The Ivy Lessons (26 page)

‘Oh.’ I moan
as he moves gently back and forth.

‘You want me to stop?’ he says.

‘No.’

‘Because I will if you want me to. Say the word and I’ll stop.’

‘
Don’t ... stop
,’ I hear myself say, as pleasure builds in my abdomen.

Marc
moves
faster and harder. He grabs my buttocks and pulls me into him, and I moan
louder
.

‘I wanted to fuck you
on this desk since
you
walked
into the class this morning
. Did you know that?’

I can’t answer him. I’m too lost in what I’m feeling. He carries on moving, sliding himself further and further inside of me.

‘I
thought I
couldn’t handle it
,’ he whispers. ‘
After o
ur night together. I
thought I
couldn’t handle it. But
then
the thought of losing you ...
I realised as soon as I saw you this morning,
that I can handle that even less
.’

His words have little impact on me right now. The sensations are building up and up. I’m completely filled up by him, in every way. The harder he moves, the better it feels.

I come, and I fall against hi
m
.

He slides himself out of me, and I see him take off the condom and tie it. He pushes himself back inside his trousers, and I see his bulk pressing against trouser fabric.

‘How can you stand not to come?’ I ask. ‘I don’t get it. I want you to feel what I’m feeling.’

‘I need to stay in control,’ says
Marc
, walking back and forth. ‘
But
I’ll be the first to admit
it’s getting difficult
.’

‘Then let yourself go,’ I say.

Marc
shakes his head. ‘
It wouldn’t be right. Especially while I’m still you’re teacher.
Now. You’ve got another class to go to in ...’ he c
hecks his watch, ‘a
bout ten minutes, am I right? Singing with the wonderful Denise.’

‘Yes,’ I say, wanting to cling to him. To spend every moment I have with him.

‘Then you should go,’
Marc
says.
He runs a hand over my hair. ‘I’ll see you on the trip to the Globe this afternoon.’

I nod. I’d forgotten about that trip. ‘I didn’t realise you were going,’ I say.

‘I
organise
the class trips
every term
,’ he says. ‘And
as usual,
I’m going on all of them.
I need to make sure my students get the most out of the experience
.’

‘Okay,’ I say, ‘but ... when will I see you again? Properly?’

He smiles. ‘Soon.’

Chapter
56

Denise’s class is fun, but it’s soon over, and after lunch we’re on our way to the Globe Theatre, courtesy of the college minibus.

The theatre is on the bank of the Thames, and the weather is windy and rainy.
Myself and the other Ivy College students stand, shivering, wai
ting for our guide. The
minibus dropped us off a little earl
y, and we’re told we have a ten-
minute wait.

Marc arrived separately
, we’ve been told, and is apparently
inside the theatre, trying to hurry up the tour. Tanya also thinks he’s inside so he won’t be mobbed by adoring fans, who are waiting on the banks of the Thames. They’ve closed the Globe especially for our t
rip, and word has got around that
Marc
Blackwell
is inside.

The theatre is huge, round and beautiful. Its walls are white and smooth, with dark wooden beams
running around them
, and there’s a
straw roof
on top
. I stare up at this famous building, thinking what it must have been like for people to visit the actors here in Shakespeare’s time. It’s not the original theatre, but it’s a very good likeness, and enough to set my imagination racing.

A woman in a green anorak, the hood pulled up, approaches our group.

‘Good afternoon, Ivy College.’ There are wiry glasses on her nose
and coral pink lipstick stains
her mouth and teeth. ‘It’s a pleasure to have you here. I’m your guide to the Globe. Come on inside.’

We follow her to the main doors, which she unlocks, and we find
Marc
waiting for us in the reception area. He looks as handsome as ever, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I don’t know how he’s not feeling the cold.

His lips tip up a little when he sees me, and he holds my gaze. I look
a
way, h
oping no one noticed our glances
.

‘Mr
Blackwell
!’ says the guide, breathlessly. ‘A pleasure, an absolutely pleasure.’ She shakes his hand and does an odd
sort of c
urtsy. ‘So good of you to come with your class.’

‘Oh, I have my motives,’ says
Marc
, fixing me with an intense stare.

‘I’d lead you straight through to the theatre itself,’ says the guide. ‘And then we’ll walk through the museum, and you can learn more of the
history of this fabulous building
.’

She leads
us out into a huge, round open-
air space
, which has
a gritty floor and wooden seating and banisters curving around us. There are three tiers of seating, and I can see part of the straw roof sheltering t
he seats from the elements
.

A light spray of rain is whirling around the open air part, and the guide leads
us to the sheltered seats
.

Tanya, Tom and I wait until last, so we can carry Tom up the steps and place him at the end of an aisle.
Marc
comes
forward to help, checking to see Tom’s brakes are in place once he’s got him in a good position.

‘I remember these things,’ says Marc, giving Tom a wink. ‘I forgot the brakes a few times when I was acting in one, and nearly broke my neck.’

Tom nods and smiles. ‘Fancy Shakespeare not catering for disability
.
What a bastard.’

Tanya and I stand either side of Tom, but to my surprise, Marc doesn’t move. Instead, he stands behind me, waiting for the guide to speak.

The guide looks sorry that Marc isn’t
by her side any more, but quickly recovers and starts telling us how the theatre was lovingly recreated from historical pictures and documents.
She tells us about the stage itself, and points out the wooden balcony above it.

‘Modern actors have played Juliet on that balcony,’ she says. ‘Calling to her Romeo. But
in Shakespeare’s day, the balcony was used to seat important
guests
, such as members of the royal family
.
In those days
, it was less about what you saw as what you heard. So the best seats in the house couldn’t see the actors all that well.’

I feel
Marc
’s breath on my neck as the guide tells us about the history of the theatre. I try to listen to the guide, but my entire body is tense. All I can think about is
Marc
being so close to me, and that I can feel the heat from his body.

As the guide tells us
how the new theatre was
buil
t
, I feel a palm on my behind.

I give
Marc
a poisonous
not here
glare, but he
squeeze
s
my buttocks under his fingers, until I have to turn my lips inward so I don’t make a sound.

I turn again and sneak a glance at him. His face is completely impassive, one hand rested
nonchalantly
on a wooden beam, the other working my backside.

I
smi
le
and shake my head at him, and he gives the tiniest quirk of a smile back, still staring straight ahead.

H
aving his hand there, kneading and pushing, I can hardly stand still. It’s a relief when the guide finally stops her talk about the theatre’s history and announces it’s time to see the museum.

The class files down the steps, and
Marc
’s hand drops away. Now
it’s gone, I miss its heat.
Marc
lift
s
Tom down from the steps
, and Tanya and I wait for him. Then w
e all walk towards the museum, but as I reach the doorway,
Marc
catches my hand.

I stop, looking stupidly at Tom and Tanya’s retreating backs.

‘Come with me,’ he says.

‘Where?’ I ask, watching the door to the museum swing closed.

‘Up here.’ He squeezes my hand and leads me up the wooden steps onto the Globe’s stage.

‘Are we allowed to be up here?’

‘I am,’ says
Marc
. ‘I’ve played on this stage before.’ He leads me through one of the rounded doorways, and up some creaky wooden stairs. Suddenly we’re on the balcony above
the stage, looking out at the Globe T
heatre.

‘
This is amazing
,’ I say, looking out at the empty seats. ‘Imagine this p
lace full of people.’

Marc
tilts my chin up. His eyes dart back and forth. ‘Go to the balcony rail.’

I do, holding the smooth wood and looking out over the theatre. It truly is amazing. I could stay here all day.

Marc
strokes the hair from one side of my neck to the other, and goose
bumps run down my arms. Then he sucks hard on my neck, and I give a little gasp. I grip tighter to the balcony.

In one smooth movement, he lifts up my dress and slides my bra upwards so my breasts are exposed. Then he covers my breasts with his hands and presses himself against me.

‘
I’m planning
to test your boundaries
today
.’

Chapter
57

I look out at the empty theatre. ‘I think my boun
daries are pretty much tested
.’

‘Oh, I don’t think they are.’
Marc
uses one hand to pull down my panties and free himself from his trousers. Then he slides a finger between my buttocks.

‘Has anyone else ever had you in there?’ he
asks, sliding his finger further inside until I feel my buttocks clenching
.

‘What ... I  ... no,’ I say, as his h
and tightens on my breast.

He grapples with a condom, and something else – some little bottle of something. I try to turn to see what he’s doing, but he forces me back around to face the front.

Then he slides himself between my buttocks
and
I feel
he
’s
hard, but
much more slippery than usual.

‘What are
you doing?’ I whisper
.

‘Something I’d like you to try
,’
Marc
replies
.
‘Don’t worry. I have a speci
al condom for this. No chance of breaking
.’

He slides himself further and furth
er until he’s right
inside a part of me that’s never experienced him, or anyone else, before.

‘I’ll go slow,’ he whispers.

‘I don’t know
if I’m ready
,’ I murmur, feeling the tightness.

He inches further in. ‘How does that feel?’

‘I don’t know
,’ I say.
It’s a little sore, and it feels very stran
ge
. I’m not sure I like the sensation.

‘Good okay?’ he asks.

‘I don’t know.’

‘Trust me.’ He inches further in, and it becomes more sore. I gasp.

‘It’ll hurt a little,’ he says. ‘But I promise it’ll feel good.’ He slides one
hand between my legs and moves
it back and forth, all the time inching further and further in.

H
e’s so hard, everything feels too
tight and suddenly he begins to move slowly back and forth.

At first it feels far too strange and
painful, and I almost ask him to stop, but
as he slides his hand back and forth at the same time, it starts to feel so good.