Lesson Learned {Student Teacher Romance}

Chapter 41

My mom was never present enough to talk to me about boys or sex, so most of my knowledge came from Keri or from the Internet. 

Porn was no help whatsoever given the ludicrous storylines that felt more exploitative than erotic. And all the lusty romance books I've ever read featured unrealistic male protagonists who could make a woman come in under two pages. 

Apart from the matching lace lingerie set I had on under my slinky sweater, I felt wholly unprepared for Will to punch my V-card. 

"Can we not bring up sex with Will around tonight?" I begged Keri. 

"Moira," my best friend dusted a little bronzer on the apples of my cheeks to give me a sunkissed glow. "We're going to a drag burlesque show, sex is baked into the act!" 

"I know," I pouted as my stomach churned. "That doesn't mean we need to bring up our sex life at the table." 

"What if Will brings it up with you?" Keri points her fluffy brush at my nose. "Are you going to shut him down too? Because, I may joke about this stuff, but it is very important that you are able to have an open and honest conversation with the person you plan on being intimate with." 

Keri's bright eyes catch mine in the mirror to convey how seriously she takes this topic. 

"Mommy," Joey's tiny voice startles us both to turn around. "I have to go to the bathroom."

He's squinting through scrabbly eyes and yawning while pulling down the bottoms of his adorable firetruck pajamas. 

"Alright, buddy," Keri whispers.  

"Can I have some privacy?" Joey flashes his bare butt as he climbs up his potty steps to perch himself on the toilet seat. 

We wait in the hallway for Joey to finish his business before Keri walks him back to bed. 

My phone buzzes in my back pocket to let me know that Will is outside and we clamor downstairs to meet him at his car. 

Will's standing on the curb and holding the back door of his Volvo open for Keri to climb inside. 

"Hi," he greets me with a playful glint in his eager eyes. "You look incredible, Moira."

He leans in to brush my lips with a sweet kiss that lingers a little too long to be considered innocent. 

"Thank you," I whisper as Will takes my hand to help me into the passenger seat. 

"So Will," Keri leans over the center console once he's buckled in and driving the car. "Did you hear about the shitstorm that hit Moira after your final exam?"

"Keri," I sigh and drop my head into my hands.

"What?" She hoots. "You didn't say this topic was off limits."

"I didn't think I needed to," I met her feisty expression in the rear-view mirror. 

"Wait," Will asks us both. "What happened after Moira's exam?"

"Apparently," Keri answers him with a scowl. "Your lovely cousin Rory has been spreading the rumor that the school caught you and Moira humping on campus."

"They didn't say humping," I mutter into my hands. 

"They?" The concern lacing Will's voice forces me to look up. "Who told you this, Moira? And why didn't you tell me about it?"

"I didn't tell you because I handled it," I gave Keri a pointed look in the rearview mirror before addressing Will. "The girl, Heather, was a student in your class. She also happened to be dating Rory. When I told her that your cousin was engaged to another woman and a big fat liar, she didn't seem to care about Rory's rumor." 

Will sighs heavily, "I was really hoping you wouldn't hear about that."

"Fitzwilliam, you knew?" Keri squealed indignantly. 

"I didn't know how the rumor started," Will explains. "But I did hear something to that effect, maybe not as graphic, from a few of the faculty members."

"That creep," I fold my arms and slump down in my seat to sulk. "I'm sorry Will. I was worried that Rory would pull something like that." 

"Can we go back to a point in your story, real quick?" Will eyes me. "Did you say that Heather was dating Rory? As in, recently?" 

"Oh, yeah," I bob my head. 

"But, Rory's engaged to Bianca?" Will looks more annoyed than surprised by this news. 

"Rory gets around more than a record," Keri complained bitterly.

"What a mess," Will shakes his head with a look of disdain. 

"So, Fitzwilliam," Keri leans back in her seat. "How did you manage to turn out so awesome, and your cousin Rory turned out to be a complete hall-of-fame-worthy jizz trumpet?" 

Will's booming laughter breaks the tension and lightens the mood in the car as Keri and I join in.

"I genuinely don't know," Will chuckles. "I'd try and argue nature versus nurture, but Rory's parents are wonderful people and he was afforded every advantage in life." 

"So you're saying he was born like that?" Keri shook her head and whistled. 

We cracked up again and kept up our lively conversation all the way into downtown Seattle. 

After we find parking a few blocks away from the Showbox Theatre, we head for the giant marquee that reads: BRAWDS WITH (CHRISTMAS) BALLS. 

The eclectic crowd filtering into the theater is buzzing and the air is charged with excitement. 

With our tickets claimed at the front, we made our way inside to find a table. 

The venue has to be one of the coolest theatres I've ever seen with gritty exposed brick walls and vintage wood floors under industrial ducting. 

A royal blue curtain separates the raised stage from the people securing a table or floor space for the show. 

There's no official seating but there's a huge bar lining the back wall and an improvised lounge area near the dancefloor. 

Keri breaks away from us to dart for a table that she wants while Will and I follow her through the throng. As soon as we've joined her and sat down on our barstools, she hops up. 

"I'm going to grab one of their signature cocktails," she declares. "Can I get you guys anything?" 

"I'm fine with water," Will smiles and pulls his wallet out of his back pocket to hand Keri a fifty-dollar bill. "And here, it's on me. Moira, would you like anything?"

"Water," I grin at Keri who's practically swooning at Will's chivalry. 

"Ugh, do you get any more perfect, Fitzwilliam?" She complained as Keri stomped off to leave us alone.