The Teacher's Pet Ch. 10

Author's Note: This builds upon the events of the previous chapters. I would recommend reading them first, before diving into this chapter.

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Monday, February 2

Winter in the Florida Keys was a time of somewhat cooler temperatures and a break from the oppressive humidity experienced during the other nine months of the year. While visitors from other parts of the country and the world were basking in the warmth, residents enjoyed the opportunity to be outside for more than five minutes without turning into a puddle of sweat.

Although little credence should have been given to the prediction of an oversized rodent, I'd always rooted for him to see his shadow on Groundhog Day. In the past, I never looked forward to the return of stifling heat. Any forecast delaying spring another six weeks was one I was in complete favor of.

However, my feelings on this matter were different now. I had a kinky girl who loved to be under my feet - especially when they were smelly. What better way to build up a good stench than to walk around in hot and humid conditions? So this time, I wanted the big rat to see nothing but an early end to winter.

While I sat on my living room couch and shoveled the last spoonful of oatmeal into my mouth this morning, I watched as they held up the giant squirrel and declared the opposite of what I desired. I groaned in disappointment, but then shook my head with a chuckle. It's not like Punxsutawney Phil was a professional meteorologist or anything.

Why was I taking this seriously?

Of course, I knew the answer. It was a distraction from my internal conflict. I had implemented a number of these since Saturday evening. After tossing and turning in bed for several hours that night, I masturbated to some foot videos so I could finally get some sleep. During brunch with my parents yesterday, I did most of the talking so I wouldn't keep dwelling on my thoughts. Later in the day, I went to the movies to see a psychological thriller. It definitely occupied my mind for a few hours.

When I was done eating my dinner, though, I remembered there were still assignments to grade and lessons to plan. I had been putting this off because I was worried it might make me think of Polly and her friend - which would lead to revisiting my dilemma. Sure enough, the third paper I came across was Tanya's.

Hers was well written, with only a couple minor mistakes, and much deserving of the A- grade I wrote at the top. Once I set it aside, I was back to considering whether I should try to find out if she wanted to pursue a romantic relationship with Polly.

I spent almost a half hour rehashing the pros and cons of this, before concluding I needed to know something first. Taking a deep breath, I picked up my cell phone and typed a message to Polly. She replied a minute later, agreeing to discuss the matter with me after school on Monday. While this didn't completely ease my confusion, it settled me enough so I could finish my work and get a decent amount of slumber.

As I rinsed my empty bowl in the sink, worry took hold of me again. Did I have the courage to ask Polly the question which would determine our path forward? Was I prepared for how she would respond? Would I continue to obsess about this for the next seven hours?

By the time I arrived in the faculty parking lot, I managed to calm my anxiety. During the drive, I had given myself a stern talking to about the detriments of allowing my doubts and fears to consume me. I came to the realization that dwelling on uncertainties would only serve to prevent me from teaching effectively. Plus, I didn't want to give my students another reason to think something was wrong with me.

With my mind refocused, I strode into school feeling much less apprehensive. I was able to engage in conversations with several teachers before homeroom began. I even sat with Linda for the next twenty minutes and told her about my visit to Coral Castle. It turned out she had been there a month ago, so we ended up comparing what parts were our favorites. We shared a few laughs too. I was liking this new and improved version of Ms. Polinski. Heck, she was even wearing an outfit resembling one of mine, albeit with a longer skirt and shorter heels.

During first period, I remained in the break room to review my lesson plans for the week. I noticed Monica had gotten up to leave when I glanced in her direction. This made me ponder our encounter last Friday. I sighed, wondering whether I went too far with my foot teasing. Then again, perhaps it was something else. At least I hoped this was the case.

After convincing myself I was probably not at fault for her sudden exit, I was able to complete the task I had started by the time the bell rang. Neither of my morning classes was stressful, and I had a nice time chatting with the guys at my lunch table. In fact, I felt pretty relaxed while grading assignments in my office prior to sixth period. When I was about finished, I spied the clock and suddenly became aware of what was coming up in mere minutes.

I gulped and dropped my pen at this realization, as my prior concerns flooded back. It was going to be difficult to get through lecturing the class without any hiccups on my part. Seeing Polly right in front of me, staring into my eyes, would constantly remind me of the important discussion I needed to have with her when we were alone later. The unclear outcome of this meeting had me feeling nervous.

Neurotic thoughts were once more swirling inside my head. I knew if I didn't get them under control soon, I would have trouble walking to class - never mind teaching it. Pushing my chair back, I took a huge breath and stood up. Since my legs were shaky, I put my hands on the desk to steady myself. I closed my eyes and attempted to redirect my mind to something happy. The problem was that most of my pleasing mental images involved a certain girl pampering my feet.

At this point, I figured my only option was to avert my gaze from Polly. If I didn't look at her, perhaps I could keep my focus on lecturing the students. Although this wasn't the ideal plan, it was all I could formulate. There wasn't much time until I would be standing before them, attempting to describe the finer points of eighteenth-century literature.

Despite not being very confident, I collected my papers and made my way toward the classroom. As I entered, I spied Polly out of the corner of my eye. She was facing away from me, talking to Tanya. I dropped my items on the teacher's desk and quickly focused my vision on the other side of the room. It was going to take quite an effort to ignore her, but I had to try my best if I was going to successfully navigate the next forty-five minutes.

A moment later, the bell rang and I dove right into the material I wanted to cover. While I spoke, I fixed my gaze on the back wall above the heads of my pupils. This strategy worked, as I was able to concentrate on the subject matter. Although I was probably talking too fast and not paying attention to anyone raising their hand, I made it to the end of the period without stuttering or otherwise looking like a fool.

As the boys and girls began to leave, I spun around to gather up my things from the desk. I moved at a snail's pace, hoping everyone would be gone by the time I finished. For a moment, I was convinced this tactic had worked - since the room fell silent.

When I turned back, however, I was quite startled to see Polly and Tanya standing there. They both giggled at my obvious surprise.

Tanya cocked her head. "Did we scare you, Miss Nolan?"

I placed a hand on my heart as I let out a sigh. "Yeah, a little."

"Sorry about that. We just wanted to say thanks again for taking us to Coral Castle on Saturday. It was awesome!"

"It really was," Polly said with a smile.

"You're both very welcome. I'm glad to know you liked it."

"We did!" Tanya peered at her friend and shrugged as she looked back at me. "But I also wanted to say I'm sorry for taking off my shoes in your car. I'm so used to Polly having no problem with my foot stink, and I kinda forgot that it was probably awful for you."

"It's okay. I hardly noticed it."

She gave me a curious expression. "Really? Do you have a weak sense of smell too?"

I shrugged. "I don't think so."

"Oh, I'm sure you do!" She shook her head with a chuckle. "Trust me, if your nose was working right, that stench woulda knocked you out!"

I didn't want her to know the truth about how terrible it was for me, so I turned it back on her. "If that's the case, then why didn't it bother you?"

"I guess I've become used to it. I mean, I get lots of foot rubs from a good friend who isn't bothered by the odor." She glanced at Polly with a grin. "So, I learned to pretty much ignore it."

Polly gave her a smirk. "Yeah, I'd never touch her feet if I didn't have this... condition."

"Right." Tanya put an arm around her friend. "But I'm super glad you have it. I love when you massage my feet."

They smiled at each other, and I chuckled. If only she realized what "condition" Polly had. Then again, maybe Tanya would appreciate it even more.

She let go of Polly and looked at me. "Anyway, it's good that my feet didn't make you sick on the drive home."

We exchanged a nod, and I patted her arm. "Don't worry about it. Now, you'd better run along or you'll be late for your next class."

She checked her phone and nudged her friend. "We gotta go, Pol." She gave me a cheeky grin. "See ya tomorrow, Amber!"

"Take care, you two." I watched as they hurried toward the door. "Oh, and I'll see you afterward Polly... to continue our project."

"See you then, Miss Nolan!"

They both disappeared into the hallway. I felt relieved to have made it through the encounter without cracking.

Ten minutes later, I was staring at the ceiling in my office. I had started to review the assignments from the previous period, but I didn't even complete one of them before my concentration was broken. Trying to take my mind off of the imminent rendezvous with Polly was a hopeless endeavor. She was all I could think about.

It was true I enjoyed the moments I spent with her. She was a wonderful friend to me. Her shy and awkward demeanor was adorable. At the same time, I liked helping her exude more confidence in the way she presented herself. Plus, if it wasn't for her, I would have never met Steph - who I considered to be an amazing woman and friend.

More than this, though, was what Polly had done for me by exposing her fetish. A whole new world had opened up to me. Not only did I realize how much I loved having my feet pampered, but I also received a tremendous thrill from being dominant while it was happening. Having immersed myself in these fabulous experiences, I never wanted them to stop. If anything, I wanted them to occur more often!

With this being said, there was a definite connection between her and Tanya. I had already spoken to Polly on several occasions, saying she should confess her feelings toward her friend. How selfish would it be for me to take it all back in order to satisfy my carnal pleasures? Unless—

I blinked myself out of this line of questioning and noticed there was still a half hour before Polly would arrive. Damn, I was going to drive myself insane if I didn't find some sort of distraction. I looked up, hoping beyond hope for divine intervention.

At that instant, my phone rang. It was my father. At first, I was worried there was a problem. He never called me on a weekday afternoon. It turned out he wanted to find out how I was doing. He had sensed something wasn't quite right when we spoke the day before. Since it was after sixth period - and he was waiting for a client to arrive - he figured we would be able to talk. Naturally, I was more than happy to chat with him. It seemed like the perfect thing to keep me from dwelling on my situation with Polly.

We didn't get too far into our conversation before I realized his inquiries into what was troubling me were creating the opposite effect. He said he noticed odd behavior from me during the past three brunches, and he was positive I'd been struggling with some sort of issue. I told him it was related to being a new full-time teacher, but he wasn't buying my excuse. This was one occasion I wished he didn't know me so well.

Not wanting to divulge the type of relationship I had with my own student, I explained I had met a single, female teacher who I had a crush on. And she liked me, too. I then spent the next fifteen minutes getting an earful from my dad.

"You can't date a coworker!"

"If you get caught flirting with her, you'll get fired and your career will go into the toilet!"

"Your mother and I raised you better than that!"

"Why can't you find a nice young man or woman somewhere else?"

"For God's sake, Amber, what would possess you to act on these desires with someone at your school?"

He went on and on and on. Every sentence of his rant tore into my heart and soul, since he just as easily could have been condemning me for being involved with Polly. I eventually had to cut him off with the promise I wouldn't date anyone I worked with. After repeating this, he was satisfied enough to stop lecturing me. His last statement before hanging up was he hoped I would do the right thing.

I set my phone on the desk and burst into tears. My dad was right. I should have never allowed myself to be more than a friend to my shy student. It was improper behavior, with potentially horrible consequences. Why was I so stupid? How could I allow this to continue?

As I dried my cheeks with a tissue, I seriously contemplated telling Polly we should no longer see each other outside of school. I felt like I wouldn't be able to face my parents again if I kept up these extracurricular activities. The guilt would consume me and I'd live in a near constant state of paranoia. Shit, I'd be in the real-life version of the movie "Groundhog Day", in which I'd be going through the same cycle of insanity over and over.

Inside my head, I began to play out how this would go down with Polly. She wouldn't take it well. In fact, she'd likely end up in a state of depression. Of course, I was already there - believing I was about to lose my adorable foot lover. At least she still had Tanya, whose feet she could play with and who she had a realistic chance of having as a lover. I would be left wondering what might have been if my conscience and my father hadn't conspired against me.

While contemplating the matter further, I realized the key to all of this would lie in her responses to the questions I had been planning to ask. Perhaps I didn't have to be the bearer of bad news and sever the magical connection between us.

The bell rang to signal the end of the school day, and I let out a heavy sigh. My conversation with Polly was fast approaching, and it was likely to be much more difficult than I had earlier anticipated. I had to pull myself together. I didn't want her to see me with puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks. I grabbed my purse and did a quick retouching of my makeup, before hearing a knock on the door.

With another deep exhale, I sat up straight in my chair. "Come in!"

The door opened and my petite student entered. "Hi Miss, I mean, Amber."

"Close the door, Polly. We need to talk."

There was a concerned look on her face as she followed my instruction. "Um, is everything okay?"

No, it wasn't. However, I couldn't have her detect this on my face or in my voice. I needed her to stay and listen.

"Have a seat and I'll explain."

While she slowly sat down, her eyes were locked on mine. It was obvious she was both puzzled and fearful.

Before I was able to open my mouth again, she spoke. "I, I just want you to know that I was obedient, Miss. I, I didn't, um, well—"

"That's not what this is about."

"Oh, um, okay." Her expression changed to one of relief, tinged with curiosity.

"So, we've talked before about your feelings for Tanya."

She nodded.

"Then on Saturday, I saw firsthand how you interact with each other outside of my classroom. And I have to say, I think she feels something for you too."

She cocked her head. "Are, are you sure?"

"Well, not completely. But I'm fairly certain she does." I took a large breath. "Look, what I'm saying is that if you love someone, you need to tell them."

Her head dropped and she sighed. "I, I'm scared."

"I understand, Polly. Love is scary." I extended my hand, and she grabbed hold of it. "I know this because I've been in love, and it didn't work out the way I wanted it to. And ever since, I've been skittish about opening my heart to anyone else." I squeezed her hand tightly. "Believe me, I know how difficult it is."

"Thanks, Amber," she said with a half-smile. "I'm glad I can talk to you about this."

"Of course. But, um, there's more."

She furrowed her brows. "Okay."

"It's about us."

"W-what about us?"

"That's sort of what I've been wondering. I think we've become close in the past few weeks. Right?"

"Yeah."

I lowered my voice. "And intimate."

"Th-that too."

"So then, how do you feel about us? Are we just friends, or something more?"

Her eyes widened slightly and she bit her lip. "I, uh, I don't—"

"You don't know?" I leaned forward and placed my other hand on top of hers. "Polly, this is important to me. I don't want to keep having this... illicit relationship with you, unless I know where it's going."

"But I—"

"Please, just tell me. Do you feel anything for me?"

As I gripped her hand between mine, I could see she was searching for how to respond. We held each other's gaze, and soon her eyes teared up. Seeing this, my own eyes began watering. I let the silence linger for several minutes; however, I couldn't leave this matter unresolved.

"Look, I know this sounds crazy... especially right after I said that you and Tanya would be great together."

"Y-yeah," she said with a sniffle.

"I hate putting you on the spot. But there's a lot on the line for me. If people find out what we're doing, I could lose my job, and possibly my teaching license. My parents would stop speaking to me. And worst of all, I'd no longer have a young woman in my life who is very, very special to me."

Tears streamed down my face as I paused, in the hope she would respond. When she didn't speak right away, I continued.

"Polly, I'm willing to risk everything for you. Everything. I just need to know..." I swallowed hard, trying to clear the lump in my throat. "...do you love me?"

The next few moments stretched on forever, while I waited for her to reply. During this time, a number of questions flashed through my mind. Why was I trying to hold onto her, when I had strongly considered letting her go only minutes earlier? Why would I force her to choose me over Tanya? Furthermore, why did I want to further complicate my life by having a student as my lover?

While observing her anxiety and feeling her hand tremble, the answers became clear to me. I had fallen in love with her. Up until then, I didn't want to admit it to myself. However, there was no denying I was disappointed when she kissed my forehead instead of my lips that day at my apartment. Later on, I was crestfallen when Steph interrupted what surely would have been our first real kiss.

It then occurred to me - I hadn't actually said the magic words to her. This was almost certainly why she was so reluctant. I needed to take the advice I had given to her a couple minutes ago. What the heck was I waiting for?

I took hold of her cheeks, closed my eyes, and kissed her softly on the lips. "I love you, Polly."

When my eyes opened, I saw a huge smile form on her face. "I love you too, Amber." She kissed me, but pulled away after a second.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I tilted my head.