Prom Night

So much for a senior prom

, I mused, watching the flicker of the candle flames on the center piece. They wriggled in the dimly lit ballroom of the Rose Hotel, stretching only to almost drown in the liquid wax only to stretch again.

It was supposed to be a platinum night. I had a date with a chick named Kara that had a killer body and a bottle of vodka my older brother bought me waiting in a room I rented upstairs. Only one problem— once we set foot in the door, the bitch took off with her friends, and later I found her making out with Casey, head bastard of the wrestling team. That left me alone at an empty table of ten while the other couples were out on the dance floor, with balls that were aching for some action.

"Hello, Dominic," a familiar, gentle voice called from behind. I didn't turn to look back at the speaker but knew at once who it was. The graceful figure moved around to the right of my field of vision, and in the flashing multicolored light that spilled over from the dancefloor across the room, I saw his six foot three figure move with the ease of a cat. His dark charcoal suit against a sleek black vest gave an air of mystery to him as he stopped before me, his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, Mr. Monaco..." I pressed my lips together in a firm line to show my enthusiasm for tonight and gave a half-hearted wave of my fingers.

His deep blue eyes, set against his roughened cheeks of black scruff that matched the hair on his scalp, seemed to look into me. "Having a good time?"

"Eh, could be better, I guess." I didn't really feel like talking to him, but I didn't want to be rude to my AP History instructor if he was taking the time to talk to me.

"Oh, did you come alone?" His expression was curious at my tone, and one of his hands took hold of the top of a chair he stood by.

It was a baited question; everyone in school knew that it was mandatory to have a date if you wished to attend prom, especially the chaperone staff. Mr. Monaco wanted me to tell him what was wrong, the way all teachers do. And something in the analytical blue eyes, when my green ones met his, made me want to tell him.

"No, I came with this one girl, but she kind of took off with her friends." I shrugged my shoulders, almost wanting to laugh at the sheer ridiculousness.

"Ah, I see. In that case, may I sit down?" I nodded a yes, and he turned the chair around to straddle the seat. His arms crossed over the back as he continued. "Sometimes that happens, unfortunately. But in college, people change. Hang in there, buddy."

Mr. Monaco smiled a little with his comment, and for a moment, I wondered what thoughts were stirring behind it. I slowly smiled back, "You're right. For the time being, I'm just a bit bored."

He nodded, looking over at the dance floor, "Well, why don't you get back out there? The photographers are still making their rounds; I'm sure that you'll still be able to make some good memories for the yearbook." The plastic line meant to herd the students together make us both laugh.

"Right, and be just another goofy face in a goofy little book," I laughed. "I appreciate it, Mr. Monaco, but it's not really my scene."

A beat of silence passed between us, and I instantly felt at ease. He stood, towering over me again. "Well, if you want, I was just about to take a walk around the hotel. Want to join me?"

My gaze met his, and I replied by getting to my feet. Together, we slowly made our way out of the noisy hustle of teenage hormones and through the double doors that blocked off the rest of the hotel. For a few minutes, we walked in silence, past the sealed rooms where guests slumbered in the eleven o'clock hour and the night auditor stood at the front desk reading a dog-eared romance novel.

Finally, Mr. Monaco broke the silence, "So did you get into a college?" The syllables were deep and yet had a soft edge to them.

"Yeah, I was thinking of Carlton."

"That's a good school; I'm sure you'll do well with your grades. I actually went there."

"Nice. Class of 2010, right?"

He grinned broadly and briefly looked over at me. "Yes. Now, how did you know that?"

"Well, you showed us your large coffee mug the one day." My green eyes found the ground, chuckling a little.

Mr. Monaco paused for a moment. "I forgot about that; it does have my class year on it." We continued on, talking more about Carlton University. The wide plate glass windows that framed the courtyard garden and the dimly lit pool were like dark elegant paintings. I was beginning to forget my below-the-belt predicament and the troubling bitch we left in the ballroom. Talking to Mr. Monaco was easy, and before I had known it, twenty minutes had passed.

"So, that makes you twenty-seven?" I finally asked him, suddenly curious about his age.

"Nice try; I can't tell you that." He laughed.

I decided to tease him, "But I'm close, aren't I?" I grinned; the walk was relaxing. He was relaxing too. I would have never guessed that he would be so easy to talk to from his class, as most of the time I avoided him whenever possible like I do with my other teachers. How had I not noticed it until now? It was like talking to an older brother.

At my comment, Mr. Monaco stopped suddenly and turned to me, looking down into my eyes. Even at five foot eleven, I suddenly felt like a child, seeing his firm lips curve into a grin as he bit his lower lip. Why did I feel like that? I couldn't understand it in the silence that hung between us. I knew I was straight; I had always known I was straight. So, why did I look up at him with a sly smirk?

I didn't know what I wanted, but I was enjoying talking to Mr. Monaco. The conversation was shifting, and I could sense that he was starting to treat me more like a human being, not just one of the many students whose papers he grades. The scent of his cologne hit my nostrils, and its faint sweetness smelled good.

"Maybe," at last he chuckled. Then, as abruptly as he turned to me, he turned away, looking out at the sea of stars high above the courtyard garden. "It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"

My mind switching from the strange liking of his scent, I replied, "Yes, it is. The moon is incredibly clear tonight too."

"Yeah, it's great," Mr. Monaco said, "I should have brought my camera. I bet you could get some good shots of it tonight."

"You do photography?"

He pivoted and leant back against the brass railing mounted before the window. "When I can; I actually tried having my own photography business for a while. But it just kind of went," he finished off with a whistle and drop of his hand to show that it went by the wayside.

I looked down at the colorful lilacs illuminated by solar garden lights then back to him, "I'm sorry to hear that it went under."

Mr. Monaco waved his hand and crossed his arms, "Eh, it's just what happens. You have two careers, and then one day you wake up and find you have a career and another that got overshadowed into a hobby. It balances itself out, though; I enjoy what I do, Dominic."

"Dom."

"Excuse me?" His piercing blue eyes looked questioning at me for a moment, seemingly almost hopeful. Were they hopeful? And of what?

"Dom- you can call me Dom," I paused and again looked out at the darkened garden, "if you want to, that is." The words were hard for me to spout out, as only my family had ever called me Dom. But something about him seemed so trustworthy.

He stared at me for a beat, as if he was taking in all of my features from my dark brown hair to my black tuxedo with its dark sea green vest around my athletic waist. Then, as if analyzing what unspoken bond had just fused between us, he said, "Okay," and added, "Dom."

I couldn't help but smile a little, not knowing why. For a while, we stayed like that, enjoying the calm of the quiet hotel. It was like a safety zone between us, keeping the young teacher and the young student at bay. I only broke it to stifle a slight yawn.

"Yeah, I'm getting tired too. Are you going to be good to drive home?" A look of concern crossed the lines of his light sprinkling of scruff, and I could tell he had tried to switch the teacher role back on.

"I don't have to; I have a room." I laughed as we started off together back the way we came, towards the lobby.

"Ah." Mr. Monaco seemed uneasy, as if he was unsure what the safe response would be. "Smart man. I guess I'll make sure you get there alright." I wasn't completely convinced that he felt obligated, but his tone came across as such. I didn't say anything in response, not wanting to part from him. I felt we had grown closer, or at least as close as a teacher can to his student.

Together, our loafers found the lobby with the night auditor still with her nose buried deep within her paperback. She paused from her reading to glance up at us and smiled. At this, Mr. Monaco seemed to straighten with discomfort. I could see puzzlement cross his face, although I didn't understand why.

I pressed the button for the elevator, jarring him back to the present when its tone sounded and opened up. We entered and rode upstairs to the top floor- the third floor- of the Rose Hotel without speaking. As soon as it opened up, we made our way down the vacant hallways, my eyes roaming the number plates searching for 316.

"It was fun talking with you tonight, Dom. It's been interesting." Mr. Monaco smiled, inspecting each door we passed with what I sensed as nervousness. Whether it was his feeling or not knowing what would happen once I found the correct door, I could feel pin pricks up my spine. Nervously, my fingers toyed with the plastic room key, wanting to say something, anything to make our walk go on.

"I agree; it was nice talking to you too, Mr. Monaco. I never would have guessed I'd have fun talking to one of my teachers." We both laughed at the ridiculousness of it.

His mouth slipped for a minute, "Nor would I talking to a student, but..."

I found my door and carefully tried to unlock it, my hand shaking and making it difficult to insert the card in the lock. Finally, I got it open. "...But?" I bit my lip, unsure of what was going to be said next and of what I wanted to be said.

I stared at him; he stared back.

"Funny, I forget."

Silence.

I flicked on the switch by the door. The soft lamps on the desk and by the window illuminated the small room with its double bed. "Um, you know, Mr. Monaco, if you want, the hotel stocked my room with some of that instant coffee. I know it's probably well past midnight by now," I was getting caught up in my words, "so you can have a cup before driving home?" I trailed off, trying to control my breathing. The only time I could ever having remembered my heart quickening as it did in that moment was the night I lost my virginity to my ex-girlfriend Emily Smith. Now, the feeling flooded my veins, although I could not understand why.

I had always been straight. I AM straight. What was happening to me?

But at once, nothing mattered. Teacher, student, the time of night, and that damned coffee all went out the window. Without further word needing to be said, we leant forward, and I found Mr. Monaco's firm lips on my mouth. They were warm and kissed me as if it were the very first kiss with anyone he ever had. My lips pressed back roughly on instinct, and I kissed him back.

I couldn't understand why. Perhaps, it was the cologne he was wearing or my need to be near someone that night- anyone, but soon his lips attacked mine with a new wave of passion. I felt his tough fingers snaking through my short hair, my hands finding his hips and pulling him closer to me and, all at once, out of the hallway to allow the door to swing shut.

With the sound of it closing, we managed to pull ourselves away for a moment. Our breathing was ragged, and my mind was swimming with confusion. I had always been the straight boy, an average guy on the school basketball team who never even once considered looking at another guy's junk in the locker room. I did okay with the girls and had enjoyed some good lays, so what was happening to me? Why was I in a hotel room, alone with my AP History teacher and wanting nothing more than to keep kissing him?

"I...I shouldn't have done that," Mr. Monaco stuttered, breaking me out of my thoughts. "I..."

"I've never done that before...with a guy." Chills shot through me, wishing I knew what to say to properly explain myself.

"Ditto... And...I can't. Do that, I mean. I mean, not with a guy; I mean..." The piercing blue eyes seemed put off edge now, confused. "Christ, I'm your teacher!"

I couldn't help it any longer, "I know." I pulled him against me again, feeling his need for me in the way his arms wrapped around me, holding me. I dropped my arms in a circle around the back of his neck to hang onto him as he did, kissing him back with equal fervor. His scruff scratched at my chin, the gentle reminder I was in the company of a man for the first time in my life, and I felt his tongue tracing a line across my lips.

At once, my mouth opened to welcome him in, my tongue dancing with his inside my mouth as I held on tighter to him. His strong hands loosened around my backside and went on to explore, lower and lower until they reached my waist. Then, hesitantly, they slid further down to cup my tightened buttocks in his grip and lifted me up to carry me to the bed.

The ride was clumsy as he shrugged off his shoes and I tried my best to shrug off mine. I could feel his nervous tension in his grip as we reached the bed and he gently laid me down on the comforter. It broke our kiss. At once, I sat up and was pushing the dark charcoal suit jacket off of his shoulders. It fell to the floor, and there he stood. His arms had a slight trace of muscle tone which showed through the white cotton shirt, this man who lectured me on Post-Civil War Reconstruction in class and now was getting undressed before me.

His hands found my shoulders, eyes searching mine as if to ensure this was what I wanted as they did, and slipped my tuxedo jacket off of me. With care, he tossed it onto an armchair by the bed. Then they roamed down the front of my shirt, fingertips tracing the definition of my toned chest underneath my shirt. My cock, which was half hard before, was now beginning to tent up more, straining against the confines of my Jockey shorts. His touch was magic, and at once, the nervousness seemed to fade away as he touched me. Under his caring gaze, I didn't care whether or not it was a man or a woman. I didn't care that this was my teacher, someone who had once given me a detention for not having my book.

I wanted him, and he wanted me.

The fingers slowly found their way to the front of my vest, sensually unbuttoning the six buttons. With each, the vest felt lighter, parting until it was open all of the way. Easily, his right index finger stroked its way up my tie until it found the Windsor knot and tugged at the loop. Slowly, it loosened and came undone, only to be tugged away until it was fully off. The hands came back, easing the vest off of me until my arms were freed and it was carefully tossed on top of my jacket.

I was vulnerable.

Without breaking eye contact, I stood, my body pressured tightly against him with as close as we were. With shaking hands, my fingers unbuttoned his vest, fumbling with the rasping breathe we both shared. Until at last his fingers intervened and helped me with the rest of the unopened buttons, until the vest was open. He shrugged it off of his shoulders.

"Are you sure about this?" For the first time that night, he whispered to me.

"I want you, Mr. Monaco," I finally admitted, a weight lifting off of my chest as he did. I had said it, and it seemed to soften him more. He smiled while my fingers loosely gripped the bottom of his tie.

"Call me James...my name."

I grinned up at him, "James." My grip tightened around the tie and pulled him towards me. Our open mouths mashed together with lust, and our tongues dueled like starving animals for one another. I fell backwards, dragging him with me until he was on top of me, his strong arms pinning mine against the bed. His lips wandered over, finding my ear with his tongue, tracing it downward to the earlobe.

His teeth nibbled lightly on the lobe, until I couldn't help but moan as I felt my cock harden to full mast. It mashed against his hard cock through the cloth that separated our naked bodies. Then down he traveled, lightly trailing kisses down my neck until I couldn't stand it.

"James!" I stifled my moan, grinding our crotches together. At last, his arms pulled away, and I was able to undo the buttons of his white cotton shirt underneath his tie. The collar came loose, each button undone enlarging a V shape as it opened up. Underneath, I could see a tangle of black chest hair, until the shirt opened fully. His arms shed it with desperation, and James threw it somewhere I couldn't see.

Now, with only the tie covering his torso, I could see James- Mr. Monaco, who covered my packets of graded notes with markings from his green Zebra ballpoint- for who he was. The abdomen was tight without being a six-pack, layered in a forest of black chest hair. The broad shoulders which had worn so many fitted button downs were now bare, with lightly tanned skin characteristic of having spent time in the sun shirtless.

Now more than ever I wanted him. My hands rubbed down his shoulders until they found his chest hair, the coarse hairs brushing in between my fingers as they did. James was an animal in that moment, his bulge seeming to harden more as he grinded against me and attacked my neck with deeper kisses. A sexy bear- my bear. My fingers continued to rub back and forth, petting the beast which would ravage me. My thumbs gently roamed further south until they found his nipples buried beneath the hairy jungle. As if by flicking a switch, James tensed and moaned into my neck. Carefully, I moved them back and forth, petting my bear's nipples as his arms held me tight to him. The grip tightened as my thumbs moved back and forth, spurring on more moaning as his tongue lathered my neck.

His strong hands loosened as mine found his back and began massaging his firm back. They moved down my body, their touch almost like the tingle of a light feather as the fingers raked my sides, moving lower until they met the black leather snake which was my belt. I quivered- not because of the chill in the air conditioned room but because I knew where they were going and I hoped to God they wouldn't turn back now.

His lips pulled away from the side of my neck, moving down to the front of my shirt collar until they found my jugular. Gently, it tickled the lump it found there, making me lose control. I arched my back towards James and felt a rough kiss on the same spot, until he leaned up and tackled my lips with his again. As he did, his fingers were finding their way closer together, belt loop after belt loop, until they made quick work of the buckle.

I got lost in his kiss as his tongue went into my mouth, my hands traveling down his body until they cupped his lower back. Before I knew what was happening, James had my tuxedo slacks undone and was rubbing the Jockey short bulge. My dick strained against the tight confines, begging for release. I couldn't help by sigh, beginning to wonder- for the first time in my life- what his hand would feel like wrapped around the shaft. Meanwhile, the other hand found the buttons of my shirt and began undoing them, until at last the sides were undone and he could see my chest through the slit between them.

Four years of basketball had kept my body in decent shape with a slight hint of a six pack, sprinkled with a light dusting of hair. At this sight, James paused long enough to look down at me. I still held him to me by his lower back, staring into his face what I couldn't help- the largest mixture of a smile and a blush. His eyes looked longingly at me, as if attempting to read what I was thinking.