Teacher

by R. L. Merrill

  He looked up as I came in and frowned. He stood and walked over to me. “Are you alright? We can stop if you need to.”

  I shook my head. “I’m fine. I just need to get up and move around a bit more if we’re going to be working like this. I, ah, I get a little stiff, that’s all.” He really looked like he wanted to push it so I went for the diversion. “Gary Moore is great. I like his stuff.”

  His glance said he knew I was changing the subject, but he let me for now. He wrote, “One of my favorites.”

  A question I had been wondering about needed to be asked. “So if you were in the high school band, what instrument did you play?”

  He smiled and shook his head. He wrote, “No way, too nerdy.”

  “You don’t get to give up that easily. C’mon, I’m curious!”

  He laughed soundlessly. He thought for a minute and wrote, “don’t laugh?”

  “I promise. Tell me.”

  He sighed and wrote, “Took piano and guitar from childhood. Thought percussion would be cooler. Got stuck with xylophone.”

  I giggled and he elbowed me. “Sorry. Hey, watch those elbows! I’m going to have bruises.”

  He wrote, “you promised,” and we both laughed.

  It was nice to see him like this. “Ok, now for Creative Writing. The course is divided up into five credits and each builds upon the other. The first credit is designed to get your creative juices flowing.”

  He rolled his eyes and smirked before writing, “juices always flowing.”

  I blushed, thinking that statement could be taken several ways. He appeared amused to see me blush, but he didn’t push it. Being as fair-skinned as I was meant a blush could be seen on all exposed skin. I couldn’t hide my reaction if I wanted to.

  I slid the directions over to him and said, “Alright, funny man. Get to work.” He smiled again and started reading. I found myself looking him over, trying to decipher the tattoos on his arms and the back of his neck. His bare feet were pale and perfect. Not sure why I noticed that.

  I stood and walked over to the window, gazing out at the sunset and his infinity pool. I heard him tap on the bar so I turned around. He motioned for me to go outside if I wanted and I thought some fresh air would be nice. I slipped my shoes off and walked barefoot onto the patio, enjoying the leftover heat from the sun emanating from the patio. I walked around the rectangular pool to a terrace on the side. He had a spectacular view of L.A. from up here.

  I walked around the other side of the pool and found a lounge area complete with a fire pit. The seats were covered with thick cushions and I took a moment to sit on one and put my feet up. It felt good to relax. I must have done more than a few minutes’ worth because the next thing I knew, I sat up with a start and Danny was looking down at me, puzzled. The sky was much darker and I saw on my watch that it was 8:00.

  “You fell asleep,” he whispered.

  I stretched out and nodded. “I guess so. It’s really nice out here. Do you spend much time out here?”

  He whispered, “I do. I like to swim and sit by the fire at night. It’s what sold me on the place.”

  He sat next to me and handed me his writing to review while he lit the gas fire pit. The air was starting to get a little chilly, so I welcomed the warmth. The patio light gave me enough to read by, so I read what he’d come up with.

  “This is really good, Dan- I mean Mr. Black. I think you will do well with this class.”

  He was sitting next to me now and he put a hand on my knee. “You can call me Danny, it’s ok. I’m not that much older than you.”

  I blushed again, as much from the feel of his hand on my knee than from the comment. I raised an eyebrow at him and he moved his hand away.

  “You sure about that? How old are you?” I hadn’t looked at the birthdate on his transcript. I was curious all of a sudden.

  He looked me over and whispered, “Maybe a little older than you.”

  “Ok. Danny. Have you done any writing besides lyrics?”

  He shook his head. “No, but I always have ideas for stories in my head,” he whispered.

  We both sat quietly, enjoying the fire. I wriggled my toes to fight off the last of the pins and needles. He watched me so closely. I felt goosebumps ripple across my skin.

  “I should probably let you get home, is there someone waiting for you?”

  My face fell and I stared out across the pool. “Nope. Just me. What time do you want to work tomorrow?”

  I turned back to face him and the look on his face was in that ‘I want to know what you’re hiding’ expression. I shrank back from the intensity and stood up, shakily.

  He stood up to face me and said, “Noon again?”

  I nodded, smiled, and then practically sprinted into the house to collect my stuff and run out the door. The car took three times to start and I was starting to panic. The last thing I wanted to do was go back in there and have to wait for AAA.

  I coasted down the hill and drove on autopilot back to my apartment. Thankfully the car made it again and I patted her dash before trudging up the steps to the apartment. The guys had a gig tonight so thankfully all was quiet. I went inside and took a hot bath to try to loosen up my joints. I crawled into bed by 9:30 and slept like a rock with no dreams.

  Chapter Three

  The next morning climbing out of bed was not quite torture, but no walk in the park either. I did my stretches as thorough as possible. I wanted to be sure I had a better day. I showered and dressed in a light, flowy skirt and a white embroidered tank. I chose flat sandals instead of my regular heels hoping that would help.

  I arrived at noon on the dot and hurried up the walkway, not wanting to be late. Nora opened the door and gave me a friendly smile.

  “Welcome back, Miss Martin. So nice to see you.” I shook her hand and thanked her.

  “Mr. Black, er, Danny said to tell you he’ll be out in a minute. He was up most of the night and overslept a bit. He said to tell you he left his work for you to look over outside on the terrace.”

  I glanced out the window and saw a canopy had been set up. I smiled, thinking how nice it would be to sit outside for the day.

  “Thanks, Nora. I’ll get to it then. And please, call me Jesse.”

  Her eyes flared and she smiled even wider. “I’ll do that. Can I get you something to drink?”

  I told her tea would be great and she left to go to the kitchen. I stepped through the slider and onto the terrace. The weather was a perfect 78 degrees today and I’d dressed accordingly. Some of the soft furniture from the fire pit had been moved inside the canopy and a table was set up with Danny’s laptop.

  I sat down at the table and looked over his work. He’d completed two credits worth of the Creative Writing! No wonder he hadn’t slept! I read over the character sketches he’d written, and besides being incredibly dark in nature, they were fantastic. He had such an imagination! The second credit included a review of poetry and an attempt at writing an original poem. He’d chosen to read poetry by Edgar Allen Poe and William Shakespeare and the two poems were The Raven and Sonnet 29. His analysis was spot on. I loved what he had to say about The Raven, it was my favorite poem. I was curious to see what he’d written for his original.

  I turned the page to find his familiar handwriting scrawled all over the page.

  Cages

  We all live in cages

  some are solid, some imagined

  all keep us in and hidden

  all keep us from what we’ve been given

  To break free one must hold the key

  but if we don’t know what it is

  then how can we see?

  My cage is gilded

  mine is gold, mine is platinum

  alone with all I could desire

  alone with nothing I desire

  To break free I must find my key

  but if I can’t hear it or sing it

  will I ever be free?

  I read it three times and each time it was more
moving. I swiped at a tear and was getting ready to read it for a fourth time when I heard the door slide close. I turned to say hello and was rendered speechless. Danny emerged from the house looking very different. He’d shaved his hair down to stubble, leaving only the goatee long. He was shirtless with another pair of well-worn Levi’s on, and he was barefoot. He smiled nervously and rubbed a hand over his head.

  He was stunning. His body was well-defined and with his hair out of his face, his features were so pronounced; aquiline nose, high cheekbones, strong jaw line, full lips. His darker, reddish brows were heavy over his brown eyes, giving him an intimidating aura. When he smiled, though, it gave him a boyish look. I’m sure that’s what got him whatever he wanted with Nora and other ladies in his life. At that moment he treated me to that very smile.

  “Good afternoon, Ms. Martin,” he whispered. He came around and sat at the table across from me. I had to hide my shock at discovering his nipples were pierced. I made it a point to look anywhere above his shoulders.

  “You were a busy man last night! I can’t believe how much you got done!”

  He beamed at me. “Sorry I was running late. I wanted to be ready before you got here, but it was tough to get moving. How did I do?”

  He had perfectly even and astonishingly white teeth. When he smiled like that he was downright sinful.

  “This is great stuff, but no more whispering.” He pressed his lips together and pointed at his tablet. I smiled back at him. Nora came out then with a gigantic tray of fresh fruit and cookies.

  “In case you two get hungry.” I thanked her and Danny stood up to kiss her on the cheek. She smiled at him and swatted his arm as she walked away, giggling. I knew it. Eating out of his hand.

  “I really liked your poem,” I spoke in a low voice. “It was very full of emotion.” His smile faded a bit and he shrugged. I continued. “Your analysis of the two poems was great as well. So far you’ve aced your first two credits! Let’s see how you do with the short stories!” I grinned at him and I think he may have blushed this time.

  “Did you need some time to study or did you want to start taking some tests?”

  He started writing. “Ready to take tests. Want to finish semester and start on second. Want to finish by tomorrow and start next. Also read some of the book. Have questions.”

  I read all of this and nodded. “Sure. But pace yourself. Can’t have you burning out in your sophomore year.”

  He chuckled noiselessly and wrote, “I think it’s fitting that I’m perpetually a sophomore.” He held out his tattooed knuckles and I laughed, realizing he knew the meaning of the word. Had probably lived it.

  We got down to business and he took the fourth unit test and semester final, finishing with an A. “Very good, Mr. Black! Congratulations on completing your first class.”

  He was smiling broadly. His cell phone rang then and he looked down at it with a scowl. He held up a finger, then he stood and walked away to answer it. His thick, heavy shoulders tensed and I could see him clenching and unclenching his fist.

  “What the fuck, Brooke? I told you I wanted her this week. No... I’m not going to go with the two of you. I told you... I... Brooke, dammit! Fine, how much? I’ll have Patricia transfer it to your account. But Thursday for sure. I’m coming to get her and you better fucking be there.”

  He ended the call, took a few deep breaths and ran his hands over his head. When he turned back to me all traces of his good humor were gone. He trudged back over to the table and flopped down in his chair.

  “Do you need a minute, Danny?”

  He exhaled and put his head down on his arms. I stood to walk from the table and he looked up. He started to write. “My ex. Sorry. Won’t let it interfere.”

  I looked down at what he’d written and then looked into his tormented brown eyes. They were so dark right now, and vulnerable.

  “Whatever you need, Danny. Do you want some space? I was just going to take a little walk.”

  He shook his head. He sent a quick text and then held up a finger. I watched him walk into the house and through the glass I saw him hand his phone to Nora. She gave him a hug and held him for a minute. When he came back out he looked better, but not as happy-go-lucky as he was this morning. We both sat back down at the table and he got to work on his pretest for semester two. When he finished, he was frowning. I looked at his score and this time he only made a 52%, meaning he had more work to do.

  “This is ok, Danny. We’ll get through it. You’re exempted from three Mastery tests so we need to do the other five. I can help you.”

  He looked up at me and then wrote, “Read to me?”

  I smiled, surprised, and nodded. “Of course. I’ll read and you can take notes.”

  He smiled, looking extremely relieved. He picked up the laptop and carried it over to the soft chairs and motioned for me to follow. He sat down and put the laptop across his legs but turned toward me. The sight of him there with no shirt on relaxed against the seatback, his arms even tucked over the top, gave me pause.

  I sat about two feet away from him with my hips on the edge of the seat. He laughed and whispered, “I’m not going to bite, Ms. Martin.” I blushed and he smiled. He offered the laptop to me to hold and I smiled back at him.

  “I know you don’t bite, but I do know boys, Mr. Black. And without a dress code, there’s no way I’m sitting that close to you.” I couldn’t believe I’d said it but he was laughing again.

  “You need me to put a shirt on?”

  The little shit was grinning! He was enjoying the hell out of my discomfort. I gave him my best teacher look and raised an eyebrow at him.

  “It would help. It would be less distracting.” He looked like he wanted to say something more so I cut him off with, “This would not be a good time to argue with me.”

  Sufficiently admonished, he jogged back to the house and came back with a white t-shirt on. He turned in a circle with his arms out, sarcastically asking for my approval and I had to laugh.

  “That’s fine. Thank you.”

  He sat back on the couch, a little closer to me, and still with his arms over the back. I rolled my eyes and tried not to be further distracted by how good he smelled.

  For the next hour I read to him from the overview on the topic of the causes of World War II and then the concentration camps. He tapped my leg when I read to him about the types of inmates held in the camps. He pointed to his notepad where he’d written, “not just Jews?”

  I shook my head. “No, in fact the mentally ill, homosexuals, and gypsies were killed in high numbers. They also did medical experiments on many of the inmates.” He shuddered and gazed at me with a vulnerable look.

  “Have you ever been to the Museum of Tolerance?” He shook his head. “You should, sometime. It’s a moving experience, not only about the Holocaust, but other, more current examples are also used to teach about intolerance.”

  He started to write on his notepad again. “Field trip?” I looked up at him, startled. I wasn’t sure what to say. At my expression he shook his head and started to write, “Neverm-”

  “That’s not a bad idea. I’m sorry I didn’t think of it. I don’t usually get to take my students on field trips. No money for them anymore.”

  He chuckled and wrote, “that’s not an issue in this class.”

  I looked at him sternly. “If you’re serious, I’ll call and see when I can get us a reservation. I’m not sure if they are open weekends. We might have to wait until I am done with work-”

  He nudged my leg and started writing. “If trouble, I’ll have Patricia call.”

  I frowned. “You’re pretty used to getting what you want, aren’t you?”

  He shrugged, but looked sad. “Not with everything,” he wrote.

  The look on his face made me drop the subject. I continued reading the paragraph and that finished the section.

  “Ok, do you have questions or are you ready to take the test?”

  He nodded and stood up
, holding his hands out for the computer. I handed it to him and he carried it over to the table and opened his test. Once he started, I strolled around the backyard and stretched my back and shoulders. I dipped a toe in the pool and noticed it was the perfect temperature. I missed swimming. I used to swim in college. It helped my joints work the toxins out, but the pool at my apartment complex was a tad hazardous. I’d received unwanted attention a few too many times to feel comfortable by myself, and when Cosmo and the guys were down there, things got easily out of control.

  Danny walked over a few minutes later and found me. “I got 100% on that last unit test,” he whispered. “I think it helps for you to read to me.” He looked so surprised that he’d done well.

  I touched his shoulder. “That’s great, Danny! You’re doing amazingly well!” He blushed a little. “Let’s start on the next unit.”

  He smiled at me. His eyes a little lighter, and as we walked over to the table, his tension from earlier seemed to be completely gone.

  The rest of the afternoon was spent with me reading sections to him, him taking notes, and him acing the tests. He finished his semester final with a 98% and wanted to celebrate. I was a little leery of celebrating, but I wanted him to be proud of his accomplishment.

  “What did you have in mind for a celebration?”

  He thought for a minute. Then he wrote, “most of what I like to celebrate with I can’t have right now... pizza, champagne...”

  “How about hot fudge sundaes? Those work for celebrations don’t they?”

  He smiled and rubbed his stomach. He took my hand and pulled me at a run into the kitchen.

  He whispered to Nora that we needed to celebrate him finishing his first class.

  “That’s fantastic, sugar! But I’m just making dinner.”

  He pouted and whispered, “Ok, after dinner then.”

  I looked at my watch. It was already 6:00 and I wasn’t sure how long he was going to keep me tonight. He turned and gave me a hopeful look.

  “You’ll stay, won’t you? We can work on Creative Writing,” he whispered.