Miss(tress) Jennifer

             “Miss Jennifer, whose turn is it to pass out the snack today?” The tiny voice was barely audible over the 24 other four-year-olds in Jennifer Campbell’s pre-K class, who were currently socializing more than working on their craft project. Miss Jennifer rang the Be Quiet and Be Seated Bell on her desk a few times and waited for everyone to scoot back to their desks and sit quietly.

            “Good job! Thank you for listening!” Miss Jennifer firmly believes that children respond best to praise and encouragement when learning expected behavior. “Rose, will you please pass out the snack today? Your daddies made these wonderful cupcakes!” She produced two containers of rainbow frosted cupcakes from the “snack drawer” in her desk—the deep drawer also has a lock to keep sticky fingers out. They all know where the good stuff is kept.  

            Miss Jennifer watched Rose’s face light up with pride as she wiggled out of her desk and rushed to the front to perform the coveted snack time job. Teaching has always been Jennifer’s dream profession; it’s just too bad that it doesn’t pay as much as other jobs. She’s attending university online for her master’s degree in early childhood education; with advanced credentials, she can negotiate a better contract or find a more lucrative position elsewhere, although she would miss her class.

            While the kids are cleaning up the evidence of their attack on those cupcakes, Jennifer starts making a list of items she’ll need for tonight. Miss Jennifer’s free time activity turned side hustle, which would shock her fellow teachers and likely have the parents calling for her termination should anyone find out.

*

            Jennifer pulled into the driveway of her cookie-cutter ranch-style home that she shares with two cats and a roommate she rarely sees beyond passing in the hallway. She got out of the car with her nondescript shopping bag of items obtained on the way home, waved a cheery hello to the neighbor across the cul de sac washing his car, and smiled to herself, wondering what the neighbors would think of her if they knew what she was about to do.

            Inside the house, Miss Jennifer kicks off her sensible pumps, shakes out her messy bun, and strips down to her Victoria’s (not so) Secret on the way to the guest bedroom. If her roomie comes home to find a trail of business attire leading to the extra bedroom, they never let on that it’s strange. Jen turned the room into a proper studio for digital content creation several months ago when she tried her hand at a podcast, which isn’t strange, but the salacious content would have the PTA ladies clutching their pearls.

*

Miss Jennifer emerged from the walk-in closet as Mistress Jennifer, in full dominatrix regalia, complete with a riding crop and ostrich feather tickler. She sat in a red velvet upholstered Queen Anne armchair, struck a regal pose for the camera, and greeted her followers on Only Fans. 

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