by M. C. Cerny
I ended up being one of the last to enter the staff meeting and took a seat in the back next to Amber. Colleagues chatted and we waited for Dr. Payne to make the introductions. I couldn’t tell much from the huddle up in the front of the room except that AP history guy liked sweater vests and bow ties. He’d get along great with the head of our science department. The other guy was huge. Massively so and kept his back to the room as he chatted with Dr. Payne.
“Alright let’s get these gentlemen settled since we have classes to teach. This is Byron McAdams and he’ll be responsible for the history department since Paulette retired. He’ll teach the AP courses specifically and has some good ideas on appropriate field trips and experiences for the senior class. He’ll also be leading the debate team and partnering with Jane Kowalski from the English department.”
Hands clapped and Byron shook a few from the front row. For some reason I could tell he would be a major stickler and give me a hard time with two of my senior girls on the cross country team who were enrolled in his class. I made a mental note to talk to Dr. Payne about getting the girls passes so they wouldn’t miss the bus to regionals coming up in the late fall.
“Now the moment all of you have been waiting for I’m sure.” A hush fell over the crowd and I even noticed Jane leaning over her table in the front row probably offering her amply endowed bosom up on a silver platter for Mr. IT guy already.
“This is David Easton, former military tech specialist and our new IT administrator. So all those missing emails and server problems we’ve been having will be a thing of the past. He’s already started upgrading our server and should have the school back on track in a few days as well as teaching a few course to our robotics team and kids looking for programming STEM electives.”
Amber nudged me, but it was unnecessary.
“Kiara.” She hissed excitedly.
“I know. I see.” Shock had set in.
“Isn’t this great? Now you don’t need his number.” She wiggled dropping several apples that rolled out of her basket and toward the front of the room.
I held back the whiny groan whimpering. “Yeah. Fantastic.” It would have better if the floor swallowed me whole, but I only had to confirm with the science teacher how that was impossible. New Paltz wasn’t known for sinkholes, unfortunately.
Well, this was awkward.
Our eyes met over the crowd of the room and I swore he smiled at me. The kind of smile that bordered on wow and I know what you did last summer. His eyes called me out like the hussy I was over the weekend and for all my feminist empowerment and sexual confidence I felt a blush rise in my face like an out of control wild fire.
It didn’t help that his suit pants accentuated his hips. Hips I fondly recalled thrusting and rolling against me with pornographic skill. It’s didn’t help that he covered his unicorn abs with an equally tight dress shirt, sleeves rolled up showing off a technical watch in brushed silver topped with a buttoned vest. Was this teacher porn? Would I find him later on a Tumblr site if I looked hard enough? Only on a Monday, and only on the first day of school.
He picked up one of Amber’s apples and rubbed it against his pants cleaning it off while he casually jammed one hand in his pocket. Straight white wolfish teeth bit into the juicy apple seducing me into a puddle. I had to get out of here. With each teasing bite of the apple I was warped further under his demonic spell. How could eating an apple be an erotic experience? Leave it to David Easton and my twisted mind.
Colleagues congratulate David and Bryon while I made a bee line out the door once we’re dismissed by Dr. Payne. I made my excuses claiming a meeting with a student and hustled to my domain of the building. Thank goodness the gym was on the opposite side of the building. I had fifth period as a free period and I needed a moment to catch my breath.
Maybe two.
Definitely two.
No sooner did I find solace in my tiny little office that smelled like humid socks and Herbal Essence shampoo than I found my computer pinging with an email.
Ms. Roberts,
I was wondering if you could meet with me to discuss the upgrades to your desktop system? My records show it is woefully out of date and in need of a complete overhaul. I am free periods sixth and seventh if either is convenient.
Regards,
David Easton
New Paltz High School Systems Administrator.
Oh hell no he didn’t. Except he did, and now I was biting my nail debating my reply. Maybe they needed gym teachers in Siberia. I could coach their elite girls track team over frozen tundra and practice wind sprints from foxes and polar bears.
This was what you got for sneaking out after a hook up, visions of half eaten apples dancing in one’s head with laughing unicorns and eight packs of abs.
7
David
Kiara Roberts. Gorgeous. Legs for miles. A high school health and gym teacher at the same school I happened to be recently employed at. What were the odds? I’ll tell you what they were, at least a twenty percent chance we’d meet at a bar and a little more than thirty percent we’d meet in the workplace or through mutual friends. Compound those odds and there was a good chance I was losing my fucking mind.
Never in a million years after Saturday night’s love connection followed by amazing dry humping, stocking ripping, full on sex with a goddess did I imagine this as my Monday morning walkthrough. It was a new low for at least one of the Easton brothers for sure. My mouth was parched for more tequila to drown my sorrows or at the very least numb my raging headache. Unfortunately, I had to settle for an apple because the staff meeting room was down a vending machine to parch my thirst.
It was a good thing I liked apples.
I really like women with dark ringlets of wild hair and soulful eyes, but she wouldn’t even acknowledge me or the mutual shock we had to have been feeling. I would have settled for the awkward, “Ha Ha, fancy meeting you here,” and then we politely move on–except, I wasn’t over her. Not by a long shot. I was only beginning to get on to her, in to her. She was in my blood and soul. One night was all it took and I was acting like an idiot. Fool that I was, I couldn’t let that go. My dick refused to get the message. My heart still pounded in her direction, and even my head was willing to forgive and forget feeling a little used after her disappearing act.
My fingers flew over my laptop keyboard composing three emails to start. I deleted them all and settled for a generic explain my role sort and pressed send on the email feeling a little pissed that this was how I found my mystery hookup again.
In my opinion, Supergirl had a lot of work to do despite saving the world. I was irritated she left without a word and I woke up in my apartment alone. She snuck out locking me inside snug as bug. Not that it mattered much considering I kept a gun in my nightstand out of habit. I lived in a full house situation with my brother upstairs and our barmaid down the hall. My irritation came from the game she played clearly avoiding me if the shocked look on her face was anything to go by. She had no intention of calling me again and while I guessed I should have been fine with the one time deal I typically went for, this was different. She made me feel something and then she snatched it back and I had no say in the matter.
Loss of control made me nuts.
The clock ticked out five minutes as I waited for her reply curious how she would handle this. Would she pretend to not know me? Would she come clean, or tell me I was being a creepy ass stalker? I had no idea how to read this woman other than I already knew she was a fountain of secrets.
My email dinged.
Mr. Easton,
I thank you for your prompt investigation into my computer situation. However, I like my desktop just fine as it stands. No need to change or upgrade anything. I will let you know if I change my mind.
Sincerely,
Kiara Roberts
Physical Education Instructor
Varsity Girls Track Coach
Assistant Girls Cross Country Coach
Well that
was quick and to the point. Unfortunately, I wasn’t exactly pushing the double-entendres here. I actually did need to upgrade her computer. This wasn’t a coy attempt to slid into her DMs or install some adware on her computer for spying and keyboard strokes. This was a legitimate need and not only was she denying me, she was preventing me from advancing my workload and the type A in me was not having it on a Monday.
Kiara,
I wasn’t asking. I’m doing a full upgrade for the district and your firewall has been lagging since the last update, sometime in the prehistoric era. Will sixth or seventh period work for you?
David
Okay. Admittedly I was being a bit of a dick. The upgrade could totally wait, but I just had to know what the hell I had done to scare her off on Saturday night. She was into everything we did and I thought I read the signs right even asking her if this was what she wanted. I was only making myself aggravated by letting it ruminate.
We had to work together professionally and I could do that, but I still missed the woman I met over the weekend. I checked my watch, no response yet. Where did she go underneath her buttoned up blouse, slim pants, and cardigan? Did she at least have panties that were worthy of ripping off underneath her conservative clothes? I felt a burning desire to find out and I didn’t like the quandary it presented me with.
My email dinged and I almost sent the apple on my desk sailing across the room checking the screen.
Seventh Period.
That was all I got. Two words. Probably the briefest brush off in the history of brush offs. If that wasn’t a pissed off woman I didn’t know what was, but at least she gave me a time that worked.
I had more than enough work to occupy me and I was grateful the school had a job opening. Sure it was strange walking down the halls of my former high school, but it felt good coming home too. It wasn’t the money, but I needed my time filled so I wouldn’t get back into the rut that became problematic. Too much free time led to idle hands and dreams. Dreams led to flashbacks I struggled to deal with. I promised myself I wouldn’t go back to the groups of vegged out guys struggling with PTSD. I’d get through this. Work through this. Sleep through the night and someday find a girl to settle down with. That just didn’t happen the way I thought it did on Saturday night.
I cursed out loud and part of me wondered if my scars warned her off. If that was the case then I was better off not even trying to get to know her. Deep down I knew that wasn’t it, but still the thought stung.
It was then I cursed seventh period.
8
Kiara
I cleaned up my office and waited drumming my fingers on my desk. There was no way I could come up with a training plan for my girls four by one hundred relay team. All I could think about were perfectly formed gluteus maximus muscles under my hands. I calculated the kinesthetic energy needed for him to launch into a sprint workout pumping his legs and arms as sweat poured off his body glistening. He was twin to the famous Italian marble statue except better endowed and totally giggle worthy if I let myself go there and think about it. Same name, similar god like body, worlds apart.
At least I was safe for now.
Not that seventh period gave me much breathing room, but he was in for a treat when he couldn’t get into my office. The perks of being in my third year was having a tiny bit of seniority when it counted–an actual classroom and office.
Once David realized my office was inside the girl’s locker room, he’d abandon this all together. After all, there was no way he was walking in here with my girls changing. It would violate so many school policies, force him to quit, and save me from having to deal with him. That last thought though, it did give me pause.
I liked David, but I couldn’t like him in the way that distracted me and took me from my goals this year. I had put so much into building my coaching program and my girls depended on me. There was no way I could have it all. It didn’t work out like that and something always had to give. For me, that something boiled down to relationships. It’s why I hadn’t dated in years. I wasn’t saving myself for anything, but I was trying to balance my sanity and my health with the demands of teaching, coaching, and whatever else life was going to throw at me.
“Kiara?” His deep voice sounded right around the corner which I swore was impossible.
Oh crap. I let my head thunk down on my desk. Perhaps I underestimated his tenacity. He simply didn’t give up and I blamed his military training, tenacity, and general ability to get under my skin.
“David?” My typically confident self within the walls of my job wilted and squeaked.
I left my office and checked the locker room which was currently empty. He called my name again and if I didn’t get out there this would turn into an X-rated version of Marco Polo because I had zero chill where this man was concerned. He stood outside the closed door, and I imagined him leaning up against the frame, cocky and demanding. I moved to the door and stood next to it, my hand on the door. It was the only thing separating us and I couldn’t bring myself to push it open.
“You didn’t tell me your office was actually inside the locker room.” He huffed through concrete blocks and the metal door. It did nothing to mask his deep voice that sent a zinging shiver to my core.
“No, I suppose I left that out.” I chuffed knowing full well how ridiculous this was.
“I can’t come in there, at least not during school hours.” His tone suggested he was aggravated and I didn’t blame him on that score. This was a dirty trick I played on him.
“Nope. Definitely not.” I murmured keeping my hand on the door as if it might bring me closer to the object of my desire.
David sighed through the door and I leaned back against the adjacent wall grinning.
“Feels like we’ve been here before.” He muttered. He was partially right and I was totally in the wrong doing this.
“I feel like I should apologize for Saturday night.” It was easier having this conversation separated by six inches of concrete and mortar.
“I’d rather you come out and talk face to face. It was a tad awkward before. You never mentioned this was your school.” I bet he had his hands jammed in his pockets like before. All he needed was a juicy apple and I was a goner.
“And you never mentioned this was your new job.” I whispered tracing my finger over the grooves of bricks imaging the notches and indentations of his abdominal muscles.
“We can call it even if you like, start fresh. Pretend Saturday didn’t happen.” David gave me an out and I was fool to not take it. No one wanted an embarrassing colleague situation and this was definitely a situation.
Time seemed to pulse between the distance of concrete and bad decisions. I gulped some courage down and said, “I’ll leave my office door unlocked when I go. You can have it then.”
I could swear I heard him say, “but I want it now,” and I smiled. Instead he said loud enough, “fine.”
I listened to his footsteps walking away and reminded myself this was best. The least amount of contact the better. There were two more periods left in the day and then try outs for the girls cross country team. I stuck to my foolish goal of no dating, new school year, so why did I feel a pit in my stomach that was anything but productive? No apple tree was growing out of this foul seed.
Feelings avoided–check.
Awkward situation addressed–check.
Secret still in the bag–check.
But none of that made me feel better. In fact, I felt worse.
9
David
That did not go as planned. I jammed my hands in my pockets to keep my temper from soaring and possibly punching the wall. That was the behavior of a kid who didn’t get what he wanted and I wasn’t about to be that guy. Kiara wanted to pretend everything was fine.
Okay.
Good.
I was able to do that.
Except that I wasn’t. Not really. I could barely contain my disdain for my brother’s ex, and that was after years of pr
actice and a strained relationship. I wanted, hoped that things with Kiara could be more.
What was that saying about trying to force things? They’re not meant to be and disrupted your goals. I didn’t need that in my life, but I did need this job. I still had to upgrade about ninety-seven percent of the district and the busy work would do me good.
“Hey, Mr. Easton!”
I turned around thinking someone was calling my dad and that was weird. I would need some time getting used to that for sure especially in the classroom since I also taught a few intro to programming courses.
“Hi, James?” I said racking my brain for his name.
“That’s right. I remember you saying you used to play football here so I looked you up in the yearbooks our library keeps.”
I felt a little embarrassed from the hero worship. Clearly he had to have seen the regional championship photos.
“All true. Those were good years for our team.” I assumed this kids probably knew about Chase’s injury back then considering Coach Calloway was still here coaching the Varsity team.
“Our assistant coach didn’t come back after summer break.” James left the statement open ended and I wondered where he might be going with this.