Teach a Teacher a Lesson
Chapter 15

After finishing his shower, Sam opened his wardrobe to replace something nice for his day out with Rita. He didn't have much with him as he was mostly wearing his uniform, but he liked blue shirts a lot and had bought a few new ones the last time he went shopping in Marseille. He chose a darker shade one, which was short-sleeved and matched his jeans well. For a moment, he considered trousers, which would have given a semblance of formality to their outing but quickly changed his mind as the day he was planning to offer Rita required the freedom of movement that only casual clothes could provide.

So used was he to wearing a hat at work that it felt odd to him now that he had to style his hair. He squeezed a handful of gel out of the tube and tousled his hair the way he did when he was a teenager. It wasn't that easy though since he kept it shorter now, but glancing in the mirror, he thought he looked good. He wondered if this would remind Rita who he was. He smiled at himself. It was funny that after almost a week of him being in her face all the time, she hadn't yet realized he was her former student. Of course, at times, even he couldn't recognize his young self in the mirror. He touched the bump on his nose. Ever since he broke it during a mock-up boxing fight in the army, it changed his face and made him look like a completely different person. Having a full beard and being much taller than what he used to be as a teenager also added to that.

Sam picked up his cell phone and glanced at the clock on the screen. He wondered if it was still too early but dialed his friend's number anyway. A croaky voice replied. "Good morning, Spyro. Did I wake you up, mate?"

"Hey, Sam. You did, but that's okay. Where have you been? It's so long since I last saw you. Are you not on the Dancer anymore?"

"Still here. Where else could I be?" Sam laughed. "Sorry, mate, I know it's been a while since I visited."

"Well, I kept seeing the ship on the dock and wondering if you would show up, but I guess you couldn't get the time off."

"Yeah, things have been a bit hectic here, but today I will be at your restaurant once we reach Corfu," Sam said.

"Awesome. I'll make your favorite, and we'll catch up."

"We will, however, I need a favor."

"Ha! Let me guess! A new conquest is coming along?" Spyro said and laughed loudly. "Shall I prepare the regular then and champagne with strawberries for dessert?" "Well, this is a very special occasion, and I need something different."

"Oh... like what?"

"Here's the thing, mate. The lady I am bringing with me is an old flame, and to top that, it's her birthday today. So, I want her to have the best day of her life. Cook one of your specialties for us and organize something extra romantic... flowers, music... you know..."

"Got it! Don't worry! I'll have it all ready. What time are you coming?"

"We dock at 2, so let's say about 3. Her name is Rita by the way. You'll need it for the cake, right?"

"Sure! I'll have Tereza make a special one for her."

"Oh, how is Tereza?" Sam asked, with evident interest in his voice.

"Well, my sister will be disappointed to see you bring another woman here yet again. You know she has the hots for you."

"Bah, you know she's like a sister to me too."

"Oh, I do! It's her who thinks otherwise." Spyro guffawed in Sam's ear.

"So, mate, can I count on you?" Sam asked.

"Hey, have I ever let you down?"

"No, never!" Sam said. "Thanks, Spyro. I really appreciate it. I'll see you later then."

"Later, man."

Sam smiled, satisfied. The first part of his plan for the day had gone well. Now he was ready to move on to the next stage, and that involved going to Rita's cabin. He dialed her number, hoping she was awake. "Good morning, Sam," Rita said happily.

"Good morning, baby. Are you ready?"

"For what? We're still at sea, aren't we? I haven't even got out of bed yet."

"Well, get ready then, and I'll come by in half an hour. We'll have breakfast, spend some time together on board, and then I have plans for us ashore."

"Sounds great to me. See you in a bit."

Sam put the phone in his pocket and headed to the kitchen. He had some orders to give before Rita got there too. Everything had to be perfect and waiting for her.

***

Sam knocked on Rita's door. She opened and smiled at him. Sam gasped. "You are gorgeous," he said, giving her a once-over. Rita was wearing a red strapless knee-length dress and had her hair up in a loose bun. "You look great too."

Sam gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Thanks, love. Shall we go then?" He offered her his arm.

"I wonder what you have planned for today," Rita said as she was closing the door behind her. She took hold of Sam's arm and stepped closer to him.

"It's all a big surprise," he replied and whisked her away.

Once they were in the dining room, Sam led her to a table with a huge bouquet on. He picked it up and gave it to her. "This is for you."

Rita took the red and white roses in her hands and whiffed the bouquet. "They are lovely. Where did you replace them?" she asked, smiling at him.

Sam wondered which corridor vase had lost its contents again. He had asked one of the kitchen staff to replace him some flowers. "Secret," Sam replied. "Have a seat." He pulled a chair back for her.

"Thanks, but shouldn't we go to the buffet first and get something to eat?" she asked, pointing to the row of tables at one side of the room, displaying a feast for the passengers.

"It's all been taken care of," Sam replied and motioned her to sit down.

The moment they were seated, a waiter appeared and placed a tray on their table. Sam picked the lid up to reveal a platter full of pancakes.

"Pancakes? How did you know? My favorite breakfast and I haven't had those for a while. I had to watch my diet."

"You are perfect. You don't need to worry about your diet, and besides, I love pancakes too."

Rita took the honey the waiter had brought and poured a handful over her helping. She had a bite and chewed slowly to savor the taste. "Mmm, delicious," she said with her mouth still full. "The Midnight Dancer has one of the best chefs in the world. I wouldn't expect less of him," Sam said and tried a mouthful himself.

The waiter came back then with another tray containing a pot of coffee, some sugar and a milk pitcher, and two cups. Sam took his and poured some coffee, adding a cube of sugar and a drop of milk. "Would you like some too?" he asked Rita.

"Yes, please, but just cream, no sugar."

Sam prepared her cup as well and placed it near her.

"Thank you! You are very kind today, you know?" she joked.

"It's your birthday, and I'll treat you like a princess," he replied.

"Princess?" She pouted. "I'd rather be a queen."

"My queen!" Sam said, bowing his head to her.

Rita giggled at his mannerisms. Sam reached out and tucked a stray strand behind her ear.

"That's a very nice pair of earrings. Have I seen you wearing them before?"

"Nope. In fact, I haven't worn these in years," she replied.

"They look familiar to me somehow," he said and took a sip from his cup.

"I guess it's one of those pairs," she said and smiled. "They are beautiful, though, aren't they?"

"Yes. They suit you."

"It's one of my favorite pairs, and I am glad I brought it with me. It was a pity I couldn't wear them before."

"Why was that?" Sam asked, curious.

"Well, they were a gift from an admirer."

"Oh, I see," Sam said.

"It's actually a funny story," Rita continued. "Well, it is now. It wasn't back then."

"What do you mean?"

"When I got the earrings ten years ago, I thought it was from Chris, my ex. But a few years later, he admitted that none of the gifts I had been receiving the first year I worked at his school was from him. He had let me believe that for years, and not only that, the creep had dared to make a huge scene, accusing me of having an affair, when clearly I never knew who the gifts were from."

Sam understood then what the jewelry reminded him of. It was the pair he had bought for her. He remembered how he had spent hours browsing the shops at the mall to replace the right pair. He had finally opted for a long gold-gilded one with a tiny stone of ruby on top of the clasp. The shop assistant had told him it was a classic. He recalled now how angry he had been with the lady when she told him that his mum would adore his present.

"I never wore them again after that fight with Chris, just because I didn't want to upset him," she added. "God, I was so stupid. I let him run my life for so long."

"Yeah, that guy was awful," Sam concurred.

Rita gave him an odd look. "You sound so sure of that, as though you know who I am talking about."

Sam shifted uncomfortably on his chair. "Er, what I meant to say was that he sounds awful." He waved his hand in front of him dismissively. "I mean from what you just said. How could a guy be so cruel to a beautiful woman like you?" Rita grinned at him, but her obvious joy at his compliment didn't make him happy. He had been cruel to her during this journey, and he was planning to continue till he got what he wanted. Rita took a bite from her breakfast, and he wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead while she wasn't looking at him. That was a close shave. He almost blew his plan before it even got to its final stage and he could claim his prize.

He still wanted revenge, didn't he? He shook his head trying to erase his thoughts. Why the hell did his cruel behavior toward her suddenly matter and made him unhappy? "Anyway, I don't want to talk about Chris. That will ruin my day. I'd rather we talked about you," Rita said.

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Sam gulped. It hadn't occurred to him that spending a whole day with Rita would require him answering her questions, which he suspected would be plenty. He already knew that she was an inquisitive mind. When he was her student, she always told them to question things and look for knowledge everywhere.

"What would you like to know?" he asked after taking another sip of his coffee. The warm liquid served to calm his nerves enough to face the onslaught of her inquisition.

"Everything!" She giggled. "First of all, where are you from?"

Sam couldn't answer this one truthfully as he didn't want her to realize who she was dealing with just yet. He chose his words carefully so that he sounded sincere. "Oh, here and there. We had to travel a lot when I was a kid due to my father's line of work, so I don't know which place to call home, actually." It wasn't a complete lie. During his early childhood, they had been following his dad around. "What about you?" he asked, before she enquired about any specifics. "The place I grew up was more like a village to be honest, but I've been living in a small town for the last ten years."

"Do you like it better?" Sam asked, wanting to keep the conversation more about her and less about him.

"I like traveling because I am a seeker of knowledge, and I think there is no better way to learn than actually see something firsthand, so I've been around a lot, especially as a university student, but once I got my teaching job, I kind of settled down. This trip was my first after many years and my first abroad as well. I do enjoy the peacefulness of my little town, however, and I know everyone by now."

"And everyone knows you and what you've been up to," Sam commented, reminiscing about the time he had been the talk of the town.

"Yeah, that's an issue sometimes, and being the principal's girlfriend didn't quite help the case for me, as people were always talking about him. I can't believe they hold him in such high regard. Well, I mean he is great as a teacher and a principal. The school runs like clockwork, but in his private life, no, no... he's a creep, and I don't know why I couldn't see it earlier." Rita slumped back in her chair and exhaled noisily. Her frustration was evident.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to remind you of him again and upset you, but I do know how it is," Sam said, and reached out to gently pat her arm.

"Has it happened to you too, then?" Rita asked.

"I certainly got my share of the small-town mindset in my youth, but I'd rather not think about it now."

"All right. How about you tell me more about your family? Have you got any brothers or sisters?"

"No sisters, but I do have two older brothers."

"Do they have families of their own?" she asked.

"My eldest brother, Hugh, does. He has a two-year-old daughter. She's such a cute kid."

Rita smiled. "And your other brother?"

"Peter? Last time I saw him about a year ago, he had a girlfriend and told me they were going to get married but nothing has happened yet." Sam shrugged. "You never know with him." "Not a very sensible guy then, huh?"

"Er... no. I wouldn't call him that, no..."

"Are you a sensible guy, Sam?" Rita ventured.

He smiled. "I am trying... but I guess, you will soon replace that out. What about you?"

"What? If I am sensible? I used to think so, but after Chris, I've been questioning my judgment a lot," she replied.

"No, I meant... Do you have any siblings?"

"Oh that... silly me... I have a younger sister. She's in college now studying to be a doctor. Clever girl."

"Like her sister, huh? And I bet as beautiful as you."

Rita blushed.

"Since you mentioned it, I wonder... why did you stay with Chris for so long?"

"He loved me," she replied.

"Did he, really? It doesn't sound like it."

"I thought he did. That's what I should have said."

"Did you love him?" Sam asked.

"Yes," she said quickly.

Sam frowned. He didn't like her answer.

"Maybe, I did," she said after a moment. "I don't know anymore. I think I was dazzled by the possibilities a man like Chris could have offered me, but the reality turned out completely different." "Did he ever hurt you?" Sam asked.

"Physically, you mean?"

Sam nodded.

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"No, never. Emotionally, though... well, that's another story." Rita paused.

Sam watched her closely waiting for elaboration. It seemed to him as though she was trying to confirm her current feelings for Chris in her mind.

"Yes," she said then. "He definitely hurt me emotionally. I don't know why I couldn't see it then. I guess because he wasn't always like this..."

"Or maybe he was, and you just didn't want to see it," Sam interrupted.

"Yes, that's probably true," she agreed. "He was very sweet at first. You know, polite, always complimenting me, and very passionate with me. He made me feel so sexy when we were making love, but that gradually changed. His compliments always had a veiled barb, but it was put in such a way to make it seem like he was advising me for my own good. Then, everything was my fault and never his. I was always the one misbehaving or acting stupidly."

"Well, I am glad you finally saw the real Chris and left his sorry ass," Sam commented. He wondered when or if she would ever see who he really was, and he tried to stifle a wicked smile from forming on his lips. "Yes, I promised myself I'll never give my heart to another manipulative creep like that."

Sam knew he was the new creep in her life, and if everything went smoothly, she was going to offer more than her heart to him pretty soon. And she would do it willingly.

"I hope you enjoyed your breakfast because I have another gift for you before we go to Corfu," he told her then.

"Really? Another one?" She beamed at him. "You're spoiling me."

"You haven't seen anything yet," he replied.

"What is it then?" Rita looked around her to see if another one of the staff would show up holding something for her.

"I've booked you a treatment at the ship's spa. Not that you don't look gorgeous already, but I thought you would like to relax a bit before we go ashore."

"Will you join me?" she asked.

"No, unfortunately, I have to go and check with my captain for a while, but I'll be at your room to pick you up again at 2 p.m. when we reach the island." "That's a pity. It could have been fun."

"Amanda said you can drop by whenever you want. She will be waiting for you. You're her only appointment for this morning. She'll give you her special treatment."

"That's very kind of her."

"Yeah, the woman would do anything for me."

He saw Rita's expression clouding and thought of saying something to reassure her that Amanda was only following orders, so to speak, but he decided it might be better to let her think she had competition. Sam got up and moved closer to her. He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Go be beautiful for me. I'll see you later."

Rita didn't have much time to dwell on her thoughts since Paul stepped into the room and headed toward her after saying a quick hello to Sam as he was leaving the room.

"Hey, we missed you yesterday. Are you feeling any better?" he asked, as soon as he sat down.

"Yes, a lot. Thank you."

"So, are you coming with us today? You'll love Corfu. Such a beautiful place!"

"Well, to be honest, no."

Her reply disheartened Paul. "Is something wrong? Are you not enjoying the tours I give?"

"Oh, no, God, no! You're great at your job. It's nothing like that," she quickly reassured him. "Then?" he asked, curious.

"It's my birthday today, and I would just like some alone time. You know, see the island at my own pace, go shopping... things like that."

"Happy Birthday! It's a pity you don't want to come along. We could have a lunch party all together. That would be fun."

Rita shrugged. "I'd rather be on my own today."

"Yes, I get that. It's okay," he said and checked his watch. "Well, time for me to have my breakfast and then start preparing for the tour. Maybe we can do something to celebrate once we are all back on board." "We'll see how the day goes. Have fun on the island."

"You too! And happy birthday again."

Once Paul left her table, Rita picked up her bouquet and bag and headed to the spa, eager to have a relaxing couple of hours before it was time to meet her love interest again and explore not only the island but also the possibilities presented between them.