"Mr. Hound," the headmistress's assistant coughs into the phone. Jack grimaces, disgusted. Everyone at this school seemed to lack class: everyone except Catherina and himself. They were enlightened, Jack reasoned. "Nancy Mouse, the art teacher, has requested a meeting with you. She says it's urgent." Jack can barely understand the assistant, because her thick Jersey accent clogs her words.

"Why are you speaking on her behalf?"

"We play Bunco on Thursdays," The assistant's words fall sloppily into his ears. "She said she'd go by your office and talk to you, but wanted a third-party in-di-vi-du-al-la for confidentiality." She says, adding an extra syllable to 'individual'.

Sighing, Jack tells the assistant to send Nancy by. Jack watches the clock eagerly, nervous. He didn't know Nancy that well, although when he started teaching here, Nancy had desperately tried to accumulate a friendship with Jack. He suspected she had a crush on him, but he was certain she loathed him now. There was an unfortunate incident at the school's art gallery, where Jack had made remarks about a piece, calling it hideous and the reason humanity should be wiped from the earth. Perhaps his flippant words were the result of one-too-many drinks, but he hadn't known that it was Nancy's artwork he was critiquing. An accident, he defended. Profuse apologies didn't satiate poor Nancy, who spent the evening crying in a corner, crushed. Jack was asked to leave the party early, and he was lucky the headmistress hadn't attended, or he might have been put on probation.

He wasn't really worried about what Nancy had to say, all he worried about was the time she would choose to say it. Jack was expecting Catherina in thirty minutes, and he hoped Nancy wouldn't interrupt their session, because he wanted to avoid suspicion.

Exactly thirteen minutes before Catherina's appointment, Nancy bluggers through the door.

"Professor Hound," She says, staring at her nondescript shoes. They were scuffed, a size too big. Jack wondered why Nancy dressed so...frumpy. The salary at this probably-Catholic school paid well enough; if she put a wee bit of effort into her look, perhaps she wouldn't be so...repulsive.
"I need to talk to you."

"Yes, yes," Jack sighs, gesturing for Nancy to sit. She flops into one of his plump leather chairs, and forces her mousy eyes to meet his. "Obviously. What about?"

"The new student, Catherina. I understand you're...acquatinted?" Nancy looks away.

"Of course." Jack replies smoothly. "I'm helping her write her novel."

"Yes, well, there have been certain...allegations."

"Allegations?"

"Accusations, from other students."

Jack leans forward, feigning innocence and confusion. He reaches over and places a hand on Nancy's dry hand. Her eyelids flutter and she stumbles to say something.

"My dear Miss Mouse," He says, baring his teeth in a grin. "What are you trying to say?"

Nancy snatches her hand away, and runs her hands down her wrinkled, baggy skirt. "Just to be careful, Mr. Hound. This job is highly competitive, and we all know that the headmistress would love a reason to replace the lone male professor. Don't ruin your career, that's it." Nancy stands suddenly, knocking her chair to the floor. She clumsily picks it up and proceeds towards the door, but knocks her shin into the corner of her chair, nearly tripping over it.

Jack's eyes grow cold, and he doesn't respond. He watched Nancy stumble towards his office door. Was that a threat? A creeping feeling dances along his spine, his throat closes up. He begins to sweat. Was it obvious?

Just as Nancy opens the door to throw herself out, Catherina appears, her Chesire grin adorning her face.

"Hello, Miss Mouse," Catherina purrs, leaning forward. Nancy stares wide-eyed at the nymphet, as Catherina paws a stray hair off of Nancy's slumped shoulder. Catherina peeks over Nancy and sees Jack, before glancing back at Nancy, a scandalous gleam in her eye. "Oh, oh!" She says, giggling. Jack stiffens, knowing what Catherina is insinuating. He also recognizes it as a distraction tactic, so he keeps his lips shut.

Catherina dances around Nancy, tossing her a wink. Nancy blushes, about to deny Catherina's hints, but instead just walks out, slamming Jack's office door behind her.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Hound." Catherina slinks to his desk, stretching her willowy body over the wood. Jack swallows and pushes his chair away from the desk. Catherina reaches out to play with his tie, but he moves away.

"Perhaps we should be a little quieter now, shan't we?" Jack mumbles. Catherina furrows her perfectly arched brows, sticking out her full lip in a pout.

"Alright, then make sure not to make too much noise when I do this." She bats her lashes and scoots around the desk, crouching before Jack's lap. Her eyes stare into his and she shivers in glee.

Jack clamps a hand over his mouth as she gets to work, stifling his pleasure.