Game On: If I wasn't her student, it would be game on.

by Daiko, SC

  Mam makes her way to the door, feet dragging. “I hope you manage to accomplish everything,” she says. “Goodnight, son.”

  I wish her sweet dreams, and flop back down on my pillow. Joder, if that fucker so much as shows his face in Wyemouth, he’ll have me to answer to. I’ll make fucking sure of that. I think about the knife at the back of my wardrobe, the one I bought in Ibiza. Better start carrying it around with me.

  I pick up my cell phone and stare at the screen. There’s a message. Beth. My heart slams against my chest.

  9

  I stare at the text I’ve just sent. Thanks again for your help with Josh. It had seemed harmless enough. But who am I kidding? What I did was wrong. So very wrong.

  The buzz of an incoming message.

  You’re welcome, Beth.

  I catch my lip between my teeth. Don’t respond!

  But I can’t stop my fingers from tapping the words. Are you going for a run tomorrow?

  The answer comes back within seconds.

  Might do.

  Oh, so cool.

  So might I.

  Nothing. I wait, my heart stuttering. Still nothing. I slip the phone into the pocket of my PJs before going into the kitchen to make myself a cup of cocoa. I’ll leave it at that. I won’t contact him again. But, just as I’m about to take a sip, the phone buzzes.

  What time?

  I finish my drink, my mind in a whirl. Closing my eyes, I think about him. I miss him. I miss having him in the periphery of my vision, I miss his smile and the wicked glint in his eyes. I. MISS. HIM.

  I reach for the phone, and tap, eight in the morning.

  His response is immediate.

  See you then.

  I go to the bathroom and brush my teeth. You’ll be playing with fire, and you could get burnt. You should put a stop to it…

  Back in my room, I climb into bed. Closing my eyes, I remember the feel of his hardness pressing into my belly at the club, and I slip my fingers down to my pussy. Oh, yes, like that. Rubbing myself with one hand, and tweaking my nipple with the other, I give myself over to the sensation. Pleasure builds, and then I’m there, an orgasm spiralling through me as I buck against the press of my fingers. Mmm. Ah…

  The following morning, I wake early. I pick up my phone, determined to call off meeting Ryan. But when it comes down to it I can’t bring myself to do it. I want to see him, pure and simple. Ha, I doubt what I’m about to embark upon will be pure and simple.

  I take extra care with my appearance, putting my hair up in a ponytail before applying light waterproof mascara and my usual cherry-red lip gloss. Calm down, Beth. It’s not like you’re going on a date.

  I shake my head. Maybe I’ve read Ryan all wrong? But the way he looks at me, eyes burning… surely, he’s as hot for me as I am for him? I’m officially crazy… certifiably stark raving bonkers. He’s my student; I shouldn’t be doing this. I could lose my bloody job.

  Ignoring the sensible voice in my head, I put on my running gear and set off, jogging down the road towards the park. The weather has turned mild for the end of October, and, for once, it’s dry. I spot Ryan up ahead, and my stupid heart skips a beat.

  He waits until I catch up with him, then falls into step beside me and smiles his bad-boy smile. “Buenos días, señorita.”

  We take the same route that we took before. There aren’t many people out this early. Schoolkids are probably enjoying a lie-in and their parents are probably at work. Even so, I’m cautious. “I’ll run behind you, Ryan. You set the pace.”

  He speeds ahead and I enjoy the view of his beautiful asscheeks pumping in his tight shorts. As soon as we’ve crossed the river and we’re running up the pathway into the forest, he slows down. “We’re alone,” he says, his voice low and husky.

  A tingle goes up my spine as he falls into step beside me again. I’m starting to tire and sweat is running down my face. “Let’s stop for a rest,” I manage to say, my breath hitching.

  We slow down to a walk, and he takes my hand. There’s a glade, shaded by tall beech trees. By unspoken agreement, we step off the path and make our way to an area carpeted by fallen leaves. They rustle under our feet as we step over them. Sunlight filters through the canopy. “It’s magical,” Ryan whispers. “What an awesome place.”

  We sit under a tree, like we did before, and I look down at my hand in Ryan’s, catching sight of the scorpion tat above his wrist. I point to it. “Your birth sign?”

  “Yeah,” he says. “I’ll be nineteen next week.”

  “I meant to ask you. Did you have to repeat a school year in Ibiza?”

  “It happened in middle school, when I was fifteen.”

  “Too much rugby?”

  A frown creases his brow. “That, and my father dying of cancer.”

  “I’m so sorry,” I say, overcome by sudden sadness, “I didn’t know…”

  “I made a promise to him that I’d look after Mam and Sara,” he scowls. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them.”

  I stare into the distance, gathering my thoughts. Ryan appears to shoulder a load of responsibility for one so young. No wonder I’m drawn to him.

  “How did your parents meet?” I ask, turning to gaze at him.

  “Mam was vacationing on the island. Papá was a tattoo artist; he inked her shoulder. You could say it was love at first sight. For them both.”

  “She must have loved him a lot to leave home and move to Ibiza.”

  “Yeah, she did.”

  He looks away, blows out a sigh. A pause, followed by a shrug. “Why did you text me, Beth?”

  “To thank you for helping with Josh, of course,” I lie.

  He stares at me and lifts a brow. “Nothing more?”

  I shake my head, slowly. “I just wanted…”

  “What? What do you want?” he rasps, dropping my hand.

  I struggle to put my feelings into words. “Something… something I shouldn’t want.”

  “This?” He touches his finger to my lip, and caresses it softly.

  I nod, unable to speak.

  “And this?” He pushes his finger into my mouth, and I can’t help myself; I suck on it, swirling my tongue around the tip.

  He releases a soft groan, pulls out his finger and runs his warm hands down my arms, grazing the sides of my breasts.

  A tingle goes through me. I lift my own hand to his face and trace the outline of his perfect lips. “I wish you weren’t my student,” I groan.

  He pulls me against his firm young body. Warning bells jangle in my head, but I ignore them. His mouth captures mine, his tongue thrusting, and I open for him. He tastes of toothpaste, raging hormones, and sex. My fingers curl in his hair. Oh, God.

  He pulls away, his eyes burning. “Is this really what you want?”

  “Oh, yes,” I moan, blood rushing through my veins.

  “Then beg me, Miss Matthews.

  “Please, Ryan… Please.”

  “Please, what?” He grasps my shoulders.

  I slowly raise my eyes to his. “Please, touch me.”

  “Only if you’re absolutely sure. Once I start, I won’t be able to stop.”

  My clit is throbbing, on fire with the need for release. But, he’s right to ask if I’m sure.

  “Can I trust you, Ryan? My job is on the line here.”

  His scowl deepens. “How can you even ask me? I’d never do anything to hurt you, Beth.”

  “We barely know each other. And you are a lot younger than me.”

  God, I sound prissy.

  “I could ask the same of you. Can I trust you?” He laughs. “What if you just wanna use me for sex?”

  I would love to use you for sex. The crazy thought burns its way down to my pussy, and a naughty giggle escapes from my throat. I glance down at his shorts and eye the unmistakable bulge between his legs. “Isn’t that what you want?”

  He releases a wicked grin, and his blue eyes twinkle. “How did you guess?” He strokes my cheek, and my gaze locks
with his. “God, you’re so fucking beautiful, Beth. I can’t believe my luck.”

  “Hey,” I kiss the palm of his hand. “The feeling is mutual.”

  “I want our first time to be special,” he says. “I don’t wanna fuck you here in the forest. I’ve heard there are wild boar in these woods. Can you imagine if we were disturbed by one of them?”

  I glance around. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?” I hiss.

  “Don’t worry. They won’t bother us if we don’t bother them. I was joking about the boar, but I’m serious about you, Beth.” He hoods his eyes. “I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. Ever.”

  He lifts me to my feet. His mouth plunders mine, his hands squeeze my bottom, and, before I know it, my legs have wrapped themselves around his waist, and I’m kissing him like there’s no tomorrow.

  Eventually he puts me down, and we stare at each other, our breathing ragged. “I’ve got work tonight,” he says. “When I finish my shift, I’ll come by your place. No one will know. My family go to bed early, so they won’t miss me. The town is dead quiet after the pubs close. What do you say?”

  I should say no. I should step away from this situation right now. I should tell him this is a mistake.

  But I don’t.

  “I’ll be there,” I whisper, my insides fluttering.

  He punches the air, then looks behind him. There’s a rustling sound. “Is that a wild boar I see in the bushes? Yep. Definitely a wild boar.”

  I let out a scream, and he holds me close. “Shh, or you’ll scare it into charging.”

  Before I can say anything, he lifts me in his arms and carries me to the footpath as if I weigh nothing.

  When I return to my flat, after we’ve made our way back to Wyemouth keeping a safe distance from each other, it occurs to me that I didn’t actually see the animal and neither did Ryan, probably. He was pulling my leg.

  I’m way too trusting. I should have learnt from what happened with Paulo.

  Is Ryan playing a game with me? I bloody hope not.

  10

  “That was a long run,” my mother says as I step through the front door.

  I’m still chuckling to myself, thinking about Beth’s reaction to my wind-up. “Yeah, and now I’m starvin’, Mam. Are there any eggs?”

  She comes into the kitchen with me, and watches while I whip up an omelette, Spanish-style, adding onion and potatoes.

  “I’ve just had some good news,” she says, smiling. “Manuel emailed. You-know-who is still on the island. It was a false alarm.”

  I give a whoop. “Thank fu… I mean, thank God.” I pause. “Is he sure?”

  “Yes,” Mam folds her arms. “Apparently, he’d just gone for a short cruise.”

  “In that case, we can relax for a bit.”

  “Indeed,” she says, “I was wondering if you’d like to come to Cabot Circus with me and Sara. You know the shopping mall in Bristol she’s always on about?”

  Christ, no. Sounds like fucking hell on earth. “I’ll pass, if you don’t mind. I’m gonna try and study a bit before hitting the gym.”

  “Fair enough.” Mam hands me a plate. “Make sure Grandad goes outside for some fresh air later, will you? He’ll spend the whole day in front of the telly otherwise, and it’s not good for him.”

  “Sure.”

  After eating, I go to my room; I sit at my desk and think about Beth. I’m fucking hard… just like that. I seem to have a permanent boner these days; no amount of jacking off can relieve the ache in my balls.

  I can’t wait to see her, to taste her sweetness and to hear her moan as I go down on her. Is she a dirty girl? I fucking bet she is. But, what if she’s having second thoughts? She might decide I’m too young for her; she might think I’ll cause her too much stress; she might even wish she’d never set eyes on me. God, I fucking hope she doesn’t message me to cancel. I let out a frustrated groan.

  I spend the rest of the morning working through a chapter on algorithms; there’s a test next week and I can’t afford to flunk it. Practice exams, which everyone calls ‘mocks’, are coming up before Christmas. Education in the UK is so full of assessments it’s a miracle there’s any time for classes.

  I persuade Grandad to take a stroll around the block before lunch. “Me knees are hurtin’, boy,’ he complains. I wanna tell him that’s because he sits on his ass all day, but I bite back the disrespectful words.

  After we’ve had some tomato soup with cheese sandwiches, and he’s back in his armchair, snoring in front of the TV, I hit the gym. There’s no one there but me, and I spend about an hour working up a sweat. Eventually fatigue crashes into me like a sledgehammer, and I go for a shower. I think about rubbing one off, but I decide against it… someone might pitch up and see.

  I towel myself dry, put on my joggers and a t-shirt, and check my cell phone. No messages. Phew.

  At home, I find Mam and Sara in the kitchen. Little sis excitedly shows me the blue eye-shadow she bought at the mall with her pocket money. “Very nice, chiquita,” I say, ruffling her curls.

  “Do you really have to go in to work tonight?” Mam asks, filling the kettle with water from the tap.

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “We missed you while you were in Madrid.” She opens the biscuit tin and puts some chocolate chip cookies on a plate. “It would be nice if you could spend some time with your family.”

  I put my arm around her. If I don’t show up at work, I won’t be able to go on to Beth’s after. “It’s too late to cancel my shift,” I say, pecking Mam on the cheek. “I’ll stay home tomorrow, I promise.”

  Mam pours me a cup of tea, and I share the cookies with Sara. Little Sis drinks down a glass of milk, getting it on her upper lip, and she looks so cute I don’t tell her; she’s still a kid despite the makeup. Mam hands her a paper napkin and glances at her watch. “If you’re going to work,” she tells me brusquely, “shouldn’t you be getting ready?”

  “Yeah,” I swig back my tea. “Thanks for reminding me.”

  I go for a shave, and put on a clean t-shirt. Mam and Sara are sitting with Grandad in front of the TV, watching a soap as I pass through the sitting room. “Catch you in the morning,” I say, and they wave me off.

  It’s only a short walk to The Red Lion. Pushing open the heavy wooden door, I spot Josh. The fuck?! We don’t usually work the same shifts. Has Dave mixed us up? ¡Joder! I can’t go home now; it will be impossible to sneak out again.

  But it’s okay. There’s a party celebrating someone’s 25th Wedding Anniversary and Dave needs all hands on deck, as he says. Josh and I work our asses off until closing time at 11 p.m.

  We head outside and Josh falls into step beside me. “Wanna hang out at my place for a bit?” he asks. “It’s half-term so we don’t have to get up early tomorrow.”

  Fuck, that’s all I need. I rub my forehead, my palms sweaty. “Sorry, douchebag. Think I’ve got a fucking headache coming on.”

  “We’ve got ibuprofen at home. Take two with a glass of water and you’ll be right.”

  “If you don’t mind, I’ll pass. I’m kinda tired. Why don’t we meet up tomorrow at the rugby club? Do some training together?”

  “Sure,” he shrugs and puts his hands in his pockets, frowning. He scuffs his feet on a patch of loose gravel. “I’ll see you there after lunch.”

  “Cool.” I feel bad about lying to him, but there’s no way I’ll tell him about Beth. Not now. Not ever.

  I leave him at the door to his house, and pretend I’m going home. Thank fuck he lives closer to The Red Lion than I do, so I’m able to say goodnight at his door. I walk on towards Grandad’s, in case Josh decides to look out the window, and then I double back.

  At Beth’s block of flats, nerves skyrocketing, I reach into my pocket for my cell phone. Still no messages. I punch the air. Game on!

  She buzzes me in and, with my heart thudding, I climb the flight of stairs to the first floor. Beth is waiting for me in the doorway, and the sight of
her takes my breath away. She’s dressed simply in black leggings and a white cami. It fucking sucks she’s my teacher. Life is such a bitch.

  Her hair hangs loose around her sweet face, and her chocolate-brown eyes shine behind her glasses. “Come in,” she whispers, and I follow her down a short corridor to an open-plan kitchen-living room.

  “Sit there,” she waves towards a black leather sofa. “Would you like some win I love the tremble in her voice, the flash of nerves across her face.

  There’s a bottle of Rioja on the coffee table, already open, and a half-empty glass beside it. “Gracias,” I say.

  Her hand visibly shakes as she pours. She’s as nervous as I am, and I’m so fucking nervous I could crap myself... which is a first as far as being with a woman’s concerned.

  We clink glasses and sip our drinks. She’s perched next to me, and I breathe in her fresh floral scent. “So,” she says, twisting her hands in her lap. “You came. I wasn’t sure you would.”

  “Joder, Beth, I couldn’t keep away. I can’t stop thinking about you... it’s driving me insane.”

  “Me too,” she grips my hand. “But I need to set some ground rules with you, if you don’t mind.”

  “Ground rules?” I squeeze her fingers. Is she gonna blow me off?

  Her eyes meet mine, and they hold firm. “We must keep this secret.” She knits her brows. “In public, we must always act like teacher and student, do you understand?”

  “Absolutely. You can trust me.”

  “Can I?” She shakes her head. “Can I really? I mean, that stunt you pulled on me this morning about the wild boar. I was completely taken in by you.”

  “I was just joking,” I smile, injecting warmth into it. “We can have fun together when we’re on our own, can’t we?”

  “I suppose. I’m quite gullible as far as men are concerned.” She catches her lip between her teeth. “My last boyfriend was a complete waste of space.”

  I frown. “Oh?”

  She tells me about travelling with him, and about how he dumped her for someone else, the fucktard.