Nodding, Taylor responded, “Yes, it does. I really don’t think he’ll do anything stupid. He knows I want you for the job and he wants us to win. I also don’t think he wants to have to deal with the union if he violates the discrimination policy, but he might not be that smart. Let’s get this thing over with so we can officially start.”
Turning the corner, Chloe ran into an unanticipated visual trigger. Landon was standing in the entrance to the office talking to Madeleine as she stood in the hallway. She had thought she was prepared for anything, but she hadn’t expected to be pissed at the man before the interview even started.
Nothing about that scene should have bothered her, she admitted to herself. She had no claim on how Madeleine spent her time. But the thing was, she wanted to spend more time with her, more than she should. Seeing Landon eying her possessively made Chloe’s blood boil.
As Taylor and Chloe approached, Chloe saw some barely disguised frustration on Madeleine’s face. She got the distinct impression from her rigid posture and tightly controlled facial expressions that she would rather be anywhere else than standing there talking with Landon.
“Landon, how are you? Chloe, I’d like to formally introduce you to Landon Markfield, our athletic director.” The warmth Taylor was injecting into her voice wasn’t enough to overcome the serious amount of shade Chloe was catching from Landon.
“So nice to meet you. Taylor told me she is excited to interview you for the JV coaching position.” While his words were supposed to be inviting, his tone was anything but. Chloe was picking up high levels of alpha male aggression.
Chloe had seen him on multiple occasions around the school. She had gathered that he had been one of the other English teachers before he accepted the position of athletic director. She extended her hand. Landon took it and applied a little too much pressure for the shake to be friendly.
Determined to get the job, Chloe ignored her gut and greeted him. “I’ve heard nothing but great things about you. I’m glad we’re finally meeting. I’m very excited to talk with you and Taylor about the basketball program you have here. You all have done an amazing job with the it.”
“Well, thank you.” He inclined his head in what she assumed was supposed to be a humble acknowledgment of the compliment, though it came off as a bit pretentious. “If you two want to head into my office, I’ll join you in a minute.”
While his attention was still on Taylor and Chloe, Madeleine flashed a quick smile in Chloe’s direction, mouthing “Good luck” with a thumbs-up. Feeling slightly cheered, Chloe turned to head into the office.
Landon turned his attention back to Madeleine, resuming their slightly strained conversation. Chloe tuned it out as she and Taylor walked into the office. She wasn’t certain what the nature of his relationship with Madeleine was, but she was positive of two things: first, she wanted nothing to do with the whole affair, and secondly, Landon’s feelings for Madeleine were very strong. Nearly all of the times she had seen him at school he was either with Madeleine or trying to find her.
Chloe couldn’t find it in herself to believe that the Madeleine she had come to know actually enjoyed this creep’s company. Still, much as she wanted to believe it wasn’t a big deal, his presence provided another very good reason for her to keep things platonic with Madeleine. As long as she could maintain her composure, things would work out. A season of coaching with a great new friend, a fantastic work experience, and a direction in life—those were great reasons to keep herself out of trouble. Could she remember that during the interview and later when she was around Madeleine? That was the real question.
* * *
Chloe left the interview alone, leaving Taylor and Landon to discuss the plan moving forward. Despite Taylor’s warning, the interview had been pretty uneventful, though he did manage to wonder out loud how she’d managed to embarrass herself by acquiring such “unsightly bruising.” Chloe told herself she’d only imagined his happiness when he mentioned how much pain she must be in. That bit had been incredibly uncomfortable.
Landon was pretentious and condescending, but he did light up when discussing the sports teams at the school. It was evident that he wanted the program to be successful, and when Chloe and Taylor were discussing coaching philosophies he was pleased. The interview ended with a handshake and a promise from him to have a final offer for her by the end of the day. Chloe had been confident she would get the job, but the reality of securing it was even more exciting than she had imagined.
Heading back to her classroom with a noticeable increase in swag as she walked, Chloe couldn’t keep the smile off her face. She didn’t want to. Practice plans already forming in her head, she was mentally sifting through her favorite workouts, the best sprinting drills, types of offenses to try out. She could hardly wait to start writing everything out. She would also have to go out and get some sneakers to complement the red, black, and white gear she was going to load up on.
By the time she reached her classroom, she had a solid list of drills to diagram so that she could show them to Taylor. She had twenty minutes before she had to teach, so she sat down and hammered them out. When the bell signaling the end of the period roused her from her sketching, she’d made decent progress. The rest would come after she went home. Now she had to focus long enough to get through the rest of the day.
* * *
“All we need is your signature here on the contract.” Chloe bent to sign the paper on Landon’s desk. “And here too, this is the coaching policy. It outlines the school’s standards and expectations. I’ll email you a copy to keep. The rest of the employment paperwork we already have on file from your substituting. So, that’s everything I need from you. Welcome aboard, Coach.”
Landon’s secretary was handling the tedious paperwork aspects necessary to finalize Chloe’s acceptance of the position. He had congratulated her and formally offered her the position, explained the finer details, and then rushed off to show some support at the boys’ soccer game. Chloe was glad it was only her and Michelle left in the office. She was a sweet woman in her late forties with two kids in the middle school. She had a caring demeanor and Chloe knew she was responsible for handling the real inner workings of the department, transportation, officials, scheduling.
“Michelle, I have it on good authority that this department wouldn’t run without you, so I want to thank you in advance for making the season possible.”
“Thanks, Chloe. I can’t wait to see you and Taylor out there this season. I have a feeling the girls are going to have a lot of fun.”
“Probably not as much fun as Taylor and I will have.”
“You might be right about that,” Michelle answered, nodding her head. “Well, you get out of here and enjoy your night! Congratulations again!”
“Thank you so much! I’m going to go celebrate by diagramming a few more drills!”
With that Chloe left the office. It was time to find Taylor and start making plans for the rapidly approaching season.
* * *
“Have I mentioned how much I love Manchetti’s pizza?” Chloe called out to Taylor from her kitchen.
“You’re welcome.”
Taylor had found Chloe after school and asked if she wanted to grab some dinner and start the planning tonight. Chloe was more than happy to do that—she even offered to cook—but Taylor insisted on bringing the food. They had decided to meet at Chloe’s apartment since it was on Taylor’s way home anyway.
Bringing their drinks into the living room, Chloe settled in the armchair.
“So how’re you holding up, champ?” Taylor asked nonchalantly as she reclined further into the couch with her slices.
“I’m jazzed about this season, but I’m not gonna lie. I’m a little nervous too.”
“That’s normal. If you don’t feel a little bit of nerves, you’re not really invested and shouldn’t be coaching.” Chloe nodded, and Taylor went on. “But you’re going to do great. I can’t wait. You respect the kids and the gam
e and that’s all you need to start with. I’ll teach you the rest. I’ve seriously got zero concerns about your coaching. What I want to know is how you’re holding up. Your life’s been a bit of a whirlwind lately.”
“I think I’m operating outside the conventional space-time continuum. My brain hasn’t fully acknowledged the reality that I am living, that I could be a long-term sub for the rest of the year.”
“But you’re excited about that possibility?”
“Yes, excited and scared. It’s a lot different from where I was this time last year.”
Taylor spoke gently. “You know, some pretty wise people in my life finally got through to me that I don’t always have to handle everything on my own, and I’ve been better off for that. We haven’t been friends long, but I care about you, sunshine. You know I’m here for you, right?”
“I do, and I appreciate it more than you know. You know the same goes for you from me?”
“I do know that, but I think it’s my turn to be the listening one. Anne’s taught me well. You should have seen me before she came around. Subtlety of a moose.”
Chloe couldn’t help imagining a much younger Taylor dumbfounded by nuanced emotional responses. This Taylor was her sounding board, her straight-shooting, supportive sounding board. It was time to share a little with her, she decided.
“When I was at UMass the physics department was a good old boys club. Well, except for my advisor. I respected her so much. She was incredible. Or so I thought.” Taylor listened but gave no indication that she might press Chloe for details. For that Chloe would be forever grateful.
“She really screwed me over. She totally violated my trust, pressured me for a relationship despite being in the closet and married. Then when I couldn’t take it anymore, she recommended to my thesis committee that I take a leave of absence to ‘sort everything out,’ despite the fact that she was the one that needed sorting out. The worst part is, it’s my fault it happened and I can’t change a fucking thing.”
Taylor sat, thoughtful for a moment.
“Chloe, you weren’t living it alone. She was your advisor and if she was an active participant, it can’t possibly all be your fault.” Chloe nodded but remained silent. The fact was Elaine had done her fair share of contributing, but ultimately it was Chloe who hadn’t stepped up, and that was the truth she would always live with.
Taylor went on. “Remember, when you want to get it all out there, I’ll listen.” Taylor’s eyes took on a devilish gleam. “And until then I’ll be coming up with the best insults you’ve ever heard to toss her way. Now, what do you want to do about tryouts?”
And with that, Taylor lifted a weight off Chloe she hadn’t even known she’d been lugging around. She told her things were all right, and somehow she believed it. Maybe things would be okay after all.
Taylor went home around eight thirty, though they could have easily stayed up all night talking and laughing. They had hammered out a rough practice schedule, a timeline for when tryouts should be, and how long they should last and had reviewed and revamped the core principles the program was built on. They would spend the first three days practicing together, sharing a gym, going over fundamentals, and doing plenty of conditioning. They would have lunch every Saturday after practice to regroup and plan until games started; then they would spend even more time in the office preparing.
Fitting in her work at the Boatery had become a source of worry for her once the reality of her new responsibilities had set in, but Jacob had been so excited about her progress he suggested she switch to a seasonal position. She’d been so relieved. She didn’t want to leave Jacob hanging, but the prospect of giving up every weekend did not seem sustainable. It turned out Andrew had requested more hours and summers were always the busiest months, so things were working out more smoothly than Chloe had imagined they would.
Coaching was going to be a big time commitment, Chloe knew, but she was excited by the challenge and by the assignment, especially the amount of freedom she was being given to develop an offense that worked for the girls on the team.
After saying goodbye to Taylor, she took the pizza box to the kitchen to place it with her other recyclables, wondering as she did so where her phone was. She hadn’t even thought of it since Taylor had arrived. Her pockets were empty, so it had to be in the living room somewhere or in her coat.
Grabbing her jacket, she felt an extra weight in the pocket. When she fished the phone out, the blinking green light told her she had a text. Unlocking the screen, she saw a number she didn’t know.
I got your number from Taylor, I hope you don’t mind. How did the interview go?
Briefly confused, Chloe stared at the number until it hit her. Madeleine.
I don’t mind at all. And I’d say it went pretty well. I’m the new JV coach.
CONGRATULATIONS! I knew you’d nail it. You’re fantastic.
Chloe tried to tell herself her heart was racing because of how exciting it was to say that she was the new JV coach. As she was typing a response, another text came in.
If you want me to teach them how to take a charge, let me know ;)
Without hesitation, Chloe ripped off a response.
I think you misspoke. Your specialty is the actual charging part.
Chloe laughed out loud as she read Madeleine’s response.
Now you’re confused. Have you hit your head recently?
Chloe responded without hesitation.
You’ve got jokes. That’s nice.
Pleasantly surprised by the speed with which Madeleine replied, Chloe felt her own silly grin widening.
I do and I’ll be here all year.
Chloe wasn’t quite sure how to keep the conversation going or if she should. Mercifully her phone went off again, pulling her from that train of thought.
Do you have plans after school tomorrow?
A totally innocent question should not incite such a visceral reaction. Regardless, a warm glow steadily spread outward from her center. Her nerves perked up, sensing the possibility of time with Madeleine.
Honest answer? I’ve got a hot date with a pile of papers. All my classes have a test tomorrow.
That is poetic serendipity. Would you care to double date in my classroom? Misery loves company.
Friends grade together. That had to be a thing, Chloe reasoned. Completely harmless, plus Madeleine was straight. Probably. Well, in any case, she wasn’t out.
It’s a date.
Chloe reread her text and stopped before sending it. No way could she let herself fall into this habit again. Pseudo flirting via text was a dangerous game and with Nora she had perfected it. It was easy to ignore the lines that were straddled when you sent a text. Flirting was ambiguous enough without the additional complication of texting. Erasing the text, she tried again.
I’m in.
Two words were all she could manage. Anything else that sprang to mind did not reside firmly in the friend zone.
Fabulous. I will see you tomorrow, and congratulations again!
Exactly what she was getting herself into was as yet undetermined, but Chloe knew her excitement at the prospect should worry her. The problem was, she couldn’t muster nearly enough concern to do anything about it.
Chapter Nine
Friday
“What’s up, sugar?”
Chloe’s attention left the manila folder she held in her hands. The folder certainly felt real. This Taylor walking in to her classroom, complete with a never-ending supply of pet names, was too vivid to be imagined. All that still wasn’t enough to speed up her acceptance of the reality of the last fifteen minutes.
“Uh, Chloe, don’t take this the wrong way, but is there a reason you’re looking like a drugged-out space cadet right now?”
“Yup. Right here.” Chloe held up the folder. Taylor nodded immediately, her face suddenly serious.
“Ah, you’re in deep with the Mafia and someone wants hush money. Got it.”
“I got the job.”
Though she was still in disbelief, part of her was beginning to get excited about the possibilities this opportunity presented.
“Holy shit! It’s official! You’re on your way to becoming the real deal!” Taylor laughed and reached over, squeezing Chloe’s arm affectionately.
“It is, isn’t it. I’m signing the paperwork Monday, so I need to figure things out pretty quick.”
“C’mon. Think about it. You’ve basically been doing the job for going on three weeks now. Nothing much is going to change other than knowing you’re here for the duration. So you get to keep on keepin’ on.”
Chloe laughed at Taylor’s ability to take everything in stride. It wasn’t part of her makeup to let something rattle her for very long. “I seriously never imagined myself here, but right now I can’t see myself doing anything else either.” She shook her head. “Apparently this is what normal feels like. I forgot.”
Taylor let out a laugh. “Yes, ma’am. Soak it up. It’s a good damn thing you got the job too. I didn’t want to have to adjust practice schedules for you to drive in from God knows where.”
Chloe was already beginning to consider the small changes and additions she wanted to make to the semester plans Mrs. Flore had outlined.
A question from Taylor brought her back to the present. “So what were you doing before Dorman rocked your nerdy little world?”
“Nothing much. Organizing my life a little bit,” Chloe said, gesturing toward the five stacks of papers and multiple notebooks spread on the bench in front of her.
“That’s a thrilling Friday night plan. Could I convince you to ditch that right now and help me order some practice gear? I hear monotony can be a helpful coping mechanism.”
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