Tempting Her Teacher: Student-Teacher romance

XXXX - The gig

[RECAP: Juliet's band Dover Six are playing their second gig, and Carl Spencer is coming to watch them]

Fhemie was right about the costume. Wearing it made Juliet feel like she was putting on a new personal, playing a role. Inside she was still a wreck but outside she looked... convincing.

The reaction of the band further confirmed Fhemie's skills.

"That is awesome," Drew said. "So hot. The crowd will love it."

Drew had come close to flirting with Juliet a couple of times earlier on but she had managed to convey she wasn't quite single.

Originally it was because she had wanted to avoid complications, nothing would be worse than dating someone and it all going wrong and messing the band up. She preferred the platonic dynamic of it all anyway.

And now, was she single? She wasn't exactly dating Mr Spencer. But they went to church together and kissed in his car and at his place, and if he had asked her out properly she wouldn't have hesitated to say yes. He was the one holding out on her, taking it all so cautiously.

Juliet's head went into a different place when the music started. It was a switch-off from normal reality, and switching-on to a kind of bubble of just her and the band on stage.

The Green Room was packed out that Thursday night. There was another, longer established band playing after them so Juliet couldn't flatter herself that all these people had bought tickets just to see Dover Six. Still, it was exciting.

Margot and Fhemie were out there, pretending to have been dragged along reluctantly, but Juliet knew her friends were secretly pleased for her.

"Do you have band t-shirts?" Fhemie had asked.

"No, nothing like that. It's only our second performance, we don't exactly have fans lining up to buy merchandise," Juliet said.

"Don't expect me to wear one when you do," Fhemie said. "But I will buy one, if I can get to meet that cute guy you have."

Cute guy? Juliet wasn't sure whom Fhemie meant. "Drew?"

"No, idiot. The cute guy on keyboards."

Juliet nearly burst out laughing. She guessed Jax wasn't bad looking, but compared to Drew or even a couple of the others she wouldn't have picked him out as the hot one.

"He's single, so I can try," she promised Fhemie.

"Single or not, it makes no difference to me," Fhemie said. "Just get me introduced."

Hiding a smile, Juliet said she would do what she could. Fhemie never admitted this kind of stuff, so she must really have a thing for Jax. Jax had never indicated any interest in girls or guys to Juliet, so she didn't even know if he was straight. She could probably find out from Drew.

* * *

Carl caught his breath when he saw Juliet appear on stage. She was lit up like a flame, and her outfit was... he told himself firmly that it was what singers wore, and tried to resist the urge to blindfold every other man in the place.

Including Dan, who was grinning in Juliet's direction then back at Carl.

"Your face," Dan said.

Jenny was also suppressing a smile.

"What's wrong with my face?"

"Like you can't decide whether to get a shotgun or a hotel room," Jenny said.

Before Carl could protest she continued: "I'm claiming pregnancy privilege. With my hormones and this ever more enormous belly, I get to speak my mind or I'll burst."