Charlatan Charm

3: The Pressure

"Cafes are overrated," Lucan spoke Charm's exact thought as he stirred the hot creamy coffee in his mug. Ever since the date, they've fallen into a daily routine: wake up, text, eat, meet at the cafe, and go home. It's only been three days, but both parties feel as if they'd known the other their whole lives.

Charm is a great listener, Lucan came to realize. He can talk about his problems and the girl would share her shallow version of the concern in her easier life. She understood things and she's open to new ideas. She isn't like the other girls Luke's been with—they're too entitled, already had seen the world through their eyes, and are now closed to other people's opinions. Charm respects his views and he had a nice time educating the young woman with her flawed ones.

"You got another place in mind?" asked Charm, sounding suggestive. They haven't done anything similar to what they did on Friday, but s****l thoughts have not been far from their minds. It's Tuesday and their second art class will be on the next day. They're inseparable and although Lucan believes it's too early to be attached, he can't deny that he enjoys Charm's company.

"I got a lot of places in mind," replied Luke, thinking of the many places he can show the girl.

Charm smiled, "We have all the days in the world," said the young woman. It wasn't entirely true. She wanted to sound sweet and she did. Luke took it as a sign though, that the woman is willing to stretch whatever they have going on.

The girl wondered what time it is, realizing that they've been in the same place for at least two hours. Luckily, the owners aren't the type to shoot judgmental looks at customers who stay long. Not like the other cafes Charm's been to on weekends when she wanted a change of environment as she worked.

"I have to go," she told Lucan, tone apologetic with an expression that matched, "I promised my aunt I'll cook dinner tonight."

A smile broke through Luke's lips, "She cooks," he announced, "Are you the whole package?" he had to admit that it was cheesy, but he felt like busting out the dairy with Charm. She's fun. She appreciates.

Charm played with Luke's fingers in her hands and spoke, "I only know a few dishes, but I cook them well," she explained. The kitchen's never her favorite place, but she finds its activities relaxing and only mildly challenging. Plus, being an only child, there were days that she just had to cook for herself. YouTube was her teacher.

"I'll let you taste some one day," Charm said, and it sounded like a promise. They headed out of the building and into the day, the sunset only minutes away. Charm slipped her hand into Luke's. She likes how he makes her feel safe. She wondered if it's an effect of being with older guys or if it's really just Luke.

"Can I drive you home?" he asked what he always asks. Charm is yet to give him a chance to get a glimpse of her place or specifically, her Aunt's place. Lucan only drops her off at the corner of the street.

The young woman nodded, accepting the offer. Minutes later, they found themselves in Luke's black car, the minty smell of freshener flooding through Charm's nostrils. She noted that if she ever smells the scent again, Luke will be the first to pop into her mind. It's one of Charm's little things: associating people with smell. She does the same with art. If she ever sees work from Artemisia Gentileschi again, she'll remember a man named Lucan Hendrix who made her climax four times in under an hour.

Luke parked near the corner of Charm's street. He usually walks the young woman as far as she lets him. She never worries about Aunt Trish since the woman works daily, nor does she pay mind to their neighbors who don't even know the young woman since she's only staying for the summer. And France? he just flew off Charm's head.

That's where she made a mistake.

France averted his gaze from the couple, though he already knew that Charm had spotted him. The young man walked indifferently to their home, acting as if he did not witness what he just witnessed.

Fuck, Charm cursed, knowing what's about to come: a do-not-tell-anyone talk between her and her favored cousin.

The woman stopped in her tracks, "I'll be fine here," she told Luke, grabbing his arm to put a halt to their steps.

"Are you sure?" he wondered, touching the young woman's hand and giving it a squeeze. If he can have it his way, he'd let Charm spend the night at his place. Unfortunately, the Aunt won't appreciate that. Lucan knows that Charm is not a teenager anymore, but he understands why her family's so protective of her—she's precious, she's an only child, and the world today isn't the safest.

"I'm sure," she spoke. Charm would've kissed Luke if it wasn't for the fact that they've already been caught and public display of affection is throwing gas to the flame.

Luke beamed and chose to see the brighter side, "See you tomorrow," said the man after another squeeze of her hand. Charm quoted him—her parting words before retreating into Aunt Trish's small home and facing a conversation she could have prevented had she been more cautious. France knows that Lucan is Charm's instructor. He might not know the man by name, he still knows him by looks and position.

When she entered the house, France was in the kitchen with his back to Charm as he scavenged the fridge for a snack. When she spoke, he tensed and sighed, letting his shoulders drop in a gesture which said 'Let's deal with this'. 

"You saw," said Charm. She pulled a chair and sat around the dining table. France did the same, laying his soda can on the birch wood surface.

"I saw," he confirmed, "What do you think we should do?" and Charm appreciated that he saw them as a team, using the word we right away. This is why he's her favorite relative. He's a great guy in general.

"It's just a fling, France," Charm told him, "Nothing serious. He's older, but I'm legal," she beat him to it. Some people see eighteen-year-olds as grown adults and some see them as children. Charm is aware how a fraction of the world would assume that Lucan is taking advantage of a teen, though Lucan has no idea of Charm's real age in the first place. A fairly complicated situation, if she does say so herself.

"I don't really know what to tell you," France admitted, shrugging, "I can't dictate your life, but this sounds like a bad idea. Is he a good guy? Can I trust him?"

So far, Luke's done nothing wrong. In all honesty, he's close to perfect, though Charm knew that no one is perfect and that he has flaws she's yet to discover. In the meantime, if she trusts Lucan, she's certain that her brother-like cousin can trust him too, "Yes. He's great."

France sighed. He's not great at small talk, let alone conversations about concerns like this one. In the end, he settled with "That's all that matters." He may be a stereotypical thin, weak, and lanky kid, he can still yell and insult when pressured to. Never resort to violence just yet, he always believes. In fact, never resort to violence at all.

The two bonded over making dinner and by the time Aunt Trish had arrived, an aromatic and visibly hungering serving of chili cheddar chicken wings was in the middle of the small eating table. France and Charm never talked about Lucan again. Throughout dinner, they juiced Aunt Trish of her tales about a man she's interested in. It's adorable, thought Charm, that a lady like Trish turns into a giddy sophomore because of some man.

After dinner, Charm fell into the routine that she's making herself get used to. By the time her head fell on her pillow—a little time traveling machine, it was around eleven o'clock.

When she awoke, she sent a quiet thanks to the heavens for making Trish's breakfast more on the great side than the s**t side. A tasty breakfast only made her more excited for the day. The highlight was seeing Lucan again in class.

She entered the classroom early, sure that Luke would already be there because he said so. When Charm is with Lucan, she forgets about the lie she had to say to get to him. She was reminded, however, when teenagers were playing with paint in the hallways, getting some on a bulletin board and the floor. A troublemaker slipped.

"I hate children," Lucan muttered with his arms around Charm. They had glanced through the ajar door and witnessed the whole ordeal.

"Children?" she wondered, hands finding Luke's collars and playing with the fabric. Then, she cupped his face, palms on either side.

Lucan couldn't help himself. He kissed Charm's nose, "Teenagers," he clarified. Charm's stomach sunk through the floor. He kissed her some more—on her cheek, on the corners of her pink lips, and her neck. Charm remained quiet and hoped for the teenager topic to drop. f**k, he can never find out, thought the young woman thinking of the worst.

Thankfully, Lucan did let it drop, his attention sticking to Charm instead. The man pulled her flush against his front. He kissed his way up her neck until he found her lips. Charm smells sweet, he came to notice. Like a bowl of flowers, mint, fruits, and sugar, crushed, juiced, and made to attract.

Luke reached for the door and closed it. They were against the wall where the slab of wood was built into. It's the perfect spot to be. Anyone who'd look through the blinded window will not see them and if anyone was to walk in, they had seconds to disperse.

Lucan's mind never wandered to having s****l fantasies in the classroom. He's teaching kids, for f**k's sake, they're like little puppies that he needs to take care of in a parental manner. He had heard stories about staff and admins being attracted to their students and he was never a fan of them. The tales irked him. He never thought of his pupils that way nor saw them differently.

He never imagined doing anything inappropriate in a classroom until he was thrown into one with Charm. When the young woman whimpered against his lips once he had dug his fingers into the soft curves of her behind, he wanted to take her right there and then.

Their kiss became heated and it took him all his self-control not to rip her pretty little baby blue blouse open. He can't even remember the last time a woman had provoked his s****l self-control.

Luke wasn't the only one who struggled for discipline. Charm did too. Whereas Luke was able to keep himself composed enough not to f**k her against the wall, Charm had other plans. She reached for his belt.

Lucan grabbed her hands, "What are you doing?" he asked with kisses in between. Even though his fingers were around her wrists, he let her fiddle with the belt until it was off. s**t, that's all Luke could say, s**t, s**t.

Charm has a love and hate relationship with giving guys oral. If she's willing to do it with Luke, best believe that she has her reasons: one being that the man deserves it with the way he's been treating her. Two being that Charm got aroused with the thought of Luke getting distracted for the next three hours whenever he glances at her.

When the button and the zipper were undone, the young woman got to her knees. I can't believe I'm doing this, Luke said internally. He throbbed painfully as he watched his pretty Charm on her knees, hands finding his boxers and fingers wrapping around his length to pull it out.

The hardness in the woman's hand felt hot. She stroked it once, twice, enough times to reach its full size. Luke cupped the woman's cheek and brushed his thumb against her lips which, in a few seconds, will be taking him to the throat. Then, he held her hands which were already around his shaft. "Keep your hands on me," he told the young woman, sounding weak when he did.

The sight of Charm taking Lucan into her mouth was a sight too beautiful and too dirty for Luke. He groaned low and it almost sounded like a growl. The woman took her time, taking inch after inch. Luke stroked the young woman's hair as she worked on him, the sweet sound of a mouth pleasuring a man like a symphony to their ears.

She twisted her hands, stroked, and covered what her mouth could not. Luke's hums of appreciation kept her going. Lucan kept glancing at the door and oddly enough, the possibility of getting caught made everything twice as erotic.

Charm flicked her tongue against all the sensitive parts, having Luke throw his head back and grit his teeth. When he looked down again at the sight below him, he climaxed in the young woman's mouth. He could've gone on for minutes, but he didn't want to lose his job. Luke watched Charm take it all, gripped her hair, and pushed further down her throat. When he pulled out, he was still twitching. When he watched the woman swallow the load, he felt like disregarding the whole school and doing the nastiest against the lockers outside.

Charm stood and they caught their breaths. Luke had heard about other guys not wanting to kiss after women did whatever the hell Charm did, but he couldn't give a f**k about that when the young woman did the best job he's seen in years. He wanted to show her that she did good and he knew how to. Girls aren't much of a mystery in instances like these. Luke knew words Charm would be glad to hear.

He tangled a hand into the young woman's hair and pulled her in for a kiss. When she was right against the wall, Lucan spoke against her ear, "How the hell do you expect me to focus when all I can think of is how much I wanna be inside you?" and for added touch, he cupped her cheeks with one hand.

It was a rhetorical question. They kissed again and for the remaining minutes, that's all they did. When the session started, focus flew out the window.

The values for my esquisse are s**t, thought Charm as she desperately lightened a spot with a kneadable eraser to no use. In the end, she decided to deal with black being the darkest tone in her work. Lucan didn't let it slide, giving her a brief lecture of what she already knew. She couldn't take the man seriously after the things they've done. Whenever Luke's eyes fell to Charm's lips, the image of them around his shaft enters his head.

On the second session, Charm made acquaintances of the people on either side of her. There's Derek, a thirty-year-old queer man who likes trying things. Charm found out that he not only takes art classes, but also salsa and bowling within summer. The one to her right is Wilma, a twenty-seven-year old woman who's back in college to take Fine Arts after feeling that Accountancy was a wrong choice.

When Lucan dismissed the class, Charm took her time packing up. When they were finally alone again, Luke appeared behind the woman who sat on a stool.

"Are you still up for dinner at my place tomorrow?" he asked what they had agreed on over text the night prior. Charm gathered her essentials in her metal case as Lucan laid his chin on the young woman's shoulder.

He spoke again, "Like... real dinner and not impulsive f*****g," he added. That had Charm laughing. She put her things into her bag and got off the chair.

"Of course," said Charm, then leaning up to peck the boy on his cheek. They walked down the hall and to the main doors.

Ever since Charm met Lucan, it's as if everything in her life's an obstacle she had to get through to reach her moments with him. The Great Abaco is beautiful and all, but Lucan Hendrix made up for her loss. Charm spent her Thursday afternoon reading Woolfe by Keenan Travino, one of the few books that managed to catch her interest. Aunt Trish was aware that Charm would be out on a date, but the younger woman did not specify that the man is more than a decade older nor did she reveal how they met despite the guardian's insistence.

When the sun had set, Charm had just finished with her shower. After throwing on her fit for the night and light makeup, she was off. At the same corner where Lucan drops her off, they met.

His words from yesterday rang in her head: 'Like... real dinner and not impulsive f*****g,' said Luke, but deep down they knew they'd do the not-so-impulsive-anymore f*****g. Charm, however, did not look forward to only that and instead found herself anticipating the joy of Lucan's company in general. When she spotted the black car, she slipped in. Luke was greeted with a kiss.

They were silent, but it was far from the awkward kind. When they stopped at a red light, Lucan broke the bubble, "I didn't wanna be cliche, but I just have to say it," he drummed his fingers against the wheel, "You look nice tonight," he glanced at Charm whose eyes were already on the man. For the past few minutes, she'd been comparing Lucan to all other boys she's been with.

"Cliche's fine," she smiled, "Thanks. You're not too bad either."

Charm hates it when she feels the need to compliment a person back just because they've complimented her, but the one she had sent Lucan was as sincere as praises can get.

"You're just saying that," smiling like an i***t, he shook his head and drove when the light turned green.

"I mean it," Charm half-groaned and sunk further into the seat. She lies a lot, but she's never lying when it comes to admiring Lucan, "They call you pretty boy for a reason."

It was Luke's turn to groan. He chuckled and Charm ruled that she'll never get tired of that sound. He spoke, "I hate that nickname. Can you believe even students throw it around?"

Yes, I can, thought the woman, teens are thirsty creatures.

Despite the weight in her stomach, she teased, "Are the juniors crushing on their art teacher?" and wiggled her brows.

Lucan purposefully made a choking sound, "This is gonna sound cocky, but yeah, they are," his head moved from side to side as he remembered the way teenage girls would try to catch his attention. Little did they know it was working, but not how they wanted it to work, "And I don't like it at all."

Charm gulped, "Why?" but it was pretty obvious why. She assumed that Lucan's reasons are the same as any other teacher who would never look at their students in an unprofessional way. Charm would never have anything between her and a teacher, but she relates to those girls in a way that their ages are similar. Had she told Lucan her real age, he would have seen her as a child—off-limits, not an option.

Charm noted to remember the route to Lucan's complex only to have the tiny responsibility forgotten when on the ride to his home, Luke's latest words bugged her.

They found themselves in the bachelor's pad minutes later. The place looked the same as the last time Charm's been there. Lucan's unit is pretty clean for a lone man's home. Maybe the misconception that males' apartments are trashy should be diminished, she figured, or at least for Luke. His area is well-kept, though maybe that's because he's always either at work or in his studio next door.

The young woman shrugged off her jacket, breeze kissing her pale skin when Lucan opened some windows. The air offered by a spring night was their third company. The fourth was food that Luke had prepared beforehand; prepared meaning that be bought them, heated, and plated them well. Their fifth guest was music, a relaxed and sexy modern-day melody playing in the background through speakers in the man's living area.

Charm loved the night that Luke had prepared. She drew her attention from the bed, not wanting to give him that message just yet. She truly was anticipating the casual talking and hanging out before the tiring events of the program.

Luke bowed before Charm, mimicking a gentleman in old times, "Where shall we dine, madam? Table or couch?" and gazed at the woman under thick long lashes.

She glanced at the table, circular and plain with three seats around it. Then, she spared a look at the couch, comfy with some throw pillows in an appealing color scheme, a knit blanket draped over one arm. Lucan did not have a TV, but Charm can easily imagine a life without one. There are other devices, after all, and other sources of entertainment for an artsy guy like Lucan.

Charm smiled and gave the man her tiny hand, his large one wrapping around it, "The couch," said the girl.

"Great choice," Luke chuckled. Takeout at his apartment is not what he had in mind for their first dinner together, but Charm insisted. She wanted things laid-back. It was certainly better, though, compared to having the pressure of deciding where they'll eat and sparing a fraction of the date night waiting for the woman to decide what to order.

The man led her girl to the brown sofa where she sat comfortably. Minutes later, Lucan had joined her after presenting an array of food on the coffee table before them. I made the right choice, thought Charm. She never was the type of girl who wants to splurge on formal date nights. Ones like these are more personal.

"So," Charm began, folding her legs beneath her. She held a bowl of beef and veggies in one hand and a fork in the other.

"So," Lucan repeated, positioning the same on the other side of the sleek couch. 

Both of them felt skittish. It was the figurative feeling of having tiny bubbles in one's stomach. Charm smiled behind her spoon and like a disease, it was contagious. When Luke's eyes landed on the beautiful grin, one of his own cracked naturally on his face.

"I could've cooked for us, you know," said Charm, her chicken wings recipe in mind, "Or taught you how."

Luke pouted, bringing a spoonful of Mongolian beef into his mouth, "Next time," he promised.

"Yeah, this isn't too bad either," said the young woman, smirking. In the night that Luke had offered, best believe her smile would be staying until dawn.

"I didn't know what you'd like, so I got a bit of almost everything," was Lucan's explanation for the different dishes before them. Each was not of great amount, but the selection made Charm's mouth water. The dessert in the form of Lucan Hendrix made her tummy grumble too.

"I see," commented the woman, "And don't worry, we have all night to eat."

The thought that they'd be eating all night instead of doing other things teased Lucan and Charm knew this. They smiled at each other, lips radiating the same level of admiration for the other. Luke scanned their food, his mind forming a vague idea of a fun thing to do. When the thought had become linear, a lightbulb blinked on top of his head.

"Wanna play a little game?" he began, shifting in his seat to move closer to the woman.

Intrigued and entertained, she gave in with no question, "Sure. What game?" and scooted closer to the man, the two meeting in the middle.

He leaned close and held her chin between his thumb and index finger, tilting her face up till their mouths almost touched, "You just have to keep your eyes closed," he began, "And guess."