ILLICIT AFFAIRS | WLW

Mad Woman

𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝟐𝟔𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑

Thursday morning arrived, and the crispy autumn air seemed to carry with it a certain weight, or at least that's how Blair felt as she made her way to her only lecture of the day. The lecture hall was still practically empty when she arrived. The sun barely peeked through the large windows, casting muted shadows across the rows of seats. She had come early, hoping to get a good spot near the back and avoid any unnecessary attention.

Dressed in her usual casual style, her dark grey jeans and light grey, form-fitting long-sleeved top gave her a sharp, understated look.  She had her hair tied back into a simple ponytail, keeping it neat for the day ahead. As she settled into her seat, her eyes drifted to the front of the room where Catherine's desk sat, untouched and unprepared for the morning lesson.

Blair's thoughts flickered back to their last encounter; the brief, flirtatious exchanged that had left her rattled. Catherine had been teasing, yes, but there had been something more – a knowing look that had unsettled her. The woman was always composed, always so... sure of herself. Why did she have to be so provocative and so smug? It was infuriating.

Anderson had spent time since their last exchange recoiling her thoughts, going over ever small interaction between the two. Blair tried her best to explain the woman's hot and cold demeanour; tried to rationalise the way Catherine would attempt to embarrass her publicly but then be complimentary in private. Blair told herself that Catherine didn't like her. Then again, the way her gaze always seemed to linger on Blair signalled that Catherine did like her. Perhaps the woman doesn't respect her. Well, she surely respected Blair's intelligence seeing as she often used Blair to make an example of other pupils. Blair had ended up settling on the idea that Catherine tolerates Blair more than she tolerates her other students. It made no sense, of course. Yet it only needed to make sense in Blair's own mind. She needed a way to justify the lingering, inexplicable thoughts she was having.

At 9:00 sharp, Catherine swept into the room with an effortless grace that always made heads turn. Blair, herself, was too distracted by her own thoughts to notice her professor's entrance, but it was the subtle sound of heels clicking against the wooden floor pulled her attention to the front of the room.

There she was—Catherine, in all her sharp elegance, wearing a pair of tailored black flared trousers that elongated her already statuesque figure. Her black silk blouse, high-necked but short-sleeve, shimmered slightly under the lecture hall's lighting, the fabric clinging perfectly to her form that seemed both elegant and alluring. Her red hair was styled into loose waves that cascaded down her shoulders.

Blair instantly swallowed, feeling a sudden rush of heat rise up her neck. Kingsley seemed composed, yet as always, her aura was undeniably magnetic. Blair could feel the familiar pull, the inexplicable attraction that had settled in her chest whenever she was near Catherine. But god. Why did the older woman always have to look so... perfect? The kind of perfect that was distracting.

"Buongirono a tutti," Catherine greeted the class with a clear and commanding voice as she stepped in front of her desk. With her arms folded across her chest, she pressed her lower back against the wooden surface, leaning slightly against.

"Oggi parleremo del trapasssato prossimi e di come lo usiamo per descrivere azioni nel passato remoto," She spoke again, addressing the class in flawless Italian – explaining how the lecture would focus on the use of the present perfect tense and applying it to the past.

As expected, the entire lecture would be in Italian. Catherine believed total immersion was the best way for her students to advance. Her teaching style was firm but engaging, her presence commanding the attention of every student. You'd be foolish to do otherwise. Even though these sessions were often challenging, Blair did usually enjoy them, and she had found her speaking skills in the language had began to develop more.