Lessons of the Heart

by Jodie Larson

  “Yeah, the only thing keeping me from punching that dick snot in the face is this whole plan. Believe me, I want to break his nose for the marks he left on you,” Lyle says while cracking his knuckles.

  Luckily for me the marks have cleared up and never became more than slightly red. But the picture Penny took is safe on my phone and printed out just in case our plan doesn’t work.

  A hand wraps around my waist and I stiffen slightly. Chase stands behind me, smiling like an idiot. Everyone around me plasters on a fake smile and greets him with moderate warmth.

  “Sorry guys but I came to steal my date back,” he says, leading me away without giving me the chance to say goodbye.

  “I wasn’t done talking with them,” I say as we head over toward Travis and his date.

  “Yeah, well, I said you were. It’s time to make nice with my friends. You came here with me remember? You’re supposed to spend time with me.”

  “Not by choice,” I say under my breath. He doesn’t hear me but holds onto my waist tighter as we approach his group.

  “Hey, Britt. Looking hot tonight,” Travis states, checking me out in a not-so-subtle fashion. My skin crawls as his eyes settle on the top of my strapless gown, ogling the bit of cleavage showing.

  “Uh, thanks,” I reply, pulling the top of my dress up to try and get more coverage.

  “And she’s all mine,” Chase says and kisses me harshly on my mouth to stake him claim. My lips stay closed and tense and my eyes scrunch together tightly.

  Go away, go away.

  When he releases me, he has a smug look on his face and it takes all my strength to not smack it off his face.

  I zone out as they all start talking about various sports teams and scholarships and programs they got into to begin their college careers. Instead, I let my eyes roam the room, searching for anything that will give me a distraction.

  And I find it, leaning against the wall in a perfectly tailored suit with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He looks absolutely radiant, like a bright spotlight calling me to him. In a charcoal gray suit, light blue dress shirt, and black tie, he stands out from the sea of black tuxes worn by almost every other male in the building. Of course, there are the few who are brave enough to wear white tuxes and bright dress shirts. There are even two guys in powder blue and orange tuxes and top hats, channeling their inner Harry and Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber.

  There’s a change in the air, becoming static and electric, charged with an underlying passion and desire as we lock our gazes together. I want to run to him, have him pull me away from this place, but I know that can’t happen. Certain events need to take place before the two of us can breathe a little easier at night.

  “You want to dance?” Chase asks me, pulling me away from James and back into the present.

  “Uh, sure,” I say, following him to the dance floor. His group of friends follows us and we all dance in a circle, in typical high school fashion. I laugh to myself as I scan the different groups dancing the same as us. But then again, how do you dance with more than a few people other than in a large circle, outside of conducting a huge mosh pit?

  After an hour of dancing, my feet start to ache and the first trickle of sweat threatens to roll down my back. I need to go outside for some fresh air because now the mass of bodies on the floor is so packed that it’s almost stifling.

  “I’m going to go outside for a moment. I’ll be right back,” I yell into Chase’s ear. He waves me off, keeping his eyes glued to Travis’s date as she grinds all over him. Apparently Travis isn’t averse to sharing.

  I walk toward the outside doors, quickly gesturing for Penny to follow me when I catch her eye. She nods and whispers to Liam where she’s going. He nods and leaves to start putting our plan into motion.

  The cool breeze feels good against my heated face as Penny pulls me against the wall with a giggle. “This is going to be so much fun.”

  “Shh! Keep your voice down.” She pretends to zip her lips with a smile. “Okay, time to roll. Give me two or three more songs with Chase, let me work him up a bit before Liam brings Ms. Hathaway into the closet. We need to do this just right.”

  “We’re just lucky she decided to be trampy and wear a strapless dress herself,” Penny says. It was by some major coincidence that the man-eater also wore a similar dress tonight. She probably found it on the junior’s rack at one of the department stores because it is not the right style for someone her age. At least it’s a longer dress so it could easily be mistaken as the same in the dark.

  “This is good because I wasn’t sure how I was going to explain that to him. But he will probably be so lust blind he won’t notice anyway. Okay, so I’ll work him up without throwing up on myself while Liam works over Ms. Hathaway at the same time. Once they’re in the closet together, the others can keep Travis and his group busy while you take the picture of the two of them together. That should give us just enough leverage to make Chase go away for good.”

  Penny claps her hands again. “I’m ready. Let’s do this.”

  We both walk calmly back into the room. Penny heads over to our group of friends while I look for Liam, who is dancing rather close to Ms. Hathaway. She looks to have a little lust vision herself as she dances with my brother. I need to buy Liam a gigantic and expensive birthday present next week.

  When I finally find Chase, I run my hand seductively up his back and around his shoulder before I stand in front of him. Judging by his dilated pupils, Travis’s date may have done a lot of the legwork for me already.

  “Hey,” I whisper.

  He raises an eyebrow at me. “What are you doing?”

  “I saw the way you and little Bambi over there were dancing before I left. And I couldn’t help but be jealous.” I lean into him more, pressing my breasts against his chest. “I want you to dance with me like that. You know why?” He shakes his head. “Because it made me think of sex.” I lean up to his ear, pressing my lips against it and drop my voice low, barely above a whisper. “Hot, sweaty, carnal sex.”

  How I got that last line out is beyond me. But it was effective because the look he’s giving me makes me hope I didn’t go a little too far with my seduction tactics. He grabs my waist and grinds his hips into mine, letting me feel his growing erection as he presses into me.

  “It’s about time you realized that I’m the real thing and not the other fucker. I can give you everything that he can’t.”

  “You are so right,” I hum.

  He rolls his hips into me again, trying to match the erotic tempo of the song. I numbly let him move my body with his. It’s almost indecent what he’s attempting to do to me on the floor, but I shamelessly allow his hands to wander freely to keep up the ruse. My stomach rolls with each touch.

  For James. This is for James.

  Thank God Penny is keeping him occupied so he won’t see this little display I’m putting on. With his proprietary tendencies, he would flip out and get arrested if he knew what I was doing.

  I turn around and see the hunger in Chase’s eyes.

  It’s now or never.

  Over his shoulder, Cami gives me the thumbs up, letting me know that Liam’s job is done.

  Running my hands up the front of his shirt, I lean in close and whisper in his ear. “I want you. Now.”

  His grip tightens on my hips. “You tell me where and I’ll meet you there.”

  “The storage closet just down the hall. I checked it out when I went outside and it’s unlocked. No one will see or hear us.” I roughly grab his face and press my lips to his. When I release him, his blue eyes turn almost black and I know I’ve got him. “I’ll go first. Give me two minutes. Then I want you to knock once before coming inside. Keep the light off and no talking because I want you to do as many kinky things to me as possible.”

  Chase growls in my ear. “Go. Now.”

  I back away from him and hold up two fingers. He nods in understanding and I start to walk toward the exit. As soon as I’m out o
f sight I barrel down the hall, running as fast as my shoes will allow me and hide on the staircase just opposite of the closet that is currently being occupied by the man-eater.

  “You ready for this?” Liam asks. He’s crouched next to me on the stairs, hidden in the shadows so we can see everything without being caught.

  “I’m so ready for this.”

  Two minutes pass and Chase comes around the corner, right on schedule. He looks both ways before ducking into the dark closet. Perfect. He fell for the bait. I turn to Liam, who gives me a strange look.

  “Stop smiling like that. You’re creeping me out,” Liam says, waiting for the action to start.

  “Smiling like what?” I ask.

  “You’re all sinister looking and shit. It’s weird. Just stop.”

  I laugh quietly and can hear the faint moans and other sex sounds coming from the closet. Apparently Ms. Hathaway isn’t a discreet lover.

  Penny comes around the corner with her camera in hand and gives the two of us the thumbs up sign. Lyle’s next to her and grabs the doorknob, ready to throw it open as Penny silently counts on her fingers. When the door flies open, I’m not shocked by what I see. Ms. Hathaway’s dress is completely pulled up around her waist. Chase’s pants are around his ankles and he’s right in the middle of a thrust when the flash of Penny’s camera distracts him. The couple stares in shock and disbelief at being caught and is even more surprised to see who they’re with. It’s a good thing Chase was never good at paying attention to details.

  “What the fuck?” Chase exclaims, pulling away from Ms. Hathaway and quickly trying to pull up his pants. His still hard dick is poking out and I laugh. For as much as he talks, he sure isn’t packing too much heat. Ms. Hathaway’s face turns ghostly white as she scrambles to fix her dress and flies out of the closet. But by this time, Penny and Lyle are already down the hall, securing the camera into Dez’s locker, just in case Chase decides to tear into theirs.

  “You ready?” Liam asks, standing up and offering me his hand.

  “Yes, let’s go.”

  We descend the stairs calmly, walking without rush over to the closet where Chase is frantically looking around.

  “What’s the matter, Chase?” I ask sweetly.

  “You! What in the hell did you just do?” he barks at me.

  I laugh and cross my arms in front of my chest. “Me? I didn’t do anything. Imagine my surprise when I walk down the hall and hear the commotion being created as a student is fucking a teacher. My, what will people say?”

  Chase sneers at me, but I hold my ground. “As if you should be talking. I can just as easily go to Mr. Leonard with my information and get your little boyfriend fired.”

  “With what? What proof do you have? Pictures? Letters? Video?” I ask. His face falls slightly. “But yet I have visual evidence of you having an affair with Ms. Hathaway on school property. Now that won’t fare well for you, my friend. All your hard work and the full scholarship to Duke won’t mean anything. They won’t want you for their basketball program if word of this leaks out.”

  Chase hangs his head while he finishes putting himself back together. “What do you want?”

  I take a step forward and poke him in the chest. “For you to leave me alone. No more blackmail, no more forced relationship. I want to finish the rest of my senior year in peace. You are not to come near me or even talk to me ever again. As far as you’re concerned, I don’t exist. Otherwise, Mr. Leonard will get a copy of that photo and you’re history. Is that understood?”

  Chase doesn’t say anything more. He just nods his head and looks dejectedly between Liam and me.

  “I think it’s time for prom to be over for you,” Liam says. “I’ll take care of the limo and even pay for a cab to take you wherever you want as long as it’s away from here.”

  “I can still sink your ship, Britta. Mr. Leonard could find out about you two through some anonymous source,” Chase says in a last ditch effort.

  Liam hands me my phone and I show Chase the picture of me that Penny took last week. “If any kind of inquiry comes upon Mr. Dumont, the police will get a report from me regarding a domestic assault by my boyfriend. And since you have been so adamant about telling people we’re together and they’ve seen you handling me rather roughly lately, you may end up needing some legal counsel. And I’m pretty sure Duke wouldn’t want a convicted abuser in their program either.”

  Game. Set. Match. Winner.

  I walk away from Chase, not giving him the satisfaction of getting in the last word as Liam escorts him out of the building. I damn near bounce in my heels with excitement as I walk to my new destination.

  The halls are dark, but I’ve walked this route so many times over the last two years that I know it by heart. I navigate with ease around the various tables and chairs, following the maze until I reach the office at the end.

  Standing with his back to me, I pause before entering the dimly lit room. The soft illumination from his desk lamp is perfect, giving us a warm glow. Something that matches how I feel right at this moment. This is all I want before people realize we’re gone. Just some alone time with the man I love.

  James turns around and smiles as I step further into his office. “Hey.” His voice is hoarse and scratchy, just the perfect mix.

  “Hey,” I reply, feeling my heart kick up with excitement.

  He quickly wraps me up in his arms, letting me relax for the first time tonight. This is where I want to be and now I can be here without fear of reprimand or punishment.

  Unless we get careless.

  That’s not going to happen, though.

  Not anymore.

  “It’s done. We’re free. Chase is no longer in the picture and he’s going to leave the both of us alone.”

  Carefully nuzzling into my hair, his warm breath tickles my neck as he lets out a contented sigh. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m positive. He was found in a compromising position a few moments ago. It was highly suggested that he leave us alone or else his scholarship to Duke would be in jeopardy.”

  James pulls back and tilts his head. “Compromising position?”

  Biting my lower lip to suppress my smile, I try to keep it together but fail miserably. “Let’s just say that I killed two birds with one stone.”

  “Do I want to know?” he asks, trailing a fingertip down my cheek.

  I lean into his touch before turning my head to kiss the center of his palm. “Probably not. It’s best if you’re not involved in case this gets out.”

  “My sneaky little vixen.”

  I place my phone down on his desk after selecting a song from my playlist. The soft melody of a guitar fills the room and I wrap my arms around his neck.

  “Dance with me? I want to make this the best prom ever by dancing with the one person I wish to be here with most.”

  His lips quirk up in the corners as his arms wrap around my waist. We sway back and forth as Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” plays in the background.

  The perfect description of our relationship.

  I press my cheek against his, thankful for my high heels so we’re almost the same height. He quietly sings the words into my ear, making me smile, even though he’s slightly off key when he hits the notes.

  Partway through the chorus he pulls back to look into my eyes. “I know we’re not under the stars, but I was thinking since you’re already holding me in your arms that we could…”

  He doesn’t have to finish the sentence because my lips meet his, pouring my love into this kiss, thankful that our ordeal is over. And soon I can kiss him like this whenever I want without needing to hide. Or invite him over to dinner with my parents because I know they’ll love him. This man holds my heart in his hands and I wouldn’t trust it to anyone else.

  When the song ends, we pull away, knowing that our moment is up. “We should get back. They were about to announce the king and queen before Penny told me it was imperative that I had to go to my office.” />
  “She’s a good little helper that one. We’ll have to send her a giant thank you note,” I say with a wink.

  I grab my phone and lead him out of the lounge with our fingers laced together. We pause just down the hall from the gym doors and James puts his hand on my neck, pulling me in for one final kiss.

  “I’ll go in first then you follow,” he says, trailing his thumb gently over my bottom lip.

  Liam appears next to me and holds his hand out to James. “All taken care of man. Don’t worry, I’ve got her from here.”

  The two men shake and James walks into the gym with a smile on his face. Watching his retreating form has me zoning out again. That is until Liam’s fingers snapping in front of me bring me back.

  “Ready to actually enjoy your prom now?” he asks, holding out his arm to me.

  “Absolutely,” I say and thread my arm into his as we walk into the gym.

  It doesn’t take long for us to find our group of friends, who are all cheering loudly as the first member of the royal court is announced. Penny squeezes me before clinging to Liam, placing a loud smacking kiss on his lips. Cami, Dez, and Justice also give me a giant hug for a job well done while the guys all kiss my cheek, thankful that they’ve got me back.

  When my name gets called for runner-up, I’m elated. I walk across the stage and accept my small tiara with a wave to the crowd. Chase, of course, is nowhere to be seen when his name gets announced. When Cami and Lyle come up for their king and queen crowns, I can't help but cheer as loud as I can. Apparently I can have faith in the student body after all.

  Even though the night started horribly, it turned out to be the best night ever. Dancing with my friends, acting like myself without worry of repercussions is the greatest feeling in the world. Well, at least it’s one of them. And as James plays with an imaginary ring on his finger, my mysterious heartburn comes back and my right hand comes up to press against my heart, sending my love secretly across the room.

  “TOMORROW’S GRADUATION NIGHT,” PENNY SAYS, rummaging through my drawers for something to sleep in. She says she’s staying the night with me, but I know better. She’s really here to stay the night with Liam.