She saw him, but he didn’t know that. And that was fine with her. Annie wondered if he would ask her but he didn’t, and she knew he wouldn’t the minute his mouth closed over her. It’s not that he was predictable, but let’s be honest. At the most elemental level, he was male. And that made some things dependable.
Truth of it is, she was glad he didn’t ask. Because if he had, she would have had to give him the predictable good girl answer she always did. Annie hadn’t misbehaved…yet. And she wasn’t about to take up smoking, or doing anything she shouldn’t be, but damn it was tiresome to always be so good.
“Okay if I hang with my friends to have lunch again after class, or did you want to meet up?”
She hung onto the pole above in the subway, tiles whizzing by, chewing her gum-hoping like hell he wouldn’t say he wanted to meet. Honestly, she didn’t know if he’d take the bait at all, but either way, there was a back up plan that would likely end up pleasing them both. It was risky, no matter what she did, it could just piss him off–but she was hoping she knew him well enough at this point to take the chance.
He didn’t even look up from his phone. “No, I’ve got some things to take care of after I drop you off. Let’s just meet back home.”
Had to give him credit. He certainly was playing it cool. He glanced sideways more than once at the bag, right where they were, in the front pocket. But, something in his voice told her he was watching closer than she thought. It rattled her.
She was replaying this conversation when Jay and Amy climbed out on the fire escape with her after the morning session. Annie couldn’t slam my gear into the locker fast enough and get out into the air. Students weren’t supposed to be out here and they knew it. Lambach had waved her finger at them plenty through the window telling them to get off and move on. Teachers were supposed to do that.
“Jesus, what the hell with that model!?”
It was Amy, leaning against the railing shaking her head and laughing.
“It’s not like formal you know, they let them bring in props. It’s…I don’t know…creative maybe?” Jay shrugged.
“But, really? A baguette? On the end of a sword? And isn’t that like a weapon anyway? How safe is that?” Amy countered.
Annie rolled her eyes and just let them go at it. Already Jay was losing interest as he fished a smashed granola bar out of his pocket. She plunked my bag down on the stair and sat down. The packet felt cool against her fingers.
Glancing up and down the street there were cabs, tourists with cameras, delivery people on bikes, weaving in and out of pedestrians. If he was coming to meet her he always came around the corner by Cafe Europa. Nothing.
When the lighter clicked they both stopped talking. She took a deep drag and concentrated on steadying her hand. God, it had been years. The smoke pulling in deep, the smell, that smell…bringing her back to a time when she actually was misbehaved. And it made her smile.
“Are you serious with that, Annie?” Amy whined.
She pulled her knees up and pressed one heavy booted foot up against the escape. Annie shrugged.
“What do you care?” She glanced down the street again, looking for him. Maybe he wasn’t going to show after all.
Jay snapped his fingers close to my face and she jumped.
“Jerkface.”
He laughed. “Least you could do is share.”
She pointed to the bag. Well, now at least she was in it with someone.
“That’s illegal you know.” Amy continued.
Now it was Jay’s turn to glare at her while he lit up.
“So go back inside, where it’s safe. You know, with the baguettes and the swords.” She didn’t need to hear it from Amy today.
_________________________
He actually thought he would surprise her and take her to lunch. But, running late seemed to have its advantages. And there she was, now gesturing as the other girl left and her and some guy hung out on the fire escape, both of them lit up and laughing.
What the fuck she was doing? She never seemed like she cared so much about fitting in or doing anything special to make friends. But she sure seemed to be laughing it up with this guy. It was tempting, to think of calling her cell, seeing her face when he asked what she was up to.
He wanted to walk up there and grab her by her long ponytail and yank her right back in that window. She looked like she usually did after a painting session, exhilarated, up for it. Her cheeks flushed pink and her eyes were bright. She stood now and the breeze caught the black edge of her short skirt, flipping it against her fishnets. He knew that smooth skin under there, every curve and fold. And right now he’d like to lay his hands on the back of her thighs and ass until it was screaming red. She might think she’d like it, but he didn’t know how long that would last. Outside of the play they’d done together he’d never had to punish her. And he knew enough to know that he could give her a paddling that was not a good time.
He saw the cop coming before they did. Sipped his coffee as he heard the shout up to the fire escape, and saw the cop disappear into the school. Scott shook his head. Well it wasn’t going to cost him, it was going to cost her, now and later. He drained the last of his coffee and tossed it in the bin. He watched the exchange through the window, the two disappear, and then Annie climbed back out on her own. She had the ticket in her hand, folding it up and unfolding it over and over again, as if it might change the message on it. She turned her head and looked at the building across the street, so he saw her profile. He saw her jaw working and worrying and knew she was chewing her lip.
She looked like she might cry. He wasn’t sorry about that. In fact, she’d better get used to it. They’d never had a ‘no smoking’ rule, but she was a smart girl and she damn well knew that she was supposed to be looking after her health. He didn’t have to micromanage her, but he would manage her.
___________________
The phone buzzed in her pocket and pulled her from her thoughts. It wasn’t supposed to go this way. Now a ticket was a real consequence, that was money. That was something she would have to ask for, and explain. Really she’d just wanted…..well, she couldn’t even figure out what it was she wanted. Why did she want to provoke him? They were in this together and she was a willing participant, so what possessed her to think this was a good idea. She could have just asked him. But asked him for what?
It buzzed again and she yanked the zipper down on her hoodie pocket and pulled it out. Daddy. Of course. How did he know when to text her. She slid her finger across the screen and the black text stamped against the white light…just one word….all caps….
BUSTED.
Annie lifted her eyes in the direction of the cafe, but only caught his back as he turned the corner toward the subway entrance. All of it, the look she might give him, the body language they might be able to exchange, completely gone. Suddenly she felt cold inside. Gone was the illicit thrill and the excitement of playing her little game. Now she really did feel bad. And though they’d talked about the possibility of consequences for behavior, she hadn’t had to face any…until now. She knew enough to know that him not waiting for her or telling her to come to him was not a good sign.
And now she had the trip home to think about what was waiting for her.
By: Juliette van der Molen
Writer of completely unladylike erotica and other sundry things. After discovering that people actually do these crazy, kinky things, she began exploring the lifestyle in 1993 and never looked back. She writes about her experience in authority based relationships, BDSM fiction and even the occasional hot sonnet. She is currently the assistant direction for MAsT Central New Jersey and the co-host of a submissive support group (SSASE) in the same area. Her work has appeared in Lit Up, P.S. I Love You, My Erotica.com, and The Junction. You can find her in these publications at: https://medium.com/@juliette.vandermolen and connect with her on Twitter @j_vandermolen and fetlife at: juliette_ .
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