Now, she laid the phone aside and looked at the man who’d been scanning her office.
“Sorry about that.As you probably heard, I should have met with someone else today, as well.”
He nodded once as he focused on her.His dark eyes hinted at nothing other than business, but the intensity of his gaze made her thoughts jumble as though she hadn’t planned this interview.Her words shifted and settled into a sensible sequence, so she cleared her throat, then reached for the file with his résumé.“We were talking about the salary offer when you ran out of here yesterday.”
She bit her lip when she realized how her words sounded.Talk about sticking her foot in her mouth, which she couldn’t seem to avoid with this man.
A line appeared between his eyebrows, but he didn’t speak, which left a blank pause she rushed to fill.“So, do you have any objections to the package?It includes health insurance if you’re here long enough for that to kick in.”
Shomari laced his fingers and offered a slight smile.“Everything sounds great.”
Then why do you look like someone going to the gallows?
Of course, she didn’t say that.Instead, she stated her expectations and handed him a sheet listing his duties.
“Looks good,” was his response when he finished reading.“Do you have a lesson plan I can use?”
“Something close.”She nodded and scooted away from the desk to the adjacent filing cabinet where she pulled out a file with the wish list she’d created for her IT class.After handing him the pseudo course outline, she watched as he slid one finger down her bullet-point notes.
“This is fine to start with, but I can develop on it.”When his gaze settled on her, he continued, “Of course, keeping in mind the age of the students.”
“Great.I’ll make you a copy come Monday, and you can do that on your own time.”Her gaze shot to his.“Of course, I didn’t mean outside of the hours you spend here.”
He shrugged.“No offense taken.I’m not hard and fast when it comes to work.”
“Would you like to see the classroom?”she asked, rising from the seat.
“Sure.”
When he stood, Shomari dwarfed the space, and she hurried to the door.A wash of orange, lemon, and musk wrapped around her, and she inhaled deeply.Somehow, the light yet pleasing combination of scents didn’t match his persona.His sober air would have matched better with cedar and a stronger dash of musk.Her thoughts almost made her chuckle.Thanks to her brothers and her dad, she knew a thing or two about men’s fragrances.
She pushed open the door to what she’d dubbed The IT Lab, which had been retrofitted with low desks and seats sized for the children.Here, the walls were decorated with a variety of electronic devices, both old and new.She didn’t charge extra for the computer lessons because she was using the lab as a test site.Her biggest dream was to establish a preparatory school.She loved what she did at Wintertime, but had always thrived on challenges.Plus, she loved children.
She had the training, designated space, drive, and energy to make expanding into higher school grades a reality.The main obstacle was navigating through the many hoops the education ministry required.If she couldn’t tie down Marion Whorms, the consultant she had on retainer, she’d have to find another route to complete the process.
Shomari laid his phone down at one of the stations and asked, “May I?”
Waving with one hand, she gave him the go-ahead.
He switched on the computer, pulled out the tiny but sturdy chair, and tested it before sitting.
While he did that, she moved around the room, checking that everything was in order.One of the last things they did in the evenings was to prep the spaces for the students on the following day.Inevitably, Lizette found a desk, chair, or item that needed adjustment.Her mom and brothers often teased her about what they called OCD tendencies.
On completing the tour, she stood behind Shomari, who was on the home screen and about to power down the machine.
“The specs and programs are adequate for what you’re doing now, but if you ever expand, of course, you’ll need a bit more oomph,” he said over his shoulder.
“Yes, Zack and I discussed that and he said the same thing.”
As he shut down the computer, a message flashed on his phone screen that she couldn’t help seeing.
I want to talk to my daughter ASAP.
The moment his attention went to the LED display, Shomari’s demeanor changed.He stiffened and stifled words that rumbled in his throat.She hoped he didn’t curse, because that wasn’t a great sign for someone who’d be around kids for much of the day.
He grabbed the cellular, rose from the seat, and replaced the chair, but the man who’d been with Lizette was gone.This persona stood tall and flexed his jaw, but the curl of his lips didn’t qualify as a smile.Rubbing the back of his neck, Shomari scanned the area behind her.“This is a great set-up, and I see you have air-conditioning.”
Nodding, she said, “Throughout the facility, but we don’t always keep it on.It’s beneficial during the summer months, though.”
