Author's notes: This story may be read as a standalone. It also serves as a follow-up to Twisted and Road Boys. Contains, amongst other things, BDSM, humiliation, anal sex, cheating, and references to a schoolgirl / teacher relationship.
Rare Breeds
'So,' Dan said, 'this is where you went to school?'
Sarah strode down the empty hall, her ponytails swinging side to side. 'It hasn't changed one bit,' she said over her shoulder.
From behind, she really could pass for a student at Fairview Secondary. Her skirt fell short of regulation, but otherwise the uniform was authentic, down to the emblazoned tie. They had spared no expense.
'Still a shit-hole,' Issy said, and the girls giggled. 'I can't believe you still teach here, Mr Redding.'
'What can I say?' Tom replied, 'I like young people.'
'If only they liked you back,' Issy said, deadpan.
Her cutting sarcasm brought back countless memories. When Issy was a schoolgirl, she was a fierce little tigerโa gifted bratโwhich had made her irresistible to tame. Her subsequent training, dangerous as it was, had been rewarding beyond measure.
To hell with the consequences,
Tom remembered thinking, and the truth was that he thought so still. Recent experience proved that grown-up Issy never changed her stripes. She was trouble then, she was trouble now, and as far as he was concerned, she remained worth the gamble.
He locked the entrance to the building and surveyed the grounds through the glass doors. Satisfied they had entered without being seen, he turned and considered the three uniformed ne'er-do-wells: Issy, Sarah, and Dan. They had come to school on a Sunday to sin, and Tom intended to double down and sin with conviction. The day called for it. How could the coincidences that brought about this escapade be anything other than providence?
Crazy,
he thought as they made a beeline for the gym.
It's only been three weeks since that date with Issy.
~~~
As far as posh supermarkets go, the Pemberley Waitrose reigned supreme.
Tom held a bag of coffee beans in each hand.
'Just pick one already,' his wife said.
'Give me a minute. I'm not familiar with the brands here.'
'Love, this is unbearable. Come find me when you're done.'
'That's alright, darling, go do your thing,' he said, but she was already halfway down the aisle.
Monsoon Malabar. Smooth, earthy, and spicy.
I could go for that,
he thought. Then again, Morning Blend sounded good too, despite its modest name. Lively, fruity, and full-flavoured.
'Mr Redding?' said a female voice.
'Hmm?' Tom replied absent-mindedly, and then he recognised her. 'Oh my God, Issy?'
Instinctively, they embraced, holding each other tight. He lay his head on hers and scanned the aisle for his wife. She was nowhere to be seen.
If not for still holding the coffee, Tom's muscle-memory urge to grab a fistful of Issy's hair may have overcome his good sense. Instead, he savoured the smell of her, and indulged in the rising memory of when she used to be his teenaged fuck toy.
They finally broke their hug.
'You're a woman,' he said, mentally contrasting his vision with his memory.
'Oh no!' she said, looking down at her Ramones t-shirt and curiously prodded her breasts. 'Am I?'
'I meanโ'
'You look good too, Mr Redding,' she said, letting him off the hook.
'Thank you,' he said. 'I work out, you know?'
His gym routine was an old joke, which, judging by her smile, she still remembered.
'Please call me Tom,' he said.
'Never,' Issy replied, her eyes bright and expectant.
Her vows of defiance was another private joke, the punchline to which was a certain brat's regret. At least, it was fun to pretend she regretted her bad behaviour when the consequences came to bear.
Meeting her gaze, he said, 'We'll see about that.'
How quickly did they settle back into their old routine?
It's like no time has passed at all,
Tom thought, excited about the opportunities this would afford.
Their conversation turned to the normal cadence of questions and answers between a former student and teacher.
How are you? Where did you study? What are you doing now?
As her maths and PE teacher, Tom would have bet money on Issy doing well in life, and he was delighted to hear of her success as a software engineer at a video game company. Good for her.
He noticed there was no ring on her finger. 'Boyfriend?' he asked.
'Many,' she said.
'Of course. Everyone is poly these days, right?'
'Works for me,' she said. 'And you? Still married?'
'Yes, Olivia and I are still going strong. And Kate, my daughter, is great. A formidable teen.'
'I like her already,' Issy said approvingly.
'She's not as feisty as you were, thank God.'
'So you'd like to
think
,' Issy joked.
Tom feigned distress, saying, 'Perish the thought.'
Her grin was downright evil.
'Joking aside,' he said. 'She reminds me a lot of you. Smart. Outspoken. Knows what she wants, and is completely fearless. I couldn't be more proud of her.'
'Mr Redding, you're gonna make me cry.'
There was no sarcasm in her voice. The compliment genuinely meant the world to her.
'Listen, I have to go,' he said. 'Lunch at the parents-in-law. We're just visiting Pemberley. Do you live here?'
'I do. Moved here two years ago.'
'Good decision, great place,' Tom said, and then he asked, 'What are you doing this coming Saturday?'
'Going on a date with you,' she replied.
'You always were a clever little thing,' he said. 'I'm refereeing a hockey match in the afternoon. Let's do coffee in the morning?'
'You sure love your coffee, huh?'
Tom held up Monsoon Malabar and Morning Blend. 'Which one would you pick?' he asked.
'Morning Blend,' Issy said decisively, before turning around and leaving Tom to appreciate the quality of skinny jeans.
~~~
The Hitching Post Cafรฉ bustled with patrons, even this early.
On an ordinary day, the siren smell of coffee, bread, and bacon would have snared him, but as it were, on this day, they held no allure. Tom desired nothing but the creature sitting alone at the corner table, draped in summer sunlight.
Issy wore a white floral dress decked with cherry pink, and sandals to match. Sunglasses pinned her strawberry-blonde hair behind her ears.
She rose when she saw him and bounded to him like a puppy. They hugged, and she kissed him on the cheek.
Tom realised how much he had missed her touch. And then she whispered in his ear, 'I shaved for you, Mr Redding.'
He had given her this instruction fifteen years ago in his garden shed:
keep it smooth for me
.