Cabin of Temptation: Part 4 Dancing with Natalie. Based on a post by a f winter . Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Based on a post by a f winter . Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Introduction: Cabin of Temptation is an ongoing story told over four parts. In this chapter, Natalie asks Sam for some help to clear space so she can practice dancing. She has a couple routines to show him, and the last one really gets his attention. The house was still seemingly devoid of life when we returned. The two of us made our way to the kitchen to grab some real breakfast where we discovered Natalie had emerged. Her hair was a mess and she looked like a zombie while she slowly ate her bowl of yogurt at the counter. Her pink silk robe was on backwards and untied revealing her pajama shorts and dance academy t-shirt underneath. Morning sleepyhead, McKayla teased. Natalie grunted a greeting and asked, Where were you two? Hiking, I said, which got me an amused look from McKayla. I made a couple pieces of toast and a new cup of tea before declaring my need for a shower and exiting the kitchen. I didn t get very far before something on the wall caught my attention. It was a photograph of the McCarthy family, the kids on the couch and the parents behind. Alexis sat in the middle with her older and younger brother on either side. The older brother had a beard of red hair that made him look far older than the other two. The younger, one of my students just last year, looked like he could be Alexis s twin. Behind the three of them stood Mrs. McCarthy, their stepmom, a woman younger than me by a couple of years. She had a sweet smile on her face and her black hair was up in a braided design. The black dress she wore hinted at a tight body underneath. Mr. McCarthy appeared to be doing his best to blend in with the happy, smiling family in the photo. His face had a smile on it, but it was practiced and far from natural. He was bald and lacked any sort of facial hair and he towered over everyone else, the fact accentuated by his broad frame. As I studied the picture, snippets of conversation from the kitchen found their way to me. So how was your hike? Natalie asked. It was good, McKayla responded. We did it on the ridge. I heard the clanking of metal on ceramic as Natalie said, You bitch. McKayla laughed deviously, It s your own fault. I thought you were gonna sneak in there last night like a ninja. Silence stretched for a few seconds before Natalie said, Yeah, well, I didn t. I had a long class yesterday and ended up just going to bed. You could go join him in the shower, McKayla said. Please, bitch, Natalie said with a mouthful of yogurt, I m not so desperate for your sloppy seconds. She swallowed and went on, I ll get him later and make him forget you even exist. Good luck with that. I wandered off from the conversation and made my way up one of the side staircases. Alexis emerged from her room as I was walking down the hall, her hair held back by a headband. She wore a thick emerald robe, a white shirt, and a pink pair of panties. Thin rimmed glasses adorned her face. Good morning, I said. Morning, she mumbled back and hugged me. I wrapped my arms around her and asked her how she slept. She yawned the word good and said she was off to get breakfast. We parted with a kiss and I walked upstairs. All I could think about while in the glass shower stall was how Natalie would make her move. It s funny how fast we can lose track of time. So much of our life in the day to day is regimented in some way, usually around work. This scheduling gives time a flow, it lets us we know when we eat and when we rest. When our lives lack that structure, time begins to become a foreign thing. We had no set schedule for our time at the cabin and that made Saturday morning disappear in an instant. McKayla and I had already hiked and had sex, but that was all before 9am and now it was somehow 1pm. I d spent the last few hours looking ahead at the next school year and knocking some stuff off my to-do list. Alexis had made it clear that I was part of this trip for a reason, but she had also expressed to me her concerns about their group growing apart as they went their separate ways for college. That made me decide to occasionally make myself scarce to let the five of them have their own time together. Hunger pulled me downstairs. I passed Alexis and McKayla playing a card game in the large family room, but the other three were nowhere to be seen. The kitchen was empty except for the evidence of hungry teens leaving their mess in the sink. I found some cold cuts and bread and made myself a sandwich, then I grabbed an apple and sliced it up to enjoy with a spoonful of peanut butter. It was far too beautiful a day to sit inside and eat, so I made my way to the deck to enjoy the sun. Turns out I was not the only one with that idea as Sydney was sitting on one of the lounge chairs with her guitar and a notebook. She held her pick between her teeth as she hunched over the guitar to write something in her notebook. She noticed me and smiled, closing the notebook and taking the pick from her mouth. Howdy, Mr. Holloway, she said. Hi there, I said as I gestured to the seat next to her. Mind if I sit? She nodded and I sank down into it. You know, I said as I loaded an apple slice with peanut butter, you don t have to call me Mr. Holloway anymore. You can call me Sam. I know, she said quietly, it s just hard to think of any of my teachers as anything but a teacher sometimes. I nodded. I get that, but I m a whole human being. I have a life outside of school. Her mouth fell open in mock surprise. You mean you don t just live at the school? You re not some robot that powers down when we re not there? Oh no, I laughed, you know my secret. The two of us enjoyed a chuckle. I ate a little bit and Sydney enjoyed the sun on her face with the guitar still on her lap. Bird songs chased away any silence. At some point, we heard Alexis exclaim something inside followed by uproarious laughter from McKayla. Were you working on something when I walked out here? I asked Sydney. I didn t mean to interrupt you. She shook her head, I needed a break anyway. What was it? Her face turned a shade of red and she gazed down at the ground, I was working on a song. I had seen Sydney with her guitar a few times around school. Almost every time it was her playing some song other people knew which usually caused an impromptu sing along. Sometimes I d see her playing some unknown riff and humming a beautiful melody, but words never accompanied them. I didn t know you wrote your own songs, I told her while leaning forward. She looked at me briefly and turned redder as she smiled. Um, yeah, I do. I ve never really played them for anyone else before though. I d love to hear one sometime. She turned so red for a moment that I thought she might be in danger, but I couldn t help but smile at her adorable reaction. Sydney was far more reserved than the other girls in so many ways. Even now, her shorts were a little big baggy and her shirt was almost a little too big, meaning the finer points of the shape of her body were a mystery. Her long brown hair cascaded down her shoulders now as she almost never wore it up. Her hazel eyes were full of wit, but she was full of hesitation. I could always see that there was more going on than she could find the words for. How long have you been writing? I asked. A few years, she told me. It helps me get my thoughts in order. I nodded. I understand, I use writing for the same thing. She beamed at me and said, You do? Yeah, I grinned. Not as much in the last few years, but it s always been helpful to me. Sometimes things in our head seem so much bigger than they are until we can express them. She nodded without saying a word, her eyes fixed on me like I had just solved some sort of riddle. She held her guitar a little bit closer to her body. There s a lot I can say in song that I can t say out loud, she admitted. Maybe sharing those songs will help people understand too, I said. They ll let people know what s going on in your soul. Not everyone can just say whatever comes to their head like McKayla. That made her smile. She strummed an empty chord while I finished off my sandwich. My thoughts turned to what McKayla had said this morning about how Sydney wasn t the kind of girl to take part in their agreed upon activities this week. I would never pressure Sydney into sex, though I would be lying if I said I wasn t disappointed that I wouldn t get to know what she looks like naked as well. I decided not to bring it up as I didn t want her to feel like I was expecting it. Our silence was interrupted by Natalie appearing in the doorway, calling for me. Hey Mr.- Uh, Sam. Could you help me with something real quick? I looked to Sydney who seemed to be focusing on finding a chord and I nodded to Natalie. I ll see you later, I told Sydney. She smiled back and waved. What s up? I asked Natalie once we were inside. I need help moving something, she told me as we made our way to the third floor den. Once there, she pointed to the pool table and said, That. I looked incredulously at her and asked why. She explained that she needed space to practice the dance routine she would be teaching the advanced class at her academy starting next week. There was a lot of room around the pool table, but it was still an 800 pound object. I suggested we get McKayla to help, but Natalie said that wouldn t be necessary. I can move it a little on my own, she said, I just need someone to help shift it on the other side as well. I figured part of the reason why Nat refused to ask her for additional help was because McKayla had beaten her to the punch and had sex with me first. 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