| |
––––––––
Maelie
Maelie was in no better mood Monday afternoon when it was time to leave for her lessons. It hadn’t stopped snowing since the day before, and there was nearly six inches on the ground now. As she bundled up in her warmest coat, scarf, gloves, and boots, she sent up a prayer that her car, Charlie, would make it to work in one piece.
He barely ran in good weather, add a windchill below zero and a foot of snow, and he was basically a giant roller skate on ice.
“Hey, baby,” she cooed to the car as she cleared the snow off the windshield, “Ready for an adventure?”
Somehow, maybe a miracle, he started on the first try, and she collapsed back into her torn vinyl seat with relief. It crinkled loudly in the cold. “Thank you,” she told him, running her hand over the steering wheel. “You’re a good boy.”
She let him run for a little while before gingerly backing out of her spot and into traffic. It was a slow-go, and she was grateful she had decided to leave extra early that day.
It took a full hour to get through her normally thirty-minute drive, but she was thrilled to have arrived at all. The parking lot was almost completely empty, and she groaned when she realized most of her students were probably going to cancel on her. From the looks of it, a lot of teachers had elected to stay home as well. Shit. She should have called them all before she left to make sure they were going to attend.
Would Sebastian be there?. “Don’t be stupid, Mae,” she scolded herself for being silly. She didn’t care if she ever saw him again, and it wasn’t like she wasn’t seeing him in her dreams anyway, annoyingly enough.
The store was extra quiet when she entered, not a soul was shopping. She threw a “hello” at the bored counter clerk and headed back to her studio. Only about half of the usual rooms were occupied, and her heart sunk a little when she noticed the light was off in one particular room.
She sighed, mostly disappointed in herself for being disappointed. At least she’d have some silence for the night.
As she unwound from all her winter gear and set up her room for lessons, thinking about how obnoxious he had been the night before, an idea popped into her head that shocked her.
It was simple, really. The studio rooms did not have locks. And if she went in and “moved” Sebastian’s speakers, he wouldn’t be able to torture her so much or have any proof that she had anything to do with it. She paused from setting up her room and smiled, not unlike the Grinch.
The idea of besting him made her stomach thrill, and as she continued to get ready, the perfect idea took form in her brain. By the time she was done warming up on her Kreisler Prelude, she was committed.
Her entire body felt like an exposed electric wire as she peeked out of her room and down the hall. No one was around. She waited a beat to make sure she didn’t hear any voices coming her way, and after a deep breath, she snuck into his room. With a squeal of sheer thrill, she pulled the cord from the wall, wrapped it around the very small but very expensive set of speakers, and darted back to her room like a mouse stealing cheese.
Her heart was pounding so hard, she thought she might have a heart attack. She had never, ever done anything like this in her entire life. The fact that it felt so good was slightly disturbing.
She waited a few minutes for her heart rate to settle and her cheeks to return to their natural color before she committed to the rest of her brilliant plan.
“Miss Barre,” Mr. Hanson greeted her with a bright smile as she came into his office. “Good afternoon.” He was sitting behind his large desk, typing away at his computer, nearly lost in a giant green sweater. He typed a few more things before he turned his full attention to her. “What can I do for you? Did you make it in okay?”
She smiled. “I did, thank you. It sure is coming down out there.”
“That it is,” he agreed. “Someone said earlier that we’re expecting a full foot before tomorrow.”
She let out a low whistle. “Not looking forward to that.”
He chuckled. “I doubt anyone is at this point; it’s been a tough winter.” He nodded to the speakers she was cradling in her arms. “Whatchya got there?”
“Oh.” She felt her cheeks redden yet again. “I’m making a delivery for Mr. Adams. He was trying to find a new home for his speakers, and I suggested that maybe you would want them.” Even as she said it, she couldn’t believe these words were coming out of her mouth. She was stealing, for the first time in her life. With a swallow she walked up to his desk and set the bundle on it. “They’re pretty new, I think. Do you think you’d like to use them?”
Mr. Hanson’s eyes brightened. “They’re Mr. Adams’s you say?” He rubbed his chin in temptation and then handled the speakers. “They sure are nice. Are you sure he wants to give them away?”
“Oh, absolutely, you know guys like him, always buying the newest things.” Where was this coming from? She was both amazed and horrified by what was coming out of her mouth.
“Right, that sounds right ... Well, of course I’d love to have them.” He smiled up at her. “That was very kind of you to suggest your poor old boss.”
“My pleasure,” she said brightly, feeling victory wash over her. “Need some help setting them up? I have a few minutes before my first student comes in, if they show of course.”
“Oh, that would be wonderful, I’m terrible at these things.” He put his hands up in a helpless manner.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered.”
Within ten minutes she had his phone, laptop, and tablet connected to the speakers, and he was happily listening to Steely Dan by the time she left the room.
She heard him say, “Man that sound is amazing,” as she snuck out the door.
She let out a nervous giggle when she got back to her room and took a deep breath. What had she just done?
––––––––
Sebastian
Sebastian got to the studio far later than he had planned that afternoon. The snow had slowed traffic to a near stand-still, and his mood had tanked with each inch he crept.
Once he arrived, he entered the store and shook off the snow with irritated swipes of his hands. After stomping the snow off his boots, he wandered through the vacant store and back to his studio, noting with surprise how quiet it was. It seemed there was maybe a third of the normal teachers in.
The sudden thought that Miss Barre might not be there at all made his mood even darker. Fucking snow. He should be in Rome right now with the band instead of Chicago in fucking February. He grumbled aloud to no one.
When he saw the light on in her room and heard the sounds of a young student scratching out a version of “Twinkle, Twinkle,” he was shocked at how much lighter his mood became. At the very least, he would have the pleasure of irritating her until she burst into his room all pink-cheeked again.
It was that very sight that had haunted him all weekend. His imagination had worked overtime over the long nights, coming up with a million different ways to turn her cheeks pink without making her angry.
The recurring image of her naked body on his bed, her wild hair spread all around her made him groan aloud as he pushed his way into his studio.
He only had one student this evening, but by the looks of the deserted studio, he wasn’t sure if said kiddo would show up. It didn’t matter, he was here, he would at least get some practice in. He peeled his heavy wool coat off and got his horn ready to play.
When he turned to pop on his speakers, he froze.
They were gone.
He scratched his head and looked around the small room. Still nowhere. He looked behind the piano they normally sat on.
Still no.
Shit. Had he taken them home? No, he distinctly remembered leaving them there.
He was about to go look in other studios when he heard Maelie’s voice through the wall, and it hit him. Holy fuck. She took them. He let out a laugh of disbelief and felt his cock pull slightly with desire. What he wouldn’t give to kiss the fuck out of her in retaliation.
Women usually didn’t surprise him, in fact, he found them irritatingly predictable. But not Maelie. And he liked it. He liked it far more than he should.
He wasn’t angry at all, he was thrilled, after all, speakers were replaceable. What she didn’t know is that she had just opened up an opportunity to visit her studio for once, and if she gave him the slightest indication she wanted him, he was going to kiss her until she couldn’t stand, and then he was going to leave her in a puddle of her own making.
The very minute her student left and there was no sign of another one, he put his horn down and knocked on her studio door.
She answered it with a calm, innocent expression that he very much wanted to kiss away. She looked good enough to snack on for hours in her black leggings and fuzzy purple sweater. God, the things he would do to her ...
She cleared her throat and slipped her hands up to her curvy hips.
“I’m sorry, did you say something?” he asked
“Yeah,” she clipped. “I asked if you wanted something.”
He almost told her what he had just been thinking but thought better of it. Instead he pushed past her into her studio. It smelled of vanilla and cardamom, and it made him dizzy. Pictures her students had drawn her, thank-you letters, cards, notes, and a whole collection of sweet things hung on her walls. But. No. Speakers.
He turned back to her, her hands were still on her hips and her eyes were flashing with irritation and something else. Something that looked a lot like amusement. “Where are they?” he demanded.
She managed to look affronted. “Where are what?”
“My speakers.”
“In your studio, I would imagine,” she answered easily, impressing him with her coolness. “Why are you looking in here? You don’t think I took them, do you?”
“I do,” he told her, taking a step closer.
Her breath caught and he could see her eyes flicker toward the open door. “W-well I didn’t.”
“You did,” he pressed, stepping even closer, he felt the electric pull of her body on his. As if she felt it too, she stepped backward until her rump was against the wall. “I’m sure of it.”
She looked afraid for the tiniest of moments, but it melted away, and to his surprise, she gave him the most dangerous smile he had ever seen instead. Her lips pursed. “Prove it.” Her words came out slowly and her eyes flashed with defiance.
Christ, this woman. Desire flared in him like a summer storm, and he was about to kiss her beautiful, lying mouth when there was a knock at the door.
“A-hem,” Mr. Hanson said, clearing his throat from the doorway, his round face was about as red as it could be.
Seb stepped back from Maelie, whose chest was rising and falling from the same desire he was feeling.
“Sorry to interrupt.” He pressed his hands together apologetically. “I just wanted to say thank you for the speakers, Mr. Adams, that was very kind of you. Miss Barre dropped them off,” he explained. “And I absolutely love them.”
Seb let out a laugh, shaking his head, and pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek to keep from saying something inappropriate. “Is that so?” he asked, shooting a look at the gorgeous thief.
“Yep,” Mr. Hanson answered happily, rocking back on his heels. “She even helped me get them set up, isn’t that wonderful?”
He stared at Maelie who didn’t move an inch. “Just. Wonderful.”
“Anyway,” he went on, “I wanted to make sure I thanked you before you left for the night.”
Tearing his eyes away from Maelie’s heated face and devilishly amused eyes, he turned back to Mr. Hanson. “I’m so glad you like them.”
“Just amazing sound quality.” He shook his head in wonder. “Welp, I’m heading home for the night.” He patted the door frame and then pointed at them. “Make sure you two drive home safe.”
“We will,” Seb answered. Maelie nodded.