Bad Teacher

“Damn right, I would. And who cares about abs anyway? I just wanted the ice cream.”

She holds up her hand. “High five!” And I slap hers. “Now, let’s go get some ice cream.”

* * *

That same night

Hours later, Lesley drags me to a club, but when I see where she’s taking me, I stop in my tracks.

“Oh, no … I’ve changed my mind.”

“Why?” She grabs my hand. “Nothing’s wrong with this place.”

“I know. I’m just … Can’t we just go watch a movie or something?”

She seems flabbergasted, but then she laughs. “Stop joking around. Let’s go have some fun. You obviously need it.”

I guess that’s what happens when you tell your best friend you got sick from being nervous. Of course, it’s a lie, but she doesn’t know, and she thinks this place will make me relax.

Unfortunately, it’s the same place I met Mr. Thomas Hard.

“C’mon, it can’t be that bad,” she says, pulling me along. “I’m here. That’s more than you need to have fun.” She playfully sticks out her tongue as she drags me through the doors.

“Fine,” I mumble as she gives me a stern look.

“Yay! I’m buying,” she cheers, as we walk to the bar. “Two tequilas, please.”

“Aren’t you two a bit too young for this place?” The bartender narrows his eyes.

With a smug smile, Lesley pulls out her ID and shows it to him. With suspicion, he checks it but doesn’t say a word.

Lesley purses her lips. “I’m the good kind of young. The legal-but-still-smoking-hot kind of young.”

“And her?” The bartender looks at me now.

Lesley eyes me. “C’mon, Hailey, show him.” She winks.

I reach into my pocket and pull out my card. He inspects it thoroughly, almost as if he sees something.

“All right. Two tequilas coming up.” He walks off, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

Lesley leans sideways. “I told you it would work,” she whispers. “These cards are magic!”

“I’m so glad I didn’t need it last time,” I whisper. “And I’m sure as hell glad he didn’t notice they were fake. But what if we get caught next time?”

“We won’t,” she says. “Not when you’ve got these lips and these eyes to lie our way through it.” She points at her own face, then her tits. “I mean, who can resist this?”

I laugh a little. “Big head much?”

“Not at all, actually,” she muses, shrugging.

I shove her, and she almost falls off her stool. “Whoa!”

“Sorry,” I say, still laughing. “No, I’m not.”

“Of course, you aren’t. Be careful, or I’mma hook you up with the nearest old guy.”

“Please don’t,” I say, making a face. “I’ve had enough of men for a while.”

“Oh, so he was old?” she says, narrowing her eyes.

“I didn’t say that.”

“I can see when you’re lying, Hailey,” she says, smirking. “But he probably wasn’t that old. Fifty. Forty? Thirty?” When my eye twitches, she says, “AH-HA!”

“Here are your drinks,” the bartender interrupts, placing two glasses in front of us.

I quickly pick it up and take a sip.

“So he’s a thirty-something hot guy.”

“I didn’t say anything,” I say, coughing because the drink burns my throat.

“You don’t need to. I can read your face like a book.”

I raise my brow. “Do I look like a Harlequin romance?”

She picks up her tequila. “No, more like a Fifty Shades of Grey.”

My eyes widen.

“Oh, god.” She almost spits out her drink but manages to swallow it, then slams her glass down. “You’re kidding. It is? He was like Grey? Did he spank you? Tie you up?”

“Shhhh!” I say.

“What? It’s not like anyone can hear us with this music blasting through the speakers,” she says. “C’mon, I wanna know. Give me the good stuff. My own sex life sucks.”

“Like mine is so great. I only did it with one guy.”

“Yeah, but he was smoking hot, and you guys did kinky stuff, didn’t you? I mean, that’s definitely worth talking about and swooning over.” She sucks on her lip. “C’mon, Hailey, I won’t tell a soul, I promise.”

“You promise?” I lower my eyes.

“Pinky swear on my current non-existent sex life.” She holds up her pinky and shakes mine.

“Fine, yes, he was in his thirties, and the sex was straight up kinky.”

She squeals. Too late do I cover her mouth with my hand. “Stop yelling!”

“I can’t. It’s too fucking cool. Like you literally went from zero to a hundred in terms of sex.”

“I know, but just keep it between us, okay?”

“I promise, but you gotta stop feeling ashamed.” She places her hand on my upper arm. “There’s nothing wrong with having sex, and there’s nothing wrong with talking about it.” She smiles. “So … what did he do?”

I grab my tequila and take another sip as she hangs on my lips. “Well, he kind of tied me up… and spanked me.”

“Both? Oh, my god.” She fans herself, grabbing her tequila. “I definitely need this drink now.”