Page 79 of Surrender
Max smiled at her, and a few seconds later, she felt his hand on the back of her thigh. Colbie immediately stepped away from him, shocked at his audacity.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Colbie questioned.
Max tilted his head at her. “It’s fine. Banks and I are the same age,” he responded, reaching out and placing his hand on her waist. Colbie batted it away, taking steps back as Max narrowed his eyes at her. “What? Is he the only boy you sleep with?”
“First, do not put your hands on me; it’s inappropriate. Second, and not that it’s any of your business, but I don’t sleep with boys.”
Colbie wasn’t lying; she didn’t because she’d stopped considering Dallis to be a boy long ago. He’d shown her otherwise and treated her better than she had been in her past relationships. Colbie learned in dating him that her past partner’s ages weren’t the defining factor of them being men. Max was also wrong. He and Dallis were not the same age.
“Then what was he doing here last week after school?”
“The same thing any other student tends to be doing, asking about grades, attempting to make up missed assignments for a better average. Things you should have been doing before you got to this point,” Colbie shot back.
She didn’t owe Max an explanation, but she got the feeling that if she told him as such, or that it was none of his business, it would only push his agenda of thinking she was sleeping with Dallis further and while she was, he didn’t need to know that.
Max didn’t respond; he just began to pack his things up, slinging the strap of his backpack over his shoulder. He started past her, pausing as he spoke. “If you change your mind, just know I’m willing,” he informed her before continuing as his arm purposely brushed her breast.
“I will not be changing my mind,” Colbie responded. “You are not allowed to be in this classroom when Jenna is not. And if you so much as look at me inappropriately, I will fail you.” That caused Max to pause and turn to look at her. “I will refuse to teach you and tell the entire faculty why.”
Colbie saw fear and uncertainty flash in Max’s eyes before he turned and left. She stood there for a moment, stunned, before returning to the board and continuing to erase it. She remembered the conversation Max could have heard between her and Dallis. Colbie didn’t think he’d been standing there from the start of the conversation. She also felt that he was guessing with as quickly as he’d given up on the subject, or maybe he was using it as a way to shoot his shot. Who knew?
She hadn’t expected to have another one of her students come on to her. She figured Dallis would be the only one. Colbie didn’t think another one would be as bold. When it came to boldness, Dallis had it in abundance.
With a sigh, she finished the board and began to pack her things up. As she did, she debated whether or not to tell Dallis about what happened with Max. She knew the possible outcome of her doing so. However, she also didn’t want to keep it from him because she wouldn’t want him to keep something like this from her.
Our man’s going to be pissed,GiGi stated, and she knew it was true.
Colbie decided to tell him Sunday morning. With prom being tomorrow evening, telling him before then wouldn’t be a good idea. She knew that Dallis was going, and though she didn’t know if Max was, the school board, for some reason, had decided to let all seniors attend regardless of their graduate status as long as they were enrolled in the summer weeks.
If Max passed, they would see each other at graduation, but Colbie was hoping Dallis would have cooled down by then.
Colbie headed out of her classroom and out of the school. After that encounter, she needed a glass of wine and to relax with some soft music. She knew that Dallis was working with his dad that evening, so she wouldn’t see him tomorrow until prom since she was a chaperone.
Pulling out of the parking lot, Colbie decided to stop and get a bottle of her favorite wine on her way home. She had one but got the feeling she would need another.
When Colbie agreed to chaperone prom at the beginning of the year when the teachers were divvying up dances, she hadn’t known at the time that she’d be dating Dallis. She’d told herself that it was fine. It would be like any day at school, and she’d be able to go and keep it professional.
Colbie had not counted on how good Dallis would look in his suit. It was the first time Colbie saw him in one, and she was ready for the dance to be over, for him to finish with whatever after-prom activity he planned to participate in and calm down the heat that had just bloomed between her legs.
He was wearing a deep blue suit, with a white shirt and slate gray tie. He’d walked into the event hall with Hayden and his cousin Callie. Colbie wasn’t sure if she was Dallis’ plus one or Hayden’s. Colbie had first thought Hayden was a junior because of how old he was, but Dallis told her Hayden had an early birthday.
It didn’t take long for his eyes to find her, and when they did, they swept slowly over her, and she could see that they both had the same idea. Colbie hadn’t dressed over the top for the event. After all, she was only chaperoning. However, she’d opted for a black dress. It was sleeveless, secured around her neck with a split on the left side that stopped right above her knee. She’d straightened her hair, leaving it down, and put on minimal makeup.
Colbie’s attention was pulled from Dallis to some of her other students coming over to talk to her. She’d spoken to several in the time she’d been there. The dance was from seven to eleven. The chaperones had shown up half an hour before it started, and she’d been there almost two hours at this point. There were only two and a half hours left.
“Ms. Morris, you look beautiful,” Jenna stated as she joined the group Colbie was speaking to.
“Thank you, Jenna. You look gorgeous. This color suits you,” Colbie responded.
She spoke to the young ladies for the next few minutes before they wandered off to talk to some of their classmates. Colbie surveyed the room momentarily before making her way over to one of the tables. She’d been on her feet since she’d gotten there and decided to sit down for a moment.
Colbie felt a pair of eyes on her, and with the heat, she felt journeying through her body, she knew it was Dallis. She didn’t try to seek him out, knowing she wouldn’t need to. Even in a room full of people, she knew he wouldn’t stay away from her the entire night.
The music flowing from the speakers was loud enough to fill the space but not so much that you couldn’t hear someone beside you speaking. So, it was that reason Colbie could hear the chair behind her being pulled out.
“You look beautiful,” Dallis complimented; the cologne he was wearing filtered into Colbie’s senses, and it was arousing. “I’ll enjoy getting you out of that dress later.”
Before Colbie could respond, the legs of the chair scraped across the floor again, and he walked off. She only sat there for a few seconds before Hayden approached her.
