Teach a Teacher a Lesson
Chapter 18

Rita closed her eyes for a moment exhausted. As she was drifting, the name registered in her head. She sat up so quickly she got dizzy. "What? What did you say?"

"Just my name." Sam lay back and put his arms behind his head lazily.

"I'll smack that grin off your face." She got off the bed and looked for her underwear.

"You don't have to leave, Rita."

"I can't believe you did that to me. How dare you!"

Sam turned to his side and watched her getting dressed. "Oh come on, baby. You wanted this as much as I did."

"Don't call me baby! Don't you dare!" she said, pointing a finger at him.

"Oh, I dare say you wanted me back then too, and you just showed me how much."

"I didn't know who you are."

"I can't be that different." Sam chuckled.

She looked at him closely. How could she not have seen it? Now that she knew, all the details on his face seemed so familiar. "Oh, my god. I just slept with a student." Rita put her hand in her mouth, shocked as the idea sank in. Sam rolled his eyes. "So much drama for nothing."

"Shut up. Shut up!"

Sam got off the bed and stood in front of her. "Rita, it's been ten years, and I am not your student anymore. I hardly was since you had me expelled."

"So that's what all this was for? A revenge for kicking you out of school?"

"Well..." Sam shrugged.

"You asshole! You were my student. You crossed the line kissing me."

"And now I fucked you. Did I cross the line again?"

"I hate you. You ruined it all."

Sam cupped her face. "I didn't ruin anything. I love you. I always had and I want to be with you."

Rita pushed him away. "You are insane. You are my student. I can't be with you."

"Can you be any more irrational? I am not a kid anymore. You didn't make love to a student but to me, a grown man who is mad about you."

"No! Not about me! You are just mad. Waiting for this for ten years... That's obsession."

"You are overreacting now." Sam tried to hug her.

"Stay away from me. You are worse than Chris. I can't believe I did this to myself again." She grabbed her dress from the floor and staggered toward the door.

Sam gripped her arm and stopped her. "I am nothing like that douchebag. And you are not leaving until you hear me out."

"Let me go, Sam."

"You can't leave me. I love you."

She pushed him with all her strength making Sam lose his balance and fall to the floor. She opened the door and was out of the room by the time he regained his feet. Sam got to the door and called after her. She put her dress back on as she was walking away without turning to look at him. He thought about running after her, but since he was still naked, he didn't want to risk being seen by the crew. He closed the door behind him and let her leave.

Tomorrow she would have to deal with him. There was nowhere to go after all. She couldn't escape him, and he wasn't willing to let her either. She belonged with him, and if their lovemaking wasn't enough for her to see that, then he would have to replace another way to convince her. Even if he had to wait ten more years for her, he would. She was meant to be his, and he wasn't going to give up until he got what he wanted. Not now and not ever.

***

Rita slammed the door of her cabin behind her and dropped to her knees. She let the tears she had struggled to hold while running to the sanctuary of her cabin flow freely. Sob after sob escaped her lips, and a painful twinge tugged at her heart.

Why kept playing over and over in her head. She had trusted him. She had allowed herself to believe she was ready to enter a new relationship. He made her feel wanted again.

It was all a lie. He didn't mean a single word. Why did I let him do that to me? Why didn't I see it earlier?

She was angry with herself but even angrier with Sam. All he was after for was his trophy conquest. The one he wasn't allowed to have ten years ago, and she had offered herself to him so freely now. She shouldn't have had sex with him. But wasn't that what she had convinced herself she was looking for to get over Chris once and for all? What was Sam looking for, however? I can't believe he held on to his obsession for so long. Why? What did he have to gain? What's so special about me?

She was dizzy, and the walls around her restricted her. She was suffocating. She needed fresh air, but she dared not venture outside, thinking that Sam could be lurking on the deck. She lay on the floor and let the tiles cool her face. Her temples stopped thumping. It was an improvement at least since the burn in her chest hadn't dissipated yet. She closed her eyes and breathed deep.

I love you. Sam's last words popped into her mind. The tone of his voice. He sounded so genuine. And the way he was looking at her... as though his whole world would crumble to pieces if she left. I love you echoed again in her head. New tears rolled from behind her closed eyelids. She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, trying to become as small as possible. She wished she could vanish into thin air now. Maybe then the pain in her heart would stop. It was all her fault. She had acted foolishly. Why had she thought she could simply have unattached sex with Sam and nothing else? It wasn't who she truly was, and now she had complicated things even more. Sam had made her open her heart to love again... to possibilities...

He had made her dream she could be happy with him as a partner. She didn't know how it could have been in reality, but when she was in his arms, she was in paradise. And that was something she had been craving to feel for so long. But then Sam ruined it all for her. He tricked me. Why didn't he tell me who he was from the beginning?

She opened her eyes and wiped her tears. What would you have done if he had told you, her inner voice asked. She couldn't answer. She couldn't tell what bothered her more: the fact that he lied about his identity or that she had been so lust- driven that she didn't notice? There was no denying how strong the attraction between them had been, and they were so well-matched when making love. It was as though Sam was right inside her mind and knew exactly what she needed. She had never had this sensation with Chris despite being with him for ten years. Ten years, she thought. Sam had been waiting for ten years to make love to me. Who does that?

"A psycho! That's who," she said out loud. I left one psycho to fall right into the arms of another. Why do I do that to myself?

Sam's face was etched in her mind. She knew it was all wrong. A messed-up situation she had to get away from and yet, she couldn't deny that he had felt so right for her.

She got up and went to the bathroom. She splashed cold water on her face. What am I going to do now? She placed her hands on the sink and took a good look in the mirror. You had promised never to cry for another man. You messed up again. She couldn't trust herself anymore. Her instincts had been wrong before, and her judgment, when it came to men, had been proven even worse over the years. This vicious circle had to end. She closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled noisily. She needed to get away from Sam and never see him again. She removed her clothes and took a shower, scrubbing herself hard with her sponge. She wanted to erase every trace of him off her body.

Once she finished, she returned to the bedroom to look for her cell phone. The best thing she could do now was end her cruise a few days earlier. She would disembark at the next port, go to the airport, and take the earliest flight back home and miles away from Sam. Paul could help her make the arrangements, and she would call him right away.

If only she could replace her phone. She stood in the middle of the room with her hands on her waist, trying to remember where she saw it last.

She cursed under her breath when it hit her. She had left it inside her bag, which was probably still lying somewhere on Sam's floor. She would have to go to Paul's room then and ask him to retrieve her bag for her. She would rather avoid meeting Sam if that was possible. She didn't like the idea of having to explain everything to Paul, but he was the only person who could help her now and do it discreetly as well. After all, it was part of his job to cater for the needs of the members in his group.

She lay in bed. She would have to wait till morning to replace Paul and sort everything out. She closed her eyes hoping that sleep would help her forget all about this day. Her birthday had been such a nightmare.

***

Sam walked toward Rita's cabin with conviction. He would conquer this. He was sure of his love for her now, and he would make her see it too. He would show her he meant everything he said. He hadn't slept all night, fighting with his emotions. He was genuinely in love with her. Good sense had replaced the anxiety and misery his vengeful feelings were causing. And it wasn't because his revenge was successful. He had been thinking about it over and over until it dawned on him that it was never about revenge. He loved her. He always had, in his own foolish and immature way, he admitted to himself. Not only when he was a teenager, which would have been expected, but even now when he was supposed to be a rational adult. He had been scolding himself all night, thinking that there were probably a hundred different ways he could have tried to show her his love. He should have waited until he was officially an adult and pursue her then. She wasn't much older than him. She would have accepted him if he had done things differently, but he was so arrogant as a teenager, so full of himself, thinking that the world owed him everything, that he could have everything he wanted without any consideration of other people's wishes.

He wasn't any different now. He had acted in exactly the same way. He took what he thought was rightfully his, without caring how Rita would feel.

But he knew she was meant to be with him, and that's why he had never let her go, no matter how much time had passed or how many women he had met. She was the only one he wanted. And he was determined not to lose her again. He stood outside her door with her bag in his hand. It gave him the perfect excuse to be there. Even if she was still mad at him, she would have to open the door to get her bag back. And then he would have his chance to beg for forgiveness and make amends with her.

But most of all, he wanted to have the chance to take her in his arms again. He knew that when words failed him, his heart would shed the light and show her what he felt. How right they were for each other.

He knocked and waited. When no answer came, he banged on the door and called her name. Either she was sleeping and this would wake her up or she would be forced to open it to shut him up and prevent him from waking everyone in the neighboring cabins.

He gave up and headed for the dining room, assuming she was already there meeting the rest of her group. Confronting her in public wasn't what he had had in mind, but if that was his only choice, he would take the risk.

***

"What do you mean I can't leave the cruise now?" Rita set her cup on the saucer so abruptly she spilled half of it. "Damn it!"

Paul offered her a napkin. "I am sorry, Rita, but there are complications. First of all, there is no airport in Katakolon, and even if we could book you a flight for later today, you would never make it on time. You would have to change transportation a couple of times to get to the nearest airport."

Rita slumped back on the chair. "What am I going to do now, Paul? I can't stay here anymore. I've already explained why."

"Yeah, I know, but you will have to wait a day. I'll call the agency and tell them that you will be cancelling the package due to an emergency. I won't tell the truth of course. I'll ask them to book you a flight from Crete. You will be able to replace your way from there a lot easier, and I am sure you can catch a night service."

"And what will I do in the meantime? I was hoping I wouldn't have to be on the ship today. I don't want to see him, ever, ever again."

"Well, the only thing that can be done is for you to come on the tour with us. That will keep you away from him for hours, and when we return, I'll stay with you if you want me to. I won't let him harm you anymore." Paul patted her hand comfortingly.

"Thank you, Paul. I really appreciate your help and discretion, but most of all, I appreciate you not judging me."

"What good would that be now? You need a friend, not someone to tell you if you did right or wrong. That's entirely up to you to decide, and the whole situation has nothing to do with me other than the fact that you are going to miss the rest of my fabulous guided tours."

Rita smiled at him. "You are a kind person, Paul."

"There are still a few of us left, Rita. Try to remember that, and don't give up on men." Paul got up. "Anyway, I'd better go make that phone call now."

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Rita stood too and gave him a hug. "Thank you for everything."

"Get your filthy hands off her," Sam boomed, entering the hall. He stormed up to them, obviously unfazed that people were watching his every move.

Paul released Rita from his embrace and stepped in front of her to protect her. "I think you should go, Sam. You don't want to make a scene now, do you?"

"You have no power over me, Paul. You don't get to tell me what to do." If looks could kill, then Paul was already a goner. "I'm not going anywhere till I speak with Rita." "We have nothing more to say, Sam."

"We have too much to say, and I'm not letting you go until you hear me out." Sam tried to grab her hand, but Paul pushed him away.

"Sam, you'd better leave now," he said calmly.

"No, she's coming with me."

"She's not going anywhere with you," Paul said.

"Who's gonna stop me? You?" He took a threatening step forward, but Paul didn't budge.

"I guess I am," Paul said. "She's staying here with me."

"The fuck she is." Sam punched him so hard in the face that Paul lost his balance and fell on the table next to him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Rita shouted. Paul was unconscious, and as she moved to his side to help him, Sam gripped her by the arm and twisted her around.

"You are mine. You hear me? Nobody else's. You won't get to go to him. You're coming with me."

The few passengers in the dining room were shocked by the scene unfolding before their eyes. They seemed reluctant to intervene, however, probably due to Sam's rank on the ship. As Sam was dragging Rita out of the room, nobody moved. She struggled to free her hand, but Sam's grip on her was so strong that she could do nothing but follow along.

"Let me go, Sam!"

"No," he said. "We're going back to my room to talk."

"I don't want to talk to you," she replied and attempted to escape from him again.

"You're already doing that, Rita."

"Stop being such a child."

"And you, stop fighting me. I love you and you will be with me."

"I don't want you, Sam. Let me go."

"No. That's a lie and you know it."

"Will someone call the captain, please?" Rita said desperately, as they were leaving the hall. She couldn't be sure if anyone would care enough to help her. She did know, however, that when Paul recovered, he would search for her and notify the captain.

"You will lose your job over this." She tried to reason with him since he was taking no heed of her pleas to let her go and kept pulling her along down the long corridor.

"I don't care." Sam stopped abruptly, and she bumped into him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "All I care about is you. Why can't you see it? I love you. I love you, you hear? The whole world could go up in flames now. I don't give a fuck. All I want is this..." He took her lips into a possessive fierce kiss.

Rita didn't react. She stood there trapped in his iron embrace, enduring his kiss. Sam stopped and looked at her. He tried again but still got no response from her.

"Damn it, Rita. Don't do this to me again. I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you. I'm sorry I hit Paul. I lost it back there when I saw you in his arms, but you have to understand me."

"All I understand is that you are insane. Please let me go."

"I am not crazy. I love you."

"You have a very weird way of showing that, Sam."

He let his arms drop, and Rita took a step back. "Please give me a chance to explain myself."

"I think it will be better if we end this here. We need to forget this ever happened."

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Sam reached out and cupped her face. "Rita, no, I don't want to lose you. I can't forget what happened between us and I am sure you can't either, though you don't want to admit it."

"Your obsession with me is not healthy, and I just got away from an unhealthy relationship. I am not about to enter another." "Please, Rita."

"No! You need to let me go."

Sam leaned in to kiss her, but she stepped back and slapped him hard on the face. "I said no," she shouted at him.

"You heard the lady, Sam. I think that's enough."

Sam turned around and saw Jack standing behind him. His body posture told him that Jack was not there as a friend but as his captain.

"Jack... let me explain."

"I've already heard what happened, Sam. Paul is down with the doctor now for a checkup. He can sue you for that punch, and I can have you fired. What on earth were you thinking picking a fight in front of the passengers? Have you lost your mind completely?"

"That's what I keep telling him," Rita chimed in.

"Miss Evans, I think you should return to your cabin or to the company of your group. I have been informed that you will be cancelling the rest of your cruise. I am sorry to hear that, but under the circumstances, I can understand your reasons." "What?" Sam turned to look at her. "You're leaving the cruise? No! You can't do that."

"I'm not going to ask for your permission."

When she turned to go, Sam grabbed her arm and stopped her. "You're not going anywhere. We're not done."

"I think we are," she said.

Sam didn't let her arm go. Instead, he pulled her to him, wrapped both arms around her and kissed her. This time his kiss was soft and long, a final attempt to show her what she meant to him, and this time she was responsive. But not in the way Sam was expecting.

Rita kneed him so hard on his crotch that Sam doubled in pain. Without another word, she walked away, not paying attention to Sam's calling after her.

"Let me help you up," Jack told him once the pain had faded slightly.

Sam had tears in his eyes, which Jack assumed were due to the blow. "You messed up today, my friend. I had told you to be careful with this situation. You didn't listen to me."

"I love her, Jack. You were right about that."

"I know, but you fucked it up again, Sam. You should have told her the truth from the beginning."

"Don't let her go, Jack. I can't lose her again."

"I think it's better if she does go. Give her some time to process all this. And you need to calm down too. If you still think that she is the one for you, after a while, then... I don't know, call her or something, but for now, she has to go."

"Jack..."

"No, Sam. You are my friend, but I have a ship to run too, and you caused a lot of trouble for me today. You know that this will reach the headquarters, and I'll have to take action. I'll try my best so that you don't lose your job, but you will face the consequences."

"I am sorry, Jack. I'm sorry." Sam put his arm on his friend's shoulder to prop himself as they were walking back to the navigation room.

"I've never seen you act so crazily before. What has gotten into you?"

"I don't know. I can't think straight when she's around."

"Love is supposed to bring out the best in us, Sam, not our worst. Maybe Rita is right. You need to let her go, and I don't mean let her leave the cruise."

"I can't do that. I've been waiting for her for ten years."

"You had your moment with her, Sam. Keep the memory if you have to, but move on with your life and let her do the same as well."

"I am not sure I want to do that."

"No matter what you want now, I am giving you an order. You will not go near her or try to contact her in any way while she is still on the ship. Is that clear?"

Sam knew he had no choice but to obey. He had spent years defying orders, but this time he wouldn't. He couldn't jeopardize his friend's future, as well. He lowered his gaze, defeated. "Yes, captain," he muttered under his breath.