The Stranger's Kiss

The Music Teacher

Ella’s feet brought her to the chapel to attend First Friday mass as she followed him like metal drawn to a magnet. He would be playing for the choir.

“My gosh,” she heard someone exclaim softly from the back. “He’s here.”

“I told you. Your crush will be playing today,” another person said, trying to control the volume of her voice.

“Shhh!”

Giggles could be heard from various directions. They only stopped when the priest arrived.

Soon, the mass started.

Ella’s heart went hyperactive as the melody created by the organist’s fingers running over the keys danced through the speakers hanging on the surrounding walls of the chapel. She learned that he was called Eric, and apparently, he was there to teach at the Conservatory of Music.

As he played to accompany the singing of the final song, some girls started whispering to one another again.

“Oh my, how can I make him my boyfriend?” A girl desperately said.

“I now feel like I want to compete against you,” another girl playfully said.

“Are we friends?”

“Can’t friends compete?”

Ella stayed longer after the mass to watch him turn to leave so that she could see what he looked like, but she was not the only female who was interested in getting to know more about him; there were others who really wanted to get close to him, so that when he finally turned to leave, another girl blocked Ella’s view of the young man.

Ella left the chapel regretfully. She should have come closer to him like the other girls did. She could hear them asking to take pictures with him.

In the evening, however, she was surprised to find a very good-looking young man outside her classroom, seemingly waiting for someone. Her female classmates coquettishly giggled as they whispered to each other while staring at him. But he did not seem to notice them because he was only looking at one particular person.

Ella walked away, pretending not to be affected, but she was surprised to see him walking by her side as she walked towards the school’s exit gates.

Consciously, she looked around to see the other girls enviously looking at her.

“You’re making them hate me, Sir,” she said jokingly.

“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely in his deep and husky voice. “Can't I just walk with you?”

“W-Why not? The ground is totally free, Sir,” she said, and added almost instantly, “Are you the new music teacher?”

He was silent for a moment. Then, he nodded to confirm her guess. He asked, “Why do you have classes that end so late?”

“Oh…,” she hesitated. She did not exactly know what he meant. “Because there are more vacant rooms in the evening?”

“It’s not safe for a girl to travel at night,” he said.

She was speechless, wondering why on earth this man was talking to her like they were very familiar. Did they know each other? But she couldn’t help feeling nervous and excited at the same time.

“There are many other students, Sir,” she said, while directing her attention to the other students.

He looked around briefly and said, “None, where you’re going.”

“Um, thanks for worrying, Sir, but I’m not afraid.”

“Someone must take you home,” he said in a whisper as he moved closer to her with his lips almost brushing on her ears.

‘You could do the honors, handsome,’ she suggested silently as she looked at him more closely while admiring his seemingly innocent handsome face.

“I’ll take you home,” he said decisively.

They were now approaching the field, and a large tree had created a shadow on the ground, covering their own shadows.

“Sir?” ‘What’s going on?’ She thought.

“I just said, I’ll take you home, Ella,” he repeated with his lips actually touching her ears now.

She felt a tingle as electricity flowed from the touch of his lips to the core of her beating heart.

“Sir?” She was taken aback when he spoke her name and images of the masquerade ball in Malaysia came back to her—the dance with the masked baron, their moment on the balcony, and the kiss…

“Drew,” she whispered as she stared into his eyes. They were not the deep blue eyes peeping through the mask in her memory. But they were still mesmerizing.

The name uttered by her lips caused the man to stop moving, seemingly fighting against an impulse to do something to her.

“Follow me," she heard him say, as if she had no other choice.

The evening was amazingly cool and quiet. Most students have gone home, except for those who had evening classes like Ella. Numerous cars, probably owned by students of Law, were still parked around the baseball field where they were headed.

He walked towards an ordinary-looking, black sedan, and she followed closely like an ignorant fool following a stranger. She obediently got inside the car when he opened the door for her. She sat silently stunned, seemingly hypnotized, her brain frozen for a few moments even after he started the car until she saw his body move towards her. She momentarily panicked as he reached for the seatbelt, eyes on her, lips curved upwards, and had her strapped to the seat.

She released the breath that she was holding as he went back to face the wheel, and moved the car.

He smelled so good, she thought, and admonished herself for some reason.

Eric smiled inwardly. He was delighted by the fact that he had an effect on her. He saw her watching him at the chapel and knew that she was curious about him. He felt that it was time to approach her. He had been watching her for sometime now. He wanted to ensure her safety. He did not want to reveal his real identity yet. He still had to mislead the people who were after his life. But the sound of her sweet voice as she uttered his name, almost lovingly, caused a stirring in his heart, which almost made him lose control of his sanity, and simply take her in his arms, there, under the tree.