Chapter 6
At the end of the day, Luna was grading papers and debating between going home to wallow or calling Davis to see if she could fix things. When a movement caught her eye, she glanced up to find Luther standing in her doorway. Despite being older than Luna by a few years, he had a baby face with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was flirtatious without being a pig about it, and she hadn’t noticed him acting so friendly with any of the other female teachers. He flattered her, at the same time she was reticent about what she was doing.
“I just thought I’d check in and see if you need anything before I head home,” he said with a smile.
She returned his smile, considered again that it might be a bad idea to date him, and set her red pen aside. “You know, Luther, our conversation got interrupted earlier.”
He came further into the room. “Yes, it did. Are you, you know, dating that guy?”
“No.” She shook her head for emphasis and stood. “He’s my good friend.”
He ran his hand over the back of his neck. “Okay. Does that mean you’d be interested in going on a date with me? We could do something after the field trip.”
“Actually, I was thinking of putting aside these tests and grabbing some coffee. Do you want to join me?”
Any doubt that still clouded his eyes cleared. “Yes, absolutely. I locked up already, so I’ll just give you a second to get finished up.”
“You can wait right here. I’m only going to get my purse and lock the door.”
“Fantastic.” Luther tucked his hands in his pockets and watched her put away the papers on her desk and retrieve her bag.
“Do you have a favorite coffee place nearby? I’ve only tried out the one off of Azalea Street.” Luna made her way to him and made sure to keep some distance as they walked out. They paused while she locked up then continued down the hall, a few feet of space separating them.
“There’s one I like in walking distance called The Coffee Bar. How about that one?” he suggested.
“Oh, good.” That way they didn’t have to worry about transportation.
Luna figured at the very least she could decide if she liked him at all outside of the school. If they hit it off over coffee, she would consider going to dinner with him. Anything to get Davis out of her head.
“Here we go,” he said after they’d walked a few blocks.
Luna liked the look of the place; a small bakery cafe that appeared to be independently owned. She ordered and paid for herself amid Luther’s protests. She sat while he ordered and they waited for their drinks to be made. He brought both of their coffees over and took a seat next to her.
“What do you do for fun?” she asked him to get the conversation going.
He took the lid off his coffee and blew on it. “I enjoy the Discovery channel, honestly. Science programs, but also history. I’m a bit of a history buff when it comes to the world wars.”
“That’s interesting.” She sipped her coffee. “What else?”
“Okay.” He took a sip and looked out the window. “Um, I guess I like to read sometimes. Mysteries. Board games if I have anyone over. I, um, I guess I’m sort of boring.”
She arched an eyebrow when she asked, “Do you like sports?”
“No, I hate pretty much all of them.” She groaned, and he frowned in response. “What?”
“I play soccer. I played all four years in college on a scholarship. I like to jog, to weight train, to play at the field on the weekends.” All the things he didn’t apparently enjoy.
“Oh.”
He looked so dejected that she felt the need to reassure him. “It’s not any kind of deal breaker or anything, but I watch soccer on TV, too. It’s my passion, I suppose. I enjoy teaching, and I’ve always wanted to do it, but outside of children, soccer is my thing.”
“I don’t guess I would hate to have it on while I was doing something else,” he ventured. He made it sound incredibly intimate and domestic, causing her to wonder exactly what scenario he envisioned when he said that.
“Well, if it comes to anything like that, I’m glad to hear it won’t kill you to have it playing while you’re reading or something.”
“Yeah, that’s all I meant. I wouldn’t want you to think I’m unwilling to bend.”
She shifted, beginning to feel uncomfortable. “I don’t have any preconceived notions about you, Luther, if that’s what you mean.”
