"You are wrong. Not only can I handle the lifestyle, I want it. I crave it… but I crave it with you." His words echoed in her ears as Evelyn walked down the hallway and into her room. "I crave it with you." It ate at the pit of her stomach as she shoved papers and books into her bags haphazardly, frantic to be clear of the room before Mr. Ambrose arrived. "I crave it with you." She swiped herself out of the building and walked quickly to her car. As soon as she turned it on, the radio blared:

…Here beneath my skin
Constant
Craving
Has always been…

Hitting the off button, Evelyn cursed and yanked on the steering wheel. "Are you kidding me?! 'Constant Craving' by k.d. lang? Why? Why now? No one ever plays that song?!" She slammed her head back against the headrest and then sat still for a few moments, breathing deeply. "It's okay. I can do this." she told herself. "I did the right thing. I walked away."

Parking at the club and looking in the rear view mirror, she still heard Mr. Ambrose' words echoing through her mind. "Not only can I handle the lifestyle, I want it. I crave it… but I crave it with you." I left a sub alone after he bared himself to me. No self-respecting dom does that. I know better.

Ms. Ruark had walked out and left him kneeling on the bathroom floor, alone and vulnerable. Dean had bowed his head in shame and defeat. He had begun to curl over onto himself before he thought of something, something that gave him pause. This dominatrix trusted him with a secret. Not only that, but she had noticed him and thought that he was going to make a move on her…She had thought about the type of man he was and what he would want in a woman, what he would do in a relationship…Ms. Ruark has been thinking about me. Me! I can't give up and walk away now! Not when she is right there within reach. There is the possibility, no matter how remote, that this could work. It could happen. If we have been paying attention to each other… He lifted his head and straightened his spine. I am going to do this. I am going to prove to her that I am the perfect sub.

Evelyn had almost wished that he had shown that night, but he hadn't. Of course, that meant she'd have to face him at school the next day. "That doesn't mean I have to speak of it." she told herself as she drove home. "I just have to know that he is okay. Leaving him could have scarred him. That was a stupid, rookie mistake." She carried everything into her house, cleaned her gear, and graded her papers. Exhausted from a lack of sleep the previous night, she managed to get a few hours of shut-eye before her alarm went off. She moved through her day on automatic.

"I am just so thankful it is Friday." she muttered as she finished copying everything she needed for the following week.

"May I suggest using this so the papers don't drop on your way back to class?" She spun around to find Mr. Ambrose behind her with a box top perfectly sized for carrying the stack of papers she had. "If you need anything else, I am here for the next few hours." He dropped his head in a slight bow and walked away.

"M-m-m…" She started to call him back but thought better of it. Picking up her copies and books, Evelyn took everything back to her room. "This is for the best." she told herself. "He can't handle you and you aren't built to train someone new to the life. It would be a disaster. Let it go. Get back to the healthy work relationship. Focus on that." Nodding to herself, Evelyn went through her room and made sure everything was prepared for the next week. Then she locked her classroom and headed to GMG, ready to release some tension.