His Model Student: A Student-Teacher Romance

15. The proposition

[RECAP: Mr Marek, despite trying to ignore and avoid Sera since they danced together, just showed up at her house... and wants to paint her]

Sera was shocked. Whatever she might have expected Mr Marek to say, it would never have been this.

Pose for him? Did he mean.... nude?

It wasn't as though she hadn't done that before.

Struggling to come up with a response, she simply asked: "when?"

Relief softened his frown.

"You'll do it? I'll pay you a professional fee."

Sera hadn't actually meant to agree to posing for him, she had simply wanted to ask more questions to play for time. She wanted to ask "why me?" Surely if he wanted to paint a life model he could have asked any of the actual professionals hired at his classes.

But she was intrigued.

"How long would it take?" She imagined maybe a couple of hours, like the classes.

"I can't say. Several weeks, depending on how often you're available for sessions," Mr Marek told her.

Several weeks? The surprise was clear on her face.

"It's not merely for a sketch, Sera. I want to do a full canvas."

Sera had so many questions. Where would she pose? Why did he want to do this? How would it all happen? What would people say?

Before she could start to ask him, he continued. "We'll need to be discreet about this. I recognise there are ethical issues, but it's for art, not anything inappropriate."

"So you mean life modelling, like for the class?" Sera couldn't bring herself to say "nude" or "naked".

"Just as you were. That exact position, in fact. I'll fix it up the same."

She took a deep breath in and out. The world seemed at once to be moving very slowly and also rushing around her. He was the stillness at the centre.

"I guess... okay then. I'll try." She wasn't sure that she could pose successfully for him, just the few minutes she had tried in the art class had ended up being horribly uncomfortable. "But only on one condition."

He frowned, concerned about what she might want.

"Central heating or a really warm heater."

His face relaxed again and she was rewarded with one of his rare smiles. "Certainly."

"When did you want to start?" She hoped not today. She needed to get her thoughts together. As well as get to some waxing and trimming.

"I thought next Saturday, if that works for you."

It was a whole week away and she usually spend Saturdays with her friends. Still, this might not clash. "What time?"

"Midday? Until around two o'clock? The days being so short is limiting. At my place, I'll give you the address."

High noon. It sounded perfect. She'd still have the rest of the afternoon and the whole evening and night free. She and Lois never hit the town before nine anyway, it was dead before that hour. Whether she would feel like the usual pub crawl after two hours of lying naked in front of her sexy but hostile, remote but demanding art teacher remained to be seen.

"Twelve to two works for me," she said.

"Thank you."

At that moment she sensed how relieved yet also conflicted he was. There was still doubt in his eyes though she wasn't sure why. Maybe he already regretted asking her, taking the risk. There were a lot of risks. She could have freaked out and reported him, though he had correctly judged that she wasn't that kind of girl. Had she not wanted to do it she would have simply refused.

There was also the risk of being found out. Visiting a teacher in his private residence, let alone to undress and lie in front of him for two hours, would probably not be considered appropriate conduct at St Christopher's.

Finally the risk of what her parents would say. Sera thought it best not to tell them. It would be easy to get away with it on Friday nights anyway as she was barely ever home then. She could just tell a small fib and imply she was going over to Lois's slightly earlier than usual.

Why have a I agreed to this? she thought. But looking at the tall, dark, rugged and brilliant man in front of her, she knew the answer. She wanted him. She had wanted him from the first moment he laid furious eyes upon her and made the outrageous demand that she strip.

This demand - or request - was yet more outrageous. He didn't even have the excuse of being mistaken. He knew who she was and how old he was. And despite everything...

It was the "despite" that had pushed her over the edge to accept him. The fact that despite all better judgement, he needed and wanted her to pose for him.

As Mr Marek left, Sera watched him walk down the driveway to his car. Broad shoulders and a powerful looking figure.

She shivered. She had probably let herself in for far more than she realised. Than both of them realised.