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"This is stupid," Maria said, and walked away too.
“Hey!” June called. “Victoria! Maria! We’re not done here!” But she knew it was another losing battle. For every moment of tiny victory this year - when a student found a book they loved or asked to talk to June after class about a poem they wrote and wanted to share - there were a thousand other moments like this. Dismissals, rejections, outright rage. And June didn’t have it in her anymore to fight.
She absentmindedly walked around the field, avoiding groups of children, which added to her her guilt and general shit demeanor. She walked over to a shady group of trees and leaned against one, enjoying the temperature change in the shade.
“Dammit,” she muttered to herself, leaning against the pine tree and looking over the lake. This wasn’t who she was - she wasn’t bitter, wasn’t this tired. But it was this year, wasn’t it? And that last comment - wasn’t Victoria right? If June didn’t go to work, who would actually hang out with her? She didn’t have a group of friends who weren’t teachers and she rarely hosted visitors from her college days anymore, as busy as everyone was with their own lives, partners, families. And god knows she didn’t have a partner.
As June watched a hawk swoop low over the lake, her mind flashed back to this morning. The taste of freshly brewed coffee, the scratch of blankets, the comfort of being taken care of. Did she have a partner for this week?
“Hey, June,” she heard, and she looked up to see Colin walking across the field, a collection of tools in his hands, as if summoned by June’s thoughts. She gave a pathetic wave in return. Colin continued in her direction, jostling the tools so he could wave back. “I was doing some small repairs over on the archery range and was headed back to my place to store some tools.” June grunted her response, still frowning and not quite able to look him in the eye.
“Do you want to head back to my place for a bit with me? Talk? You seem stressed."
"You're so smart," June snapped, then sighed, gently banging her head against the tree behind her. "Sorry, I'm being a bitch right now. I am just so frustrated and tired and ugh!"
"C'mon," he said, taking her by the hand and leading her away from the group. June was done caring. Done caring if kids saw her and Colin together, done trying to make students happy when she couldn't figure out what made her happy. It was a few minutes walk to Colin's house, and June already felt a sense of peace when she saw the tiny building. The walk had calmed her down a bit, and she had reluctantly admitted to herself that she was letting an offhand comment by a kid get to her.
"I'm sorry," she said, kicking off her sandals in the doorway. "Hi, Muir." The cat came over to give her a welcoming sniff again, and she reached down to pet his back, but he ran off quickly, hopping onto the kitchen table to look for Colin.
"Chin first, then back or belly," Colin said, demonstrating. Muir purred loudly. "Good boy," he said, pressing a kiss to the cat's nose. He walked into the living room and sat on the couch.
"MurderCouch," June commented as she sat down. Colin chuckled and June laid back, putting her feet in his lap. She looked up at the ceiling and studied a small crack in a corner.
"Do you want to talk or just sit?"
"Talk."
"Do you want advice or do you just want me to listen?"
"Listen."
"Okay."
June took a breath, ordered her thoughts, then unloaded on Colin. She ranted about how she was so tired of giving everything and getting nothing in return, to her school, to her students. She ranted about how parents turned to her for advice on how to fix the problems they caused. She ranted about how she had no social life because she was going to plays, recitals, and games for her students but barely got a thank you email at the end of every school year. She ranted about how she felt guilty for wanting the praise. She ranted about how she didn't know if she was good at anything besides teaching, and where would that land her, because it was clear she didn't want to do it anymore. She ranted about student loans and never being able to pay them back and the politicians in Washington who let it happen. She ranted about being lonely and angry and kids picking up on it and her embarrassment that they saw through her.
She ranted and Colin sat there, nodding along, sipping from his water bottle, occasionally switching to the cold cup of coffee on the counter. Finally, she ran out of things to rant about, and she took a deep breath, picked up her water bottle, and took a gulp.
“June,” Colin said, setting down his water bottle.
“Hmm?”
“I love this conversation,” he turned around and faced her on the couch, moving her legs off of his own. “But I am really having a hard time not kissing you right now and we literally only have 45 more minutes until we both need to be supervising children.”
“Oh?” June set down her own bottle and ran a tongue over her bottom lip.
“Yeah,” Colin whispered, and reached for her on the couch. June felt herself drawn towards him as he slipped his palms along her thighs. Their lips met and the kiss quickly turned hot, tongues sliding and reaching. June tasted coffee, of course, but something that she had come to discern as simply Colin - earthy and masculine. She inched closer, wrapping her arms around his body, overwhelmed by her desire to taste more.
“It seems I was struggling too,” June said, sliding her lips from Colin’s so she could run her tongue along his jaw. Colin shuddered and June slid her tongue down the side of his throat, then, taking a risk, nipped her teeth at the place where his neck and shoulder met.
“Ugnh,” came the noise from Colin’s mouth. June smiled against his shoulder, continued to work the skin with her lips and her teeth.
“I want your shirt off,” June said to his skin, unsure of where this new energy was coming from. Seconds ago, she had been spilling her heart and soul out to Colin, and now all she wanted to do was lick every inch of his body and suck his cock until he was dry. She felt herself grow wet at the imagery of his dick in her mouth and she pulled back and helped Colin remove his shirt and toss it to the floor.
June took a moment to take in Colin’s chest. He was lean - a hiker or a runner, of course, she thought - but there were slight ridges of muscles that rippled over his bones in a way that made June want to curl around him like a cat. Feel the edges of her softness push into the angles of his body. She placed her palms on Colin’s chest and gently pushed him back on the couch so his head was resting against the arm and June could crawl over him. She rested her chin on his chest for just a second, felt his heartbeat against her cheek.
This is where I want to be, came a thought through her brain. She quickly dismissed it and reminded herself that this was about relief, about sex, about a physical connection that she was chasing for a week. June picked up her head a few inches, and pressed a kiss to Colin’s sternum. A slight dusting of hair swirled around his nipple, and made a light path down to Colin’s belly button. June slid her lips over to a nipple, licked it lightly. She was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath from Colin.
“Christ, June,” Colin muttered. June felt another wave of wetness flood her underwear at the sound of her name whispered from his mouth.
