In a Class of His Own

I wrote to Nina the day after we got back. I thanked her - and asked her to pass on my thanks to her friend Jen - for their hospitality, and their kindness. At the end, it just felt wrong to sign off with 'Sincerely Yours'. I struggled to find something that wouldn't sound too formal, or too distant.

Eventually, I just wrote 'Love', and then signed my name. It felt right. I had no idea when I would see Nina again, but I did love her.

Meanwhile, school got ridiculous. The classes - three quarters of them, anyway - were dull, but the Profs tried to make us take them seriously by piling on the work. Much of it seemed pointless - just busy-work - but it was starting to interfere with my job.

Then came my first practice teaching session. We observed a veteran teacher's class for a few days, and then took over two weeks. I spent the entire weekend preparing. My first day teaching the class, I burned through all of the material that I thought would last three days.

That night, I got home at 6:00, after Debating Club (trying to score some Brownie points with my associate). I scarfed some macaroni and cheese, and got right to work. By 1:00 A.M., I figured I was ready for the next day of class.

The two weeks flew by. But in that time, I didn't work a single shift at the warehouse, or go out with my friends, except for a couple of pints, one night, at the pub with Steve.

- "You look like shit." he said.

- "Thanks."

- "You should try sleeping." he suggested.

When the practice sessions were over, all the student teachers wanted to share our experiences - the good and the bad. Two students had dropped out. The rest of us were in agreement: virtually everything they had taught us in September was bullshit.

Do as we say, not as we do ... cover your ass ... don't be too friendly with the students. After a real classroom - even if it was only for two weeks - few of us had the patience to listen to their tripe. I killed time by writing letters: my annual letter to Celine, and my regular, monthly letter to Nina.

I tried to go out with one of the girls from school, but that was a mistake. It started to seem that I had gone from juggling two lives to having no life at all.

Glen and Ellen invited Steve and me to a Halloween costume bash. It was just the kind of blowout I needed. Steve dressed as a pirate; I went as Gandalf.

Yes, Moe was there. She arrived late, with a few friends. By the time I saw her, she was a little unsteady on her feet, and her eyes were unnaturally bright. She was dressed as a Wild West saloon girl, in a costume that revealed a lot more skin than I would have expected from Moe.

She saw me, and wobbled over on her high heels. She didn't wear those very often, either. Yep - I could smell her breath. She was at least three sheets to the wind.

- "Hey, Chris!" she said. She tried to kiss me on the lips, but got a mouthful of beard instead.

- "Hi, beautiful." I said. I pulled down the beard, and kissed her on the cheek.

- "I

am

beautiful." she said. "I agree with you." She leaned forward a bit, giving me a perfect view straight down her cleavage. Drunk as she was, Moe knew exactly what she was doing.

"How do you like my costume?" she asked.

- "Sure shows a lot of Moe." I said.

- "Yeah. Trying to be less ... predictable."

- "You've succeeded." I told her.

- "You're so cute." she said. She put her arms around me, spilling her drink down the back of my wizard's robe. Then she leaned in, and put her head against my chest.

Deep breath. Sigh. "I miss you, sometimes." she said.

- "Me too." I admitted.

She didn't move for a bit. I started to wonder if she had dozed off. One of her friends came over to check on her.

- "I'll make sure she gets home all right." said the girlfriend.

- "Aww." said Moe - she hadn't quite passed out. "Don't poop my party."

- "Come on, Stinky." said her girlfriend. "Time to get you home." I was surprised at how easily her friend led her away. Wait - 'Stinky'?

- "Bye, Chris..." said Moe.

***

Moe called me a week later, to ask if I could meet her on a Friday evening, for a drink. She named a quiet place, not far from my apartment. But she called me back the day before.

- "Sorry." she said. "My car is giving me grief. Can you get over here on Friday? I'll put some beer in the fridge. I just ... really need to talk to you."

- "Sure." I said.

Steve agreed to lend me his car.

Moe had trouble meeting my eye when she opened the door for me. I just laughed.

- "Moe - you don't have to feel embarrassed. If you're worried about Halloween ... it was kind of cute, actually."

- "Just sit down. Beer?"

- "Sure."

She brought two DABs, God bless her. Instead of sitting on the couch, next to me, though, Moe sat on her coffee table, right in front of me.

- "I'm really sorry." she said.

- "You didn't -"

- "I did. I was drunk, and I got stupid. I shouldn't have."

- "No harm done." I assured her.

- "You sure?"

- "Absolutely. Moe - it was no big deal."

I didn't tell her that I went home and masturbated that night, thinking of her in that revealing costume - but otherwise, no big deal.

- How was your trip to Chicago?" she asked.

- "Great." I said.

- "Tell me. Tell me how it went."

I did. I told her the whole story.

- "Wow." said Moe, quietly. "When will you see her again?"

- "I don't know." I admitted.

- "So ... is she your girlfriend?"

- "I don't know. I write to her, but ... we both understand that it's pretty weird. I mean, when I was seeing you, Nina was dating a guy, too. It was just ... coincidence, that we were both single when I was there."

- "Are you in love with her?" asked Moe.

I answered without thinking. "Sort of." I said. "She's perfect, in a way. We've never had a fight - not even a mild disagreement. But neither of us knows if we'll even see each other again. It's just ... weird."

Moe nodded. "I get it. Sort of. Did you ... did you ever ... love me like that?"

I heard doubt, and uncertainty - and even pain, in Moe's voice.

- "Are you serious?" I asked her. "Moe - you saved me. I was a wreck -" I never got to finish my sentence, because Moe lunged forward and kissed me. Not a peck on the lips, either. She grabbed me by the back of the neck, and pulled my face closer, so that she could plunge her tongue into my mouth.

I was stunned, for a moment. But it was Moe - Moe, remember - so I responded. Next thing I knew, her shirt was off, and I was fondling her bare breasts, as she rubbed my cock through my pants.

It just ... happened. I ate her pussy on the couch, but she stopped me before she came, and went down on me. She was gagging as she tried to deep-throat me. I pushed her off, and somehow - I don't quite remember how - ended up balls deep inside her, with Moe on her back on her coffee table.

I was sawing back and forth, giving her long, deep thrusts - when I realized that I didn't have a condom on. Moe was complaining - I guess the bare glass of her coffee table was too cold on her back. She pushed me off, and spun around, presenting me with that taut ass, and a fantastic view of her distended pussy lips.

It would have taken a saint, or a superhuman, to resist her. I plunged my cock back into her, and fucked her for all I was worth. Moe knelt on the coffee table, and I grabbed her hips, the better to drive into her.

She squealed, and came. I had just enough self-control left to pull out, and ejaculate all over her back.

We ended up entwined on her couch, with Moe stroking my face.

- "I'm sorry." she said.

- "I'm not." I said.

She placed a finger on my lips. "This was a mistake, Chris. An accident. I shouldn't have done this to you." She sighed. "I can't ... I don't want to go out with you again. I just ..."

- "It's OK, Moe." I said.

She kissed me. "You're too nice." she said.

***

My second placement went well. I really connected with my associate teacher, Mr. Adams, and with his students. It was a high school (my first practice session had been a Grade 8 class), and I discovered that I really liked the environment. It didn't hurt that I worked my ass off, too.

Moe called me up at the end of November.

- "I need a fourth, who can play pool." she said. "I couldn't find one, so I had to call you. Are you free Friday night?"

I was. We had a few drinks and played pool with Laura Carson, and her new boyfriend, Rohan. He seemed to be a nice guy, and we got along fine. Laura remembered me, and kept casting me odd looks, as if she was trying to figure out what the deal was between Moe and me. I could have told her that I didn't know, either.

Moe made it perfectly clear that it wasn't a date. She told me that over the phone, and repeated it when she picked me up. At the pool hall, though, she relaxed, and had a good time.

She drove me home.

- "Thanks, Chris." she said. "I appreciate you ... helping me out."

- "You mean, acting like a date that's not a date?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I didn't need to say it, did I? It's just ... it's more complicated."

- "You want to talk about it? I can make coffee." I offered.

- "Sounds good." she said. She parked her car, and we went up to my apartment. Steve was out; he'd been getting serious with a girl named Sarah. That was a bit weird, because Steve's younger sister was also named Sarah. I wasn't crazy about her- the girlfriend, that is. She was nice enough, but too shy around me. I couldn't find anything to talk to her about.

Moe and I went to the kitchen, where I got the coffee machine started. She surprised me by wrapping her arms around me and leaning her head against my shoulder.

- "You're a good friend." she mumbled, against my sweater. "Better than I deserve."

- "What?" I said. I was about to add 'What the hell does

that

mean?' - but Moe tilted her head up, and kissed me on the lips.

I don't know exactly how it happened, but we ended up on my bed, with Moe sitting on my face. She was naked, except for her panties, which she tugged to one side so that I could eat her pussy, while clutching both of her ass cheeks, and pulling her closer.

She was muttering "Fuck, fuck, fuck ..." while squeezing one of her breasts. That looked like fun, so I grabbed one, too.

Moe was so excited, she came quickly. I picked her up, and flipped her over, onto her back. I managed to get my pants off - mostly - and a condom on. I don't know what possessed us. We were both panting, and in my eagerness, I didn't even let her get her panties completely off. They were tangled around her ankles, but I just lifted her legs, and plunged into her.

We fucked like maniacs, and stretched the hell out of her poor little panties. The springs on my old bed were complaining, too, but I didn't care, and Moe didn't seem to either. I think she came again; I wasn't paying attention. I was just rutting, like an animal.

Afterwards, we lay side by side, sweaty, and breathing heavily.

- "Well, shit." she said.

***

- "Can you come to my office Christmas party?" she asked.

I had asked Moe out twice, but she had turned me down both times. I guess I thought that if we could start hanging around together, we might be able to get back together. After all, we had the sex part down pat.

Moe called those 'accidents'. I had a good look at myself in the mirror. I didn't see anything there that might be irresistible to women. It certainly didn't have that effect on any of the girls in Teachers College.

- "Why do you want me there?" I asked her.

- "As a favour. Please?" she said.

I didn't answer right away. Her office Christmas party? I wouldn't know anyone there.

"OK - here's the truth." she said. "There are two jerks on my floor that keep hitting on me. I say no, of course. I've even burned them - spectacularly - in front of other people. But they won't stop."

"It's like some kind of competition between them, and I'm only incidental. I'm tempted to kick them in the nuts, but ..."

- "Have you told your boss?"

- "Yeah - right." she said. See, back in the not-so-distant past, there was no such thing as HR, or sexual harassment policies.

- "So you want

me

to kick their asses?" I was reasonably strong, from working at the warehouse, but I was no street fighting champion.

- "You could. Hell, I probably could. No," she said, "I just want them to think that I have a boyfriend. That might be enough, once they've met you, and can put a face to your name."

- "So ... they won't stop bothering you when you ask them to, but they will when they meet me?"

- "Something like that." she said.

- "And you don't want me to beat them up." I was clearly confused.

- "I'm asking as a favour, Chris. We don't have to stay long. And ..."

- "And?"

- "You might get lucky, afterwards." she said.

- "Accidentally on purpose?" I said.

- "Something like that."

This was no office party where people sat on their desks and sipped eggnog from paper cups. The company rented a ballroom, and hired a band, for live music. It was on a Saturday night, and it was a much bigger event than I had expected.

For one thing, I was not prepared for how Moe was dressed. She had her hair done up, and was wearing more makeup than I had ever seen her with. But I nearly went into shock when we got to the cloakroom, and she took off her long coat.

- "Holy shit, Moe." I breathed.

- "What? I dress up nice, sometimes."

She was wearing a red dress that was ... more like a sheath, or a wrapper, than an article of clothing. It fit tightly

everywhere

. And it only covered her to mid-thigh. Up top, the dress didn't reveal much cleavage, but two thin straps left her arms, shoulders, and upper chest bare. It also fit her breasts so tightly ...

When she bent over to remove her winter boots, and change into high heels, I thought I might faint.

- "You look ... fantastic." I said.

She grinned. "Thank you."

Inside the ballroom, I discovered that most of the women present were also dressed to kill. There were backless dresses, slit dresses, and form-fitting dresses just as provocative as Moe's. It was like a fashion show, or a competition.

We got a drink, and circulated, and Moe introduced me to several people she worked with. I met the two assholes - one at a time. The first one was a paunchy little dick who sweated profusely. The second was a weedy weasel who couldn't look me in the eye.

I finally understood why Moe had insisted that I not say anything to either of them. These two jerkoffs had no hope of ever getting a girl like Moe to go out with them. It wasn't over-confidence, on their part. It was just stupidity. They didn't believe her when she said she had a boyfriend, and so they just kept it up, almost as a running joke.

I didn't say anything, but I glared at the two motherfuckers.

Moe chatted amiably with a few of her co-workers, and pointed out who the bigwigs were. After about an hour, she turned to me.

- "Ready to go?"

- "That's it?"

- "Yup. Make an appearance, show them I can do it, and then I'm done. Just because I

can

play the game doesn't mean that I buy into it."

Moe took me back to her place, and - as predicted - there was an 'accident'.

She could tell that I liked the dress. Moe untied the top, and pulled it down to her waist, and then she slipped her panties off. She left the high heels on.

I ended up on my back, with Moe riding me - hard.

***

Nina phoned me just before Christmas. She asked about Steve; I asked about Jennifer. Then she blew my mind.

- "What's your town like in February?" she asked.

- "It's cold. Why?"

- "I'd like to come and visit. During my Spring Break. If that's OK ..."

- "It's better than OK. That's great! Really?"

- "Yeah. I'd fly in, though. I wouldn't want to drive that far alone."

- "Umm - just so you know, Nina." I said. "My apartment is a bit ... Bohemian." I was trying to lower her expectations.

- "Will you be there?" she asked.

- "Of course I will."

- "That's all that matters."

I worked hard, for six weeks, to get ahead of my school work. Luckily, my third practice session would end just before Nina arrived.

Then I had to explain to Moe that Nina was coming. And I wrote to Nina, to explain how things stood with Moe - the best surprise is no surprise, I thought.

Moe took it surprisingly well.

- "That's cool." she said. "It'll be nice to finally meet her."

- "

Meet her?

"

- "Yeah. What? Were you planning to hide her away for a week? You've already told me, so it's no secret."

- "Uhh ..."

- "Don't worry, Chris." she said. "I can play nice."

Then she played completely unfairly. Moe started undoing and removing articles of clothing. It wasn't a slow, sensual striptease - more of a businesslike unveiling. When she was down to her panties, Moe turned to me. She arched her back slightly, thrusting her tits forward, while sticking her ass out in the other direction.

- "Well?"

What chance did I have?

We had one more 'accident' at the beginning of February. It led to a fierce, passionate fucking on the floor of her bedroom - we didn't make it to her bed. She lay back and just writhed as I drove my shaft into her, again and again.

Later on, we curled up, and Moe put her head on my shoulder.

- "I'm sorry." she said. "I have to stop doing this to you."

- "It takes two, Moe." I told her.

- "Maybe. But you need to get your head straight, and figure out how you feel about this Nina girl - and here I am, messing with your mind."

She got out of bed, and pulled on sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"I won't do it again. I'm sorry." Then she left the room.

If you're wondering what I was doing - sleeping with Moe when Nina was about to arrive, for a week - well, I didn't know, either.

Moe wasn't my girlfriend. I wasn't in love with her, anymore. But if she crooked a finger, I would come running. That much I knew.

Nina was completely different. I

was

in love with Nina. She was my dream girl, my fantasy lover. Everything about her was perfect, even though - or maybe

because

- I hadn't seen her for months.

She looked different, when I met her at the airport. She had curled her hair. But it was the same girl, underneath. Her hug when we came together was everything I could have asked for.

- "I can't believe I'm here." she said. "It's freezing!"

I tried to show Nina that winter cold be fun. We went skiing, and tobogganing with Steve, and his girlfriend, Sarah. We skated, and skied cross-country, through the forest. I had to go to school, but I ditched quite a few classes to be with her.

I'm not sure why, but I took Nina to meet my parents. Bad decision.

- "I thought you were seeing that other girl." said my Mom. "What was her name?"

- "Carol?" said my Dad.

- No, they split up. The other one. Ellen?"

Nina was very nice to them, and exceedingly patient. I thanked her, even as I apologized, afterwards.

- "I'm glad I met them." she said. "It helps me to understand you."

Nina and Steve had a raucous reunion. The Bears had won the Super Bowl, slaughtering the Patriots, to end a near-perfect season. The two of them were like old friends.

- "It's funny." I said, later on. "I feel so comfortable with you - as if I know you so well. But if you count how few days we've actually spent together ... "

- "We've always been comfortable with each other. We were that way from the start. Well, from York, anyway." she said. "And you know me very well. I certainly

know

you, after all of your letters. I have a box full of them, at home."

- "You kept them?"

- "Of course I keep them."

We made love every night, and several mornings, too. And a couple of times in the afternoon. Nina was more assertive, more aggressive, even, than she had been in Chicago. I remembered that she had been almost shy, and asked her about it.