“I’ll just tell them my boyfriend is my biggest fan,” she answered grinning up at him as they unlocked the door.
“But I’m not your boyfriend Mel.”
“I know but I think I’ll keep the husband card in my back pocket for a bit still. After all, it could come in quite handy,” she teased kissing his cheek. “So what do you want for dinner? We could cook the steaks we picked up.”
“Or we could go out, here in town since everyone’s seen us together. Unless you want to hide me away,” he said coming up behind her as she looked in the fridge. He pulled her into his arms and her heart fluttered as she tried to control her feelings.
She desperately wanted to turn around and wrap her arms around his neck, but he’d said they’d keep things friendly and the way she wanted to kiss him was anything but friendly. “I think that would be the other way around Jordan. Shouldn’t you be the one trying to hide me away?”
“Never…why hide something as beautiful as you,” he questioned turning her around to face him. “Mel…”
“What are we doing?” she asked as he stared at her.
“I don’t know,” he took a step back and let out a sigh. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have teased you about it. What do you say we head over to that Mexican place you like?”
“Sure,” she agreed grabbing her bag as they headed to the car. “Jordan…”
“What Mel?” he asked taking her hand.
“Nothing…just thanks for today,” she told him.
What was the point in admitting what she was feeling? He liked joking around with her, but he didn’t want her the way she wanted him to, and he was never going to love her. She was simply someone he wanted to help and in return she helped him. That was it, nothing else, and that made her feel like crying.
∞∞∞
“Melinda, could I speak to you after class for a moment?” Ms. Simmons asked Thursday.
“Sure,” she said hanging back shooing Tate away. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, I just wanted to let you know that Mr. Grasse will be stopping in next Thursday and I will be in to observe on Friday if that won’t disturb you.”
“It’s fine but Friday’s payday and right now I go to the sites to drop off the physical checks for the ones that prefer that versus direct deposit. It usually takes about an hour or so to get around to the different ones and well…”
“What is it Melinda?”
“You’re welcome to come along with me, I just think I should warn you that the guys can be a bit…vocal. They’re great workers and really they’re pretty good guys but they like to joke around a bit. They’ve calmed down since I’ve been there for almost a year and especially since Jordan and I got married but…”
“They’re still men? I understand,” she said before adding, “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“About Jordan?” she guessed seeing her teacher’s expression and the questions in her eyes.
“Yes, I get young love I see it all day long around here, but most don’t go so far as to get married.”
“So why did Jordan and I? The truth is I was pretending to be older when I first started my internship work-study program, and I met Jordan at a meeting. He offered me a job and a date in the same breath. I took him up on the job aware that the age difference could be a bit much if it came out but it seemed it didn’t matter. When we’re together it’s not about how old we are or young we are. He’s become my other best friend, and he knows me as well as Tate. He didn’t find out the truth until he asked me to marry him that I was only seventeen.”
“Why lie?” Ms. Simmons asked.
“Because I was protecting myself; he didn’t know I was in high school and I couldn’t let anyone find out the truth.”
“What truth Melinda?”
“That my mom ran out on me the night before I turned fifteen,” she said looking up at the woman who was staring at her in shock.
“Who have you been living with?”
“Myself…I convinced Tate to not say anything because I wouldn’t have made it in the system. You’ve seen how the guys around here treat me, about eight months before she left I was waiting for the bus and a junior grabbed me, if Tate hadn’t come by and hit him with his hockey stick…”
“Why didn’t you say anything Melinda?” her teacher questioned, reaching out to rest a hand on her arm.
