Chapter 3
Rita
I sat there through his first class completely taken by his teaching style. He walked around carrying this wooden stick with intricate carvings. It was as if he was using it to keep our undivided attention.
“I’ve given you a lot to think about. I have random assignments which I expect you to complete by tomorrow morning. I want you to give this 100%. There’s too much uncertainty in this world and you need to recognize the cracks in society. This will determine whether or not you will be staying in my class.” I could tell from the way that the other women were squirming in their seats that they wanted him to give them private lessons.
I put up my hand, waving it slightly to make sure the class ring on my finger caught the light in just the right way.
He was bigger than life. I wasn’t expecting him to take a personal interest. We weren’t just numbers and he spoke to us like we were equals.
“Rita…it appears you have a question to address the classroom. Please, do us the honor of standing to make sure everybody hears you.” I wasn’t expecting to be singled out. Public speaking was not my strong suit.
Taking a deep breath, I put my hands on the desk and got up to see that everybody was watching me. If this was a nightmare then I would’ve been in my underwear.
“I was just wondering what direction you want us to take for this assignment. I was thinking something unorthodox and maybe drawing outside the lines.” I had my assignment and I wanted to tweak it slightly to get more bang for my buck.
“I want you to figure it out on your own. The only way that any of you are going to learn is by first-hand experience. The classroom is only one small component. The only thing I require is that you write me something that is going to keep my attention from the first word to the last.” He was moving his hands around in the air. The shirt that he was wearing was struggling against his muscular physique.
I sat back down and scribbled some notes which I was going to use as a template. The rest of the students filed out stopping momentarily to speak to him.
This shadow loomed over me. He took my paper and ripped into confetti. He tossed it into the air with the pieces floating like a snowstorm around us. He didn’t say a word, but his manner gave the impression he wasn’t happy. I was a little shell shocked to respond to this obvious invasion of my privacy.
The door closed, leaving me alone with a man twice my age and old enough to be my father.
“I suspect you are an over achiever. I know this goes against everything you believe, but making notes is old school. I want you to learn to use your God given instincts.” I could see some of his chest hairs with a few slightly discolored than the rest of them. It gave him character and life experience. It was something that I was vastly lacking.
“I always…take notes and I don’t consider myself an over achiever.” I was a little tongue tied for the first time in my life. “I do try to make sure there are no avenues left unexplored.” Under the pale moon outside the window, his glaring expression had me frozen in place.
“You need to go outside your comfort zone. This assignment isn’t going to help you to shake things up. I’m going to amend my decision.” He took the assignment out of my hands and he ran a black marker through the entire thing. I was stunned. This was the first time I was left without a safety net. It was scary and exciting at the same time.
I could tell that his attention to detail had caught sight of the white leather skirt clinging to my flesh. I only had to move a fraction of an inch. He turned and adjusted himself thinking that I had no clue.
“I don’t know why I have to be any different than all the rest.” I looked down at the new assignment and was livid to learn of what he wanted me to do. I had no idea how he could possibly know, but this was throwing me into the lion’s den. He was expecting me to put my head in its mouth metaphorically speaking.
“This will teach you to stay after class when everybody else goes about their business. I don’t want to make you feel small. There’s no shame in being afraid. I read the essay of each of my students when they registered for my class. The question remains if you are able to see your true potential.” He was in the perfect position to look down my shirt. I could feel my nipples rubbing obscenely against my bra.
“I can’t do this. You can’t make me.” The subject he had given me was my father. I was to interview him and ask him the hard questions. I already had the fuel to make the fire.” Damian was white lightning born to drive me wild. I wanted more of our verbal sparring match.
“It’s entirely up to you, but I suspect you will rise above your own unhealthy fear. I could be wrong. You could fold like a piece of paper. Show me what this means to you and how far you’re willing to go to live your dream.” His biceps were huge and when they flexed, I almost creamed a little inside of my panties. It wasn’t the only muscle that had garnered my attention.
The one more prevalent was quite the healthy specimen of a man. He was not average by any means and the thickness had me wondering if seeing it up close and personal would ruin the suspense.
“The only thing that I can promise is to try.” I tried to get up, but he grabbed my wrists and held me in place. I felt like his prisoner. My thighs were quivering at the possibility of him having his way with me.
“I have never liked that word. Trying is for losers. You will exceed my expectations because you have no choice. Come back with juicy details and we can determine if you are the right fit for this profession. Not everybody is cut out for hard-nosed journalism. You might be better served to interview for puff pieces. Those teachers that told you there is no right or wrong answers were lying to you.” I felt like an anvil was on top of my chest. I was flushed and my nipples could cut through glass.
“I don’t know what you want from me. You’re throwing me into the deep end without a lifeline. I’m either going to sink or swim with this assignment.” There was no happy medium.
“I told you from the very beginning this wasn’t going to be easy. If you were expecting me to smile sweetly and let you slide by then you are in for rude awakening. I expect nothing but the best and the tough assignments give you character. All of you need to develop a thick skin. Breaking into this field is going to take a person with grapefruits.” I was trying to hide the shame of my condition. It was difficult with him staring through me like he could see through to my very soul.
“I will do it, but not because you said to. I’ve been putting this off long enough. I doubt my relationship with my father will ever be the same again. I can’t live my life for him.” I was getting in touch with my feelings at the same time undressing him with my eyes.
There was a tattoo on his left forearm of what looked like a spider with long legs crisscrossing over his wrist. There was something foreboding almost sinister in the way that he was looking at me.
“Everybody has to face the one thing they need to overcome. It’s the anchor around your ankle. You have the key to free you from the burden. I want you to use it.” He seemed to have my best interest at heart. He could have been a father figure. I did want to call him daddy, but it would take on a whole different context.
“I’ve been procrastinating and I know the writing on the wall. Any campaign is ripe with controversy and Scandal. He claims to run a clean campaign, but I know the truth better than anyone.” To shine a light on his faults would only encourage his rival to use it against him. There had to be something in the water for me to even think about doing this.
I was trying to catch my breath. His package was a sight for sore eyes. I was trying to tell myself never again was I going to drown in a man’s eyes. Standing at the shore of my sexual sanity was the crashing waves of indecision.
“I know you can do this, Rita. I believe in you.” I felt imbued and ready for my close up.