"No, no, no. Keep your arm up and your back straight. Posture is everything." Sarah had heard this so many times today she just wanted to cry. The violin quivered in her fingers. Mr. Lions looked over at her, then closed his eyes while running his hand down his face. He sighed.
"I suppose this is enough for today. You seem overly tired." He sighed again, and began to pack his own violin in it's black case.
Sarah watched him sadly. She so loved the violin. She had been taking lessons since she was 15, and after three years of practice, she was actually quite good. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hold a candle to a virtuoso like Mr. Lions. The way he drew the bow made her shiver, as did the way he could make his instrument cry and sing under his delicate touch. He moved so gracefully, like a cat dreamily curling up for a nap. Even now as he packed up, he moved with a fluid grace. He stopped for a moment and looked into her eyes.
"Does something about me interest you Miss Helens?" He said coolly, raising an eyebrow at her. Sarah realized she had been staring at him and quickly looked down. Suddenly her cheeks seemed unbearably hot. "Sometimes I wonder if you are cut out to play the violin at all and if I'm not wasting my time," He half muttered to himself.
Sarah looked up sharply. "Oh no, please Mr. Lions! I love violin more than I love anything else in the world! Please!"
"Really?" There was that look again. Sarah suppressed a shiver.
"Yes, really. Maybe I just need some more practice? Everyone says I have talent, even my Mom. You can't just let that go to waste can you?"
Mr. Lions smiled. One of Mr. Lion's smiles was like looking into the face of a faintly amused panther. "There may be something I can do. Would your parents be agreeable to letting me teach you at my home tonight? I have better materials and acoustics there anyway." he said quietly.
"You would do that? I mean, really? For me? Thank You! I'm, I'm honored. I don't know what to say..." Sarah immediately started to babble until Mr. Lions placed a finger against her lips and shushed her.
"It will cost a little more. After all, my time is valuable. But since your parents are more than likely counting on you getting an artistic scholarship, I'm sure they will more than understand. Now I must be going. The school will be closing in an hour anyway." Mr. Lions neatly placed his sheet music into his briefcase, and then with a smile and a wave left the small dingy high school music room.
Sarah sighed. It was like a dream come true. Alone and in private with Mr. Lions. He was so cool. She almost felt like a different person around him. Everyone else always talked about how dry he was, but Sarah knew he must have some passion built up within him to be able to play the way he did. She had had a crush on him for the longest time, although she would certainly never admit it to her friends. After all, he was, like, old. He must have been at least 30.
Sarah drove home and told her parents about Mr. Lions generous offer. Her mom brushed her aside and went back to her paper work. Her father grinned and almost began telling the story of how his grandfather had played the violin for President, but Sarah managed to escape in time to avoid her father butchering what might have been an interesting anecdote. She went to her room. She looked at her self in the mirror.
There she was. She was too fat. Sarah sighed at her uncooperative body. She had been trying to lose weight recently, but meeting with only limited success. She teased a her hair and sighed. There was just no way of getting the straight black mop too do anything interesting. She twiddled with the ends, wondering if she had them cut too short. Still, even if her body wasn't the best, she could still try to look sexy for Mr. Lions. Sarah barely understood why she wanted to, but began to rummage in her closet anyway. She slid out of her jeans and T-shirt and put on a black miniskirt and a white blouse. She looked at herself again. She looked almost classy. Sarah smiled. She threw her panties in the dirty clothes and went to finds a fresh pair. She searched through her underwear drawer several minutes. Socks, socks, socks, that vibrator she stole from Mom, more socks...No underwear made itself apparent. Sarah sighed and moved to retrieve the underwear she had worn.
The she had a thought. A wicked smile crept over Sarah's face.
Sarah looked in the mirror. As long as she kept her legs a certain way, the skirt was just long enough to conceal her lack of panties. Sarah smiled again, and flashed herself in the mirror. She laughed and then went downstairs, carefully avoiding her parents so as to not have to answer any uncomfortable questions about her clothes.
Sarah drove up into Mr. Lion's driveway. He had a beautiful house in the historical district. Sarah walked up to the door and rang the bell.
Mr. Lion's answered the door. He had changed too. Rather than the suit he wore to school, he was just wearing a white dress shirt and a pair of simple black pants. His long hair which he normally kept bound was loose and hung like a thick gold mane. He smiled warmly.
"Come in, Sarah." He said, and waved her into the house. Sarah followed staring at him. She could see muscle through that shirt. Mr. Lions must work out at least some. He moved with such grace and power, even when he was just crossing the living room. He was tall and while not broadly built, conveyed a sense of big shoulders that merely need to be expected, not actually exist. He turned and looked at her, with his eyebrow raised.
"Am I really so fascinating a subject Sarah?" He said with a warm smile. Sarah tried to look down, but he walked up to her and took her chin in his hands. "No. Look at me. If you let your awe of me over come you, you will never be my equal."
Sarah felt like her body was on fire. Mr. Lions backed up and continued.
"I notice things, Sarah. I notice the way you look at me while I'm teaching. The way you stare. The way your fingers move. The way you breathe. I'm not an unobservant man. I've watched you, and I know you have the capacity for greatness. You are holding yourself back." He said matter-of-factly. "What you need is more self control. What you need is a little more...discipline." He stared hard into her eyes as he said it, and Sarah felt the words like leather gloves running over her body.
