Mr. Cumberbatch

Chapter 17- You Make Me Smile

It's been one day since Nicole received a second hate note in her locker. It's the only thing that's been spinning around in her mind constantly. That, and of course the thought of telling Benedict. She's afraid of how he's going to react. That note has the possibility of ending their relationship, or even worse, his teaching career. The last thing she wants to do is alarm him in any way.

She walks down the school hallway with her bag on her shoulder and two hot coffees in her hands. She had time to go pick them up after school from the little café her and Kevin met up at once before. This was her idea of a kind gesture to help ease Benedict into the horrendous news she was about to thrust upon him. She turns down the literature wing of the building and crosses to a room on the other side of the hall reading 'Mr. Cumberbatch'. She makes her best effort to slide between the cramped space of his classroom door and the frame. She did not want to not spill the drinks all over the nice outfit she was wearing. Once she slides through, she attentively closes the door with the heel of her shoe.

Benedict stands up and makes his way over to her with a delightful look on his face.

"Coffee, for me? You are truly amazing. I'm starting to wonder if I even deserve you." He takes both coffees out of her hands and sets them on the nearest desk. He wraps his arms around her and pulls her in swiftly for a kiss. Nicole can feel his warm breath on her lips and it gives her goosebumps. Every time he kisses her it feels like the first time.

"I crave your kisses every second of every day," she says.

His lips slide along her cheek down to her neck where he kisses her ever so slightly. Her heart races with every touch. He looks up at her with dreamy eyes. "I want to be able to spend more time with you. Not that these little rendezvous after school aren't great, but I want to be able to see you, like on a date."

"I know. I do too," she blushes.

He runs his fingers through her hair while examining every little detail on her face from her hazel eyes down to her freckles. "What would you say to coming over to my flat later?"

It takes a moment for her to comprehend what he is asking. She jumps out of shock. "You mean, you and me- all alone... in your apartment? Just the two of us?"

He takes her hand in his."You absolutely have the right to say no. I understand if you're feeling uncomfortable about it-"

"No- I, I mean yes." She interrupts. "Yes, I would love to go over to your flat later."

A smile gleams in his eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

She pauses, thinking her answer over for a second longer. "Definitely. There's no doubt in my mind." She smirks. "Besides, I really want to see what my bofriend's living space looks like. My bet is that you're secretly a hoarder of books or something."

He laughs and kisses her on the cheek. "Well, I am an English teacher, what else would you expect me to decorate my house with? So, seven-ish?"

She throws her arms around him and lays her head on his shoulder, hugging him tightly. "It's a date."

He lays his head on top of hers. "I want this night to be about us, not school, homework, or teachers. Nothing will ruin our first night together."

After hearing him say this, the only thing she could think about was the note. She knows it's going to devastate him. This can be the one thing that will ruin their night together, and that is the last thing she wants.

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Nicole opens the door to her house and sees her mother sitting on a chair in the living room. She remembers she was very strict in the morning about coming straight home after school because they were going to be expecting company. It was someone her mom had ran into the night before at the supermarket that she supposedly used to work with back in her days as a business woman. She wanted to invite them over to do some catching up and to boast about her daughter's existence.