Guilty Pleasures

Naomi was so anxious the next day. She was tempted to skip her tutoring session with Mr. Way and go home, but there was no good news waiting for her at home. Her father had informed Naomi the night before that he would be leaving her mother. Naomi hadn’t been shocked by the announcement, but she did feel almost abandoned when she saw him carry a suitcase out to his car and pull out of the driveway without turning back. She went through the standard feelings. The first on the list was feeling responsible for his departure.
If she had been a better daughter, would he have stayed? She had so many combined feelings regarding him and her mother that she didn’t know how to deal with the swirling emotions that were coursing through her.

On top of everything, the added stress of having to spend the afternoon with a man whom she was attracted to but could never have was enough to almost drive her over the edge. She just knew it was stupid for her to have any type of feeling regarding her history teacher, but she couldn’t stop the nervous sensations she got whenever he was in close proximity.

Since school started earlier in the week, Naomi had assumed she would look forward to Mr. Way's class, but today, she wasn’t so sure. She couldn’t skip the class or they would call her mother, and that would equal the lecture of the century and assumptions that Naomi was becoming depressed as a result of the inevitable divorce or whatever her book of the month told her about raising a teenaged daughter.

On the other hand, if she wanted to give a legitimate reason for missing the tutoring session, she couldn’t very well do that after staring at him for an entire hour. No one in their right mind would pass up the opportunity for some one-on-one time with that sexy teacher.

With a deep breath, Naomi decided to bite the bullet and go to class.
Anything was better than going home and getting a pep talk from her mom. Mr. Way had been very generous in offering her help, and she would be petty not to take it.

Naomi zoned out through most of her history class, never noticing Gerard glancing at her, almost worriedly, as she stared at her hands. When the final bell rang, Naomi said good-bye to Jo as her blonde haired friend left the room. Naomi stayed in her seat as the rest of the class filed out, never hearing when the door clicked shut.

Gerard looked up and saw her biting her bottom lip in the most distracting way. His mind went to a place that it shouldn’t go but had been going there repeatedly since Monday morning.

‘Fuckin' hell,’ Gerard thought. ‘You’re twenty seven years old, you moron! Don’t lust after a teenager.’

Anytime he got in the vicinity of the petite girl, all he wanted to do was take her in his arms. Of course, today, he wanted to find out what was keeping that worried look on her face.

“You okay, sugar?” Gerard asked softly, sitting in the desk to her right, not wanting to be intimidating to her by standing.

Naomi's eyes snapped up to his as she swallowed hard, almost trying to swallow away her nervousness. “I’m fine,” she answered too quickly.

“I’m not buying it,” Gerard said softly as she looked up at him, their eyes locking as hazel and chocolate seemed to clash.

Naomi bit her lip again, turning away as she pulled her history book out of her bag for the first time that day. “Sorry, I’ve been a bit of a space cadet today,” Naomi said, turning back to him as she put her book on the desk.

“Anything you need to talk about?” he asked in a gentle, soothing tone that made her want to throw herself in his arms and let him take all of her worries away…not that she didn’t want that to begin with, but this time it was for a different reason.

“No,” Naomi said quietly, shaking her head. “Thank you, though.”

Gerard gave her another concerned look before picking up her book and walking to the corner of the room where his desk was located. Naomi stayed where she was until Gerard beckoned her toward him.

“We can sit here,” he said, gesturing to his desk. “Easier to study if you have more space.”

Naomi nodded as she walked toward him, smiling when he offered her his comfortable swivel chair as he dragged a plastic one toward the desk for himself.

Both slowly relaxed as the hour flew by, becoming more comfortable in the presence of the other. Gerard was still worried by how withdrawn she seemed to be.

“Do you need a ride home?” he asked as he began to straighten his desk.

“No, I’ll walk…thanks.”

Gerard watched as she slowly packed up her backpack, making a move to stand but was stopped when she felt the pressure of the chair turn back to face Gerard as he turned her around. He looked at her for a moment, almost trying to see a secret that might be told just by watching her.

“Naomi…if you need to talk…”

Gerard let the comment hang in the air as she stared at him.

Naomi hesitated for a minute before responding. “My dad moved out last night,” she said softly.

Gerard's already sympathetic expression turned even softer as he listened.
“I’m sorry, sugar,” he whispered, looking her in the eyes. “Did he give you any warning?”

Naomi shrugged, swallowing the lump in her throat as she looked at the floor, blinking back tears.“They fought a lot…he and my mom,” she said softly.
“I guess it’s better this way, I just wonder…”

“Wonder…what?”

“If it was because of me,” she whispered, feeling a few tears stream down her cheeks as she frantically wiped them away.

“Naomi, don’t think that,” Gerard said in a soothing voice. “Adults have fights in their relationships…sometimes things get worked out, sometimes they don’t, but it’s not your fault. Do you believe me?”

Naomi shrugged, sniffling slightly as her tears began to subside. “I could have been better last year. Maybe if I had been, things would be different.”

“What happened last year?” he asked in a gentle tone.

“I put a lot of stress on them. Staying out late, never telling them where I was at night, letting my grades fall…consequently leading to tutoring. I just…if I had just done what they asked…maybe things would have worked out.”

Gerard leaned forward slightly, staring into her eyes as he spoke. “You’re not to blame, Naomi,” he whispered, letting his hand brush across hers almost accidentally as he offered comfort.

Both felt the charge that ran through them as their eyes never broke contact. Before either of them could think of what was happening, they met in a tender kiss. Their lips seemed to melt together, completing each other in an almost perfect way.

Neither one knew who had initiated the kiss, and neither cared as Gerard's hands came up to gently cup her face, letting his fingers wind through her
hair as they continued their soft caresses. His tongue ran across her bottom lip, begging entrance as Naomi gasped, allowing their tongues to meet.

Naomi felt lightheaded as she clutched at his strong arms, feeling almost dizzy as they slowly broke away. She stared at him for a moment before realizing what she had just done. Her hand came up to cover her mouth. “Oh my Bob,” she murmured, averting her eyes.

“Naomi-“

“No, I-I’m sorry, Mr. Way.”

Gerard watched, feeling helpless as Naomi bolted from her seat, grabbing her bag as she practically ran out the door.

Gerard could still see stars dancing in front of his eyes from the emotions that she had evoked.

Gerard let his head fall into his hands, shaking it back and forth slowly.
“Fucking hell.”

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