by Isabel Morin
“Oh my God, that’s amazing,” Emily said. “Call them back.”
So she did, and they set up an interview for Wednesday at ten-thirty. Cheryl hung up and looked at Emily. “I need something to wear. Feel like coming shopping with me?”
“Absolutely. This is our lucky day.”
***
Cheryl got home from shopping and dinner after six, and the first thing she did was call Jason.
“Hey there,” he answered.
“I have an interview,” she blurted out, too excited for any preliminaries.
“That’s amazing. Where?”
She filled him in as she hung up her new suit and changed her sheets. She was still too excited to sit still, and they really had done quite a number on the bed.
“You must have really impressed Laurie,” he said.
“I guess, but I’m so nervous. This might be my only chance for next semester. I can’t screw it up.”
“You won’t. But it might be good to do a practice run. Why don’t I interview you and you can work out the kinks in your answers.”
“That would be great,” she said. “I’ll even make it worth your while,” she added, pitching her voice so it got all low and husky and come-hitherish.
“Well then I guess we have a deal.”
“Perfect. I’ll even feed you dinner.”
“You don’t have to–”
“I want to, so don’t argue.”
“Okay,” he said, laughing.
She could see him so clearly, the way his eyes warmed and a dimple appeared, like her gift for amusing him.
“How does six sound?”
“It sounds perfect.”
There was a weighty silence then, like they were both thinking about saying something sexy or meaningful. She almost did, but then decided against it.
“Get some sleep,” she said instead. “You must be tired.”
“You could say that. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She said goodbye and hung up, smiling as she recalled how he’d looked this morning, gorgeous and tired and still ready to throw her on the floor. She sat down on the couch, finally calm enough to sit still, and turned on the TV. Tomorrow she’d get up at a reasonable time, clean her apartment and go grocery shopping. Tonight, however, she was going to veg.
Chapter Thirteen
At five fifty-eight the next evening Jason knocked at her door. She’d been oddly nervous all afternoon, or maybe it was just anticipation, and when the knock came, she broke out into a sweat.
Get a grip, she ordered herself, heading for the door. You know this guy.
Of course, now she knew him in the biblical sense as well, and that changed things, made her even more tingly than she used to be when he came knocking.
She opened the door with a smile that fell away in her surprise. In one hand he had a bottle of wine, in the other a bouquet of gerbera daisies.
“Oh, Jason, you didn’t have to do that,” she said, stepping aside and letting him in.
“Of course I didn’t. But I wanted to.”
“They’re beautiful,” she said, recovering enough to act like a woman who knew how to accept flowers. “Thank you.”
She took the bouquet from him and led the way into the kitchen, where she fished out a vase from beneath the sink. She wasn’t the sort of woman guys bought flowers for. Or maybe the guys she’d gone out with hadn’t been the kind to buy flowers. Either way, she hadn’t been given flowers in years, and she felt out of her element as she rinsed out the vase, poured the little packet of powder in and added water.
“Smells good,” Jason said, walking over to the stove and peaking under the lid of the pan.
“We’re having tacos tonight,” she explained, taking out the scissors to snip the ends of stems. “But these are fancy shrimp and mango tacos. I’ve always wanted to try the recipe.”
“I’ve never met a taco I didn’t like, so I’m sold.”
She turned around from nervously arranging the flowers to find him standing right in front of her.
“You look good enough to eat,” he said, grabbing her hips and pulling her close.
This part was easy. It took no thought at all. His mouth came down on hers and she responded, opening up and taking him in, their tongues tasting each other once again. In seconds they were pawing at one another, already beside themselves with lust.
Jason slid his hands beneath her ass and lifted her onto the counter, stepping between her thighs until she felt his arousal pressed against her own heat through her jeans.
“You shouldn’t wear anything but skirts,” he said into her throat, his lips searing her skin.
“I won’t,” she breathed, more than willing to make such a promise.
His hands slid under her black tee-shirt and dipped beneath her waistband, and it wasn’t anywhere near enough. She wanted him naked, in bed, now. The food wasn’t going anywhere.
“Let’s take this to the bedroom,” she panted, bringing him back to her for another long, drugging kiss.
Without another word he picked her up, she wrapped her legs around his hips and he carried her into the bedroom. They fell together onto the bed, grasping at each other’s clothes. Jason was quicker, unsnapping and stripping her of her jeans in seconds. She concentrated on unbuttoning the long-sleeved shirt he wore, gleefully baring his chest.
“You have the exact perfect amount of chest hair,” she said, running her hands over him, down to his abs and then lower still.
His laugh turned into a low groan and he pulled away, shedding his pants along with his underwear.
“You have the perfect everything,” he countered, pulling off her thong.
Kneeling on the floor, he pulled her toward him until her butt was on the very edge of the bed, her legs over his shoulders. Oh, he was so good at this, licking into her like he was in no hurry at all and she could just take her time and enjoy it, climbing and climbing until she was the one desperate for release.
She was getting close, her heels pressing into his back to urge him closer. This was when she knew it would happen, but she might hang there at the precipice for seconds or minutes. Then he took her clit into his mouth and sucked. She cried out and shattered, Jason’s tongue moving over her still, urging every bit of pleasure out of her until she was utterly spent.
She lay still, wrung out and sated, while he climbed back onto the bed and reached for a condom. His eyes still burned bright with desire, but there was something tender in his smile when he looked down at her.
“You ready for a little more, baby?” he whispered.
Nodding, she wrapped her arms around him and he entered her with a leisurely stroke. He was watching her, still taking his time, and as he continued his slow, rhythmic thrusts her desire woke again. Soon she was rising to meet him, matching his need.
Smiling with satisfaction, he buried his head in her throat and picked up the pace. His breath grew ragged and his thrusts urgent, setting off a new urgency in her. She ran her hands down his back to his ass, glorying in all the honed muscled she felt bunching and releasing as he moved over her.
Then he lifted her leg up and over his shoulder until she was entirely open to him and drove in again, deep and true. She cried out, close but needing more, and as if he read her mind he stroked her clit with his thumb. He was watching her again with dark, hooded eyes, the patient, determined athlete using everything he had to reach his goal.
With every thrust she rose higher, harder, filled up by him until she had no thought of anything else. Then he leaned forward until her leg was at an angle and rocked into her, and she cried out in surprise as pleasure poured through her, carrying her away.
She opened her eyes some time later to find herself curled next to Jason, her head on his chest.
“Thank God,” he said, seeing her open her eyes. “I thought I broke you.”
“Only for every other man,” she said, before she had time to consider how that might sound.
“Is that right?
” he asked rolling over until he was grinning down at her.
“Yes, but don’t get a big head about it,” she said. “You just happen to do it for me.”
“We do it for each other,” he said, his expression turning serious.
“Speaking of which, I assume you came? I was too busy floating around the universe to notice.”
“Yes, I came. Thank you for asking,” he said.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you teasing me?”
“No, I’m pleased with you.”
That tender look was back again, making her feel self-conscious and cherished at the same time.
She reached up and ran her fingers through his mussed hair, then down his cheek. Leaning down he gave her a sweet, chaste kiss. Then he looked down and cupped his hand over a breast.
“I’m afraid I neglected your gorgeous breasts,” he said, stroking the tip lightly with his thumb, then dipping his head and taking it into his mouth.
“Trust me, not a single inch of me feels neglected,” she said her breath catching at what he was calling from her again. “Oh, God. Please stop. If you make me excited again I may not survive.”
He rolled off her and sat up, scrubbing at his face. “I may not either, come to think of it.”
Slowly she sat up too. “What we need is sustenance. Let’s go eat.”
“Right. Then I’ll interview you.”
She’d forgotten the reason he’d come over. “Right, the interview.”
After pit stops at the bathroom they both got dressed again and headed for the kitchen. Fortunately, she’d already done all the prep work and needed only to sauté the food for a few minutes before they were able to sit down and eat.
Jason filled her in on what was going on at Henderson High, and even though she’d only been gone a few days, she still felt nostalgic. She’d grown accustomed to them all, and now she’d have to start all over. Then again, that’s what every teacher did each semester. If you were lucky enough to have a job.
When they were finished she told Jason to leave the dishes and they headed into the living room for the interview portion of the evening. Sitting down in the armchair across from her, Jason pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and opened it up.
“I wrote down some of the questions I’ve been asked in interviews, along with some I found online.”
She was already getting nervous, and she was only sitting in her own living room with the guy she’d just shagged. How was she going to make it through a real interview?
“Cheryl? You ready?”
“Um, I guess so. But all of a sudden I feel really self-conscious.”
“Really? About what?” he asked, looking surprised.
“I don’t want you to think I’m an idiot, but I’m probably going to sound like one when you ask me those questions.”
“I couldn’t possibly think you’re an idiot. You’re nervous and this is your first time, which is why we’ll do this until you feel prepared. I’ll ask you the same question a hundred times if that’s what you need. Okay?”
She sighed and felt some of the tension drain away. “Okay. Let me have it.”
In the end she didn’t sound as hopeless as she’d feared, though she fumbled some of the answers and needed to be clearer and more succinct. But she got more confident and better spoken with each round of questions, and oddly enough her replies sounded more natural.
“Don’t be afraid to take a few seconds to respond,” he said at one point. “You’re not going to get docked for being thoughtful.”
“Good point. It’s not a chess match, right?”
“You know this stuff. It’s just a matter of letting them know you know it, and giving them a feel for who you are.”
He was looking and sounding like Mr. Shaw, teacher extraordinaire, again. How had she made it through an entire semester without jumping this guy? She obviously had far more willpower than she’d given herself credit for.
He threw a few more oddball questions at her, which she answered well enough, and he declared her ready for tomorrow.
“Did you, um, did you want to stay over?” she asked, suddenly shy. She wasn’t sure what the rules were for this part of their arrangement.
“That would be great, if you want me to. I brought a few things just in case.”
She smiled, relieved they were on the same page. “I’d like that.”
She washed and brushed up while Jason ran down to the car for his bag. When he came back she was already in bed. She listened to the water run, smiling at how nice it was having him around. Having been friends for a few months, there was a level of comfort she’d never felt with any other man. Add that to the thrill of mind-blowing sex, and you had a winning combination.
Jason came into the room and started undressing, pausing after he’d taken off his jeans.
“What are you wearing?” he asked.
“Tee shirt and underwear,” she answered. “Why?”
“I just wanted to know how modest we were being tonight,” he said, and proceeded to take off everything but his boxers.
She held the covers back for him as he climbed into bed, then rolled toward him, her head on his chest. “This okay?” she asked.
His arm came around her and she felt him sigh. “This is great.”
***
The preparation paid off, as did the money she’d spent on her new suit. Both had given her confidence, and Cheryl walked the halls of Coronado High after the interview feeling she’d done her best. Maybe she could have been more brilliant, but there was nothing overtly awful about anything that she’d said, and some of it had been pretty good.
The principal, Gary Sommers, had been cordial, if cooler than Laurie Holmes, and had seemed impressed with her school record, her Praxis scores and the reports from Henderson High.
Cheryl looked around, assessing her possible next place of work. Classes were in session, so she discretely looked into the classrooms as she passed, trying to imagine herself standing in front of one of them, imparting the wisdom of the ages. Or maybe just keeping the students awake.
Jason had told her it was considered a decent school to work for, on par with Henderson. The school board wasn’t completely dysfunctional, the teachers were decently paid, and the principal was known to be fair and hardworking.
She would kill for this job, and she was also terrified she’d get it. Because the truth was she still didn’t know what she was doing, and someone was bound to figure that out eventually.
Pushing through the doors to the outside, she breathed in the fresh, sunny air and let the negative thoughts dissolve. She crossed the parking lot and headed for her car, stopping only to text Jason that she felt good about the interview. He was in the middle of class, but she looked forward to deconstructing the entire conversation with him as soon as possible.
Actually, she looked forward to doing a few other things with him as soon as possible, but maybe they ought to sleep in their own beds – alone – tonight. She was already leaning on him a lot, maybe too much, and the great sex complicated things even more. But talking to him over the phone seemed safe enough, and she needed that at least as much as the sex.
***
Jason checked his phone at lunchtime, anxious to find out how Cheryl’s interview had gone. He was oddly nervous, considering it wasn’t his interview, but when he read her text he realized he shouldn’t have worried. Though her confidence often wavered, her competence didn’t, and obviously that had come through. Heading outside for some fresh air and privacy, he gave her a call.
“Hey there,” she answered, and he couldn’t help smiling at how obviously pleased she was to hear from him.
“Hey, yourself. Sounds like you kicked some ass. Tell me about it.”
“I never could have done it without your–”
“It wasn’t me in that interview,” he cut in. “You’re welcome for the help, but today was all you.”
“Okay, okay,” she laughed. “It was all me. Anywa
y, it seemed like a decent enough place, and I liked what Sommers had to say. It would be pretty intense if I got it, since I’d be starting in two weeks, and I’d have to create a lesson plan between now and then.”
“You mean the teacher’s not leaving you anything?” he asked.
“She’s got lessons ready for the first couple of weeks, but she wasn’t planning on starting her maternity leave until the first week of February.”
“Got it. Well, you’re right that it would be a lot of work, but it’s doable. I’m sure the principal and other teachers would be willing to help, and obviously I will.”
“Thanks, I’m counting on all of that.”
“What happens when the semester’s over?” he asked. “Will they have anything else for you?”
“One of the other English teachers is retiring after this year, so I’d fill that position next year.”
“Wow, it sounds ideal.”
“Yeah, I know,” she said, and he could picture how she must look, the little frown line between her eyes that she got when she was anxious or unsure.
“Well, a recommendation from Laurie goes a long way. And it’s not easy finding people in the middle of the year. You have a great shot at this.”
“Don’t say that! I don’t want to jinx it.”
“In that case, no way are you getting this job.”
She sighed. “That’s better.”
“So what are you up to the rest of the week?” he asked, oh so casually.
“I have some Christmas shopping left to do, but mostly I plan to veg. I’m working Friday and Saturday night as usual, and Beth’s coming to visit Sunday.”
Damn. He’d forgotten about Beth. That meant that unless they spent the night together today or tomorrow, it would be a week before he’d sleep with her again. But he wasn’t going to push it. They were so hot and heavy when they saw each other, it was probably best to take a breather. Things could get intense fast, and he didn’t want Cheryl getting skittish.