Carmen sighed. The early morning start combined with the fact that she'd trudged through rain and sleet to make it into class that morning made her all the more irritable, and late. She had overslept and then lost her grasp of time in the shower that morning, which was very unlike her. "Not today, not today" she chanted as she hurried down the checked corridors. She absolutely loathed being the last one to arrive and attracting lots of attention, especially when it was a new teacher who would be greeting her. She finally arrived at the classroom entrance only to find the door shut. Mrs Simmons never used to close the door. Carmen let out a defeated puff of air from her lungs, tried to calm her rushed breathing, and knocked twice.
~~~
It was the winter semester at St. Clements College, and a restless throng of chatter circulated the first class of the day with speculations of who would be taking over the task of teaching English Literature full-time for the remainder of the year. They'd all adored Mrs Simmons, and the class rather resented having to give up their beloved teacher for a newcomer mid-term. Just as the gossip was reaching a new pitch the classroom door suddenly slammed shut, and a hush started to permeate the room as the clucking, and finally whispers, ebbed away to silence. Everyone's attention was focused on the tall, sinewy man who walked up to the front desk and dropped a pile of papers and books there with an audible 'thud', he then turned around to write Mr Dazstrinoff in an elegant hand across the board.
He turned back when he was finished to scan the room and take a look at the gathering of eager, new faces. His amber-brown eyes suddenly narrowed to slits as he heard two light knocks on the classroom door. He immediately dismissed them and said in a slow drawl, "The first thing you should all know about me is that I do not tolerate latecomers in my class, and if any of you enter after I do, you will not be received well." He shrugged off his long coat and carefully folded it over the chair behind the desk. Several pairs of eyes followed his movements as he proceeded towards the door.
As he hefted open the oak door he looked down to see a young woman, who could be no more than eighteen or nineteen years of age, shivering slightly from the chilled rain that had soaked through her coat and blue winter scarf. She smiled up at him tentatively and her topaz coloured eyes widened a little as a result. Her almond shaped eyes were fringed heavily with thick, black lashes and two delicately arched eyebrows sculpted her heart-shaped face. The rain clinged to her hair and she hurriedly swept her thick, blue-black braid behind her back. The subtle movement sent a small pearl of water cascading down her temple, past her dainty, straight-edged nose and the corner of her full lower lip until it finally reached her slender neck. The small bead caught his attention as it slipped past her collar and left a damp, wet trail behind on her skin. He abruptly looked up, and cleared his throat so quietly that nobody heard but her.
When Carmen looked up she was taken aback a little by the potent male looking down upon her. He wore a dark blue, silken shirt that stretched taut over his broad chest, his mid-night black hair flowed in waves past his shoulders, and when she met his gaze with her own she was intrigued by the most peculiar colour eyes she had ever seen; a faint ring of amber surrounding the outer part of his iris encased a rich brown with speckles of toasted honey.
"Is there a reason why you feel it is appropriate for you to walk into my class late, Miss...?"
"Carmen Dubinsky," she half-gasped as she was jolted out of her skin by his harsh tone. Her eyes drifted from his aristocratic nose and firm jaw line, to the sensual cruelty of his mouth as he looked down at her with an almost silent contempt. She stuttered a quiet apology, but not before she was ushered into the room by this man and asked to stand up in front of the class.
"You," he calmly stated, "will explain to your fellow students why you think it is okay to walk in late and interrupt everyone's progress."
Her skin was particularly sensitive that morning and it felt as if the harsh wind she'd walked through a few minutes before, together with the disapproving glares of those around her, had burnt her porcelain skin. Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink as she stepped forward and mumbled something unintelligible. She cast her gaze downwards and stared at her shoes waiting for someone to say something, anything.
"You may take your seat after you've handed these sheets out and recorded everyone's name on this register," he said to her in a dismissive tone. He picked up a pile of papers from his desk and held them out to her.
Carmen longed to stand up straight and glare at him openly. Her nails dug into her palm as she tightened her fists and curtly said "Yes sir." She took the pile of handouts from him without touching his hands, and made her way to the other side of the classroom where she wouldn't feel everyone's eyes laughing at her with amusement.
Just as she'd turned around and crossed the classroom she heard "Oh, and Miss Dubinsky?" from behind her. Carmen winced inwardly and turned around to look back at him. It was a mistake to look directly into his unusual eyes. They pierced through her and she held her breath. What was wrong with her? This man was humiliating her in front of everybody and had no regard for how he was making her feel. She wanted to make him sorry for how he'd spoken to her, she wanted to sneer at his contemptuous glare, she just wanted to thrust her tongue into his mouth with a violent kiss and wipe that smirk off his face!
"Do not enter my class late again unless you want to be in detention for the rest of the month," he said in a flat tone.
Carmen nodded in response and scrunched her eyes together tightly as she turned away from him again. Her nerves were fraught. To have an inappropriately sinful mental image of her teacher invade her head did not help. She automatically shoved the thought to the back of her mind and continued to hand out the papers.
~~~
As soon as class was over Carmen had hurried out of her seat without a backwards glance. She caught sight of her best friend Sahara in the corridor so she ran to catch up with her. Sahara beamed her Cheshire cat grin and instantly the tight knot in Carmen's chest eased away as she rushed over to hug her friend. Sahara instantly pulled her back from their hug and frowned at her.
"Are you ok Carmy!? You look like you're about to swing a cat at someone!"
"Oh I'm fine, just feeling a little irritable today," Carmen replied sheepishly.
The look on Sahara's face told Carmen she hadn't bought the lie, but she didn't press her to talk. Instead she enthusiastically asked, "Is that new English teacher any good by the way? Maybe this one will inspire me to pass English this year!" What's his name again?"
Carmen mumbled "Dazstrinoff" and rolled her eyes half-heartedly.
"Ok," Sahara said wrinkling her nose, "spill! What happened?"
