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“And I would prefer if it was just us, away from the other teachers.” June said. Colin waited for her to continue but June shook her head. “That’s it. That’s the whole sentence.”
“No buts?”
“No buts,” June said. “Except yours and mine hanging out together.” She grimaced at her joke. “Sorry, my humor lands a lot better with 11 and 12 year olds.”
“I tell a mean fart joke,” Colin supplied.
“I mostly spend my days trying to get kids not to draw dicks on everything and never having kids open a book to page 69,” June laughed. “They don’t even know what 69 is, but they’ve seen it online and know it has to do with sex, so it’s every kid’s favorite number. That, or 420. At least they know that one has to do with weed.”
“I enjoy both of those numbers,” Colin said, his voice a growl. June felt a tug below her belly button, felt her pulse kick up by a degree. Colin looked at June pointedly and June opened her mouth to make a smart ass reply, but found that she had lost the ability to remember words. She had to have known words at some point, right? She had studied English at VU, read thousands of pages of essays and novels. She had taught English for a decade. Words were something she must have experienced in her life.
At that moment, words had become something she didn’t understand. Because all that filled her mind at the moment was Colin, his eyes smoky, his lips quirked to one side, dirty thoughts seeping out of every pore of his body. She took in the way he leaned towards her slightly, a dark spot of a human contrasting with the white bark of the aspens behind him, the sun beginning to break through the clouds.
“Yes,” June said, remembering one word, the most important word. She leaned into Colin and met his lips with her own. She felt Colin let out a breath and his shoulders relaxed as she rested her forehead against his, twin smiles on their faces.
Colin pulled away with a groan. “We should probably get back. I’m on serving duty this morning and Cara gets mad when I’m late.” June got up and dusted the sawdust from her butt and tried not to notice Colin staring at her ass, but enjoyed the bloom of attraction between them. They walked towards the edge of the outdoor classroom and were just about to step out of the clearing when Colin reached a hand out and gently clasped June’s wrist, his long fingers wrapping around the delicate skin, stroking slightly, communicating with his hands what his intentions were.
June turned around to face Colin, and he was staring intensely at her, eyes zeroed in on her lips, and June said a prayer of thanks to the Morning Gods that she had remembered to brush her teeth. They moved together slowly, remembering what each other’s lips had felt like last night but exploring in the light of the morning, without the cloud of a late night and beer and learning each other’s bodies. Colin’s lips gently pried open June’s and she stroked her tongue against his, tasting coffee and toothpaste. His hands slid down her back, rested again on her hips, his fingertips digging in slightly as he pulled her body closer and closer to his. June’s hands toyed with the hairs at the back of Colin’s neck and she remembered how a slight scrape of her nails had elicited tiny shivers on their walk back from the bar.
June pulled back, then pressed a kiss to the corner of Colin’s mouth, then lower, her lips catching on the scruff that remained from the previous evening. She nipped the edge of his jaw and he groaned, a rumble moving through his chest. He lightly swatted June on her hip, “Easy there,” he grumbled. “I have to work this morning and you’re making it difficult.” June pulled back, chewing on her lip, and glanced down. His joggers were tight in the front and she felt a surge of pride, knowing that it was her kiss that was able to pull this kind of physical reaction out of him so soon into their…what was it?
June’s brain had autocompleted that sentence with “relationship” but this wasn’t a relationship, not when they had just met and she was leaving on Friday. But something about the way they had shared their feelings and experiences last night, not to mention how comfortable June felt around Colin physically, had June thinking this wasn’t just a hookup. They had made plans to spend the evening together, to talk, to have dinner together, to also continue to explore the physical connection between them. At least she hoped they would continue that journey.
Not a relationship, not a hookup, so something else. June’s mind didn’t do in-betweens well - she needed distinct answers, firm directions with which to head. It was one of the reasons she was looking forward to this week - her professional life was full of gray areas and questions and June needed to clarify things
“Hey,” Colin said softly, snapping June out of her thoughts.
“Oh, sorry,” June said automatically. “I got lost in my brain. It happens a fair amount.”
“All good,” Colin said, tugging on a curl that had fallen in front of her eyes. “But really, we should get back.” He kissed the tip of her nose, slid his hand down her arm, and clasped their hands together, just as he had done on their evening walk back to camp. She let him lead her out of the clearing, studying the ways his body moved as he stepped over rocks and sticks, making sure to let June know when there was an especially tricky step.
Once they were in sight of the dining hall, June paused and dropped Colin’s hand. “Kids will notice anything,” she explained. “I already have enough time getting these kids to trust me and not make fun of me, so the last thing I need to do is to give them more things to latch on to.” June hated the notes of cynicism in her voice, especially considering how trusting and open she used to be with her students. Colin didn’t press, though. Didn’t seem to judge. Just nodded, wrapped both hands around his coffee mug, and stayed close to June as they continued to walk, their shoulders occasionally brushing more times than would have been expected, a way of continuing their connection in a way that June felt more comfortable with.
“Everything good?” Kevin asked from the balcony, saluting them with his coffee mug.
“Huh?” came June’s eloquent reply.
“Did you get help with what you needed?” Kevin asked, fake concern dripping from his voice. June and Colin stopped in their tracks.
“Fuck,” June muttered as Colin lightly smacked himself on the forehead. “I mean, yes, I helped Col figure things out. I mean carry things. Or was it unloading things?” She grimaced and looked over at Colin, who was laughing as he tugged off his beanie. She couldn’t help but join in with an embarrassed giggle as they climbed the flight of stairs up to the balcony to join Kevin.
“Yes, everything is great, Kevin. Thank you so much for asking.” Colin shoved the beanie in his pocket. “I have to go help serve breakfast and make the morning announcements,” he said. “I have a few phone calls today and a staff check in after lunch, but, uh - “ Colin looked nervously to June. “Maybe you could skip the dining hall for dinner tonight?”
“I’d like that,” June smiled. “You know where to find me.”
“What are your plans for the day?” Colin asked, turning his body and making an effort to include Kevin in the conversation.
“I think we’re just having a casual morning around camp, then I’m going to lock June in the Teacher’s Cabin until she writes at least three cover letters,” Kevin said. Colin raised his eyebrows at June.
“I’m figuring my shit out,” she explained. “As you know from my rants last night.”
“Good luck,” Colin said, giving a slight bow. The corner of June’s mouth picked up in a tiny smile as he looked up through his lashes and his eyes met hers.
“Maybe next time you can ask me to help,” Kevin said, flirting as Colin walked away towards the kitchen.
“You are married, sir!” June said.
“Why would that have anything to do with carrying things?” He asked innocently. “Or whatever you did.” Kevin shot her a sarcastic glance as he headed into the dining hall.
