Apple for the Teacher

The rest of the morning rolled along, and Sara eventually fell into a rhythm with her classes managing to shut out the fact that Rick Ralston was even in the room. When lunchtime finally arrived, she led him back over to the teacher's lounge where he retrieved a sandwich from the fridge and took a seat at one of the empty tables. Marie was next to Sara in a flash as she hunted for her lunch among the various bags and containers.

"Is that your new student teacher? Please, for the love of God, tell me he's single."

Sara glanced over where Rick was calmly eating a sub-sandwich while reading something on his phone.

"Slow your roll, Marie. Don't you recognize him?"

Marie squinted looking intently at Rick, "Um...No...Should I?"

"Think five years back, Ricky Ralston, short, quiet kid..."

"Holy Shit! I would never in a million years have recognized him. He...really changed."

"I know."

"I mean 'really' changed like did he drink a super soldier formula or something? Did you see the way his biceps ripple when he moves his arms."

"Jesus! Marie! Go take a cold shower will ya!"

"I have no idea how you are going to be in the same room with that guy for the next ten weeks and not tear his clothes off."

"It's called ethics and self-restraint. I swear, Marie, you're starting to sound just like Jerry Sloan."

"Oh! Bite your tongue! Don't ever put that man and me in the same sentence."

"Then try acting like an adult and not a hormonal teen."

"Fine...I get it," said Marie quietly.

"But he is damn fine..." she added walking away.

Sara found that description hard to argue with as she sat down to eat her lunch.

By the time the day ended Sara was exhausted from repeating the same dull welcoming speech half-a-dozen times, and ready to go home. Rick walked her to her car where Marie waited patiently to catch a ride back to her domicile.

"Ms. Flores? I don't know if you remember me, Rick Ralston?"

"Rick...Oh Yes! It's so good to see you again, and all grown up too," replied Marie throwing Sara a wink at the same time.

"I guess."

"So you're student teaching, huh? Ready to take on the challenges from the other side of the desk?"

"I'm sure going to try. I have a good teacher to show me the ropes," said Rick nodding at Sara.

"Sara is the best I'm sure she will whip you into shape!"

Marie looked knowingly at Sara again making the double entendre in her statement painfully obvious.

"Right...Well, I will see you ladies tomorrow. Have a good evening."

Sara unlocked her car throwing her book bag and purse in the backseat while Marie slid into the passenger side.

"What did I tell you at lunch? Rick is a student teacher for Christ sake! We have to behave like professionals around him."

"Oh, come on, Sara! Tell me that man doesn't make you tingle just a little?"

Sara started the car shaking her head, "It wouldn't matter if he did."

"You are a rock, Sweetie. If our positions were reversed...Ummmm..."

"I did offer you the spot as I recall."

"Don't remind me. Shit! If I could turn back time, right?" said Marie laughing.

The ride the rest of the way back consisted mostly of Sara trying to talk about her first day and Marie trying to turn the conversation into a discussion on what Rick Ralston would look like in a bathing suit. When they arrived at Marie's apartment, it was with a sense of relief that Sara watched her friend leave.

Back home, Sara stopped in the doorway to pick up her cat, Mr. Smithers, who always seemed intent on escaping.

"You lack claws and balls. I have no idea what you think you would do out in the wild, Smithers," said Sara absently as she carried the purring animal back into the kitchen for dinner. The fat, old cat sat on his haunches waiting patiently while Sara opened a can of food and placed it on the floor. She watched him attack the brown substance with far more enthusiasm then it probably deserved. The envelope was still sitting where she left it, but again she avoided picking it up. Instead, she went to the fridge to pull out the leftover meatloaf she had from the night before to heat in the microwave.

There was nothing worth watching on T.V., and Sara found herself lying in bed early trying to read an old Jane Austen novel with Smithers perched inconveniently on top of her pillow. Her concentration kept wandering as her mind drifted back to the day she had spent around her new student teacher. The image of his blue-eyed face popped into her head and in spite of her statements to Marie about not letting herself have unprofessional feelings for her handsome colleague she felt a wave of warmth wash over her.

"Crap...He sure does fill out his shirts..." she thought to herself.

Without even realizing it, Sara's hand slid down into her panties, and she sighed when her fingertips brushed across the top of her vaginal hood.

"Oh...Fuck!" she gasped.

Her fingers moved a little faster, and in her mind she pictured Rick stripping off his shirt exposing his muscular chest. He smiled at her walking closer hands unbuttoning the top of his jeans. Sara licked her lips moving her other hand to her left breast and squeezing it through the cotton cloth of her nightshirt. Her nipple hardened almost instantly.

"Shit...Rick..." moaned Sara.

His arms were openly inviting her in, and she closed the distance between them. Those same strong arms wrapped around her pulling her tight enough that she swore she could feel the bulge of his hard cock pressing on her stomach. The hand between her legs slid further down, parting the swelling lips of her pussy, a finger slipping inside where it was moist and warm.

"Uh...UH!...God..."

The fingers of the hand on her breast closed on the hard nipple at the center of her areola and pinched it roughly. Sara arched her back slightly moaning louder at the thought of Rick's lips finding her chest, suckling her stiff nipples.

"SHIT! SMITHERS!" yelled Sara as her cat disturbed by her sudden thrashing dove off the top of the pillow to land right in the middle of her stomach. She sat up in bed breathing hard in a combination of fear and arousal. Smithers beat a hasty retreat from the bedroom. Pushing her hair back, Sara slowly felt her racing heart return to normal.

"What the fuck am I doing..." breathed Sara in disgust.

This was precisely the kind of fantasy she was trying to avoid. The last thing she needed right now was to get involved in an inappropriate relationship with Rick Ralston. She got out of bed to throw some cold water in her face before returning and shutting off the light. The logic of the situation was clear as day. Sara wasn't sure what she was worried about anyway, Rick was fourteen years her junior he probably had no interest in a used older woman.

Rick got his first taste of teaching at the end of the week. Sara set it up so that he could present a short lecture on the beginnings of the space race. He certainly seemed well prepared with a stack of note cards big enough to double as a model of the Empire State Building if he had wanted to make one. Things started o.k., but within ten minutes or so it was clear that Rick was starting to lose the room. His soft-spoken voice lacked the authority to command attention, and as the students began to fidget in their seats, Rick became nervous losing his place in the lecture after dropping his cards by accident.

"That's enough! Settle down people," snapped Sara bringing instant silence to the room.

Rick cleared his throat and tried to recover, but his halting delivery failed to create much interest with his students. He finally wrapped things up, dejectedly taking his usual seat at the back of the classroom while Sara took his place.

"Just to make your weekend more interesting, I want you to know there will be a quiz on Monday on everything that Mr. Ralston covered today."

A general groan followed this pronouncement that was quickly silenced with a glare from Sara.

The class filed out afterward leaving the two of them alone. Rick looked uncomfortable as he joined Sara at her desk.

"I guess that wasn't a very auspicious beginning."

"Don't beat yourself up too much. It's a lot different practicing in front of a mirror, or with your fellow students in the class than when you have to do it for real."

"Did you struggle when you started?"

"I was so nervous the first time I stood in front of a classroom of kids I nearly threw up," Sara admitted.

"I would have felt sorry for the kids in the front row," joked Rick.

Sara laughed, "It just takes practice, and that's why you're here. Think of it this way you made it through your first week, and the kids haven't eaten you yet."

It was Rick's turn to laugh, the noise so infectious that Sara joined him. Afterward, they cleaned up the room putting the chairs on top of the desks to aid the cleaning crew that swept the room at night.

"Have a nice weekend, Rick," said Sara as they parted company.

"You too," he replied with a nod.

Sara was fully prepared for a quiet night at home, but her cell phone rang not long after she and Smithers had finished their evening meal.

"I'm betting you're just sitting on your ass watching re-runs of classic movies," came Marie's voice from the tiny speaker.

"No way...I have cooler things to do than that," answered Sara while setting aside the DVD of an Elizabeth Taylor movie she had been about to pop in her player.

"Carolyn Davies and I were going to grab a drink at the 'Hot Spot,' you should come with us."

Sara winced at the thought of hitting a singles bar like, "The Hot Spot," it was a well-known pickup joint.

"I don't know, Marie, I'm not sure that I'm ready for the single night-life."

"Come on! Don't be chicken! We will protect you from the single men. I think you should get out you've been hiding long enough."

Reluctantly, Sara agreed, "O.K. I will meet you there at eight, alright?"

"You better! See ya!"

A quick shower at least put some life back into Sara's step, and she decided to make some effort at putting out a sexy image choosing a black, short dress with a neckline low enough to show off her substantial chest. When she arrived at the club the parking lot was already filling up, and she got one of the last spots in the far back corner. Inside, the music was pulsing with a jungle beat while young, scantily clad women moved to rub bodies with eager men hoping to separate them from what little clothing they had on.

Sara shook her head wondering what had possessed her to agree to come. She was getting too old for this kind of meat market, and it had never been her style anyway.

"Sara! Over here!"

Marie waved at her from a table a good distance from the dance floor where her and Carolyn Davies sat sipping at their drinks. Carolyn was an English teacher with red hair and deep brown eyes like a deer. She was a good ten years younger than Marie or Sara and still possessed a tight, youthful body that was drawing more than a few stares from the men at the bar.

"What's your poison?" asked Carolyn as Sara joined them.

"Um...White wine I think" answered Sara.

"Hm...A sophisticated lady. White wine it is then," said Carolyn heading to the bar to fetch a refill of her drink.

"I can't believe I agreed to this, Marie! I mean, look at this place every girl here might as well have a 'Fuck Me,' sign stuck on their forehead."

"Hey! I resent that implication. I wouldn't fuck any of these guys for at least two more drinks!"

Sara smacked her friend playfully on the arm.

Carolyn returned, and the three women started to chat about their first week griping about the usual problems getting the kids to settle down after the long summer break.

"I swear I think they should let us pass out tranquilizers the first week just to get the kids to sit still," offered Marie.

"I'm pretty sure at least half of them are stoned already I don' t think they need our help," said Sara.

"Hey, guys. Tall, dark and handsome alert at the bar! I think that guy is checking us out!" cut in Carolyn with a surreptitious nod in that direction.

Sara glanced over and nearly spilled her wine when her eyes fell on Rick Ralston staring back at her, a beer bottle held loosely in his right hand. He smiled and took a pull from his drink before sauntering over toward them.

"Oh shit..." mumbled Sara.

"You know this guy," said Carolyn quietly, but Rick arrived before Sara could answer.

"Good Evening, Sara...Marie, and...I'm sorry we haven't met yet, Rick Ralston, and you are?"

"Carolyn Davies," answered Carolyn shaking Rick's hand.

Sara felt the last thing she would have ever expected, a wave of jealousy shoot through her body while watching Carolyn make eyes at Rick.

"Rick is doing a student teaching rotation at the high school," put in Marie.

"Is that right? So who is your mentor?"

"Sara has that honor."

Carolyn looked over at Sara with a raised eyebrow that all but said, "There is no way you aren't screwing this guy."

Sara cleared her throat, "So, Rick, what brings you out tonight?"

"Oh, just blowing off some steam. You know, end of a long week and all that. What about you guys?"

"Same thing," said Marie.

"How are you enjoying your first teaching experience, Rick?" asked Carolyn.

"It's more challenging than I imagined, but I'm learning a lot from Sara."

A fast dance song fired up over the sound system causing a mass movement toward the dance floor.

Carolyn Davies grabbed Rick by the arm, "I love this song! Would you mind?"

"Yeah...Uh, sure..." Rick said a bit awkwardly, setting his beer down on the table. He and Carolyn made their way onto the dance floor where they soon were gyrating their young bodies in time to the music. It wasn't long before Carolyn was closing the distance trying to press her body up against Rick's who politely slipped an arm loosely around her, but seemed less than enthusiastic about the arrangement.

"That Carolyn Davies can be such a slut sometimes. I bet she slips her number in his pocket before they leave the dance floor," commented Marie while sipping her drink.

Sara didn't answer. She couldn't take her eyes off Rick and Carolyn. The jealous feeling that had hit her minutes earlier was back in spades, and she gritted her teeth.

"Everything o.k.?" asked Marie when her friend didn't respond.

"What? Oh...Yeah, just fine...I was...Uh...Just thinking about the quiz I need to write up for next week."

Marie smiled knowingly following Sara's gaze out toward the dance floor, "A quiz...Right..."

The dancing pair returned after the song ended both a little winded from their efforts. Rick went to get another beer from the bar while the women chatted.

"Damn! That boy can dance, and don't get me started on how firm his biceps are..." said Carolyn smiling wickedly.

"He is a student teacher at the school it's not right to be coming on to him," said Sara.

"Whose coming on to anyone? I was just dancing with the guy, but if he wants to dance horizontally I'm not saying I would decline the invitation," shot back Carolyn.

Sara wrinkled her brow wanting to say something sarcastic, but wasn't able to come up with anything before Rick returned from the bar.

The conversation jumped around to a variety of topics as the evening moved on. A rare slow song started to play, and a few couples drifted out onto the dance floor. Carolyn eyed Rick expectantly, but he surprised everyone at the table when he turned to Sara.

"Would you like to dance?"

The air around her seemed to grow heavy as Sara stared at Rick a dozen thoughts crowding her head at the same time all of them reminders of the many ways this was a bad idea.

"I wouldn't mind..." cut in Carolyn as it appeared that Sara wouldn't find her voice.

"O.K.!" said Sara jumping up so quickly from the table she jostled it making everyone's drinks shake. She looked around with an embarrassed smile as Rick came around to her and took her by the hand leading her out onto the floor. The minute they arrived he slipped his strong arms around her pulling her tight to him. Sara felt a nervous panic take hold when it occurred to her that this was very similar to her fantasy from several nights earlier. The temperature in the club seemed to be climbing though she knew it was just her arousal. She fought to control her racing heart as Rick looked down at her curiously.

"Does this make you uncomfortable?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean dancing with a former student. I imagine you never pictured this scenario when you knew me back in the day."

Sara laughed, "God, No! This is different. You're not the same person you were back then. It isn't that...I'm just not sure this is ethical and..."

"We're just dancing, Sara. I haven't even asked you to go steady with me yet."

"Very funny."

"Would it embarrass you if I told you that you look beautiful in that dress?"

Sara felt her heart skip a beat and she looked at the floor worried that Rick would see just how hard she was blushing.

"Thank you. It's very nice of you to say."

She looked back up slowly right into his deep, blue eyes. For a moment, it felt like she was floating on air. The music faded until it seemed to be coming from a great distance and the heat she had been feeling build within her grew even stronger making her nipples harden like diamond inside her bra. Rick smiled and she had the worst urge to lean up and plant a kiss right on those full, firm looking lips. Her head almost started to move forward when the music abruptly stopped snapping her out of her fog.

The dance floor started to empty and Sara quickly pulled away feeling guilty that she had given in to the very feelings that she had been trying to suppress. Rick followed her back to the table where she scooped up her purse.

"I need to go it's getting kind of late," said Sara.

Marie looked at her watch, "Gee, Sara it's only 10:30. Are you sure you want to bail out now?"

"I'm just a bit worn out from work. I really should go."

"I'll walk you out," offered Rick.

"You don't have to do that."

"It would be safer for you. Who knows what kind of weirdos there are in the parking lot," he said with a slight smile.

Sara didn't feel like arguing so she threw a few dollars on the table for a tip and headed for the entrance of the club with Rick walking along beside her. Outside, the noise was muted with none of the loud music and babbling voices from the club leaking into the night. Rick and Sara crossed the parking lot to her car.

"Thanks for watching out for me, and for the dance."

"It was no problem, and I enjoyed the dance."

There was an awkward moment of silence between them before Sara tried to break the tension by fishing in her purse for her keys.

"Did you ever figure out that it was me that put the apple on your desk the last day of school?"

Sara paused in her search to look back up at Rick. Giving an apple to the teacher had been an old tradition that kids rarely followed anymore, but she recalled finding one on her desk on the last day that Rick had attended Carter Randolph High.

"I remember the apple, but I admit I never figured out who left it."

"I wanted to leave a note with it, but I was too shy I guess. It was just my way of saying, 'Thank you' for everything. You were my favorite teacher. I would think about you from time to time when I was away, wondering if you were still teaching, and if you ever had another kid like me in class."

"You were unique, Rick. I never had another kid with your focus and passion for the subject."

"I think you had a lot to do with bringing that out in me. I've noticed you tend to bring a lot of things out in me...not just a passion for history."

The tension started to build in the air and Sara shifted nervously on her feet.

"I should go."