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Don't Stand So Close To Me (bodman54&Mim)

"Thank you Talia," he said, using her name as she requested. "But I'm not going to be making it big as a stand up comedian any time soon. I think I'll just stick to teaching."

She talked about going out dancing with his wife and he gave a little chuckle. "She's not really a club goer I'm afriad. Her ideal date is to a museum or a play. More intellectual endeavors." Which was fine in his opinion. But life did tend to get a bit dull. "I'm afraid my jet setting days are behind me. Not that I miss them. I got into plenty of club fights in my day. But I'm starting to get to the age when things still hurt the next day after a workout. I'm not sure I'm still up for going out on a Thursday and still hauling myself to work on a Friday like I was after I graduated."

He drained the remaining milkshake, noticing that the rain is starting to slacken off. "What time did you say your mom was getting off work?"
 
Talia raised an eyebrow when he talked about getting into club fights. Well, he was full of surprises, wasn't he? She smirked.

"Well no one says you have to start a fight," she teased. "But hey, if it happens I've got your back. And you don't have to go on a Thursday, either. I hear Fridays and Saturdays are better, anyway." She winked and ate the last of her fries. She could only imagine the way those muscles must look, throwing a hard right hook. Her eyes flicked over his shoulders and arms, across his chest. "So you still work out then?"

She followed Alex's glance out the window and shrugged. "She'll be home probably about 8. We've got a while yet." It was only 6:45, after all. She stacked the baskets their burgers had come in and pushed them to the side. "Gimme another stack of papers. Maybe we can knock them all out before you go home. Then you can have fun all weekend going to museums and antiquing and stuff." Talia smiled. He was the type of guy who got into bar fights; knowing that his life had gone from that to museums and probably a quiet dinner at home and bed by 9 was likely to hit him in the pride.
 
"I work out a little. Not as much as I used to so I have to make it count." When he was in college he would spend hours in the gym, working out. He never got into bodybuilder shape, a love affair with beer standing in the way of that. But he was strong and he was attractive. Since he had graduated and gotten a job, he didn't have those hours anymore. So he was starting to go soft in the middle. You could still see some abs, but the fat was creeping in, no matter how hard he worked.

He slid another stack of papers to her. They had finished almost half. "I should call my wife, explaining what is going on." He walked over to the counter and asked to use their phone. They were happy enough to oblige and he called his house. His wife was very unhappy, but when he explained that one of his students was locked out of her house without a coat she understood. He promised he'd be home and told her that he loved her.

Once he was done he went back to the table. "Sorry about that," he said as he sat down. He went back to grading, focusing on the papers in front of him, eyes occasionally flicking up to her. She was right. He did chafe at how sedate his life had become. He loved his wife but sometimes wanted to go on adventures like when they were younger. She had settled easily into this life. He had not. "I don't think I'd take you to a club, even if I still went. You're better than that. I think you could get into an Ivy League school. Focus on that. Plenty of time to part in college."
 
Talia's eyes flicked over him again. She would have to limit burgers and beers, then, if he didn't get as much time at the gym as he would like. Or make him go more. Whether it was diet or exercise--hell, maybe even both--that would have to be a habit she broke him of. She didn't tolerate a fit man going soft; look like a predator, behave as prey. That was how she liked them.

"Of course," she said tightly when he excused himself to call his wife. "Wouldn't want her to worry."

They graded in silence for a bit, but out of the corner of her eye Talia saw him glance up at her a number of times. Finally he continued their earlier conversation. "I don't think I'd take you to a club, even if I still went," Alex declared. "You're better than that. I think you could get into an Ivy League school. Focus on that. Plenty of time to party in college."

Sage wisdom from the concerned professor. Too bad it was all bullshit. "I would think it would be the other way around," she countered casually with a shrug. "I mean, high school isn't that hard. It's the lowest bar society sets for someone to not be a screw-up: they finish high school. Not even that they do well, just that they finish. College is where you do the real learning, isn't it?" Talia looked up at him. "Where you learn to do real research, manage your time like an adult, all that? Some people have to work while they do that, also. So if you think I'm smart enough to get into an Ivy League--thanks for the sentiment, by the way, even if it isn't true--then why not spend my youth having fun and get serious in college? I've got the brains to juggle both, you know. And it seems like your grades in college matter way more than your grades in high school." She shrugged, again, as though she hadn't thought too much about it one way or the other. "Just my two cents."
 
"If you think that high school is too easy, I could see to it that you get harder work. To better prepare you for the rigors of higher education." He chuckled at that, putting his pen down and stretching a bit. The booth wasn't the most comfortable seat and they had been here a few hours already. "But in all seriousness. Bad habits now are tough to break. I've seen plenty of smart kids struggle in college because they enjoyed life too much in high school. They never developed good study habits and by the time they realized they were in trouble, it was too late. A GPA is easy to tank, hard to recover."

It was advice every teacher gave promising students. The sad part was that not all students took it. Too many kids drank as often as they could in college. Skipped classes. Didn't do the work. Professors didn't care like they did in high school. They let the kids flounder until they dropped out. Culling the herd, so to speak. He stared her in the eyes.

"Don't throw away your future for some short term enjoyment. I can't force you to listen to me. But I hope you will." He didn't add that he didn't want her to make the same mistakes he did. There was no reason for her to know how his college career had careened off the rails due to over partying and a lack of studying. He turned back to his papers, focusing on finishing up the last of them. Now that they were so close he was really pushing to finish them. Free time on the weekend was precious as an adult, and teachers seemed to have less of it than others.
 
Talia folded her arms across her chest and arched an eyebrow. "You think I don't have good study habits?" she challenged. "It's not like I'm a freshman; I know how to study. I know how to keep up with classes." He stared her in the eyes and she stared back, challenging. "It's not like I don't already know what I'm doing."

But Alex backed down and so did she. The two finished grading papers in companionable silence while the darkness outside slowly deepened and the rain showed no signs of slackening. Finally she put her pen down, cracked her knuckles, and stretched.

"Mom should be home by now," she mentioned with a casual glance at the clock. "Unless you're up for dessert to celebrate your completely free weekend?"
 
He sat back as he finished the stack of papers in front of him. It felt good to be done. She finished up not long after him and he gathered everything and placed them back in his bag, secure and ready for Monday.

She then suggested dessert and he groaned. "I really shouldn't. Hamburger. Fries. A milkshake. I'm going to just have to work extra hard to work off these calories. But if you want to split something I guess I can't say no." He stood up, stretching and cracking his back. "I'll get the dessert menu," he said, walking over to the counter and gathering a menu before walking back to Talia.

He slid it over to her as he sat back down. "Do you see anything you like? If not then I can just take you home."
 
At first Mr. Sale groaned and protested, but she nudged his leg with her foot intentionally this time and smiled. "Oh come on," she needled. "You know you want to. Isn't it worth the extra gym time?" It didn't take much pressure for him to cave, and she grinned. When he returned she looked over the menu, then over the top of it at him. "Oh, I see plenty that I like," she assured him. After a few moments of thought, she looked back up at him from the menu. "How do you feel about cherry pie?"

She'd insisted on a la mode, obviously. And when the pie arrived, warm and gooey with the ice cream already starting to melt a little, she scooted over to his side of the booth. "Here, it'll be easier to share this way," she explained. Talia scooted close to him, shoulders touching, to share the slice of pie where it was easier than ever for him to get a glimpse down her open shirt. She battled him playfully with her fork over the last bite before splitting it and taking the larger half.

Finally she couldn't stall anymore. Alex had to get home to his wife. But that didn't mean she couldn't give him something to think about while he was fucking her. Outside it was still pouring, and while they weren't parked far from the door it was far enough to be unable to avoid getting wet again. Talia stepped off the curb and immediately fell into a puddle. Her knee was a bit sore from the fall, but the important part was that her shirt was soaked through again and now her skirt would stick to her thighs when she stood up. As it was, it had hiked up to display her upper thigh and just a peak of her buttock as she sat there in the puddle.

"Help me up," she instructed, holding out her hand. They would see just how much training he would need, and how fun he would be to break. At his hesitation, Talia looked up at him sternly. "I've hurt my ankle. Alex, help me up." She didn't snap, didn't threaten, but was certain to address him in a firm tone. Disobedience would not be tolerated.
 
"Cherry pie sounds lovely," he said. She was right. He did have a bit of a sweet tooth and a nice hot piece of pie would hit the spot on a cold day like today. So he didn't protest when she ordered the pie. Or even when she slid next to him to eat it. Her shirt had dried off so it wasn't clinging to her or see through anymore. But she seemed to have lost a button, allowing it to gape open. She has a very generous bust and the hole in her shirt gave him a perfect view into her cleavage. He couldn't stop his eyes from drifting over there whenever he reached over to grab a bite of pie.

He chuckled as she fought him for the last piece and when she won but graciously split it and gave him half he thanked her. He pulled out his wallet and paid for the dinner and dessert as they prepared to leave. He frowned when he say that it was still raining. He had hoped that the storm would pass by the time they were finished. No luck there obviously.

As they rushed to the car Talia feel hard into a large puddle, splashing water all over her. He hurried over as she said that she hurt her ankle. He was so worried that he instinctually did what she said, not even noticing that she called him by his first name. "Are you ok," he asks, worry written on his face.

He let her lean on him as they limped to the car. He helped her in, very aware of how see through her shirt was. He hurried around to his side of the car and hoped in, turning the heat on high to try to warm her up. "You've had a really terrible day," he commented as he pulled out of the parking lot. "I want you to get lots of rest and fluids this weekend. I don't want you catching a cold."

As he drove he had a hard time focusing on the road. She was shivering in his passengers seat, shirt see through and clinging to her curves as he skirt was hiked up and sticking to her shapely thighs. It made an uncomfortable drive for him, his cock painfully hard in his pants. Thankfully he finally pulls into the driveway, seeing a car that wasn't there before. "Have a good weekend Talia. I'll see you on Monday."
 
So he was obedient. Good. Alex helped her up, seemingly without thinking about it, doing as he was told without question. Talia was sure once they got more involved he would protest a little more, but basic obedience was a good habit to have down. She leaned on him heavily while they limped to the car and waited for him to open the door for her. Manners were important. But he was a good boy, helping her in and warming her up, caring for her the way he ought to. Still, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that he would sneak glances at her every now and then. He couldn't help it. Good boy, bad man; just the way she liked them.

Finally they arrived back at her house, her mother's car there in the driveway to lend credence to the idea that she had been locked out. In reality, even if Darren hadn't been home the whole time it was likely the door would have been unlocked anyway. Then, of course, there was the key in her bag. When she turned to him, Talia's eyes flicked downward for the barest of seconds to see his cock straining against his pants. Perfect. She leaned forward, steadying herself with a hand on his thigh, oh so close to his aching shaft.

"Thank you for everything, Alex," she said softly, keeping her voice low and sultry. Leaning in, she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "See you on Monday. We can grade papers again." Talia smiled, but took her time moving her lips more than a few inches away from him.
 
Alex blushed as she leaned in and kissed his cheek. It was highly inappropriate but at the same time very innocent. She was just thanking him for being so kind to her. He had not only driven her home but when she ended up locked out of her house he had taken time out of his day and kept her company, buying her dinner and then helping her when she fell. A simple kiss in thanks wasn't that big a deal. It wasn't like it was going to go any further than that. He was much too professional to even think about getting involved with a student.

Her hand was hot on his thigh, achingly close to his erection. He was praying she didn't notice it and thankfully she didn't mention it. Her breath was hot on the side of his face as she whispered into his ear, promising to see him on Monday. There was something in the tone of her voice, something that scared and excited him. But he couldn't figure out what it was. "I'll be sure to have some for you to work on," he said weakly, grateful when she finally exited the car.

He let out an explosive breath as the door slammed behind her. He watched her walking up her front walk and into the door. He told himself it was to make sure she got in the house ok. But in reality, it was because he was slightly entranced by her. There was a power in her. A confidence that she radiated. Even though she wasn't from the most well off family, she knew that she was the best and everyone needed to get out of her way.

He shook himself out of his stupor as the door slammed behind her. He reversed out of the driveway and headed home, the feeling of her hand lingering on his thigh staying with him until he pulled into his own driveway. He exited the car, leaving his bag in the back seat and walked inside, images of her dancing in his head.
 
There wasn't much for Talia to help him with on Monday; they'd finished his weekend grading, after all, and while he had four periods worth of homework to grade it all went fairly quickly. They spent most of the time talking, joking, laughing. That was how most Mondays went from then on, and though she did help him grade during her study period throughout the week Mondays were usually meant for catching up and learning more about one another. She was even, after a month or so, emboldened to start calling him Alex when it was just the two of them. Soon it was Mondays and Fridays as they were able to get most of the grading done during the week. Talia would perch on the edge of his desk laughing, talking, touching his shoulder at just the right moment.

It even turned out they had quite a few things in common.

Months passed. Talia pulled Alex in closer, wrapped him up tighter. At the beginning of December, she began sneaking into his classroom early to leave him small presents. It was nothing big; gum wrapper origami, a candy bar, new supplies from the school store when she noticed he was running low, and once she wrote a cute little limerick about calculus. Little gifts that were meant more to charm than to sexually excite; seduction could be done multiple ways, after all. She never mentioned it during their planning periods. On one such Friday, a week and a half before winter break started, she was perched once again on the corner of Alex's desk, facing him and swinging her legs idly. Girls were still required to wear skirts as part of their uniforms, despite the cold, but now most wore thick stockings under them to keep their legs warm. Talia was no exception, but she did let her knees fall apart more than was appropriate.

"You should chaperone the field trip next weekend," she insisted, nudging him playfully. "C'mon, it'll be fun. Good food, cultural experiences, Christmas light tours...fun to be had by all." Talia smiled warmly and nudged him again. "C'mon Alex. It won't be the same without you."
 
The days turned into weeks turned into months. She became a fixture in his life, showing up every Monday, eager to help grade and to get to know him better. He didn't mind at all. It made his life easier after school and made the school day fly by. Now that he got to spend a lot of one on one time with her he was constantly shocked by her. She was very strongly opinionated, like all teenage girls are, but she backed those opinions up with facts and solid logical arguments. She quickly grasped concepts and rarely had to be told something twice.

He found himself looking forward to her visits more and more. They weren't exactly secret meetings but neither went around and talked about them to others. It was their thing. She would show up during her study period, walking right in and sitting down on his desk. They would chat and laugh, enjoying each other's company. At first he was a little hesitant, wanting to keep a strict student teacher line. But she was so charming she soon broke down his walls. He didn't object to her calling him Alex. He didn't object to the cute little touches she always seemed to do to him. It was all in good fun between friends.

She did have a habit of pushing the dress code just a little. Enough to draw attention but not enough to get in trouble. He had occasionally reminded her so she wouldn't push to far but he always found that he couldn't reprimand her too much.

As December rolled around he began to find sweet gifts from her left on his desk. They always brought a smile to his face and he made sure to keep them tucked away safely in his desk so he could pull them out and look at them whenever he was feeling overwhelmed.

A cold snowy day not too long before the holiday break he was in his room, reading over an English paper she had written. She often used him to help proofread. The essays normally didn't need any extra work because they were always so well polished, even the early drafts. But she was always so worried. She was perched on his desk, her legs swinging freely. And a bit distractingly. He found himself more often than he should flicking his eyes over at that stockinged leg, following its motion with his eyes.

He chuckled as she suggested that he go on the trip with them. "You don't want me. I'll just be boring drip the whole time." That was a little point of contention they would always argue about. Not seriously. He would say he was boring and she would try to convince him he wasn't.

"You go with your friends and have fun. I'm sure whoever is chaperoning the trip will be fine." He puts down the paper and slides it back to her, not a mark on it, as usual. "I'm just going to relax over the break and not think about school."
 
"Oh yeah, because you're so terribly boring that I spend an hour with you every day," Talia countered, rolling her eyes, "plus any other moment I can spare." She pushed his shoulder playfully. "You're a hell of a lot more interesting than high schoolers, Alex. I mean sure I've got a few friends but they're just...they can be immature, you know? But you're interesting and funny and you've got mature things to say about mature topics."

Alex put her paper back on the desk beside her, not having marked anything on it. Sometimes Talia suspected he just favored her, or didn't want to hurt her feelings, but usually her English teacher didn't have much criticism either. She leaned down and took both of his hands in hers. She moved her head to capture his eyes, much the same way she had been training him these past few months to look at her whenever she told him to, and squeezed his hands.

"It's going to be fun," she insisted. "Lexie's been busting your balls lately, school's been a hassle, no one's been paying attention in class for the past like week. You need to decompress." Talia fixed him with a serious look. "Chaperone the trip, Alex. You need a break."
 
As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. Life had been getting very stressful. He looked into her intense grey eyes and found it hard to argue with her. He always did when he looked into her eyes. And she seemed to find more and more reason to direct her intense gaze at him. He held it for a moment before looking away. "We just need a few days just to ourselves," he said weakly, knowing that what is going on at home will take a hell of a lot more than a few days to deal with.

The only reason Talia knew about his home life was because she was so easy to talk to. He found himself venting at her when he had a particularly stressful day. Which seemed to be piling up more and more recently. He rubbed his face with his hands, groaning as he looked at the clock. Still three periods left in the day and he just wanted to go home and have a stiff drink.

He turned his attention back to Talia, finding her still staring at him. "You're right he says. A trip would do a lot of good for me. I'll let Mr. Harris know I'm interested in chaperoning the trip." He gave her a smile as he leaned back in his chair.

"What are you doing this weekend? Going out with those immature friends you hate." He chuckled because he knew that even though she would complain about the stupid conversation she enjoyed spending time with her friends.
 
"Yeah, just a couple days," Talia echoed as he talked himself through it. She extricated one of her hands and brushed his hair back away from his face gently. "Just enough time to miss each other, that's all."

Finally he talked himself into it. She smiled brightly and leaned forward to peck his cheek. "Good man!" she praised him. Praise was important at this juncture in their relationship. When he picked on her for calling her friends immature, she rolled her eyes and leaned back on her hands. The posture pushed her breasts out slightly and spread her knees a little more, but nothing that could be considered "provocative," simply bad breeding and poor manners.

"I don't hate them," she insisted. "They're just not as interesting as some of the other people I've met. And yes, I'm going out with them." She stuck her tongue out at him and nudged the inside of his knee with her foot. Her toes brushed against the inside of his thigh. "We're going to a Christmas party, if you must know. And it's going to be fun, because it's Christmas, dammit!" Talia crinkled her nose cutely as she smiled and nudged him again. She knew that she had managed to give him a few more erections over the past couple months, just by interacting with him. They seemed to be getting more frequent lately and she was attempting to coax another, that he might associate it with her and with the trip. "What about you? Antiquing again or some other lame bullshit? Or do you have to go do Christmas with your in-laws?" She was always careful to treat any topic associated with Lexi with disdain, but not so much that he got defensive of her.
 
He rolled his eyes when she asked about his plans. "No. We're going to finish decorating the house and watch Christmas movies from when we were younger. Her parents moved to Florida. Thank god. So no need to see them this year. Mine. Well I don't talk to them so no need to see them either. Just the two of us this year." He had certainly gotten hard when she shifted her pose. That was happening more and more frequently and the tried to not think about it.

"Maybe you should try to educate your friends. Make them more interesting so you're not bored around them." It was getting close to the end of the period so their time together was drawing to a close. He reached into his desk and pulled out a package. "I got this for you before I knew I'd see you closer to Christmas. Merry Christmas Talia."

Inside the tiny wrapped box was a bracelet he had found. It had a charm of a piece of pie dangling from it and it had reminded him of that day at the dinner. He had purchased it as a thanks for being so helpful and such a nice friend.
 
"Ooh house decorating! You're a wild one, Alex Sale." Talia moved her finger in a little circle in a mockery of celebration, then smiled. He suggested that she try and educate her friends and she shrugged. "I try," she insisted. "Not my fault teenagers are stupid cattle. That's why I like hanging out with you. You actually get it." She glanced at the clock and noticed that the bell was about two minutes from ringing. So that no one could look in through the window in his door, she hopped down from his desk. He genuinely caught her off-guard when he pulled out a little box from his desk.

She opened it carefully, pulling the tape off instead of ripping the paper, and grinned when she opened it. "It's perfect!" she declared, immediately putting the bracelet on and admiring the way the little sterling pie slice hung from her wrist. "Thank you, Alex. I love it." When he stood she hugged him, a tiny 5'1" next to his 6'3", and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. "I'll see you next week. Have fun decorating!" She kissed his cheek again before hurrying off to her next period.

The following week went by slowly. Far too slowly. School ended for the year on Thursday, and on Friday Talia was out shivering next to a charter bus with her classmates at six in the morning, waiting to get the field trip started. She easily found Alex in the crowd and waded over to him, standing casually next to him in line for the bus.

"Sit with me?" she asked. "I don't really have anyone to sit with, and I don't feel like spending two hours listening to all the latest gossip. I'm already all caught up on that. How's decorating going?"
 
He is glad she likes the present. It was just a little something that he picked up at the mall one day. No big deal really. He was a little shocked by how fiercely she hugged him, letting out a little oof as she squeezed his midsection. He blushed a bit as she kissed his cheek, needing to stand up as tall as she could to reach it. "I'm glad you like it," he said as she hurried out of the room. Her class was in the morning so he didn't see her again until Monday.

While they were putting up the tree and the lights at his house he found his mind drifting more often than usual. And it usually drifted to one person. He would be putting a decoration on the tree and catch himself thinking if Talia would like it there or maybe a little higher up. He tried to be the dutiful husband but found himself distracted. Lexi loved it because it gave her more reasons to nag him, which seemed like her favorite hobby recently.

So it was almost a blessing when Monday came around again and they had to go back to work. He and Talia had their usual Monday routine and he noticed that she was wearing the bracelet. She wore it every day for the rest of the week.

Thursday came and he was trying to remember why he agreed to this. It was cold and early and he wasn't happy. But then the reason walked up to him with a chipper smile. "If you want to," he said, smiling back at her. "I don't know if I'll be much company. I might nap the whole drive. I'm not much of a morning person." Once all the students were accounted for they all file onto the bus. Alex takes a window seat by the front and Talia plops down next to him. He tried to stretch out but found it difficult in the cramped bus seating. "It's going to be a long ride," he grumbled.
 
"Neither am I," Talia admitted when Alex insisted that he wasn't a morning person, "but once I'm awake I have trouble getting back to sleep." This much, at least, was true.

Her teacher took a seat by the window, and James Johnson coughed something that sounded suspiciously like teacher's pet when she took a seat next to him. That earned a poisonous glare, but otherwise she said nothing. Fuck what any of them thought. She'd graduate year after next and never have to see any of them ever again. Alex tried to stretch out, but his legs were a bit too long.

"That's what you get for being tall," she teased, pulling her own legs up into the seat and crossing them. In jeans it wasn't quite so scandalous. "You can lean on me to go to sleep, if you want." Talia needed him to know that she could be nurturing, as well. In fact, it was probably more important that he see her nurturing side before she had to discipline him. The ride was fairly uneventful, with Alex drifting in and out of fitful sleep and Talia absorbed in her book. Still, it was a companionable silence that helped her block out the noise around them.

The hotel was grandly decorated, and even jaded Talia had to marvel at its beauty. Students stood around in slack-jawed admiration while Mr. Harris got them checked in, admiring the lobby. Talia meandered closer to Alex while staring around at the decorations and lights.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she murmured. "It's like something out of Gatsby."

All fifteen students were herded upstairs into their staterooms overlooking the city. Once Talia was settled and had sufficiently admired the accommodations and the view, she took the elevator five stories up, to Alex's room. Students were two to a room, but the teachers had been afforded each their own private suite overlooking the frozen river. She grinned and looked around after Alex answered the door, slipping past him.

"Damn," she laughed, turning in a small circle in the middle of the room. "A girl could get used to this." She flopped backwards on the bed, moving her arms to make a bedsheet angel before sitting up and sitting on the edge of the bed. "So everyone's all getting lunch together, right? I heard we get to pick our own places for dinner. Is that true? Where would you wanna go?"
 
"But you're young and can function on less sleep than us old farts," he joked as he settled on the seat. After her generous offer he adjusted himself so he was leaning against her. It was just comfortable enough for him to doze off as the bus rolled along. He would wake up on and off during the trip, opening his eyes and looking around before falling back to sleep. At one point when he woke up he discovered that she had adjusted her coat to give him a semblance of a pillow. Which was very appreciated.

The bus finally rolled into the parking lot and he woke up, feeling more awake now than when they set off. Everyone piled off the bus, the students all restless and jabbering with excitement as they were herded into the lobby.

Alex stood off to the side while Bob Harris checked them in. He was keeping an eye on the group, making sure none of them wander off before they get their room keys. He had to tell at Kevin Bowman and his girlfriend Kelly Carter to make sure the two of them didn't sneak off before everyone heard the ground rules.

As he was supervising Talia came up to him, eyes wide as she took in the opulence of the lobby. "It is very nice isn't it," he remarked, his eyes scanning as he tracked the students movements. Bob came back and the two teachers gathered the kids, handing out room keys and giving them a rough timeline for the day. After that they let them scatter, the two teachers heading up to their own rooms.

He had just gotten settled, unpacking his clothes and putting them away when he heard a knock on his door. He had a suspicion about who it was and that suspicion was confirmed when she squeezes by him and hopped into his bed. He chuckled as he closed the door.

"I think the only reason we're here is because the man who owns the hotel is an alumnus. So these aren't standard trip accommodations." He went back to finishing unpacking as she lounged on his bed.

"I think Me. Harris and I were planning on going out to a bar and grabbing a few drinks for dinner. Where you go is up to you."
 
"Well maybe we should take more field trips to places owned by wildly successful alumni," Talia suggested with a grin and a wink. She sat back on her hands, letting her legs dangle off the end of the bed. When Alex suggested that he might go to a bar with Mr. Harris, she arched an eyebrow. "Really?" she scoffed. "You're telling me that you're going to waste your limited time on your mini vacation away from it all, sitting at some sad dive bar with Mr. Harris?" She laughed and shook her head.

"I think you need to loosen up a little," she said after some thought. "Come out with me after we're done with the museums and stuff. I've been here with some friends a few times; I know the cool spots to go." Talia reached her leg out and nudged him with her toe. "C'mon. Do it. Come out and let me show you where to get a decent meal. Beats home cooking any day of the week."
 
He frowned as she made fun of his plans. "Mr. Harris isn't that bad. He was able to manage this trip didn't he?" But it was a hollow argument. Bob Harris was a very tame adult. He was very far removed from his younger years. It had taken a lot of prodding to even get him to grab a beer. Going out with Talia would be much more enjoyable. He sighed out heavily. "Fine. You win. Where would you like to go Miss Know it all?" His voice had a playful tone to it and there was a twinkle in his eye.

He walked over to the window and looked outside, seeing the snow covered streets and frozen river. It really was beautiful and he was glad he was convinced to come along. "You came up here quickly," he said, turning back to her. "Do you have any unpacking to do? No one is going to like waiting as you get changed."
 
In response to his defense of Mr. Harris, all Talia did was arch an eyebrow and quirk up one corner of her mouth. They both knew that he was, in a word, boring. Well past 50 and having settled int a quiet life long ago with his equally boring wife. Alex didn't even need more prodding. He was very aware that a night out with her was going to be a lot more fun than drinks with his colleague. He gave up with a sigh, making her grin.

"Oh wouldn't you like to know?" she teased, nudging him again with her toe. "I'm not giving up all my good spots just so you can go and share them with Mr. Harris. You're just going to have to trust me on this one. I will let you pay for it, though." He would come to learn that she less would let him pay for what she wanted so much as she would expect it. They held eye contact before he turned and walked over to the sliding glass door that led out to the balcony. Without a word, Talia slid off of the bed and followed.

"Wish we could go out on the balcony," Talia said quietly. She lightly rested a hand on the middle of his back, standing closer than was appropriate for a student. "It certainly is beautiful."

Alex changed the subject and she let her hand drop as he turned to her. They were still standing too close together. The fact that he positively towered over her only made her want even more to climb him like a tree, to make him prostrate himself before her. There was something a little predatory hiding behind her eyes when she smiled and shook her head.

"We'll only be here until Sunday," she pointed out. "I'll probably change for dinner, but for the museums?" She shrugged and shook her head. "Nah." Talia checked her watch, then took his hand and tugged on it. "Speaking of waiting on us, we're supposed to meet downstairs and start the tours. C'mon." The pie charm bracelet tinkled cheerfully, dangling from her wrist as she gently pulled him toward the door and let go of his hand just before they stepped out into the hallway. This far above the other students and with Mr. Harris on the far end of the hallway, she wasn't concerned with anyone seeing her coming out of his room.

The museum they were visiting today was a fine arts museum. Talia was appropriately interested in the sculptures and other exhibits, and showed a particular taste for the Van Goughs. But the entire time she kept an eye on Alex, on what he was doing, on which pieces he liked, on who he spoke to. After lunch was another fine arts museum, but by then Talia found her patience wearing thin. It was a relief when they were finally released to spend their evening as they wished. With a promise to her friends that she would hang out with them later, Talia disappeared into the elevator at the hotel then reappeared some twenty minutes later in Alex's room. She had made herself up subtly and changed into a dress the color of midnight. Her heels were high, but not too high; no sense in being trashy, after all. She smiled when he answered the door.

"Ready to go?"
 
A chuckle rolled out of him as she teased him about trying to go out with Mr. Harris. It was what was expected of him. When on a trip like this, colleagues were expected to spend most of their free time together, "bonding." It didn't matter that Mr. Harris was almost twice his age and had children his age. He was expected to go out and spend all his time socializing with someone who's most exciting part of the day was doing the daily crossword. So he didn't feel bad about being convinced to ditch the other teacher. Besides, wasn't it the duty of an educator to keep an eye on the kids when they were away from their parents. What better way to keep an eye on them than to go out with them. The idea that it would just be the two of them didn't even cross his mind.

He didn't say anything as she stepped up to him, gently touching him and standing dangerously close. There was something magnetic about her and he found himself craving her touch. They were never long touches, just long enough for him to have lingering sensations. Light brushes with her hand, a rub of the shoulder as they passed in the hall. He had just accepted that she was one of those very touchy-feely people. "It's a little cold for the balcony this time of year. No need to get frostbite when we can enjoy the view from in here."

When she checked her watch and announced that they were running late he kicked himself. He should have been down there first to greet the kids. But he let himself get distracted by his favorite student. They headed down to the lobby, acting like they had just met in the elevator by chance. Mr. Harris was waiting impatiently and Alex gave him a smile in apology. They were all bundled up and went out to brave the cold, walking over to the first museum. The wind howled down the wide open streets, tugging on jackets and scarves and hats. So it was with great relief when they made it to the large building, hustling inside.

They started to filter out, allowed to check out what they wanted in the museum. Alex spent some time examining the Impressionists and talking with Jackie O'Sullivan, center on the girls basketball team. They shared a few laughs while looking at the paintings, discussing technique and subject. Alex would occasionally see Talia looking at him and he would wave to her before turning and moving on.

Lunch was brief and nothing too fancy, just a stop at the museum cafe before moving on to the next one. It was a full day, staring at paintings and sculptures that were older than the country. Finally they all walked into the hotel lobby, rosy cheeked and exhausted. Alex headed up to his room, ready to get changed for dinner.

He assumed that there would be a group of students coming to dinner with them so he wore something appropriate. Casual but still professional. So it was with great shock that when he opened the door, Talia was standing there, by herself in a very fetching dress. "You look great," he said as he stepped out of his room, shutting the door behind him. "Who else is coming to dinner?" They headed down to the lobby, bundling up again against the cold and wind.
 
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