A Dreadful Monday

Jayce

Monday came around too quickly, just as I’d feared. I was stepping into Mr. Connor’s shoes, taking over his class.

And of course, Tuli was one of his students. My heart fluttered at the thought of her. I tried to brush it off.

Maybe I was just still buzzing from the fact that we’d had sex again just two days ago. At least, that’s what I hoped.

Even though my heart was acting like a lovesick teenager, I was worried about how I’d react when I saw Tuli in class.

I shook my head. ~Get a grip, man!~

I was sitting at my desk in the office, watching the clock as the start of class crept closer. With two minutes to go, I gathered up my teaching materials.

I left my office and stepped into the bustling hallway, students hurrying to their next classes.

My heart swelled again at the thought of Tuli. I slapped my cheek lightly, trying to snap myself out of it. I needed to focus on teaching.

“Good afternoon, class,” I greeted as I walked into the classroom.

The students quickly found their seats. All except one.

Tuli was sitting a few rows back, a pencil in her hand, the eraser end in her mouth.

Her red hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and she was wearing glasses. ~She must be nearsighted~, I thought. The glasses made her look even cuter.

Our eyes met and I gave her a quick smile. She blushed and looked down at her notebook. I bit my lip to keep from grinning.

~I’m getting distracted again.~

I put my papers on the desk and announced, “I’m sure you all know that Mr. Connor has retired. He’s probably in the Bahamas sipping a Bloody Mary right now.”

The room filled with giggles, and I smiled at my own joke. “I hope you all did your homework. Just because he’s gone doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.”

Groans echoed around the room. “Don’t tell me you didn’t do your homework, class?” I asked, feigning surprise. “You had the whole weekend!”

My gaze drifted back to Tuli, who was smiling to herself. Of course ~she~ had done it. I couldn’t help but grin. Such a good student.

~What if she was a bad student?~

The thought slipped into my mind unbidden. I could feel my face heating up.

I cleared my throat. “I’ll give you all one more day to finish, but that’s it,” I said firmly. This was not the time to let my mind wander.

“For those of you who ~have~ done your homework, please bring it up now and put it in the basket while I get set up.”

I heard the rustle of papers as I sorted through my own stack on the desk, from handouts to homework assignments to the new syllabus. I turned to the whiteboard and wrote my name as the last student turned in their assignment.

I turned back to see Tuli, about to return to her seat. I cleared my throat. “Miss D’Amore.”

She turned to me, her eyes wide. “Yes, uh…Mr. Mitchell?”

“Would you mind passing these out, since you’re up?” I asked, holding out the stack of syllabus papers to her.

“Yes, sir,” she replied, looking away.

I smiled as she walked away. I was glad to see I still had an effect on her.

When she was done, she came back to my desk and handed me the leftover papers. “Thank you,” I said quietly.

I wished she had chosen a seat in the front row. I wanted to be able to look at her all day.

~Jayce, you’re such an idiot~, I thought as I picked up my copy of the syllabus.

Tuli

“Now, I know Mr. Connor gave you his syllabus, but since I’m taking over, I’d like you to use the ones Tuli just handed out. My expectations might be different from his, and the schedule has changed too.”

I sat down as Jayce started talking, and picked up my pencil, sliding the eraser into my mouth.

I knew I should be paying attention, but it felt so strange to be one of his students. I let my mind wander.

I thought about that morning, waking up in Jayce’s arms. He’d held me so tightly, like he was afraid I’d disappear.

And then there was the feel of his morning erection pressing against me.

A silly grin spread across my face. If he hadn’t stopped me, I would have made him come in my mouth.

Hmm. I licked my lips.

“Tuli,” a familiar voice said, snapping me out of my daydream.

Crap. Jayce was standing right next to me.

“Yes?” I asked, startled.

“I’m sure you had an exciting weekend,” he said, “but I need you to come back to reality and read section five of the syllabus out loud, please.”

I blushed as the class erupted into laughter.

I guess even though we’d been intimate, he was still going to treat me like any other student.

~Well, duh, he’s still your professor!~

I ignored the laughter and looked down at the syllabus, at section five.

Jayce returned to the front of the room.

“‘Safety is important for all students, as well as faculty,’” I began to read. “‘In order to have a safe, welcoming environment, teachers are required to report any health- and safety-related issues to college officials. Any form of discrimination or sexual misconduct will be reported.”

I finished reading, and Jayce spoke up.

“I want you all to know that you can come to me about anything. But if you do talk to me about any of these issues, I will have to report it for your own good.”

~Does he think he’s broken these rules with me?~

~Well, we definitely broke the student/teacher code of conduct.~

~But does he think he’s taken advantage of me?~

My mind was racing.

~Maybe he regrets what happened this weekend.~

Out of nowhere, my heart started to ache. I bit down on my lip, trying to ignore the pain. I had to remind myself that we were finished, that our relationship was a thing of the past. That Saturday morning was the last time we’d ever be together like that.

“Tuli,” Jayce’s voice rang out again.

I glanced up to find his expression far from happy.

~Damn, not only has he lost interest in me, but he’s also pissed that I’m zoning out in class again.~

“I need you to stop by my office before you leave today,” he said, his tone sharp.

I winced. Could this day possibly get any worse?