by Mya O'Malley
Elementary school teachers
English as a second language teachers- all grades
Special Education teachers –all grades
Middle School- English, Math and Science
High School- English, Math and Science
*Please see your building principal if you are interested. More information will follow. Room and board included, benefits and regular salary will apply. Teachers are needed in the following locations: Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico.
The e-mail captured Shane’s interest. Some time ago, when he had first started teaching, Shane had considered applying to foreign countries for teaching positions until a job opportunity had opened up in his hometown. The idea of teaching in a foreign country still held appeal for Shane. It was something he hadn’t thought about in quite some time, but the idea was starting to grow on him. What did he have to lose? It would only be for a year, it would get him out of town for a while, he could put some distance between him and Annie. He wouldn’t have to see Lori’s face anymore, it was sounding better and better to Shane. What about Tiny, though? An image of Kevin and his boys running through his yard with Tiny at their heels appeared in Shane’s mind. He snatched his cell off the table beside him and found Kevin’s number programmed into his cell. He hit send and waited, his pulse quickening. Finally, there was a chance something in his life was looking up.
“Kevin!” Shane practically yelled into the phone.
“Yeah, buddy, what’s up?”
“What are you doing tonight? Want to grab some dinner at Ronnie’s?’
“Yeah, sure. The kids are with their mom this weekend.”
“Oh, yeah. One other thing, were you serious about watching Tiny, say, if I went away on vacation?”
“We would be happy to watch that dog anytime, the boys would be over the moon,” Kevin gushed.
“How about for a year or so?”
There was silence as Kevin took in the information. “Is this some kind of a joke, Shane?” His voice grew serious.
Shane explained the opportunity to teach abroad to his friend. Shane rambled on about opportunity, culture, helping out students from low socio-economic backgrounds.
“Whoa. Slow down, buddy. I have to say, I haven’t heard you get this excited about anything since, well, since…” He didn’t speak the words on the tip of his tongue.
“I know. Isn’t it a great opportunity? The only thing holding me back would be Tiny.”
“No worries, there, buddy. I meant what I said, the boys would be thrilled to have that dog over here.”
“Thank you. I mean, it’s not definite yet, but I think I’m going to contact my principal today, before I chicken out. This is what I need right now, I feel it. I have to get out of this town for a while. I just have to make sure I have my job when I return and that’s it.” Releasing a sigh, Shane felt relieved, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
“I’ll miss you, but go for it. It’s what you need to clear your head. I just wish I could come with you, grab my boys…”
“Hey, I’d love to have you visit. You and the boys would be welcome anytime.”
“Appreciate it, still on for tonight?” Kevin wondered.
“Of course. See you then.” Hanging up his cell, Shane typed a quick e-mail to Mrs. Taylor with specific questions, inquiring as to when he would have to leave, which location he could apply for, and whether his position would be held for his return.
Mrs. Taylor got back to him immediately. She offered her cell number and instructed Shane to give her a call to discuss the details. Picking up his cell, he figured, no time like the present.
Mrs. Taylor picked up within seconds. Her authoritative voice seemed a bit more casual today. She told him the answers to all of his questions. Feeling confident about his decision, Shane instructed his principal to sign him up for Costa Rica now and he would follow up with the application Mrs. Taylor promised to send today. He had always wanted to travel to Costa Rica, with its abundance of flora and beautiful landscape. The weather would be hot and humid, but he could deal with a winter away from the snow and slush.
“Shane. Are you absolutely sure? This is a huge commitment, as you know.”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything. When would I leave?”
“I’d have to make sure your application was approved for Costa Rica, of course, but pending any unforeseen obstacles, you would have to be on a plane by the middle to end of July to set up for their second term which begins in August. You would be there throughout the next term, which ends in July of next year. Are you okay with that?”
“Sure, it sounds wonderful.”
“Also, there are usually two sessions, a morning session and an afternoon session. And Shane, students over there are not required to attend school past age fourteen; it’s a different way of life.”
“I understand. Please sign me up.”
“Shane, you’ll be missed. For your information, you can change your mind with the proper amount of notice, of course.”
“I won’t change my mind. Please, sign me up.”
“Right now, you’re the only one from our district who had signed up.”
Why did it seem like she was trying to talk him out of this? “Sign me up, please.”
“Okay, Shane. I’ll be sorry to see you go, you’re one of the best teachers that we have.”
“Mrs. Taylor, I’ll be back next year, promise.”
“Okay. I certainly hope so. I’ll take care of the paperwork from my end today. I’ll forward the application to you as soon as we get off the phone. Best of luck, Shane. I’ll see you at school on Monday.”
It did boost his confidence that Mrs. Taylor considered him to be among the best of the staff. He worked hard and truly cared for each and every student he was responsible for. Hoping he could make a difference in a poverty-stricken area, Shane felt motivated to make it happen. He now had an important cause, a cause that would take his mind off of his own troubles.
* * * *
Later that night at Ronnie’s, Shane sat waiting for Kevin. He had called to tell Shane he was running about a half an hour behind. That was okay with Shane. He ordered a beer and watched the baseball game playing on the screen. He was rooting for the home team, hoping his old favorites would pull through and brighten his spirits. The attractive bartender approached, asking Shane if he would like to order something to eat.
“No thanks, Kerri. Kevin is on his way, I’ll wait until he gets here.” Being somewhat of a regular here, everybody knew who Kevin was.
“Sure thing.” She sauntered off with a smile in a pair of skintight blue jeans and purple tank top.
Months ago, he might have shown interest in the new bartender, but not anymore. He was immune to the charms of women, he told himself every day. It wasn’t that hard to stay out of the dating scene. What was difficult was getting Annie out of his mind. Yes, after all these months, Annie was still front and center in his thoughts. Even Jana had been easier to get over. What did that tell him? It told him that she’s smoking hot, smart, funny and a liar. It didn’t mean anything profound like she was the love of his life or anything, no, it just meant he was an idiot still pining away for someone who could have won an award for best actress.
Out of the corner of his eye, Shane spotted a man sitting next to him. He glanced over as the man raised his hand to get the bartender’s attention. Shane dropped his head, studying his beer bottle. Again, the man caught his eye in his peripheral vision. He definitely seemed familiar, probably just one of the regulars here, that’s all.
The man moved to face Shane. “What do you think of our guy there tonight?” The man signaled to the player up at bat on the big screen television.
“He’s off his game tonight. They’re eating him alive.”
“It’s all mental, ever since the scandal with his ex-wife, he hasn’t been on his game.”
“Yeah, women will do that to you.”
“Sure will.”
&n
bsp; The man raised his hand to toast to the comment, when Shane finally got a closer look at him. Why did he look so familiar? No, it couldn’t be…
“Women, right?” The man shook his head in dismay.
“Yeah.” Shane would like to pummel this guy right here on the spot. It was Aaron, he knew it. He would remember him anywhere after getting a good look at him in the diner parking lot, walking with Annie, touching her.
“Nothing but trouble, if you ask me.”
This could prove to be interesting. Aaron had absolutely no idea that he was speaking to Shane.
“Yeah, tell me about it. Do you have a girl right now?” Knowing that it was a strange question that a guy would ask another guy he had just met, Shane hoped he didn’t appear suspicious to Aaron.
“I wouldn’t say that. She dumped me.” Hmm. This could prove to be quite interesting. Shane was going to try to draw as much information out of this guy as was humanly possible. Hoping Kevin would take his sweet time getting here, he continued his line of questioning.
“Me too. I mean, I just split with my girl, too. Seems some other guy got in the way.”
Shaking his head in the spirit of camaraderie Aaron stared at Shane.
“These guys have some nerve trying to take away women already married, you know?”
“Mine wasn’t married, well, she’s divorced, but…”
“You know it doesn’t matter, and then when you finally find a good woman, she doesn’t trust you! Bartender, shots on me!” Shane accepted the shots that Kerri placed before them. Clinking glasses, the men downed their shots together.
“Trust. Trust is hard to earn, you know. I had this real special girl who left me for her friend. A guy she swore up and down she had no feelings for.”
“Aw, man. That’s the worst!” Aaron exclaimed.
With a look of disgust, Aaron ordered another round of shots on him. Thinking about reaching for his wallet, Shane decided to let the other man foot the bill. It was the least he could do after stealing Annie away from him. But didn’t this guy say his girl dumped him? No mater, too little, too late.
“Have you ever heard of such a thing, a man and a woman being friends, best friends, even? I mean, a guy always has feelings for the girl, it’s impossible not to, especially if the woman is gorgeous!” Aaron glanced at Shane strangely, as if he was prying into his personal thoughts.
“Man, that’s so weird you would say that. I met a girl online not too long ago, she’s beautiful, smart, funny, kind, sweet…”
Shane’s fist tightened, ready to make contact with Aaron’s good-looking face.
“But…nothing. We’re actually the best of friends and nothing ever happened. Don’t ask me to explain, but it’s like we were meant to find each other. As a matter of fact, Annie’s parents say that we were meant to find each other so that she could introduce me to Melanie, but now Melanie dumped me because she thinks I still want my ex-wife, which I don’t…”
Aaron was rambling on and on, but Shane was lost on everything the man said after the fact that he wasn’t attracted to Annie and nothing had ever happened between them. Could it be?
Wanting to see how he’d react and feeling a bit spiteful despite the recent revelation, Shane began. “Man, how would you feel if you were dating a woman, she was your girlfriend and then you got into a stupid argument?” Shane spoke with his hands, trying to be theatrical. “Now, picture this. I go back to her apartment later that night because she won’t answer the phone. The door is locked, she doesn’t answer. But wait, I go over to the window, look in and there she is sleeping, all cuddled up, nice and close with her guy friend.”
Aaron, appearing to go along with the story in support of Shane, heard the punch line. Shane could practically see the wheels turning in the man’s head. A look of realization came across Aaron’s face as his eyes went wide.
“No…”
“Oh, yes.”
Scrambling out of his seat, Aaron was pressed back down by Shane’s hand on his shoulder.. At that precise moment, Kevin walked in the bar and stood, planted to his spot near the door. Shane glared at his friend, telling him with his eyes to back off, stay away. Shane wanted to handle this in his own way.
“Stay.” He told Aaron, not unlike a command he would give to Tiny.
Aaron, realizing that he was outnumbered now, gulped, nodding his consent. “I didn’t…nothing…”
“I know now that nothing happened, relax.” He released his hand from Aaron’s shoulder and took a deep breath.
“Could we get some shots here?” Aaron called to Kerri.
Looking at Aaron, who was practically shaking in his shoes, Shane signaled to Kerri. “This one’s on me.”
After talking it through for what seemed like hours, Shane came to two realizations. The first being that nothing was going on between Annie and Aaron. The second realization was that Aaron was actually a cool guy. Kevin had joined them about halfway through their conversation and the three men ordered dinner together.
Getting up to leave, Aaron spoke his mind. “Shane, for what it’s worth, she’s heartbroken and crazy about you.”
Upon thinking through all of the information he had come across tonight, Shane remained firm with his decision to go it alone. Yes, he was relieved that nothing had happened with Annie and Aaron, but that didn’t change the fact that neither one of them trusted the other. Not believing him about Lori was just the icing on the cake. Trust was the bigger issue here.
“Thanks, man. But, it’s over. We both have too many unresolved personal issues.”
“You mean like with Greg, the ex-husband?”
“Well, I knew she was divorced. You mean she hasn’t gotten over him yet?”
“No, no, nothing like that. He hurt her, he cheated on her.”
“I figured, but…”
“No, he lied to her. She put her complete trust in him, she believed all of his lies and then he turned around and betrayed her. She found out later that it was going on before they even got married.”
Shaking his head, Shane felt awful for Annie. He tried not to picture her going through the horrible scenario that Aaron had described.
“That’s awful, it is. There you have it, unresolved trust issues.”
Aaron raised his voice and puffed out his chest. “That’s it? Haven’t you ever had your heart broken, haven’t you ever put your trust in someone only to have them let you down? Can’t you cut the girl a break? You didn’t even have the decency to get back to her after she poured her heart out to you in her text.” Aaron’s eyes were stormy.
Shane had no idea what Aaron was talking about and honestly it didn’t matter anymore. He figured she had probably sent him a text before he got his new cell.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I never got a text.” Why was he defending himself to this guy? It didn’t matter. None of it mattered. He was tired, beyond tired. “Sorry.”
“You’re making the biggest mistake of your life.” Aaron tried one last feeble attempt at reasoning with Shane.
Placing his hand on Aaron’s shoulder, he hung his head and tapped Kevin on the shoulder, signaling that he was leaving. He had to give it to Aaron, he was a good friend to stick up for Annie the way he did back there. In a funny way, it made Shane feel good that she had someone like that on her side.
Walking out to the fresh spring air, Shane picked up his cell and dialed a cab to pick him up. Sitting on the bench outside of the bar, he watched the cars speed by. Tonight cleared some things up for Shane when it came to his relationship with Annie, but it didn’t change anything. When he made up his mind, it was for good. He was going to Costa Rica.
Nothing and no one could stop him.
Chapter Twenty- Eight
Annie was checking the schedule for the day, scanning across the names of today’s patients. Let’s see, there was Scruffy, Lady, Muffin, Kitty…no Tiny. She had to stop doing this to herself. Tiny was not coming into the office anytime soon. As a matter of fa
ct, if she knew Shane the way she thought she did, she doubted Tiny would ever set foot in this office again. The man could be so stubborn, so set in his ways, it was infuriating. Promising herself she wouldn’t look for the Great Dane’s name anymore, she knew that Shane and Tiny weren’t going to make any surprise appearances like they did last time. Laughing to herself as she remembered Shane’s lame excuse to make an appointment for fleas, she suddenly felt sad as images of their relationship came flashing back. Bumping into each other at the mall, spilling the drinks at the pizzeria, their encounter at the vet, the kiss in the bathroom at Rena’s, the other kiss at the next vet appointment, their first real date, the walks with Tiny. But then other memories, unwelcome ones such as when Lori approached her at the diner, at the mall with her little son watching, the text message from Lori, the pouring rain, running away from Shane that last time they were together. Excusing herself to go to the ladies room, she placed the toilet seat down and wept one last time for a man she knew would never give her a second chance.
* * * *
She received a call from Aaron late the night before, asking if she had plans for this evening. Knowing he was still upset over Melanie, she thought it was a good idea to get together. Two lonely souls, commiserating together. He said he would swing by to pick her up around six o’clock.
Asking where they were going, Aaron beamed brightly, shrugging his shoulders playfully. “Wherever the car takes us.”
“Wow. That was a game that my parents used to play with me when I was little, it annoyed me then and it annoys me now. Now tell me where we’re going.” Laughing out loud, she nudged him.
“I’ll never tell. I’ll say one thing, though. I’m taking you someplace that I should have taken you a long time ago. You’ve been moping around for way too long.”
“Now you have my attention. Where are you taking me, Aaron?” Hearing the whining tone creeping into her voice, she sat back and figured they’d be there soon enough.