Making the Best of a Bad Situation

"What was that touching stuff all about?"

"That? You know. She was upset. She'd been crying. I just told her if she ever needed my help, I'd be there for her."

"As in 'be there' for her?" he said making a rude body gesture.

"You're such a pig sometimes. Drive the car," Hunter told him as he shook his head in disgust. "She's a really nice lady and her husband is an angry drunk. Cut her a little slack, okay?"

"Chill, dude. I was just jokin' around. Sheesh."

Following rehearsal on Monday, Hunter waited for everyone else to leave then made his way over to Blair, who was making notes on a piece of paper. He noticed she was wearing long sleeves as he approached the table where she was sitting.

"Hey, Mrs. Mason."

"Oh, hi Hunter. Nice work today," she told him with her ever-present smile.

"Thanks," he said as he hemmed and hawed.

"What?" she asked putting down her pen.

"I was just wondering, you know, if you're okay."

Blair wasn't about to tell him about going down to the jail to pick up her husband the next morning after he'd sobered up. She also wasn't going to talk about the deep bruises on her arms or the underlying issues surrounding her marriage. Most of all, she wasn't going to even show, let alone pass on, the feelings of sadness and despair she was feeling.

"Everything's fine, Hunter. I told you, Daniel just had a few too many this one time. But thank you again for being such a gentleman." She smiled brightly at him and said, "And they say chivalry is dead!"

"I don't know about all that, Mrs. Mason. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Then and now."

"Well, I'm fine, Hunter. I promise." She went back to her notes, but Hunter didn't leave.

"Is there something else?" she asked while glancing up.

"It's just that...my brother, Jax, has been drinking a lot lately, too. And even he says your husband has a really serious problem." She started to interrupt, but Hunter kept on speaking. "My dad was really coming down hard on him last night about his drinking and that's when he used your husband as an example of guy he thinks really does have a problem. I could tell that was just his way of trying to downplay his own drinking, but if even half the stuff he says about your husband is true..."

Blair looked away as soon as she felt the first tears forming in her eyes. She not only wasn't going to share her problems, she wasn't going to let him see her cry. She'd already come very close to losing control when he drove her home and there was no way she was going to do that now. Even so, Hunter knew he'd struck a nerve. Unintentionally yes, but he'd struck it nonetheless. "You can get mad at me or tell me to mind my own business, but I won't stop caring about you. I know what happened during last year's senior trip." He glanced down at her again before saying, "Everyone does. It...it wasn't an accident, Mrs. Mason. What happened at the tavern...that wasn't an accident, either. And... well, I'm just worried. That's all."

Blair was blinking away tears as fast as she could and her lack of self control was making it worse. She hated being like this at all let alone in front of one of her students. She was supposed to be a role model. She was supposed to a rock. And yet here she was not only feeling vulnerable but showing it, and that made her angry which caused her to feel even more frustration and before she could pull herself together, she began to cry. Within seconds her crying turned into deep, heavy sobs of sadness; her body was soon wracked with sobs as she reached for some tissue in her purse.

Hunter reached down to get them for her and their hands met. He pulled back immediately and apologized. He felt helpless as this amazing, beautiful woman sat right next to him crying uncontrollably. Having no idea what to do, he more or less instinctively knelt next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "It's gonna be okay," was all he could think to say.

Blair's body shook as she heaved and gasped for breath. Her hands were trembling and face was screwed up in the worst kind of anguish. Hunter reached for a chair and pulled it next to hers. He tentatively raised his arm in order to put a hand on her back then raised it up once before slowly setting it down. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked her leaning down toward her ear so she could hear him over her sobs.

She shook her head and reached for more tissue having soaked the first handful. As she grabbed them she said, "I just don't know what to do. I'm so...afraid. I'm afraid all the time now." Her voice was shaky and choked with emotion. The words came out haltingly and Hunter could feel the fear as she spoke.

He ran his hand up and down her back which was covered with her long, dark hair. As he did, she sat up, looked over at him, her face still showing the depth of her pain, and leaned over and put her head on his shoulder. He slid as close as he could and put his arm around her shoulder as she completely broke down and lost it. Hunter had never heard anyone cry like this before and to make matters worse, he had no idea how to comfort her. He put his other arm around her and held her tight. "Shhhh. Don't cry. It's gonna be okay. I'll take care of you. I promise." Her sobs slowed then turned back to cries as she fought for control. He put one hand on her shoulder and asked her, "Do you believe me? That I'll take care of you?"

He felt her nod her head and said, "I will. I'll do anything for you. Anything. Okay?"

Another minute passed and her crying stopped. She was now working hard to control her breathing which was still anything but smooth. "Are you gonna be okay?" he asked her as she finally took a long, slow breath.

Again, she just nodded her head. "I'll stay as long as you need me to, Mrs. Mason."

She nodded again and managed to say, "Thank you, Hunter." Her voice was steadier and her hands were no longer trembling.

The arm she had around him slid down and found his arm pulling it down from around her shoulder. She reached for his hand and said, "My brave protector." She squeezed it and Hunter squeezed her shoulder with his other hand.

"I'll always protect you, Mrs. Mason," he told her.

There was so much about life he still didn't understand. Not just the complex stuff like love, marriage, or living with an alcoholic, but simpler things like how he could be aware of the scent of her perfume or the shampoo in her hair while she was being emotionally torn apart. And yet he was. He was also aware that he was getting hard and that realization brought several different emotions with it to include a sense of guilt as though he was somehow exploiting her grief.

As he thought about these things that were so confusing to a boy of 18, he was unaware that Blair had raised her head and was looking into his eyes. By the time he did, he felt her lips on his for the briefest of moments. He hadn't even had time to kiss her back before she'd moved away and put her head back on his shoulder. "Thank you for staying with me, Hunter," she said squeezing his hand again. "That was very sweet of you."

Neither of them spoke for the next several minutes. Finally Blair slowly sat up, dabbed her eyes, and said, "I really need to go. I don't want to be late getting home." Without so much as a word about the kiss or why it happened, she smiled a weak smile, thanked Hunter again, then stood up and left.

He followed her and saw her go into a girls bathroom and waited outside. When she came out, her face was washed and the mascara cleaned up. "Hunter. What are you doing?" she asked but not in an accusing tone.

"Just making sure you're okay. That's all. Are you?"

She sighed heavily and said, "No. I'm not okay. I've been telling you I am and that everything is okay, but it's not." He saw tears welling up in her eyes again as she said, "It's anything but okay."

"Do you have your phone with you?" he asked.

"Of course. Why?" she replied with a puzzled look.

"May I?" he asked.

"Hunter, I don't think that's such a good idea."

He kept his hand held out and told her, "I'll put Acme Repair as my name in your contacts. I just want to know you have it in case...you know."

She stood there and stared at him for several seconds before her hand reached for her phone. She handed it to him and he quickly punched in his number and fake ID. He handed it back to her but didn't let go as she held it. He held onto his end and said, "If you need me, day or night, anytime...anytime at all. I'm here for you. 24/7. I mean it. Okay?"

"Okay," she said, the fight gone from her. She slipped it back into her purse and said, "It might be best if you didn't walk me to my car. This isn't exactly a small town, but it's small enough that people talk."

"It's okay," he assured her. "I understand. Just promise me you'll call if you ever need help." Blair didn't answer so Hunter repeated his request.

"Okay. I promise." Her eyes met his and as she went to go around him, she reached for his hand and for just a second, intertwined one of her fingers with his. "Thank you again, Hunter. I don't know what I'd do without you."

As she walked down the hall Hunter turned to watch her. As he stared at her, he realized she was as beautiful from the back as she was from the front. At the same time, he was also aware that the same...swelling...he'd experienced in the room was back again. In addition, he felt what he could only describe as a kind of pain even though nothing hurt. It was centered in the pit of his stomach and it had appeared out of nowhere. At the same time, he realized how he felt about her and because of who she was, how utterly hopeless that feeling was.

Neither of them mentioned the meltdown of the kiss and the remainder of the week passed with an unspoken tension between them. There were fleeting glances, small smiles, but nothing overt. There was no rehearsal on Friday, but Blair asked Hunter to stay after class when drama was over.

"This might sound a little paranoid, but Daniel wants me to go back to The White Stag tonight. I was wondering if your offer still stand. You know, just in case."

"Absolutely," he told her. "In fact, I'll be in my car across the street. All night."

"Hunter, don't be ridiculous. It's Friday night and you must have plans. If not with some cute girl then with Aaron or one of your friends. Please don't waste it sitting alone in your car. I'm sure I won't need you, it's just nice to know someone cares."

He looked around and saw they were alone before reaching out for her hand. She looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching before offering it. "When it comes to you, no time is wasted, okay? There's nothing I'd rather be doing. Trust me."

"I do," she said very softly. A student walked passed the room but didn't look in. Still, Blair reflexively pulled back her hand. "Sorry," she said.

"It's okay. I understand," he told her again. He stood there for a moment then said, "Mrs. Mason?" She looked up at him and waited for him to speak. "I know you're my teacher and I know you're married and I respect that. I...I just wanted you to know that..."

She reached for his hand and said, "It's okay, Hunter. You can tell me."

He looked into her eyes and said, "I...I really like you."

She ran her thumb over his index finger and said, "I like you too, Hunter. But as you said, I'm married and I am your teacher." She smiled at him and said, "Even so, it's nice to have a friend who cares about me."

He squeezed her hand and told her, "I do care about you. I care more than you can imagine."

They stood there, their hands touching for several more seconds before she said, "You should probably get to you next class. I have planning now so..."

He let go and said, "I'll be there for you tonight. Just in case." He smiled at her and waited for her to do the same before turning around and walking out.

It was late-October and the weather had already turned cold in the greater Seattle area. It was 60 degrees when Hunter got ready to leave and he laughed when he thought about wearing a black stocking cap as though that would keep anyone from either seeing him or recognizing him during his clandestine observation mission. Instead he pulled on his favorite leather jacket over a rugby shirt and headed out to stake out his location.

He wanted to be somewhere where he could see her go in yet not be directly seen by her husband. He also wanted to be close enough to get to her within seconds should there be another bouncer-like incident. He settled on a spot across the street about 50 feet from the tavern's entrance and parked the car. He got out and fed the meter giving him two hours before he'd need to add more money. He settled in for a long wait and plugged in his iPod before sticking the earbuds in and turning up the volume.

He'd been there for maybe fifteen minutes when he saw them. Mrs. Mason was walking to the inside of her husband and Hunter bristled at the sight of him. He watched her face and while she didn't look sad, she also wasn't smiling. He saw Daniel open the door for her and just before she walked in, she saw him. He raised his head slightly letting her know he'd seen her and it looked like she may have flashed the smallest of smiles his way.

God, she looked beautiful. Her hair was down and it looked so shiny; so soft and silky as the streetlights reflected off it. She was wearing a black coat and under it he saw a green sweater over a white blouse along with a pair of jeans that showed off one of her best features. He loved everything about her from her dark hair to her hazel eyes to her perfect smile to those soft, C-cup breasts to her round, tight ass. He felt guilty for thinking about her in those terms, but he couldn't deny the way he felt. He'd masturbated every single day since 'the kiss' and it was pretty much all he thought about every waking moment. Unless he was dreaming about a second kiss or...

It was a little after ten and he'd run through his entire playlist and was now listening to a local radio station when he got out to feed the meter again. When he got back inside, his phone buzzed indicating someone was texting him. He looked at his phone and saw a '4' in red next to the green box and his heart started pounding at the thought of having missed a text from her when she needed him. "Fucking dumbass!" he said out loud as he scrolled through the texts. Once he knew all of them were from Aaron, he finally exhaled.

Hunter read, "Dude? Where are you? Let's go do something." He texted Aaron he was busy and he'd catch up with him the next day. "Suit yourself, dude. Later." Hunter just smiled. He loved Aaron like a brother, but he often seemed several years behind him in terms of maturity or just in coping with various social situations. Like Hunter, he was also 18 but unlike Hunter, he'd still never had a serious girlfriend. Hunter had had two—as well as a lot of dates—but since he broke up with the last one, he'd been unable to even think about dating a girl in high school. He was looking for someone more mature. Someone beautiful. Someone...

The ringing of the phone startled the hell out of him. "Shit!" he said as he saw her name and swiped 'Accept.'

"Hello?"

He heard the sound of loud-but-muffled music in the background. "Hunter? It's me. I'm scared."

"Where are you?" he asked his body gearing up into fight-or-flight mode.

"I'm in the women's restroom. Daniel's drunk on his ass and he's threatening me again. Can you help me? Please?"

"Hold on, okay? Stay on the phone."

"Okay," she said. He could hear the fear in her voice. He jumped out of the car, ran across the street, and headed toward the side of the building.

"I'm walking around back right now." He saw a window and said, "I'm gonna tap on a window. Tell me if you hear it."

He tapped and he heard her actual voice say, "That's it! I'm inside."

"Can you open it? Look for a latch."

"Hold on. Okay, I see one. Gimme a second." He heard a click followed by the sound of the window sliding up. It opened maybe a foot.

He bent down and saw her face and she stuck her hand out for his. "Thank God! I am so glad to see you."

"Can you crawl through there?" he asked looking at the size of the opening.

"I don't know. Here, take my phone and my purse."

Even under these circumstances, he felt more than a little awkward holding a woman's purse as he grabbed it from her. She pushed her head through and said, "My boobs are stuck." She looked up at him and actually giggled breaking the tension. "Sorry, I'm so scared I can't help it."

"It's okay," he said. "All right. Go back in and lay on your back. Stick your arms out first and then your head. I'll grab under your arms and pull you down when your...when your...:

"It's okay. You can say 'boobs', Hunter," she teased.

"When...you get stuck. And you'll be able to push against the window with your hands. Between the two of us we should be able to get you out."

Blair did just what he asked and although it was a very tight fit, once they got past her sizable rack, her back slid right out into his arms as her feet hit the pavement in the alley. She jumped up, turned around and hugged him. "Thank goodness," she said. She pulled back and looked into his eyes and said, "Thank you. Thank you so much." She kissed him again, but just as quickly as she had before.

"We need to hurry," she said. "He's gonna know I'm gone and I want to get to the police station."

"Are you going to press charges?" he asked.

"Yes. This time I'm definitely pressing charges. I've had it with all of this," she said. She opened her coat and lifted up the blouse and sweater and showed him another bruise on her lower back.

"Jesus! Did he do that to you?" Hunter asked as anger and then rage welled up inside him.

"Yes, and several people saw it. I'm done with it. I'm done with him and his bullshit and...all of this."

They drove straight to the station and one of the two officers who'd responded before was at the front desk. "Oh, hi there, Mrs. Mason. And Hunter—again. How can I help you?"

She told him what happened and provided the names of at least three people who'd seen him hit her, and that was all he needed to dispatch a car to go arrest him. Blair signed a written statement the officer quickly typed up and was told she'd be contacted the next day. The officer took two additional photos and told her he still had the others making this two counts of aggravated assault. She also found out that because the senior trip was less than a year ago, she could add that as a third charge, as well.

"Do I have to wait here?" she asked.

"No, of course not. He'll be held overnight and we'll have an arraignment Monday morning." You don't need to show up for that, either. Your statement is all we need for now. But let us know the name of your attorney if you have one. That way, we can call him or her rather than you if we do have any further questions." She thanked him and let him know she didn't have an attorney—yet—and left.

"So where would you like to go?" Hunter asked her as they walked out into the chilly fall air.

"I don't know. Somewhere quiet maybe? I can still here that gawd-awful music from the tavern ringing in my ears."

"How about Deep Lake?" he suggested.

"Wow. I haven't been out there in...never mind." She looked over at him and said, "You know what? That sounds perfect."

Deep Lake was south of Olympia and a good hour's drive away. It was one of the more beautiful places to visit in that part of the state, and Hunter had been there several times with his family and a couple of times with friends.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked after driving in silence for some twenty minutes.

"Not yet," she replied. "I just need to get away from it all for a little while."