Fighting For Jemma

by MJ Nightingale

  When Angel reached Jemma in the parking lot, he stomped the dirt off his boots and then took her elbow to walk her into Randy’s Hellhole. His smile said it all. He liked kids.

  Jemma couldn’t help but tease him. “Look at you, the hero.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I get cats and kites out of trees now.” He smiled down at Jemma.

  “He was a funny, cute kid,” she added.

  “Sure was. I can’t wait to have a bunch of them myself.” He looked into Jemma’s eyes to gauge her reaction to his response.

  “You want kids?” Her eyebrows arched up, but she was still smiling.

  “Yes, someday I do. How about you, Miss Haner? Do you see yourself with a bunch of kids someday?” He hoped like hell her answer was yes.

  She nodded vigorously. “At least two. Maybe three or four.”

  “Fantastic. I’d love to have a whole houseful of kids with you someday, too.”

  Jemma smiled up at him. “Sounds like a good plan. But right now, I’m famished.”

  “Let’s go eat then. I can’t keep my lady waiting. Plus, tonight’s trivia night at Randy’s and Nadia doesn’t like it when you’re late.”

  “Nadia? Trivia?” Jemma asked, laughing as he escorted her into the surprisingly crowded bar.

  “Yup. Trivia. It’s fun you’ll enjoy it. Nadia is the hostess here and reads the questions on trivia night.” Angel waved at a group of people in a corner booth as they came in. “Want to sit with some of my friends and play on their team while we eat?”

  Jemma shrugged her shoulders. “Why not? Sounds like fun.”

  Chapter 17

  The next two months flew by. Jemma prepared her students as best she could for their AP exams, and she and Angel finished the window project. Their relationship continued to grow stronger as they spent more and more time together.

  Work had been awkward with Frank, though. He ignored her as much as possible unless they were required to be in a meeting together. He didn’t pop over to her classroom, and he avoided the faculty lounge while she had her lunch break. Frank had been named department chair as their former one was retiring. She gladly turned over the reins to Frank for the last few months of school as she focused on cleaning up her classroom to make it ready for the new teacher who would be hired over the summer.

  Theirs was a small department of just four teachers, but already Jemma noticed a difference in the way Frank ran the weekly meeting. Unlike the former chair who had allowed the other team members to voice their opinions, Frank made decisions for the group on all matters of curriculum and trainings. There was less camaraderie, and the meetings were barely fifteen minutes long. Just long enough for him to read the notes he’d taken from the lead teacher meetings and to tell them what they needed to do as fellow science teachers when it came to trainings. Jemma kept her concerns about his leadership style to herself, though. Their relationship was strained enough since the fair. Next year, she told herself, would be different. He would have the summer to lick his wounds, two new science teachers would be hired, and the dynamics for the department would shift. She could tolerate the uncomfortable feeling she experienced when she caught him glaring at her during faculty meetings for the next few weeks. Summer was almost upon them. She’d kept that unfortunate incident at the fair to herself, deciding it didn’t bear mentioning to Angel.

  Ah, Angel. Things were going so well with him. He’d taken her to meet his parents the previous weekend in Corpus Christie, and they’d been so charming. They told her many tales of Angel’s childhood that caused tears of laughter to stream down her cheeks, but she hadn’t met his brothers who both worked in Florida for the Coast Guard.

  The only thing not going well for her was the Frank situation. She had even considered voicing her concerns to her administrator, Mr. Boone. But, she told herself, each time she caught him glaring at her, the year was almost over. Surely the time apart would give him perspective. He would come back next year renewed by the time off with his pride restored. And if she could convince Calliope to take the vacant biology position it would be even better.

  She had also been helping Marsha Fields, the popular English teacher, plan prom. It was later that evening, and she was looking forward to attending with Angel. She’d purchased a lovely gown and couldn’t wait for him to see her in it. He planned to meet her at the high school at eight when the prom started since he needed to go home and shower after he visited several ranches to check on some of their herds.

  The dress she’d purchased last weekend when she went out with his mom to shop for it. It was a modest gold dress that clung softly to her curves, but not tightly. It was more of a sheath style that reached her ankles, with a slit along one side that gave her room to move and dance. She couldn’t wait to see Angel in a suit. She was sure he would be one of the handsomest men at the prom. Jemma put the finishing touches on her hair which she wore in a sleek French twist, and then applied just the right amount of makeup to accent her features.

  She grabbed her small clutch on the table and headed toward the prom, anxious to see her students all dressed up and to meet Angel.

  Just after parking, Jemma’s phone vibrated with a text message. Reaching for her clutch, she slipped out her cell phone and wrinkled her nose in disappointment.

  Angel: Sorry, Beauty. I’ll be late. Got a call to go assist in a car wreck. So sorry.

  Jemma blew out her breath. This had happened a few times over the past month. Surprisingly, it didn’t bother her as much as she had thought it would. Most times he assisted with traffic after a car wreck. But on the two occasions he’d been called to assist in a fire, she’d been nervous. But knowing his location and what type of fire he battled had helped to relieve her fear. She had lived this kind of life before with her dad and could do so now.

  Jemma tapped a few keys and hit SEND on her reply message to Angel. Be safe. Love you.

  Angel: Love you, too. I have my suit in the truck. I’ll get there as soon as I can. Might be a few hours, though.

  Jemma: I’ll save you a dance.

  Angel: I know just the song.

  He added a red Solo cup, cowboy boots, and a laughing emoji to his text. It warmed her heart. The funny song was important to them both.

  Sucking it up, prepared to face the prom alone, Jemma walked to the open doors that led to the atrium of the gymnasium. The music was in full swing, and Marsha greeted her at the door. She looked a bit frazzled as she always did as the organizer of such an important school event, though each time, prom had gone off without a hitch.

  “Can you check the kids’ tickets? I have to start circulating and check on the caterers and photographer inside.”

  “Absolutely. What is the crowd like?” Jemma asked, knowing a lot of the kids probably hadn’t arrived yet.

  “About a quarter of the kids are here. I don’t expect we will be at capacity until closer to ten.”

  “How about the other chaperones? Are they all accounted for?”

  “Yes, we have twenty staff inside. Two in the atrium, with you watching the bathrooms, and then we have one deputy inside and one outside in the parking lot.”

  Jemma glanced at the male and female chaperones by the bathroom doors. They were two of Medina High’s PE teachers⸺Cassie Flores and Jonas Michaels. Good choice. That meant Frank was inside. Jemma was more than happy to handle the tickets in the atrium until Angel arrived if it meant avoiding Frank for the next two hours. Plus, she got to see how beautiful and handsome all her students looked as they came in.

  The time flew by, and at ten, with most of the students having arrived, Marsha came out, looking flustered and breathless.

  “Everything okay?” Jemma asked.

  “Oh, God, yes, just exhausted. I need a breather. Plus, my feet are killing me.” She took the seat next to Jemma and leaned back to rotate her ankles.

  “Want me to cover the inside while you take a break?” Jemma asked.

  Marsha looked at her as her eyes searched her face. “I
do, but I don’t.”

  “Why?” Jemma wondered, confused by her colleague’s statement.

  Marsha gave her a sympathetic shoulder shrug and smile. “Honestly, Frank’s in there and he’s in a foul mood. I didn’t mention that your boyfriend didn’t show up.”

  Jemma smiled at her colleague. “You know?”

  Marsha nodded her head. “Well, Jemma, we all kind of suspect that Mr. Reynold’s foul mood these past few months has to do with how happy you are with your new man. The kids talk, girl. I don’t know if Mr. Boone knows, but half the faculty does, I’m sure. The man has had it bad for you for years.”

  “Oh, goodness. I hadn’t realized everyone knew about the situation. I guess I should have figured by now that in a school this size there are no secrets.”

  “That is true. Especially not with such perceptive teenagers and gossipmongers like our faculty. But between you and me, I do think, Jemma, that perhaps you should say something to the administration. I sometimes see him glaring at you. It makes me nervous for you. I mean, I know he’s been here for years, but he really should keep those feelings in check in the workplace. It’s not very professional if you ask me.”

  Jemma agreed. She felt sorry that Frank was hurt, but surely around the students and the faculty he ought to have been more of a professional. “I know, I just feel so badly for him. He’s always been a bit socially awkward to begin with, and I just didn’t want to make it worse for him. But since the one time he tried to kiss me, and I pushed him away, it has become much more apparent that he isn’t going to get over me anytime soon.”

  “Jemma, if he tried to kiss you after you told him that you weren’t interested, that is not good. That is harassment, and I think you should report him to Mr. Boone first thing Monday morning.”

  Jemma’s stomach felt queasy. She hadn’t thought of it that way. It hadn’t happened on school grounds, but she saw the logic of what Marsha said. He was carrying his hurt feelings into the workplace.

  When Jemma didn’t answer right away, Marsha continued, “It might not be overt harassment, and you may not see it that way, but it’s there, sweetie. I mean, it’s your decision, but he does need to change his attitude in my humble opinion. I’ll keep my eye on him for you, though. But please do consider speaking with Mr. Boone.” She paused and took a deep breath. “I’ll head back in now. You can stay out here until your boyfriend comes.”

  “Are you sure?” Jemma protested. The woman had only sat down for ten minutes.

  “Nothing bad is happening on my watch. The prom is my baby. I like to make sure it is a special night for these kids.” She winked, rose to her feet, and turned toward the double doors leading into the gymnasium, but Jemma called after her.

  “Is there anything else I can do out here? It’s kind of slow now,” Jemma noted.

  “Yes, actually, you can. The ballot box is closing in, in…” she glanced at her watch, “twenty minutes. Can you and Cassie and Jonas count the votes for Prom King and Queen?”

  “Absolutely. We can do that. I’ll let them know.” Jemma was more than happy to help. Plus, she’d get to learn who won Prom King and Queen before the official announcement at 11:30.

  “Perfect. I will bring you the ballot box when it’s time.”

  Jemma stood and stretched her legs. Most of the students had arrived, and there wasn’t much to do except keep watch over who was coming in and out of the bathrooms. She chatted with Cassie and Jonas for a bit after telling them that they would be needed to count the ballots to see who had won the title of Prom King and Queen.

  Jonas laughed. “Anything, as long as I don’t have to go in there.” He pointed to the yawning double doors, as two young men came out to use the restroom.

  “Hi, Miss Haner, Mrs. Flores, Coach. You look pretty tonight, Miss Haner. You, too, Mrs. Flores.”

  “Thank you, Billy,” Cassie replied.

  “Thank you, Billy.” Jemma repeated, smoothing down her gown. She hoped Angel made it this evening. She really wanted to see what he thought of the gown his mother had helped her to choose.

  “Are you going to come in, Miss Haner?” asked Anthony, a student from her sixth period class. “I’d love to see you dance the Git Up again.” He laughed and elbowed his friend in the ribs.

  “Ha-ha! Sorry. I have to count the ballots in a bit. The coaches and I will be tabulating the results to see who on the prom court won.”

  “Ok, yeah, cool. I don’t see that big firefighter here, er, I mean, your boyfriend tonight. Didn’t you say he would be coming?” Billy asked.

  “Yes, I know. He was supposed to be here, but he got called to an emergency. He’s going to try to make it before the announcement of Prom King and Queen.”

  “Okay, well, I hope he gets here in time, Miss Haner.”

  “Thanks, Billy. Thanks, Anthony.”

  The boys continued past her, and she chatted with the two PE coaches for another minute before telling them she was going to peek into the gym to see the decorations. They nodded and turned to each other as she walked toward the entrance of the gym and glanced inside. It was in semi-darkness so she couldn’t see much, but there were lights twinkling around the massive room. From the sounds of it, everything was going smoothly.

  Feeling restless, Jemma told the two coaches she was going to step out for a bit. She went outside and enjoyed the warm breeze. The air conditioner had been cranked up for the evening, and it had been chilly in the atrium, though she was sure the students didn’t feel it with their dancing. She saw a shadowy figure walking with a flashlight far off in the distance and knew that must be the deputy assigned to patrol the parking lot for students either drinking or doing other unmentionable activities in their vehicles.

  Jemma strolled the area in front of the gym, rubbing her arms as she did so to warm up. No cars entered the lot. No Angel. She sighed. She’d been looking forward to seeing him dressed up in a suit and tie. Had wanted to see his reaction to her in this dress. She reached the western corner of the gym before she turned to head back where it was better lit.

  “You look beautiful tonight.”

  A man stepped out of the shadows. A flicker of fear engulfed her. In this dark and shadowy spot she could no longer see the deputy’s flashlight.

  “Thank you, Frank.” She began to move toward the front of the gym where there was more lighting, where she could be heard by the coaches if need be, and by the deputy walking the perimeter of the parking lot.

  Frank caught up to her in two long strides. “Your boyfriend didn’t make it, I see. An emergency, I presume. You’d never have to worry about me not showing up if you’d picked me. I’d never let you down.”

  The pretentious comment made Jemma’s hackles rise. It was bad enough she’d found herself cornered by him once more. She stopped mid-step and turned to face him. She put both hands on her hips, and with as much threat as she could muster, she let Frank have it.

  “Frank, you have to stop. Seriously. This is getting out of control. You have to stop watching me from across the room, glaring at me during faculty meetings. It’s making it very awkward for me. The students are talking, the faculty knows a heck of a lot more than I thought, and, I bet, you thought. People are talking, so it’s not just me. We need to keep this strictly professional from here on out, and if you can’t respect that, I’m going to have to speak to Principal Boone.”

  Frank’s jaw dropped. Clearly, her words shocked him, and, she hoped, finally reached their mark. She hadn’t meant to sound so angry, but she was. Her career was important to her, and she didn’t want to be gossiped about by her students or her other colleagues.

  Frank’s expression went from shock to embarrassment, and then he lowered his eyes in shame. “Fine. I realize how it is. I’ll leave you alone from now on. But, for the last time, I need to say it, I think you’ve made a very bad mistake picking that man over me.”

  “Frank!” Jemma raised her voice in caution. “You have no right to judge the decisions I make. Ple
ase just leave me alone.”

  “You’re making a big mistake,” he repeated.

  Jemma heard a current of anger in his voice. It sounded almost menacing.

  “No, you are, buddy. A really big one.” Angel’s voice came out of the darkness.

  When Angel stepped between her and Frank, she saw the veins in his neck were popping and his fists were clenched at his sides. She stood beside him and cautiously put a hand on his forearm. The last thing she wanted was for Angel to hit Frank in the parking lot. Angel shook her hand off his arm. He’d heard enough of the conversation as he approached them unaware to see red.

  “Listen here, Frank.” Angel jabbed a finger into Frank’s chest and pushed him back. “Jemma is mine. She’ll always be mine. You. Need. To. Stay. The. Fuck. Away. From. Her. Got it?”

  Jemma saw Deputy Carly Cross’s flashlight getting closer.

  “Got it,” Frank murmured and then turned to scurry away.

  “Everything all right?” Carly asked Jemma and placed her hand on her shoulder.

  Jemma was still in shock over the ordeal. Before she could get a word in edgewise, Angel cut her off. “Yes, it’s fine now. I took care of it.”

  “You sure?” Carly asked Jemma again. Her eyes mirrored her concern for her friend.

  “Yes, yes, I’m okay. Frank works here,” she muttered an explanation. “He’s asked me out a couple of times. I said no.”

  Carly’s eyes went wide as she took in Angel’s flared nostrils. “Okay, I see. But if he keeps bothering you, let me know. We can file a report.”

  “Thank you, Deputy.” Angel reached out to shake the deputy’s hand. “We’ll let you know.”

  But before anything else, he wanted to know what the hell was going on first. And why the hell some guy was bothering his woman, and she hadn’t told him. That was not how this worked! He hadn’t heard the whole conversation as he approached the gym, but he’d heard enough to know that Jemma had been dealing with this loser for some time making advances on her. And she hadn’t told him! He recognized the guy from the bar the night they met. How long had this guy been bothering Jemma and he hadn’t known?