I put the book down to glare at him. “And where did you get your education degree? Because I don’t remember that being in your resume.”
His eyes were bright. “I’m self-taught.”
I shook my head and went back to my book, to which he chuckled. “You can hide all you want. Doesn’t change the fact that I’m going to win.”
He did win. An hour later, to be exact. Jade’s squeal of joy when we walked up to a small glass storefront was more than enough to prove that. I sighed as we went inside, Jade racing ahead of us.
I would never admit it to Derrick, but as soon as we walked in, the smell alone was enough to convince me that Jade was right to be this devoted. And if that hadn’t done the trick, the lines of chocolate bites and truffles laid out on the counter behind the glass would have done it. There was a table on the left with a dried up pod and several bowls of what looked like dark brown chopped wood pieces behind four piles of chocolate bars, which were covered with gold foil and wrapped in blue paper.
“Well, hello there. Welcome to Izard Chocolate.”
We looked up to see a young man with bright red hair and an equally bright beard emerge from the back of the shop.
“I’m Nathaniel.” He looked down at Jade. “I remember you. Did you like your truffles last time you were here?”
I looked at Derrick, who was giving me the smuggest smile I’d ever seen.Game over, he mouthed. I shook my head and looked back on Nathaniel and Jade. But before I could wallow in my misery too long, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Sam.
You busy?
Your timing is impeccable, I wrote back.What’s up?
I’m trying to get out of a family function tonight. Want to meet up at the bookstore? I can prep you for the first semester of your master’s. I kept all my syllabi.There was a pause followed by,You have been studying, haven’t you?
I wanted to bang my head against the wall. When was the last time I’d cracked open the book he’d given me? A week ago? Maybe two? Better to skip that part.
The bookstore sounds great, I responded.The one on McCain? What time?
His reply was fast.Five-thirty. We can get coffee and something sugary if you’re tired. My treat for dragging you out after a full day of work.
“Jessie,” Derrick called from the glass window, where he and Jade were sampling truffles, “Get off your phone and come taste defeat.”
I rolled my eyes and typed back.
Five-thirty is perfect. I’ll be there.
* * *
Eventually, we dragged Jade from the shop, though it wasn’t without a few tears and multiple bars of chocolate for the family to share. I left with more truffles than I cared to admit. I swore that they were to share with my family, but I think Derrick knew better. And to his credit, he didn’t say a thing.
When Mrs. Allen finally came home, I didn’t waste time with long goodbyes. Jade was busy decorating her tutu for the choir tryout with fake jewels and glue, and for some reason, though I couldn’t really say why, I wasn’t able to look Derrick in the eye.
Not that it really mattered, I scolded myself as I got into the car. It wasn’t his business who I dated. And this wasn’t a date. It was two colleagues going out to coffee to discuss education. Who was Derrick anyway to know or not know what I did with my time off? It’s not like he’d even asked anyway.
On my drive over to the bookstore, I was able to use the radio to get my mind on other things. But as soon as I stepped into the bookstore and saw Sam standing at the edge of the cafe, I couldn’t kick the butterflies to the curb.
He was wearing a gray t-shirt, jean shorts, and flip-flops. His thin-rimmed glasses were on as he read the back cover of a book on the stand near the cafe’s entrance. Interesting. A whole year of teaching next door to him, and I never knew he was farsighted. He really was cute. What would it be like if he did ask me out? Was this a man I could picture myself spending forever with?
He turned and faced me as I walked toward him. “Hey, there you are. Did you bring the book?”
I held up the canvas bag I’d grabbed from home on the way to the store. “Sure thing. But I’m starving.”
We ordered our food and went to sit at the table he’d claimed toward the back. And though I was happy to be getting the help, my heart sank when I saw the pile of textbooks waiting for us. Weird. A month ago, I would have been giddy at such a sight.
“So how do you like the first book?” He nodded at my canvas bag as we sat down.
“It’s thorough,” I said, taking a big bite of my spinach and artichoke quiche.
“It is,” he said, a half-smile on his face as I tried to keep mine on my food. “And exactly how far along are you?”
