Authors: Esther Banks
My Instructor
“
If you've ever questioned whether or not white guys like black women, you need to read this book...”
*****
A BWWM urban romance by Esther Banks.
Do white guys like black women? If you ask Caucasian elementary school teacher Aaron, the answer would be an instant "Hell yer!"
Enter his high school crush, Tiffany Hyatt, a full figured African American girl who ticks all the right boxes. Two years older than him and confident beyond her years, she wasn't the kind of girl a young white boy could just approach. Fast forward into adulthood though and he might just have a chance...
But what could he use to break the ice when he sees her at their local gym?
Find out in this sexy and fun interracial romance novel which shows race isn't a barrier for love. A must read for any fans of the black women white men genre, or those into BBW stories. Also suitable for fans of sports romance books.
Suitable for readers 18 and over due to steamy sex scenes!
“
Bye, Mister Jacob,” Billy Hanson called.
Aaron Jacob smiled as he waved to the ten year old running to his mom’s blue minivan.
“Bye, Jimmy. See you tomorrow,” Aaron returned.
Aaron walked briskly to his car that was parked in the teacher’s lot. He unlocked and opened the door, tossed his briefcase into the back seat and got into his white Toyota Camry. He cautiously backed out of the parking space, careful to look for any wandering kids, then took off. He breathed deeply as he loosened his necktie and unbuttoned his collar. Today was a half day due to some quirky holiday and he was able to leave early.
Aaron wanted to take advantage of the extra time off and get to the gym early for a change. He would work out and then indulge in one of his favorite pastimes; walking on the beach. He was blessed that he lived in Jacksonville Florida and could go to the shore as much as he wanted to. He loved it there. It was peaceful and tranquil and he could think.
There were times when it was noisy with tourists and locals, but he knew where to find the quieter spots. He arrived quickly to the gym as there was no traffic. He grabbed his gym bag out of the trunk and went into the facility. There were only a few people in the gym and it was fairly quiet. Aaron wished he could come at this time every day.
He went into the locker room to change into his exercise clothes, then headed to the bench press. He looked at himself in the mirror before leaving and thought he looked pretty good. Women called him a fine hunk and men envied his physique. They thought his great body was a gift that God had generously bestowed upon him.
How wrong they were.
It took a lot of hard work to maintain his toned, muscular form. He liked cheesecake and fried chicken just like everyone else, but he had to refrain from eating too much of it or else he’d look like porky pig! Practicing good eating habits was essential if he wanted to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
He worked the bench press for about ten minutes then moved to the free weights. He selected a fifty pound weight, then sat on the bench. He’d started doing forearm rolls when he thought he saw someone whom he recognized. He looked closely to determine their identity. It could have been any African American woman, but there was something about this lady. Maybe it was the way she swayed her hips.
There was sassiness in her movements. It made him think of only one person. She finally turned so that he could see her full on. It was her; Tiffany Hyatt whom he’d had a crush on in high school. He’d never forgotten her sexy walk.
He’d been two years behind her and she hadn’t given him a second glance. He had always wanted to talk to her, but had been too shy. He hadn't been sure if she was into Caucasian boys as the boys she had dated had always been African American.
Tiffany had been gorgeous, smart, outgoing and a popular girl who was always surrounded by friends. He remembered watching her at the football games. She’d been a cheerleader and her face had been wreathed in smiles as she routed and cheered for the team. He’d thought her beautiful as she jumped, kicked and pumped her pom-poms. He had imagined going to the movies with her and kissing her goodnight at her front door.
He had only been a freshman and her a junior when he fell head over heels in love with her. He realized that she would never have considered going out with him even if he had worked up the nerve to ask her. So he had loved her from afar until she graduated. His heart had been crushed when she left school, but time had eventually healed the hurt and he had moved on.
It had been twelve years since he’d felt that first twinge of puppy love. He was now a highly accredited fifth grade schoolteacher and he loved his job. He worked at a great elementary school and the staff and students were terrific. He wondered how the years had treated Tiffany. He saw her get on the stair stepper, but she was having trouble setting the controls. This was the perfect opportunity to finally approach her. He left the leg press and crossed the room.
“
Need some help,” he asked with a smile.
She looked at him gratefully.
“Yes. This machine is getting the better of me,” she smiled wanly.
“
These machines can be intimidating until you get used to them,” he said. “Are you new to the gym?”
“
Yes. I could stand to lose some weight and get into better shape,” she said grimly. “I recently looked at my high school year book and was shocked when I realized I had gained about twenty-five pounds.”
Aaron looked at her critically. She had gained a few pounds since high school, but not that much. It wouldn’t take her long to reach her goal weight once she started working out. Funny how he hadn’t noticed until she mentioned it. All he had seen was that she was as beautiful now as she had been in high school; even more so.
“You look good,” he said kindly.
She laughed.
“You’re sweet, but untruthful. I see myself in the mirror every day and I need to get into shape,” she chuckled.
He grinned as he set the gauge on the machine.
“I beg to differ,” he chuckled. “And I’m always honest. Here you go. Just press this button to set the pace.”
“
Thanks. How could something so simple escape me?” she smiled.
He shrugged.
“You’ll be alright from here on out. You should get a trainer. He would whip you into shape in no time,” he said.
“
Hmm, I don’t think so. I’m not sure if coming to a gym will be my thing,” Tiffany said.
Aaron frowned. Now that he had encountered her again, he didn’t want to lose track of her.
“I would be happy to help you with your work out. I would hate to see you stop before getting started,” he offered.
“
Oh, I couldn’t let you do that. I’m sure you have your own routine and helping me would just mess it up,” she declined.
“
Not at all. It’s not a problem. I would only work with you until you got the hang of things,” he said. “Besides, sometimes it’s nice to have a workout buddy. You can keep each other motivated.”
Tiffany looked at him as she moved up and down on the stepper. He seemed like a good guy and it was a nice offer. He appeared genuine and she could use all of the extra help she could get. Exercising wasn’t her thing and she needed to be pushed.
“Okay. I accept your offer. Thank you so much,” she said gratefully. “But you have to tell me when you get tired of working with me. I won’t be offended.”
“
Deal,” he said. “And my name is Aaron. Aaron Jacob.”
She extended her hand.
“And mine is Tiffany Hyatt,” she returned.
“
I know,” he said as he shook her offered hand.
“
You know? How?” she questioned in obvious bafflement.
He mounted the stationary bike beside her.
“I remember you from high school. We attended Rolling Hills High together. I was two years behind you,” he explained.
Tiffany looked at him intently. It was obvious she was trying to place him, then her face lit up in recognition.
“I remember you. You worked on the school newspaper,” she recalled.
“
Good memory. I wouldn’t have thought you’d remember me,” he said as he began cycling.
“
Why wouldn’t I? You were a great kid and I actually liked a lot of your articles,” she said.
“
Glad to hear it,” he said. “Come on. Let’s pick up the pace.”
She increased her pace and he cycled faster. So she had noticed him. He didn’t think she had. That still didn’t mean she would have gone out with him, but that was years ago and they were just kids. He had changed a lot since then. The baby fat was gone; replaced by lean muscle. He was fit, attractive and confident, and he had every intention of pursuing Tiffany Hyatt. She just didn’t know it yet.
*****
Tiffany arrived at her bungalow cottage totally exhausted. She limped down the hall to her bedroom, tossed her purse onto the chaise and collapsed face down onto the bed; she could hear every bone in her body screaming in agony. She cursed her idea of going to the gym. It was the worst idea she had ever had. She must have been out of her mind to think that her body could take this kind of punishment.
Aaron had been patient and kind when she faulted in her attempt to do some of the exercises. He’d been supportive and encouraging; telling her that it would get easier. He lied. It wouldn’t get easier. It would only get tougher, and she didn’t know if she had the resolve to see this thing through. She knew that she should soak in a bath of Epsom salt. It would relax and soothe her aching muscles, but she didn’t know if she could muster the energy to pull herself off the bed and prepare the bath.
She was so tired.
But if she didn’t there would be hell to pay in the morning. She rolled over, sat up and then slowly walked into the bathroom. She took Epsom Salt out of the cupboard, turned on the tub water and laced it liberally with the salt. She sprinkled in bubble bath and then took off her clothes. She cringed in pain as she lifted one leg and then the other into the tub.
She sat in the tub and turned off the water, then lay back in the spa tub. The jetted water felt good against her sore limbs and after a while she could feel the salt taking the desired effect. She closed her eyes and thought about Aaron. Meeting him again after all of these years had been an unexpected turn of events. Had he not said who he was she would have never recognized him.
He certainly had changed since high school. She had not paid him much attention back in those days for an obvious reason. A girl would never look at a boy who was two years behind them, it just wasn’t done. But he seemed to have grown up to be a very nice man, and despite feeling as though she’d been stretched on the rack, she would continue her sessions with him. She needed his help and was grateful that he had offered it. She just had to remember that all of this pain was worth the gain. Aaron had said that her muscles would get used to the tension she was applying and soon she would no longer get sore. She hoped that day would come sooner rather than later. She thought about the busy day ahead of her at the jewelry store. Tomorrow was not the day to be sore. She had far too much designing to do and too many customers to talk to. She realized that the soreness was beginning to leave her muscles. Thank I Am for Epsom Salt.
*****
The next day turned out to be as expected for Tiffany. It had been non-stop from the moment she arrived at the store. Her morning had been busy making some very difficult cuts of diamonds and emerald nuggets. The cuts had been successful and now she was intent on shaving the stones. The entire process of cleaving, bruting, and polishing the pieces was tedious and painstaking. But she was extremely good at it which was how she was able to snag the job at such a young age.
At twenty-eight she held the position of senior diamond cutter at the prestigious Éclair Jewelers. Éclair was world renown for its exquisite jewels. It boasted having designed jewelry for the most celebrated clientele in all of the world. Many of those designs were hers, and she was very proud of them. Because of her extraordinary skill she’d been able to travel the world while taking part in intellectual gem studies and conferences. She had been blessed and she was very grateful. Tiffany was polishing a diamond when Marisa entered the backroom.
“Hey girl. Take a break. Have you had lunch?” Marisa asked as she sat on the stool in front of Tiffany’s worktable.
Tiffany looked up at Marisa Faberge and smiled. Who needed a clock when she had Marisa? Her roommate came in every day promptly at twelve-thirty and asked if Tiffany had eaten lunch; knowing she would receive a negative answer.
“Not yet,” Tiffany responded.
“
We should go to that new Italian place that opened last week. The reviews are good,” Marisa suggested. Marisa kicked off her heels and crossed her leg over her knee to rub her foot. “My feet are killing me.”
“
Vanity can be painful,” Tiffany grinned. “You insist on wearing those stilts when you know you’ll be on your feet all day.”
“
Showing expensive jewelry looks better when presented in heels,” Marisa defended.
Tiffany laughed.
“It’s got nothing to do with the look of the diamond. Most of our customers are men and you want to show off your legs,” Tiffany joked.
“
You never know when Mister Right will walk in. I have to be ready,” Marisa smiled unrepentantly.
“
Then don’t complain about sore feet,” Tiffany quipped.
Tiffany observed Marisa’s beautiful features. Her smooth coffee skin was supple and soft and her cherry brown eyes attracted men like collard greens drew flies. With her slender 5’5’’ frame and long dark hair she became the center of attention the moment she entered a room. Now that Marisa had decided to settle down it was only a matter of time before Mr. Right tapped on her shoulder.
“Speaking of sore limbs, how did your gym experiment go yesterday?” Marisa asked.