His Model Student: A Student-Teacher Romance

32. Morning after

[RECAP: Sera just spent the night at Mr Marek's after falling sick, but he's still refusing to lay a finger on her...]

If Mr Marek had checked on her later Sera wasn't aware of it as she had slept straight through. It was already daylight when she awoke. She felt much better but had the weak, hollow sensation of having had a fever.

She could smell coffee and actually felt hungry which was a good sign, since she hadn't eaten anything the day before.

She was in his bed!

If only he were there too. Sera was half tempted to wait until Mr Marek came upstairs to see how she was and then try to lure him in between the sheets.

Then she remembered she probably looked terrible, with her hair a complete mess and no make-up. She slid out of bed, put the robe on and crept to the bathroom.

One hot shower later - why did men never use conditioner? - and after attempting to brush her teeth with her finger and some toothpaste, she decided it was time to go downstairs. She had no choice but to wear the robe as her clothes were still in the study.

"Are you feeling better? You still look very pale," he greeted her. He looked amazing himself, well refreshed, his hair thick and dark, offsetting the flawless angles of his face.

And those lips... the very ones that had briefly made contact with hers. Twice.

"Much better, thank you."

"Well enough for some coffee? Breakfast?"

Sera accepted a coffee. She figured she could probably eat a piece of toast.

"Just a piece of toast? Nothing on it?" He was spreading butter on his. Proper butter, not the horrible spreadable low-fat stuff that Marisa kept in the fridge. Sera and her father were always sneaking real butter in.

"Just toast is fine." She sipped the coffee he handed to her and wondered whether she could drink it without sugar. It was very black and strong.

As if guessing her thoughts he pushed a sugar bowl to her. "If you take sugar."

It was a very weird situation, Sera thought. The kind of awkward morning-after scene that you might experience if you had just slept with someone. Except she had spent the night in a separate bed with a fever. If only she hadn't been ill, maybe it would have been quite a different night.

Though it was only because she had been ill that she was here at all. She half-wished it was full blown flu so she could have stayed with him for the week.

"Sorry for everything yesterday, and for cutting the session short," she said.

Mr Marek poured another coffee. "You're hardly to blame. Besides it just means we'll have to have one more session." His eyes locked on hers as he said this and Sera felt her stomach flip with anticipation and joy. One more chance to be alone with him. She would definitely not squander it by being ill again.

The doorbell rang. Mr Marek frowned. It was still early on Sunday morning, not the sort of time that one usually got callers. Too early for Jehovah's Witnesses even.

Sera felt a cold finger of dread that it was her parents at the door. But they were a hundred miles away, and besides they had no idea of this address. She had refused even to tell Lois and Joel where Mr Marek lived, lest they try to come round and peek through the windows one Saturday. Sera wouldn't have put anything past Lois. Or Joel, for that matter. Neither of them would have been able to resist.

He went to open the door and Sera heard a woman's voice. "So this is where you've been hiding out, Tarquin? I finally managed to get an address from Lionel. I don't know what you were thinking, quitting London without even leaving a forwarding address."