His Model Student: A Student-Teacher Romance

63. Revelation

[RECAP: Sera is finally dating her art teacher Mr Marek, but she's worried it's just a temporary thing for him...]

With all the uncertainty Sera was surprised when Tarq picked her up early on Saturday morning. "I thought we could spend the long weekend in London," he said. The following Monday was May Day, a bank holiday, so there was no school.

School was all over the place anyway now, just revision classes for the looming A-level exams. Sera had been working hard to distract herself from her ongoing anxieties over their relationship status and felt she could do with a break from her books.

Conversation felt superficial as they headed towards the capital. They spoke about other people - Joel, Jasper and Barry, Lois and Lionel - rather than themselves. The traffic wasn't too bad entering the outskirts of London but there seemed to be a lot of people heading out of the place. Next year that would probably be her, making weekend trips home.

At his place they climbed the stairs again and Tarq unlocked the door of his top floor apartment.

Sera walked through into the living room.

She stopped short.

There, on the wall where she was sure there had previously been a landscape, was Tarq's painting of her.

The painting that was supposed to be in Tokyo following the quarter of a million pound transaction. What was it doing here?

She turned to him, confused, momentarily wondering if it was a print or a replica.

He answered the question in her eyes. "I decided not to sell it."

"But all that money!"

He looked slightly cagey. "It's complicated. Both the buyer and Lionel knew I had no intention of selling it. Lionel certainly."

Sera was completely confused. "You mean it wasn't a real offer?"

"Yes, it was a real offer, but it kind of worked for all parties. The buyer owns a couple of my earlier works which shot up in value as a result of the publicity. Lionel got his publicity, and we all got rid of Victoria."

"So you didn't actually give up a quarter of a million pounds then?"

"I did. Once the hype started to happen he wanted it more than ever, even offered to raise his offer, but there's no way I would ever sell it. I don't want some other guy waking up to a naked painting of my girlfriend every day, of the future mother of my children."

What?!

Tarq continued. "The first painting anyway. I hope to paint you many more times in future. But the first one is special. It's mine." He stood there, regarding it.

Rewind rewind. Sera's brain was flipping out.

"What you just said..." She couldn't bring herself to repeat it, surely she must have misheard?

Tarq faced her. "About you being the mother of my children? In future, not immediately. And if you want to as well, of course."

Sera noted with some amusement that her wishes were the afterthought. "I'd have to think about it." She kept her face deadpan.

He was momentarily disconcerted. "Years away, I meant. If you still want to be with me then."

As if she could ever imagine a time when she wouldn't want to be with him. "Likewise."

Tarq put his hands on her shoulders, his eyes searing into hers. "My feelings won't ever change, Seraphina. But if you fall in love with someone else, I'll deal with it."

She felt both elated and weak. He kissed her and it felt like the kiss of life.

"I hadn't really thought that far ahead." She had to be honest with him. "I really do want to try and make a go of it as an artist. Study and graduate and everything. I've already started looking at accommodation for next year."

Once again he had that uneasy look on his face. This time Sera couldn't let it drop. "What's wrong? You say all this stuff and then you seem reluctant or evasive or something."

He took a breath. "It's not that. I've just been fighting with myself over something, because I know how selfish it is of me."

Sera tried to reassure him. "If you mean your job in France I already know about that. Lois let it slip."

She could see the surprise on his face. "It's related to that." He brushed the hair back from her face and tilted it towards him, tracing past her jaw.

"I want you to defer Saint Martins and come and live with me in Paris."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SO SHOULD SHE STAY OR SHOULD SHE GO?!!!

Answers on a postcard to Mr T Marek, Russell Square, London...