Schooled

by Deena Bright

  Coming out of the bedroom, I heard Briggs talking to someone. Praying that it was Char, I tied my robe tightly around my waist and walked into the living room, stopping dead in my tracks. Both heads turned; two sets of eyes looked back at me with hurt and anger.

  “You’ve got company, MISS GARRITY,” Briggs stated curtly, walking over to grab his pants and shirt from the crumpled mess on the floor. For the first time, I hated how he looked in those boxer briefs, so perfect, finely sculpted. Any onlooker would know that his body was just too impossible for any woman, especially me, to resist. Walking past me, Briggs said, “I’ll be gone in a minute, don’t let me interrupt.” Abruptly, he closed the bathroom door. I jumped.

  “Hey Leo,” I wanted to crawl in a hole, “What’s up?” What’s up? Really? I am turning into that 14-year-old girl.

  “Nah, nothing,” Leo stammered, not making eye contact with me. “Listen, I should go, sorry to, uh, bother…” His voice trailed off as he scanned the room, nervously; his eyes stopped and widened. I followed his stare, seeing the baby costume lying mockingly on the floor. Damn baby costume! I needed to burn it for sure. “Yeah, I’m just gonna go---”

  Cutting him off, I said, “No wait, Leo stop!” He was always walking away. “What…what do ya need?”

  Sighing, he said, “I just thought if you weren’t doing anything, that we might, I don’t know, take your nieces up to the zoo. No big deal; it was stupid.” He dropped his head, refusing to look at me. “It’s probably for the best. I should get some work done out back and maybe stop by the golf tournament.” Leo had the day off. For the second day in a row, he could be at his work golf outing, and he was with me, wanting to take my nieces to the zoo. Hello Janelle?

  “Leo, oh wow, that is so--” Briggs cut me off, walking back into the room, wrapping an arm around my waist. My eyes widened. Then I squinted in a glare at him; I knew what he was doing.

  “Hey babe, I’ll see ya later,” he said before kissing me roughly on the mouth, with Leo standing there staring in disbelief. I didn’t kiss him back; just stood there awkwardly and limply. “See ya Leo,” he said smugly as he walked out the door, leaving us alone in my living room.

  Leo didn’t say anything. He turned and walked out the door and down the path to the shed. I slumped down on the loveseat trying to figure out what had just happened and how I could possibly have let it happen. The look of hurt on Leo’s face was gut-wrenching. And Briggs, the nerve of him! He could be so arrogant and bombastic, which unfortunately was part of his charm. I decided that later, when Leo calmed down, I ‘d go out and explain it all to him.

  I felt like a caged lion sitting inside, spying on Leo working in the yard. I just didn’t want him to leave without hearing an explanation first. I spent the afternoon going from room to room, peaking out the window, checking to make sure he hadn’t left yet or wasn’t about to leave. I even made a pitcher of sweet tea, filled two glasses with ice, and poured the tea over the ice. I squeezed in some lemon and stirred the contents. Sweet tea seemed like a good peace offering. I still didn’t know what I felt so guilty for; I didn’t lead him on, didn’t take advantage of him, didn’t do anything. But still, I felt terribly.

  Finally, when I saw him walking to the shed with his equipment, I grabbed the glasses of tea and met him out on the path. “Hey Leo, I made some sweet tea,” I said, handing him the glass.

  Skeptically, he looked at me, taking the glass, “Thanks Miss Garrity,” he said. Back to Miss Garrity? I couldn’t keep any of this straight anymore. I didn’t who the Hell I was. Miss Garrity? Mrs. Flowers? Janelle? Whore Extraordinaire!

  Leo downed the iced tea in two large gulps, and handed me the empty glass. “It was good, thanks,” he said as he brushed past me, entering the shed.

  “Wait up,” I said, following him into the shed. “Can we talk? I’d like to explain--”

  “I really can’t; I gotta get going,” he said brusquely, walking out the door and down the path before I could catch up with him.

  “That’s just great Leo,” I yelled after him. “Walk away; you’re getting good at that. Always walking away.”

  He stopped, turning around menacingly, “Are you kidding me? I walk away?” He kept walking closer to me, not taking his eyes off of mine. “What? What do you want me to say?”

  I didn’t know… But yes… I did know. Fuck it. “The truth Leo, whatever that may be. Stop walking away. Man up.” I probably shouldn’t have thrown in the “man up,” because he looked like I slapped him across the face. The hurt evident in his eyes.

  “The truth?” he scoffed, shaking his head. “You of all people are gonna tell me that I should be honest? Whatever.” He glared at me and turned away.

  He was right; I hadn’t been honest with him. Just yesterday, I told him that Briggs was doing something for Garrity Advertising. “Okay Leo,” I caved. “You’re right. I haven’t been truthful,” I yelled, so he could hear me. He slowed, but didn’t stop or turn around.

  I caught up with him and walked around to face him. “You want the truth, fine,” I said, throwing my arms up. “The night I walked in on Marcus and Lauren, I went to some bar and saw Briggs there.” He didn’t move, didn’t take his gaze from me. He was waiting, waiting for more. “Alright, since then…we’ve…I don’t know what to say.”

  Stopping me, he said, “Miss Garrity, you don’t owe me an explanation; you’re a grown woman. Do whatever or whomever you want.” He moved to walk around me. I blocked his path.

  “That’s it? That’s all you’re gonna say?” I challenged.

  “What’s to say?” he asked, looking defeated. “It’s Briggs, Briggs Fucking Alexander; there’s no point.” He shrugged.

  “No point in what?” I needed more than that.

  Rolling his eyes, letting out his breath, he said, “Competing, I’m not even gonna try.” He walked around me, passing me quickly. “See ya ‘round, Miss Garrity.”

  Catching up to him, blocking his exit once again, I cornered him and said, “Competing for what Leo? Tell me; say it.” I couldn’t understand why he just wouldn’t lay it all out on the line.

  “Nah, I’m good; it’s not worth it anyway.” Ouch.

  I stepped back, feeling the strike of the words “not worth it” against my ego. Against my heart. I let him go, watched him walk away. Leo Cling just told me that I wasn’t “worth it.” The truth flooded through me. I wasn’t worth it. Marcus knew it; I guess I always knew it. But now, I even had one of my most intelligent students confirm it. I just wasn’t worth it. I felt weak, sick to my stomach. I went into the pool house and collapsed on the couch, sobbing uncontrollably. I cried into the pillow until my head ached and my eyes burned, until my throat felt scratchy and my energy diminished. Then, I cried more, falling into a heavy, sound sleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  When I finally awoke, it was dark outside. I was drained, groggy, and sore. I filled the bathtub, poured a glass of wine, grabbed a new book, and slipped into the tub. The pressure from the jets were therapeutic on my neck and back. I let the stress of the day’s events stream out of me. Sipping the wine, I decided that Leo was right in many ways, but he had no right to speak to me as such. Leo may have had an image of me that didn’t quite add up, but that didn’t mean that I was unworthy. The next time I saw him, he’d know exactly how I felt.

  After I finished my bath and dried my hair, I pulled on a bra, a thong, old flannel pajama bottoms and a hoodie. Even though the evening temperature was still in the mid-80s, I had a chill to me. Maybe it was the cold shoulder, but I couldn’t get warm enough. I poured another glass of wine and checked my phone. I’d missed a few calls from Char and one from Briggs. I’d call them both back tomorrow. I just wanted to drink the wine and maybe read a book.

  Later, when I was rinsing out the glass of wine, there was a knock at the door. I’d figured that Briggs would drop by sometime soon, but really wasn’t in the mood. I waited, weighing my options. I didn’t want a night of nonstop sex a
nd acrobatics. I wanted to sleep, to rest, and to forget this day. But if I didn’t answer it, he’d act all offended and needy the next time I saw him. I didn’t want to deal with that either. This “dating around” business was grueling work. There was another knock, louder and more insistent this time.

  “I’m coming, hold on,” I yelled, walking to the door, relieved that I’d put a bra on earlier. I was starting to believe that this place was open all hours, ready for visitors at any time. Expecting to see Char or Briggs, since I hadn’t called them back, I opened the door, and Leo was standing on my porch, winded and disheveled.

  I started to talk, but he cut me off, holding up his finger at me, indicating that I wait. “Don’t say anything,” he said. I moved back, motioning for him to come in. He walked past me and turned to look at me. “You are so worth it, more worth it than anyone else in this world.” He walked closer to me. “If Briggs wants a fight, then he’s got it, because I can’t just walk away without trying.” He declared. He stood there staring at me, anticipating my next move or words.

  Surprising us both, I said, “Competition for what? What is it that you think you want?”

  He lowered his head, his shoulders slumped, “Why do you do this? You know what I want.”

  “Leo, you have so much, everything a woman wants,” I explained. “But if you don’t have the confidence, the guts to go get it, to take it, then you’ll never get it. And I think we both know exactly what you want.”

  He took two long strides across the room, grabbed my arms, pulled me to him, and said, “You Janelle, I want you.” He stood still, holding me, staring into my eyes, searching my face for my response.

  “Then take me Leo, take me right now,” I said, my voice catching with each word.

  His sigh of relief was gratifying; this man wanted me. I was worth it, worth the fight. Slowly, he pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around my entire body, enveloping me in his embrace. He bent in to kiss me, paused momentarily and said, “It’s always been you.” Then, he kissed me; his kiss was tender, soft, and so intimate. There was a moment when I just lost myself in the kiss, feeling our bodies touching, our lips meeting, and our tongues mingling. I could taste his want, his desire.

  He pulled away from me, breaking our kiss, and looked at me with such awe and fascination, my knees weakened. I gasped. He took my hand and said, “I want you; I wanna make love to you in your bed.” I nodded, leading the way to my room. When we got to my bedroom, he stopped and pulled me back to look at him. He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the back of my hand. Then, he opened my hand, kissing my palm. I watched in amazement as this man, this shy, awkward man, began his seduction.

  Dropping my hand, he put his hands on the waistband of my hoodie and waited for my consent. I grabbed his hands and said, “It’s whatever you want. Take whatever you desire; this is your night to explore and experiment.” His throat growled as he pulled me toward him and kissed me with an urgency, a hunger. My lips welcomed the assault, needed it.

  “Anything?” he questioned again.

  “Anything,” I confirmed. His hands were back on the waistband of my hoodie. He slowly began pulling it up, watching as every inch of my flesh came into view. His eyes widened when the lace of my bra was exposed. His breath caught when my breasts were visible. Then with one final swoop, the sweatshirt was off, and I stood before him in my pj bottoms.

  “Will you take them off?” he asked. “I wanna watch, please.” He stood back, taking off his own shirt. His upper body and arm muscles were defined, so strong. His abs were hard and edged. The V in his waist was more prominent than I’d ever seen on any man before. His shorts hung loosely on his hips. Clearly, the female population was out of their minds to pass up this man.

  I hooked my thumbs in to my pajama bottoms, meeting his gaze with my own. I licked my lips, watching his chest rise and fall with each breath he took. I wiggled my hips as I slid my bottoms over my hips and down my thighs. I let them fall the rest of the way to the ground and kicked them in his direction. He caught them and tossed them to the side. “Now what, Leo?” I asked.

  He motioned for me to come to him; I did. He kissed my neck. His hands palmed my breasts, squeezing them together as his tongue trailed along my cleavage. “You’re so sexy,” He groaned as one arm reached around to unhook the clasp of my bra. Thinking I’d have to help him, I began to let go of his neck when my bra went slack around my body. He’d unhooked it with one hand; while the other explored underneath the material of my bra. My nipples hardened with each touch.

  I stepped back, out of his reach again, and let the bra slide to the floor. I was eager to be his guinea pig, to let him explore me for the first time. He walked to me and put his hands on both sides of my thong and said, “May I?”

  “I said, ‘anything’ Leo.” was my only response.

  He grabbed the material and yanked each hand outward, ripping the thong completely off me. I marveled at his force, at his courage. I was wet, dripping wet. He pulled my arm and spun me around; my back was against his chest. He kissed my neck and rocked from side to side as he did so, moving his hips against my naked body, maneuvering his erection into the crack of my butt.

  His hands rubbed my breasts, tugging lightly on my nipples. He placed my nipples between his fingers and rolled the hard buds around his thumb. Then he squeezed them, making me whimper, and released them quickly. He continued this manipulation and each time he did so, my nipples hardened and grew further. I raised my arms and hooked my hands behind his neck, pulling his head toward me. I turned and craned my neck to kiss him; his tongue met mine. I wanted to turn to kiss him deeply, but I felt his hand travelling down my abdomen, and I wanted him to touch me, touch me there, to feel how wet he made me. His fingers found my opening; he twirled his fingers around inside me lightly, carefully. Then, he eased his finger out, only to slide it back in. He moved slowly, deliberately. He moved two fingers inside of me and began rocking against me, forcing me to rock against his hand. Each time he’d thrust me forward, his hand pushed me back. I was in his control; my hips were under his command. He kissed my neck, and asked if I was ready.

  “For what?” I asked.

  Leo walked around to face me again, his fingers probing and exploring the whole time. Suddenly, Leo curled the two fingers inside of me forward, against the front of the small sensitive spot inside my vagina. I came uncontrollably, losing strength and balance in my legs. He held me against him, continuing to stroke the spot, while I flooded his hand. Not able to catch my breath, “Wha..wha.. Oh my God, What was that?” I asked, breathy and stunned.

  His dimpled smile flashed with arrogance as he proudly said, “G-spot.”

  Holy fuck, I’d never experienced an orgasm without clitoral stimulation before. Amazing. Ground-fucking-breaking awesome actually. Wow. Leo Cling was right; he knew how to please a woman, and thank the lord, I was that woman. Still supporting me, Leo turned me and lifted me up, carrying me to the bed. He laid me down and stripped his shorts off, wearing only gray boxer briefs. The sexy V was begging for touch, calling to be licked and worshipped.

  I wanted to please him, wanted to give him the same pleasure he’d just given me. I rolled over and kissed him, running my hands along his chest and stomach, feeling every ridge of his muscled body. He grabbed my hand and said, “No, don’t.” My face must have shown my confusion, because he said, “I’m already gonna be pretty fast; let’s not add to it. I wanna feel it for more than 10 seconds.”

  I giggled, loving his honesty. “Something tells me Leo that you’re not going to be a one and out kinda guy,” I said. He smiled and kissed me with desire and want. I tried to pull him on top of me, but he resisted. So, I tried to roll on top, but he resisted again. We continued kissing, tasting each other’s necks, chests, and mouths, not leaving one spot unchartered.

  Finally, he said, “I wanna try something; I think it’ll make it last longer. I won’t be able to go in too far.” I nodded my approval, agreeing to whatever h
e wanted to try. “Are you on the pill?” he asked. I nodded again. He smiled, kissing my face. “I mean, ya know, it’s my first time, but I can wear a condom if you don’t trust me.”

  I stopped, feeling sad, I sat up and said, “I trust you, Leo, but maybe you should.” He looked at me with confusion and concern. “It’s just that, I..I.. don’t trust Marcus.” I hated that I was the reason that this wonderful man needed to protect himself from….from… me. I didn’t deserve his trust, his praise, him. His virginity was special; why should I get it?

  Looking at me, he said, “Stop. Whatever you’re thinking, stop.” I snapped out of my reverie and looked at him guiltily. “I’ve wanted this longer than you could ever imagine.” He kissed me before getting out of bed. He grabbed his shorts, turned his back to me, and removed his boxers. His back was so big, so broad, but his waist was slim and tight. I crawled across the bed, kneeling up to reach his shoulders. I ran my fingers up his back, dragging my nails back down his spine. I felt him shiver. “Hold up; it’s not like I put these on every day,” he laughed, realizing he was taking a little longer than was expected. “I guess this is one thing I didn’t study.” Leo was so honest, so open. I laughed, lying back on the bed waiting for him to finish.

  He turned to face me before getting back in the bed. Holy shit. He was huge, crazy huge. Not as big as… but huge nonetheless. I must’ve looked shocked, because he said, “I know, right?” He was adorable, nodding and beaming with pride. He smiled and laughed and then unexpectedly kissed my nose and forehead.

  “Very impressive, Leo, very.” I chuckled, clapping and nodding. This was fun; sex had never been fun for me until very recently. This was all very new.