Acceptance in Student's Arms

Oh yes, after not having a relationship for the past four years, Katherine could muster the courage to see other people. Maybe it was the result of her improved lifestyle choices or maybe it was the confidence from a more permanent job, but things finally seemed to get better. Four days ago, while swiping on a dating app, she came across the profile a 40-year-old police officer. The man, Kevin, was a widower and had no children. The photos on the app showed him to be a heavy built man, while his bio portrayed him of height 6'2", a non-alcoholic and a non-smoker. Kevin seemed to be extroverted in nature and proposed the date in a restaurant famous for couple dance events. Katherine, mostly being an introvert woman, was reluctant to go at first, but ultimately decided against it. This seemed to be the effect of those "self-help classes" where the speakers insisted on "leaving your comfort zone".

Katherine imagined herself on the dance floor, in Kevin's arms, swaying lightly and gracefully from one place to other. The anticipation of the dance let her human instincts take over. Her right arm gently started to caress left nipple which started to harden into a stub. Her left hand instinctively moved to her vagina, and started to rub it tenderly with her middle and ring fingers. In her thoughts, she had rested her head on Kevin's left shoulder, with her lips places just below his ear. She could feel the musk of his scent in her mind. The image led her to frantically caress her breast coupled with urgent pinching and stretching of her nipple, while her middle finger started to vigorously penetrate her vagina, reaching her clitoris. Katherine, still standing with her eyes closed, revelling in the fantasy of a man, was almost on the verge of climax, when suddenly the features on Kevin's face morphed into those of a relatively young man, and suddenly she was in the arms of Jeffery. The image and sensation of their previous embrace came flooding in her mind, and all activity of pleasuring herself stopped. She was mildly shocked with such a play of her mind. It also reminded her the presence of Jeffery, who was sitting in the room just outside. Without any more delay, she went into the shower.

***

After ten minutes or so, Katherine stepped out of the showering area, grabbed the towel and started to wipe the wetness off herself. Still wondering about the evening ahead with Jeffery, she suddenly realized that her clothes are in the bedroom. She did not want to call out to Jeffery and ask him to fetch her clothes. Finally, she wrapped the towel around herself and unlocked the bathroom door.

The sound of the door instinctively led to Jeffery turn his head backwards. Anticipating such an action, Katherine did not open the door right away but asked Jeffery, "Mr. Hamilton. Would you mind not looking? I am not decent and have left my clothes inside. Sorry for any awkwardness."

"Sure Ms. Wales. Sorry." responded Jeffery, apologizing, even though Katherine had no way to know if he was looking at the door or not.

Jeffery stuck his eyes back on the TV, while Katherine opened the door and came out. She saw Jeffery with his face towards the TV, that telecasted a rerun of The Flash. Katherine instantly moved to the adjacent door, opened it and went inside.

Even though Jeffery had his eyes deliberately glued to the TV, the sound of a woman, her teacher, coming out of the bathroom, probably clad just in her towel, made him a bit uneasy. He shifted on the couch uncomfortably and instinctively tried to adjust his pants on the front.

Ten minutes passed and Jeffery heard the bedroom door open, followed by Katherine's voice.

"I am sorry. I didn't take too long, right?"

Jeff turned his head and saw Katherine in a plain white top and blue shorts. Her straight hair still seemed to be mildly wet after the shower. It was apparent that she was not wearing any bra since her nipples seemed to be sticking to the top. Maybe, since she lived alone, she didn't find the need to wear them at home, at least that's what Jeff wondered.

"You might be hungry, right? I am sorry, I should have asked to help yourself in the kitchen."

"No. Ms. Wales, its fine!" Jeff answered modestly.

"No, it certainly is not. You are my guest, and I should have treated you better. Let me get you something. And yeah, one more thing, you can drop the 'Ms. Wales' here. Just call me Katherine."

"Um. Okay Katherine."

"That's good. So what would you have? I can make a mean mac n cheese, or maybe we can order a pizza."

"Yeah. About that. I actually did order the pizza." Jeff replied sheepishly.

"Oh. So I did take that long." replied Katherine with a fake embarrassment.

"Well, it has been a long day considering the whole detention thing. And since you invited me here, I thought maybe I could do something as well."

"That's very wise. Did you pay already?" enquired Katherine.

"No. Not yet."

"Well, the pizza is on me then."

Seeing Katherine coming towards the couch, Jeff shifted a bit to his right, allowing Katherine to sit. As she settled, her right thigh lightly brushed Jeff on his left knee, leading him to notice her presence even more. Jeff has mostly been a quiet and sheltered kid throughout his life and being in such a situation was seeming to be a really different experience.

"So, are you into all that superhero stuff?" Katherine faced Jeff and enquired.

"Excuse me, what?" asked Jeff, breaking his trance.

"I mean; you are watching The Flash. So, do you like the superhero and science fiction genre?" she asked the question more elaborately, a habit she picked while teaching.

"Oh. Yes. Right." Jeff tried to form the words. "Yeah! I have been into it since my childhood. People often say that I would grow out of it sooner or later. Though, that does not seem plausible in the near future." Jeff answered with an embarrassed laughter.

Katherine replied reassuringly, "You don't need to by shy about it. Just like other literary works, it is a genre of fiction as well."

"Umm. Thanks. People generally call me a nerd, smirk and move on." answered Jeff in mildly surprised voice.

"Yeah. They are idiots. I mean think about it, if people weren't into this stuff, why would Avengers and the other dumb movies earn billions every year." Katherine blurted out, just before realizing the contradiction.

"Whoa! I thought you liked them."

"Oh. Well, then maybe I am an idiot as well." Katherine answered and burst into laughter. This lightened the ambience of the room, and Jeff, who was a bit tense until now, joined her as well. Her laughs made her look like a completely different person than the one in the detention room or the one who knocked David down. Jeff's eyes automatically drifted from her face to her bosom that seemed to move in resonance with her every laugh, and lack of any garment inside made it more noticeable. Jeff moved his eyes back to her face and Katherine met his gaze, her laughter slowly diminishing. This caught Jeff by a bit surprise. "Did she notice him ogling her breasts?" he wondered. Katherine, noticing a sudden stress on Jeff's face, slightly raised her right eyebrow and her face, as if to ask 'what happened?'. Jeff, on realizing that he was safe, felt relieved, and shook his face with a weak smile.

Suddenly the bell rang. Both Katherine and Jeffery lightened up with happiness and relief.

"Ah. Finally!" announced Katherine. "Jeff! Would you mind getting the pizzas while I get the money?"

"Yes. I mean no. I mean, I'll get the pizzas." Jeff struggled and stood up along with Katherine. While she moved towards her bedroom, Jeffery stole a glance at her buttocks, each of them swaying up and down with her every step. He finally gathered himself and opened the door.

"Here are your pizzas sir. That would be twenty-seven, ninety-nine."

"Thank you." Jeff said receiving the pizza containers.

"How much is it?" enquired Katherine, holding a bunch of dollar bills.

"Twenty-seven, ninety-nine" answered the delivery man, with the same smile plastered on his face.

Jeff, returned to the couch and placed the containers on the table, while Katherine stayed back to settle the bill. Jeff sat in his previous spot and took the opportunity to watch Katherine's nylon clad buns while she sent of the delivery man with a smile. As soon as she closed the door and turned, Jeff diverted his gaze back to opening the containers.

"So what have we got?" asked Katherine.

"Um. We have a pepperoni pizza and something called pig-buffalo pizza. The pizza place claimed that the second one was their chef's specialty. Uh, and sorry, I ordered on your behalf as well. I was kind of hungry and didn't want to disturb you in the shower." answered Jeffery apologetically.

"Oh that's perfectly fine. I'm famished anyways. And besides, the pizzas smell great." reassured Katherine. "I'm going to get a beer." Katherine said moving towards the refrigerator installed on the left side of the kitchen entrance. "Do you need a drink? I mean not the 'drink' drink. But a beverage of sorts?" asked Katherine, as she took out a can of a diet coke, and raised it to show it to Jeff.

"Yes. Coke would be fine." answered Jeff, looking at Katherine.

"Fine then." Katherine said closing the refrigerator's door. With a bottle of beer in right hand, and the can in the other, Katherine moved towards the couch and occupied her previous spot.

"So, how old are you anyways?" asked Katherine, putting the coke in front of Jeff, beside the pizza box.

"I turned eighteen six months ago."

"So old enough to marry and but not celebrate it!" Katherine said with a chuckle, while opening the bottle in her hand.

Jeff shrugged lightly, and started undoing the pizza box in front of him.

"So you ordered without me and won't even let me choose." Katherine joked.

"Oh sorry, you can have this one." Jeff replied, in a cautious and apologetic voice.

"I'm just kidding. Why are you so much on the edge?" Katherine said, now speaking more freely, probably due to the beer. "You can be comfortable around here. Is it because of the school? I mean, I said I'm sorry. If you want, I can do it a hundred more times."

"Oh no. That won't be necessary. But, you can probably write on the board one thousand times, 'I won't scold Jeffery ever.' I like how the tables have turned though." said Jeffery, with a grin, easing up a little bit.

It took Katherine a moment to register the joke, then she burst into laughter.

"Look at you! cracking jokes and shit!" exclaimed Katherine. "So how I come we've never talked before today?"

"Maybe because I have the talent of not getting noticed in life." Jeff responded sarcastically.

"Oh come on. Not with that again."

"What can I say! I have never been one of those topper guys who would snuggle up to the teacher for grades. And I have been much a sports person either. The third way is to become like David. Thankfully, that doesn't seem likely to happen."

"Oh yes. Thanks for reminding me. I'll have to mail Mr. Xavier regarding him."

"So, what would happen to him, expulsion?"

"Something of that sort. You have a problem?"

"Not really."

"Seems fine then." Katherine said, biting off the corner of the pepperoni pizza's slice. "God! it's delicious!"

"So, um, why do you live alone?" asked Jeffery, having nothing else to ask.

"Well. I mean, the place is not that big for two people you see."

"No, I mean..." Jeff continued, with his mouth full of cheese and chicken cube.

"Yeah. I got it. Well, after the breakup, I needed some time to recuperate and reflect. Fortunately, I got the job at the school, and I also started to keep myself busy, mostly reading and exercising. So, I never really felt the need of company since then."

"So, you don't... get lonely?"

"Well, at my age, one kind of starts to make peace with the things the way they are." replied Katherine with an expression that seemed to Jeff a mix of sadness and yearning.

"How about you? Do you get 'alone'?" asked Katherine, with a smile and waving her hands in quotation marks. "Do you have a girlfriend, boyfriend, anyone?"

"No. Not really. I thought it would have been apparent during our conversation, being unnoticeable and all."

"Look Jeff, at some point of time, you have to put your own efforts to make people see you. That's how the world works."

"I tell this to myself every day, but at the end, it's one thing or the other, and I eventually end up procrastinating."

"Even I have been avoiding people and intimacy since last four years. But then I realized, we can't live our life like islands. It was kind of difficult, but I was able bring myself to see more people. Fortunately, I have date next week. These things take time, but you have to persevere."

"Well, I'll try. And by the way, congrats, for the date, you know." Jeff responded, masking an unexpected disappointment in his voice.

"His name is Kevin. We started talking a week or so ago. He asked me out on a dancing night."

"I didn't know you could dance. No offence though."

"Offend me all you want. I am a literal zero at dancing." Kathrine answered, laughing with visible embarrassment.

"So, what's the plan?"

"I don't know. Maybe, I'll just wing it."

"Well. Best of luck with that."

"Thanks. I'll definitely need that." Katherine replied, and then continued after a moment of thought. "Maybe... I mean... well... could you help me practice?"

"Oh. No! no! no! Look Katherine. You might be bad at dancing, but I am an absolute worst."

"Hey. Come on. I just gave you the talk of encouragement. It's testing time."

"That's so not fair. At least give me a week to prepare."

"Yeah, so that you can dance on my funeral after I die of embarrassment! Look, it will be a good opportunity for you too. It's your last year, and you might want take someone on the prom. You can start practicing now."

"I don't know. I am eating right now."

"What? The empty pizza box?"

"Okay. Look. Even if I do practice, there is no point in going to the prom alone. I don't have a girlfriend. I wonder if the girls in my class even know me."

"Okay. What if, you help me practice, and I will introduce to one of the girls who 'snuggle up to me' for grades?" Katherine raised his hands again in quotations.

"Is that even legal?"

"It is not illegal."

"Ethical?"

"Not written in the bible."

"Okay. Fine. Let me just clean this up and wash my hands." Jeff said, collecting the containers.

"Oh. Thank God. The trashcan is over there." Katherine said, pointing towards the kitchen. "And the bathroom, well, you know."

Jeff threw the containers in the trashcan and washed his hands, while Katherine searched Spotify for any song.

"All done." announce Jeff. "So how shall we begin?"

"My mind is really not working. What do you suggest?"

"We can start with tango. It's supposed to be the most sensual dance there is. Sway by Michael Bublé should be perfect."

"I think I'll keep my legs attached for now. Thanks."

"So, um, what are you expecting?"

"Nothing too serious. Maybe just holding each other, swaying left and right on slow music kind of deal"

"I once saw and old video of one of my gramps' friend dancing. I think it was on 'The Magic Moment'. You can start with that. The beats are slow and easy."

"You seem to know a lot about dance for somebody being 'absolute worst'." chided Katherine.

"I just watch, wish and wool-gather."

Katherine searched for the song and clicked play button. "So, now what?" asked Katherine to Jeff, who looked as clueless as her.

"You tell me."

"Well, all the dance tutorials I saw, emphasized on synchronized footwork, to avoid hitting each other's leg. We should work on that."

"Okay, but where to start?" asked Jeff.

Sensing the awkwardness in the air, Katherine made the first move and moved closer to Jeff. "Bring your arms on my waist." she spoke. Jeff removed his spectacles, placed them on the table and moved closer to Katherine, who now took both her arms behind Jeff's neck, with a slight hesitation. Jeff placed his palms on Katherine's waist, still trying to maintain a distance that seemed appropriate for respect but inconvenient for dancing. Katherine looked in Jeff's brown eyes, that looked strangely different without spectacles.

"It's not a competition to measure the arm's length. Come closer." Katherine said, in attempt to lighten the mood. Jeff hesitantly moved closer, feeling a rising erection in his pants. Katherine met Jeff's gaze, which wasn't that difficult since they shared similar height, and spoke, "Generally men are supposed to take the lead in the dance and women follow by observing their momentum. So if you move your left leg forward, I'll take my right leg back, and all sorts of vice-versas. Is that clear?" Jeff nodded, distracted with Katherine's alcoholic breath, that intensified even more as she spoke. Katherine left Jeff's shoulders to put the song on loop and took her position back. "Start!" she announced.

Jeff brought his left foot forward, which Katherine took a moment to register, and it bumped with her right foot. "My bad!" she said with a slight embarrassment. They started again and after some initial minutes of their 'bumpy' ride, started to gain momentum.

"Good. Look at us dancing. Isn't that great!" exclaimed Katherine.

"It sure is!" confirmed Jeff, gazing into her green eyes. "So, um, shall we stop now?"

"Why? Don't you like it?"

"No. I just love it. I meant, what now? Do you want to practice some other move?"

"Let's just stay like this for now." Katherine said with pleading eyes.

"Yes. Of course." replied Jeff, while Katherine lowered her right hand a bit lower on his back and rested her head on his shoulder. She was starting to feel the effect of alcohol taking over, all the while imagining herself dancing with Kevin, with her eyes closed and lips resting near Jeff's neck.

Jeff was now aware of the rhythm of her breathing on his chest and her breaths on his neck. The sensation alerted all his senses, but then he gave in and continued to revel in the moment. The fragrance of Katherine's hair, and the contact of her body, were overwhelming him, the reaction of which he could feel in his pelvic area. Subconsciously, Jeff moved his right hand from her waist and used his middle finger to trace along her spine upwards, gently resting his hand on her head. After an eternity, or probably a few minutes, Jeff felt Katherine raising her head and looking at him with heavy eyes. Jeffery, responded her gaze with a calming smile, right after which she leaned in and gently touched Jeffery's lips with hers. Jeff could now feel his heart breaking his ribcage. This was all too sudden and unexpected. The aroma of soap from her face, the flavor of alcohol on her lips, the sensation of her heartbeats through her bosom against his chest, all sent his nervous system in to an overdrive. Too stunned to move, or even respond, he continued to stay in the same position. Feeling no resistance, Katherine mouth started to press against his even more, her lips caressing his all the while. Jeff was about to reciprocate the motion but was suddenly struck with the reality.

"It's ok. I wanted it too." were the words that Katherine heard. And before she could think, Jeff held her by the arms and pulled her towards himself. "I want it too." said Jeff, as placed his right hand on her neck and pulled her into a kiss, a real intentional kiss. Katherine, now completely in her senses, took her arms behind Jeff's head and pressed it towards her to reciprocate the kiss with equal passion. Their lips were subconsciously locked in competition about who would devour the other's mouth first. With any trace of guilt or dilemma replaced by sheer desire, Jeff's left hand reached inside Katherine's top and started to caress her back while her right hand found its way on her hips over her shorts. Jeff broke the kiss, much to Katherine's disappointment and moved his lips to Katherine's neck.