“Maybe that is what I mean. I come across as a geek, Luna. Most of the male teachers avoid me in favor of the jock types. There’s only one teacher, Mr. Franklin, that doesn’t find me a complete bore.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Luther.”Especially before we’ve even really had a first date.
He ducked his head. “I have that habit, so I’ll work on it.”
Luna could only smile over the rim of her cup as she drank more coffee. She began to wonder what in the hell she’d been thinking.
“So, about the field trip—” Luther broke off when Luna’s phone began to ring.
She dug it out of her purse and looked at the caller ID.Davis. She silenced it and put it away.
“Do you need to get that?” he asked.
“No, I can call them back later.” As soon as she said it, her phone rang again. Pulling it back out of her purse, she swiped the reject button and turned the volume off. She left it facedown on the table.
“Honestly, it’s okay if you need to cut this short.”
“Okay,honestly, Luther? Stop treating yourself like you’re second best. It’s going to get old fast. I’m here and I silenced my phone.” She shook her head; she’d promised to give this a try. “Why don’t you tell me more about yourself? Do you have any siblings?”
He blushed and squirmed in his chair. “I have an older brother. He’s the all-star in the family, meaning my parents always compared me to him. So, I apologize. It’s a little ingrained in me to assume I’m not interesting to other people.”
She deflated. She knew about parents that made comparisons, though hers were pretty damn wonderful. “Oh, well, that does explain a lot. I’m sorry to hear that your parents treated you that way.”
“Jonah made straight A’s, he was summa cum laude, he was the varsity quarterback, etc. He’s the one they talk about as the golden boy. He made them so proud it didn’t occur to them to notice that I was doing well with my A minus average, or that I excelled at science and it’s just as worthy as being good at sports.”
“Well, yeah. It’s different, but equally impressive.” That explained why he despised sports. “Did you enter science fairs as a kid?”
“Pfft, as a kid? I was still entering them as a teenager and winning. I loved to do those projects. I make them so much more fun for my students. I don’t want to see the same solar system made of painted styrofoam balls that the other classes are doing. I give them the materials and the time to create something wonderful in school, because I know the likelihood of their parents taking the time and money to do them at home isn’t high. There’s only a small percentage that will go out of their way to do something fantastic, so I make it easier and more accessible.”
“See, when you talk about science and the students, I can see your passion for both. That’s what I want to hear and see, Luther. Not the part where you’re not even sure if you should be taking up space on this planet.”
“I’ll do my best.”He cleared his throat. “So, you do like to hear me talk as long as I’m not putting myself down.”
“I do.” She gave him a gentle smile. “Tell me more.”
“Well, let’s see. That’s why I got involved with planning the field trips. I enjoy it.” He took another sip of coffee. “I try to change it up, but the school board wants to keep it the same every year to make it simpler for them.”
“I think it makes sense to want to keep it the same. That way the kids know what to expect,” Luna pointed out.
“Yes, but at the same time, there are so many options in this area that we could go somewhere different every year and not repeat any destinations.”
“Mm.” She thought about that as she drank more coffee. It was obviously something he felt strongly about, but she wasn’t terribly invested in it. “You want to have dinner with me after this field trip?”
“Are you asking me out, or asking if that’s what I want?” He grinned, giving her the feeling he was teasing her.
“I guess I’m asking if that’s what you had in mind.”
“Well,” he said. “I think it would be fun.”
“A nice way to cap off the day?” she asked.
“Something like that.”
“I think we can give it a try.” Luna drained her coffee and stood. Luther looked up at her with disappointment all over his face. “Right now, I’m going to go. Thanks for spending time with me.”
Luther got up and reached out to touch Luna’s shoulder. “Thanks for giving me a chance.”
She kind of worried she’d put herself in a bad position. She had to work with him every day. What if it ended badly? She headed out the door and down the sidewalk with Davis crowding in her head. What was the answer with him? If she chose Davis and ruined his relationship with his parents, she could cost him his job and his future. She would be happy and he would be miserable. That couldn’t be the right choice. If she chose Luther, or at least gave him a shot, could she be half as happy as she knew she would be with Davis? She didn’t know the answer to that either. If she gave Luther a shot with her, she would also be giving Davis a chance at the life he deserved. If she wasn’t happy with Luther, she could at least say she tried. Then Davis would have moved on, and he would find happiness with a woman that he deserved.
