearly can’t like her that much.” Then I blushed at what I was saying. “Not that I know anything about it, he could love her for all I know. But, would you mind not mentioning that you know? He’ll probably be more upset if he thinks you do.”

  “That’s fine, I understand. But yeah, I really hope it makes him realise what a mistake he’s making with her.”

  We returned to the safe topic of the other contestants when we noticed Ollie was returning. “I think it’d be a travesty if any of the people who’ve already read beat you.” I wasn’t sure if she was just saying that or not. “They didn’t even read theirs that well, never mind the writing quality.”

  “I see you must be inadvertently praising my teaching if Maddie’s that red.” Ollie re-joined the conversation with a smirk.

  I groaned. “I hate my stupid blushing habit. The fact that everyone comments on it makes it ten times worse, you know.”

  “I know. Why do you think I do it?” He grinned widely.

  Back in our seats, I was as surprised as Annabel at the apparent normality of mine and Ollie’s interactions. I’d thought he’d want to avoid talking to me like the plague and be lost in his thoughts of guilt. Maybe I was optimistic to think that perhaps we could still be kind of friends. The only reason we’d interacted like this in the first place was because we’d been stuck on this Newcastle trip together. This wasn’t going to happen again. We’d be back to student and teacher without any reason for other interactions before I knew it.

  I sighed aloud and was met with a curious expression from Ollie. I shook my head dismissively. It wasn’t worth discussing this with him, because I was upset that I didn’t get to be with him and he was upset because he’d cheated on his girlfriend.

  Chapter Twelve

  “You definitely should have won.”

  I was fairly certain that Ollie was more disappointed than I was that I hadn’t come first in the competition. “I’m prett
y happy with second, to be honest. That guy’s was pretty good.”

  “But yours was better,” Ollie all but whined. “It was cleverer than any of theirs.”

  Annabel shook her head in amusement. “You know no one really would have given you any of the credit.”

  “They would,” Ollie pouted. “But I’m serious, anyway. I really thought Maddie’s was the best.”

  “Me too,” Annabel agreed with a shrug. “But you must have known it was lucky for her to even get in with that topic.”

  “I’m more than surprised I’m even in second.”

  Ollie was still unimpressed, though. “Well, I guess we have to go and drive home now that’s over and done with.” There was an awkward realisation between us that we were going to have to spend two and a half hours together without anything to effectively distract us like there had been all day. “But I’m still tempted to enter some kind of complaint.”

  Laughing, I watched as Annabel gave Ollie a quick hug. “I’ll make an effort to come home soon. As soon as there’s a break in my busy schedule,” she teased.

  Ollie chuckled. “Make sure you do. Mum and dad miss you loads.”

  “I’ll come soon, promise,” she grinned at me then. “It was cool to meet you. Hopefully I’ll see you again when I come down to Sheff.”

  “Yeah, that’d be awesome.” I wasn’t sure whether Annabel and I even had that much in common – she just thought there was just going to be more gossip about Ollie and I she could get if she saw me. I couldn’t blame her, I’d have been exactly the same. “See you around.”

  Walking back to the hotel, the contestants were basically all doing their own thing now. We’d been one of the first to leave the hall, since everyone else seemed to have made friends with each and had been chatting among themselves. Ollie was still grumbling about how it was unfair. “It’s probably a good job I didn’t win anyway, I’m sure they mentioned something about another trip for the winner,” I joked. “That probably would have ended as well as this one.”

  It brought the situation back down upon us both and I realised I hadn’t been as funny as I thought. It was one of those things I definitely shouldn’t have said. Ollie at least chuckled slightly, though. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It just annoys me that they have these taboo topics. That’s the whole point of writing. Yours was clearly the best. It was written well and it was just a good idea,” he rolled his eyes. “It’s so stupid.”

  I offered him a wide smile. “Don’t worry, I think it makes me feel better that you’re so convinced that’s true than winning would have done anyway.”

  Ollie’s cheeks tinged pink, much to my delight. I loved it that I could make him blush like that. “I guess that’s okay then,” he muttered as we walked through the hotel doors. “Go and get your stuff ready and then knock on my door when you’re done. I’m pretty sure it’s going to take you longer than me.”

  I smirked as I entered my room and shut the door behind me. It didn’t actually take me long to pack at all, but I found plenty of ways to stall in reluctance to get into the car with Ollie. It wasn’t just the fact that it was awkward since we both knew how guilty Ollie was feeling, but more because I was sure we were going to have to ‘talk’ about it. I really didn’t want to do that.

  Eventually, though, I knew I couldn’t put it off any longer. My headache had practically cleared up at least, so maybe we’d be able to just listen to music. Knocking on his door, Ollie opened it immediately. He must have had the opposite idea to me and just wanted to get this over and done with.

  “Definitely got everything?” He checked.

  I glanced over my bags and mentally recapped before nodding. “Yup. I guess we should get going, then.”

  The walk to the car was silent, and the first fifteen minutes of driving were silent apart from the sound of the engine and the tires on the road. I spend that time twiddling my thumbs and playing with my hair, whilst Ollie’s knuckles were practically white from gripping the steering wheel so hard.

  I refused to be the one to break the silence, though. What could I say? Other than perhaps to ask if I could put the radio on, which I didn’t think would help the situation at all. “Maddie.” It was a statement, rather than a beginning of a sentence and I held back a groan. This was going to be awful. “Argh, fuck this. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to say,” he finally grumbled.

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “This is the worst professional relationship I’ve ever seen.”

  Ollie joined in. “I don’t even know how this got so messed up. I mean, out of all the teachers that could have taken you to Newcastle, it had to be me. And then in town. What a coincidence, I mean, really.”

  I smiled softly. “Yeah, it’s pretty unfortunate.” I wondered whether saying that it was unlikely we’d be doing anything like this again was kind of nullified by what he’d just said. “It really isn’t like to happen again, though.” I tried to assure him. “I haven’t entered any other competitions, and you’re not supposed to go out drinking in Sheffield anyway, in case you see students.” Then I smirked. “Not that I can see you sticking to that.”

  “Hey!” He complained. “That was a one off. That was like, a last night out kind of thing. I’m just desperately trying to arrange for us to go to Leeds or something.” Then he grinned. “Now you can understand why I was so annoyed at you. Denying me sex on my last night out.”

  Laughing loudly, I shook my head in amusement. “Well, if I’d have known, I wouldn’t have been so mean.” I teased back.

  “Seriously, though, Maddie,” Ollie sobered up a bit. “I really can’t help but like you, which is kind of an issue.”

  I bit my lip at his admission and my cheeks flamed. “I really like you too,” I muttered, though I was more than sure I shouldn’t have told him. It felt cruel not to let him know just how much I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

  Ollie blushed again. I smiled and he looked very much like he was trying to stop himself grinning. “This is so ridiculous. You make me feel like a child again.”

  “I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or not.”

  “It’s good,” Ollie replied instantly. “Being old sucks. Too much responsibility. When I’m with you I always kind of forget that I’m supposed to be doing other, more respectable things.” He shrugged slightly. “It’s nice. Then I have to go home and mark books and it just sucks. And I can’t go out. And it’s just so different from being at uni.”

  I couldn’t even imagine that, but I guessed that was the point. When it came to be me in that situation, I’d probably be the same. “You probably only think it sucks because I’ve been here making the transition awkward for you.”

  “Maybe,” Ollie admitted. “But either way, it’s still pretty rubbish. And now I’ve gone and done this and just made it worse. What am I supposed to tell Jemma, I mean, really?”

  “I don’t think I’m the best person to be giving relationship advice,” I told him honestly. “I can’t say I’ve ever really had a proper serious relationship.”

  Ollie looked marginally surprised. “Really?”

  “Well, yeah, I mean, for most of last year I liked Connor and that never came to anything. And before that I had like, two boyfriends, but they were only for a couple of months each. Nothing serious at all.” Then I smirked. “I am only seventeen.”

  Ollie laughed. “Oh yeah, I always forget. I guess I’m actually a proper creep, aren’t I?”

  “It’s okay, I think it’s hot that you’re old, so you’re all good.” I taunted, though it was completely true. For some reason the age difference did turn me on. It wasn’t like it was actually that big, anyway.

  Ollie’s face was just about permanently flushed by this point, but he managed not to falter in his banter or expression. “Well, that’s good, then.” Then he groaned. “Or not so good, I guess. I’m willing to take your advice whether it’s any good or not at this point.”

  “Oh God, I don’t know.” I tapped my finger
s against my leg. “I mean, do you think she’ll break up with you if you tell her about it? Do you think she’s the one?” I couldn’t exactly ask whether he actually wanted to be with her, obviously he did, otherwise he would just be breaking up with her.

  “I have no idea, to either of those questions. I don’t think we’ve really been going out long enough to say.”

  I sighed. “Well, that wasn’t much help.”

  Ollie chuckled. “I should just tell her,” he decided. “It’s the right thing to do and we both know it.”

  Though I of course wanted Ollie to tell her the entire truth and for her to break up with him, I really didn’t know what the right thing to do was. Even if they broke up we couldn’t be together, so I was being as selfish as possible with my thought process.