My Teacher Read online

  He chuckled. “Well, I’m never one to be outdone, so I’ll have to think of something else to make up for it.”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  Her kisses woke up his need once again, and her pussy tightened around his length.

  “Can you stay?” he asked.

  “I want to, but I can’t.”

  “I know. It’s fine.” It wasn’t fine. It was far from fine.

  “We can make this work.”

  They didn’t have much of a choice. Losing her was not an option for him.

  Chapter Ten

  One week later

  Sneaking off had its perks. Lucia got to see Jack most nights of the week, but arriving home late and climbing the wall to get into her bedroom sucked. She also had to make sure she was quiet.

  She locked her bedroom door every single night so her parents weren’t able to barge in and see her gone. She’d also blown off Marie every single evening, apart from the movie marathon, even though she’d been tempted to cancel so that she could spend more time with Jack.

  Heading downstairs, she’d left her hair down today, but stayed with her usual jeans and shirt.

  Standing in the kitchen, she was making herself a coffee when her dad appeared.

  Things had been stressful since the whole birthday incident. She tried to avoid them as much as possible, and had the excuse of homework, and checking out colleges.

  “Morning, Dad,” she said.

  “Morning, honey.” His arms were folded, and he had his serious face on, which only made her nervous.

  “What’s up?”

  “What’s going on with you?”

  “I have no idea what you mean?”

  “You’re distant.”

  She stirred her coffee and noticed her mother was very absent. “I’m not distant.”

  “I know when my daughter is avoiding us.”

  “Don’t you think it best that I do?”

  “I don’t get it, Lucia. Everything was going well.”

  She laughed. “On what universe was everything going well? I barely saw you. If either of you could make it to dinner it was to bring home that horrible takeout. Work is something you and Mom have in common.”

  “I get it, we’re the bad guys. We’ve abandoned you, and you’re punishing us.”

  “Wow, you really think that’s what this is about? Me punishing you.”

  “How you’re behaving now is like a child. We raised you better than that.”

  “You don’t even know me,” she said, the coffee forgotten. She turned to look at her dad. Her heart raced, and she didn’t feel in the best of moods.

  She was tired, and her period had started, and having this with him didn’t work for her.

  “We know you.”

  “No. You know I’m a good person. You know I’m a good kid. I have good grades. I work hard. But neither of you know me. Not once did either of you ask if I wanted to come to London.”

  “London? It was for a boring conference.”

  “That you love. You both have these careers that are your entire world, and you get each other, but I’m always the one left outside, not allowed to catch even a glimpse of it. You can call it ‘the birthday incident’ all you want, but it won’t change anything. It won’t stop you from forgetting me when something calls at work.” She stepped away, looking around the kitchen. “I’ve got to get to school. I promised Marie I’d pick her up. Her car’s in the shop.”

  She turned her back on her dad and made her way toward the front door.

  “I know your mother and I make a lot of mistakes. We screw up when things should be natural. We love you, Lucia. Both me and your mother.”

  She nodded her head and smiled back at her dad. “I know.”

  Leaving the house, she climbed into the car, and without looking back she drove toward her friend’s.

  Every single day was getting colder, and as she waited for Marie, she wondered what the hell she was going to do. She couldn’t keep arguing with her parents.

  Wiping away the stupid tears, she tried to ignore the pain that twisted in her gut. This wasn’t supposed to be that hard.

  “What’s wrong?” Marie asked, climbing into the car.

  “Nothing.”

  “Don’t tell me nothing. That’s a lie. You’re my best friend, Lucia. What’s wrong?”

  I’m a shitty friend.

  I’ve been blowing you off for Mr. Parker.

  I’m having hot-as-fuck sex, and I can’t tell you about it.

  “I just had an argument with my dad.”

  “Damn, I’m so sorry. Things are still not good between you.”

  “It’s not. It will work out, I’m sure of it. I just wished it would happen. I know I need to get over whatever is wrong with me.”

  “You always do that,” Marie said.

  “What?”

  “Assume everything is wrong with you. It’s not always the case. Yes, your parents missed your birthday, and I think you should be pissed at it. In fact, I think you should have been pissed for a lot of birthdays they missed and forgot. Look at when you turned thirteen. They completely forgot that they didn’t even get you a card or a present for over a week.”

  “I’m cared for though. A lot of other kids have it a lot worse.”

  “So? I’m your best friend, so I’m going to take your side on everything. You’ve got to know that.”

  “You are a good friend.”

  “The very best and don’t you forget it.”

  When they pulled up into the car park at the high school, Marie had to go. She was heading to the library to return some books. Lucia locked up her car, and was heading across the grounds toward the entrance where her locker room was when she was stopped.

  Rachel and her little group of friends were standing there.

  Even though it was cold, they still wore the shortest miniskirts that Lucia had ever seen.

  Connor always sat in front of her table in English, and he always found a reason to be near her locker.

  “What?” she asked.

  “You do know he’s only using you, right? He wants to fuck you and show everyone in school what a fat waste of space you are.”

  Her heart started to pound. Had she and Jack been caught? Wait, why would Jack do that?

  “Connor thinks you’re a joke, and this is a way for him to get his kicks.”

  Instantly, she felt relief and couldn’t believe for a split second she’d thought Rachel was talking about Jack. Connor, on the other hand, didn’t surprise her. She’d figured there was an ulterior motive. At least now she knew.

  “I don’t have to listen to this.”

  She made to go around them, but Rachel caught her arm, holding her tightly to the point of pain.

  “I’m not done with your skank ass yet. That guy is mine. That fortune is mine. If Connor likes to play around, I really don’t care. You, however, are a sham. You’re not fit for his interest.”

  “Let go of me.”

  “You’re a fucking pig. So you will stay away from Connor.”

  “I don’t want him. I have no idea what your crazy ideas are, but I don’t. Let go of me. I mean it, otherwise you’ll get to see what it’s like to be punched by a fat girl, and believe me, we leave marks.”

  She hated confrontation, and this thing with Rachel was getting worse. She had some kind of design on Connor.

  The gossip was they were going to marry and unite their two families, which meant more money, more everything.

  Lucia didn’t give a damn about Connor.

  His attention left her uncomfortable, and she knew without a doubt that the only reason he showed any interest in her was because of their self-defense class, which she’d hated.

  “You better watch your step,” Rachel said.

  The threat was there, but Lucia wasn’t interested.

  She went straight to her locker.

  Her hands shock as she opened it up, and she stepped back as tissues spilled out;
lots of wet, soaked tissues.

  Gritting her teeth, she ignored the laughter.

  It had been some time since she had the good old locker joke, but whatever.

  “What the hell is this?” Jack asked.

  No, it’s Mr. Parker.

  She didn’t look up at him as she grabbed the trash can and pulled it closer to her. Whoever had done this would just love to watch her humiliation.

  Rachel and her group of friends had followed her inside, and they stood, laughing into their hands.

  Mr. Parker crouched down and started to help her.

  “Don’t,” she said. “Don’t help. You have to be the teacher.” She kept her voice low so only he could hear.

  She didn’t dare look at him.

  Between her confrontation with her dad, and now this, seeing Jack, Mr. Parker, she’d break down.

  It was her time of the month, and her nerves were already on edge.

  “Rachel, you find this funny? Come and clean it up.”

  “No, I don’t clean shit up. Isn’t that for the poor?”

  “It’s for everyone. Clean it up. You find it funny, and now as your teacher, you’ll help a fellow student clean up the mess.”

  She didn’t want Rachel helping her. This would just cause more problems, but she didn’t argue with him. Instead, she kept on cleaning, and then Rachel was there, helping put the soaked toilet paper in the trash.

  “What’s the matter, Deen, piss your pants?”

  “Congratulations, Rachel, you’ve just earned yourself a detention for the entire week.”

  “What the fuck?” Rachel asked.

  “You want to keep starting with me, I’ll make sure your ass doesn’t even see prom, and I don’t forget.”

  “My dad is going to hear about this.”

  “It sounds delightful. Why don’t you invite him along when Connor’s dad’s due to see me? I’d like to have a nice, friendly chat with the two of them.”

  Lucia had not heard about Connor’s dad coming to school.

  She glanced up and saw Mr. Parker glaring at Rachel.

  “He will!”

  The toilet paper was cleaned up, and she looked inside her locker. Several of her books were soaking wet. They would be useless.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  She glanced up and down the corridor, but the fun seemed to be over.

  “It’s not the worst thing they’ve ever put in my locker.”

  “What’s the worst?” he asked.

  “Garbage. It stank, and they all laughed as I cleaned it out.” She shrugged. “It took them some time. I’ll have to change my locker code.” She pushed some hair out of her face. “At least they only doused it with water. Anything else would have been really gross.” She licked her lips. “You never mentioned anything about seeing Connor’s dad.”

  “It’s a recent development.” He held a card up. “Wants to meet to talk.”

  “Jack, I mean, Mr. Parker—”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “How can I not?”

  “Because it’s not something for you to concern yourself with. I can handle them. It’s my problem. Not yours.”

  “You’ll tell me what happens?” she asked.

  “You’re coming around tonight?”

  She couldn’t resist looking around the corridor. There was a small distance between them, and she really wanted to close it.

  “Yes, I’d like that.”

  “Then come.”

  “I’ve got to drop Marie off first.”

  “I’ll be late as I’m dealing with this dad situation. I’ll be there.”

  She nodded.

  “Don’t let them get to you, Lucia.”

  He went to touch her and she closed her locker, stepping back.

  They couldn’t do that, not here, not in front of people.

  “Thank you, Mr. Parker.”

  “Miss Deen,” he said.

  She spun on her heel and made her way to class. Taking a seat in the back near the window, she rested her head in her hands, and hated the secrecy. She knew exactly why it had to happen, but that didn’t make it any easier.

  In fact, it made it harder.

  Connor’s dad was an asshole of the highest order.

  He’d gotten teachers fired for making Connor look stupid. She didn’t want anything to happen to Jack.

  Her relationship with him meant a lot to her.

  Tapping her pencil on the table, she zoned out in class, thinking about how good it felt to be in Jack’s arms.

  He made all the bad go away and stopped her from feeling like she didn’t matter. He was the complete opposite and made her feel like she was seen and heard.

  “Miss Deen?”

  Her name being called brought her out of her thoughts.

  Glancing to the front of the class, she saw the teacher looking at her.

  “Are you done daydreaming and can you please answer the question?”

  Several smirks echoed round the class, but she ignored them. Staring at the equation on the board, it reminded her of her mother’s office, and she quickly worked it out. The teacher looked surprised, but he didn’t say anything, instead moving onto the next question.

  Stay focused, Lucia.

  ****

  To Jack, Principal Dowed had seemed like a straight and narrow kind of guy. Getting the call this morning that he was wanting to be seen by a parent, he’d not thought anything of it. When Dowed then went on and on about how important this man was for the investment and donations, things had started to click together, and he knew instantly that Connor had run to Daddy.

  He wasn’t even a little bit surprised by this.

  “Now, Mr. Mills, you know how the school likes to accommodate you, and we make every effort to ensure that Connor is well taken care of,” Principal Dowed said.

  Sitting back in his office chair, Jack watched the principal fawn all over him as if he was some spiritual creature.

  The same went for Rachel James’s mother.

  Jack just sat there, waiting, expecting something better. They were both dressed up in their expensive designer suits. Their kids were spitting images of the two of them.

  “And I pay for that privilege, Dowed, which is why I’m here today.” Mr. Mills turned toward him. “You’re Jack Parker?”

  “The very one.”

  “I had heard good things about you, but Connor takes exception to a teacher that mocks him.”

  “Jack is very sorry about that—”

  “How about I answer for myself because if you were going to speak for me, what was the point of me being here?” Jack said, interrupting Dowed. “I didn’t mock Connor. He wasn’t paying attention in my classroom. I got his attention. He was cocky, answered a question wrong. I told him so and moved on. I have no room in my class to stroke the ego of students who don’t answer correctly. The same goes for girls who bully. Rachel deserved to help, and if she didn’t like it, well, if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.”

  “It was some sodden toilet tissue. My girl is way too good for that. Tell him, Dowed.”

  “Mr. Parker, we have a certain agreement.”

  “I don’t do agreements. I’m a teacher. You want them to throw money at you to kiss their students’ ass, be my guest. I signed on to be a teacher, not to make a mockery of what I do. Connor and Rachel don’t meet the grade, then as far as I’m concerned, they will not be fit for my class, and I will not be intimidated by money.”

  “I can have your job from you,” Mr. Mills said.

  “I’m Jack Parker, Mr. Mills. You can keep making your threats, but unless you wish for this special privilege to be made public, my job is secure. Cost me my job and I will take you to court.”

  “You can’t afford it.”

  Jack smiled. “My parents are two of the best lawyers in the country. Not only can I afford it, but they never lose. Look them up, you’ll see. You want to take this further, then I’m for it. I have never done a
nything wrong, and I’m happy for the world to know my teaching methods. Are you ready for them to know how you like to get teachers fired?” He looked toward Dowed. “Or that you allow yourself to be blackmailed by parents? It makes people wonder what you’re willing to do to doctor exam results. That can be quite a handful.” He stood up. “I’ll let you guys figure this out.” He patted Mr. Mills’s arm. “Don’t ever let a boy send you to do a man’s job.”

  He left the classroom, and spotted Rachel and Connor. They had this evil look in their eye as if they expected him to look sad or worried.

  “Connor, get in the car,” his dad said.

  “Rachel, now!”

  “What the hell? You said you could handle it,” Rachel said.

  “Dad?”

  “I don’t want to hear from you.”

  Jack watched as the two kids left the building, but Mr. Mills stayed behind. They stood, staring at one another. He waited for the other man to speak.

  “I’m aware of your parents’ reputations,” Mr. Mills said.

  “I hold no ill will against you or your son. I grade correctly, and I do not ever believe in preferential treatment.”

  “Even though you’re here because of your parents. We do what we can for our kids.”

  “As you saw, Principal Dowed didn’t know who I was. Everything that I own and possess I earned on my own. Your boy, you keep cleaning up his messes there’s going to come a point when you can’t do that and he’s going to have to answer on his own.”

  “That time won’t come.”

  “For your sake I hope not. Don’t threaten me, Mr. Mills. I don’t take kindly to it.”

  They stared at each other, both of them masters in their own kingdom. If he’d allowed his parents to interfere, he’d be the head of this school, but he didn’t want that. His grandfather had taught him that a man’s worth was based on what he could do and achieve on his own.

  Everything he had belonged to him, and no one was going to take that from him. Not now, not ever.

  Parents like Mr. Mills and Mrs. James were not unheard of. He’d witnessed it in a couple of schools he’d taught at.

  Teachers had crumpled in the face of all that power.