Photos of him make my chest tighten. He’s gorgeous in any outfit or any state of facial hair, clean-shaven or with a full beard. There is nothing this man can’t wear or do to himself that will change the way his lips stand out or how his narrow face and chiseled jaw make you want to kiss him all over.
I’ve thought a few of my students’ fathers were handsome, and I dated a few guys during college, but seeing my ultimate bad-boy rocker standing in front of me did something to my body I never expected.
It’s been a year since I’ve been on a date. I get asked out, but no one has really done it for me. And, yes, I might be religious, but I’m not a virgin even though I’m not married. But the relationships I was in were just mediocre. Maggie would tease me that I was asexual, and I almost started to believe her.
Until I shook Adam’s hand last night.
I keep trying to tell myself it’s because he’s the one I thought I’d never have a chance with—the guy who’s on your bucket list. The one you grew up with, having a poster of him on your wall, dreaming you’d get a chance to kiss him.
Though I’ve followed his band and him on social media, I’ve never looked into him personally. I know nothing about the guy besides the fact that I love the lyrics he writes.
I put my cursor to the search bar and enterAdam Jacobson’s girlfriend. To my surprise, photos of me pop up on multiple pages. I try not to absolutely freak out as I scroll through the pictures I’ve already seen.
There are stories of him being an eligible bachelor and pictures of him with girls draped over his arms, but none of them have names, and no female is repeated in any of the photos.
I search his Wikipedia page to see what I can learn. Surprisingly, it’s pretty empty. It talks all about his music and his rise to fame, but stories of his past, his parents, or his upbringing are missing. I click the rest of his bandmates’ names, and all of their info is there, some even with links to siblings who are trying to make it in the music business.
He seems to be a bit of a mystery, and all that does is make me want to know more, but I need to stop. Curiosity kills the cat every time. Him having these secrets are even more reasons I should stay far away.
I drop my phone and try to rid any thoughts of him from my mind. I’m not the same person I once was, and I definitely need to stay as far away from him as possible.
8
Sarah
When I get to school the next day, a few paparazzi stand across the street with cameras around their necks, waiting to get shots of Cailin.
An uneasy sensation washes over me as I pull into the teacher parking lot directly next to my classroom. When I peek out my window, I see Principal McAllister approaching the two men. His demeanor should have the men scattering soon. He does not take lightly to strangers who don’t belong hanging around.
To my surprise, I open my classroom door to see Cailin’s already there, sipping on chocolate milk with a bagel and cream cheese in front of her that’s big enough to feed three kids her size.
“I hope it’s okay that they let us in early this morning,” Linda says.
“Of course that’s fine. I’m glad she’s here.” I walk to my desk and put my purse in a drawer along with my lunch.
“We got you a bagel too, Miss Russo,” Cailin calls out.
“It’s okay if you’ve already eaten,” Linda quickly states.
I step over to where Cailin is sitting and pull out the tiny red seat next to her. “That’s very thoughtful of you. Thank you.”
They hand me a wrapped bagel.
“Linda wanted to get you an onion bagel, but I convinced her not to.” She leans over to whisper, “You’re welcome.”
I cover my mouth when I can’t help the laughter falling from my lips after I take a bite. “I love any bagels,” I say once I’ve chewed and swallowed. “And the onion ones are actually pretty good, but you did fine with the cinnamon raisin. Is that what you got too?”
She holds up her bagel, so I can see the bottom of it. “Sure did. They’re my favorite.”
I glance up to Linda and notice the apprehension written all over her face.Everything okay?I mouth, so Cailin won’t see.
She sighs before nodding her head toward the door. “Can we talk?”
I stand as Linda tells Cailin we’ll be right back. Once we’re outside, I turn toward her and wait for her to speak.
“I’m worried about people finding out more about her than they need to know. We knew it would happen, but I thought Adam would be back by then. It’s important that no one knows where I live or who she lives with. Can we trust you to keep that a secret?”
I place my fingers over hers to calm the nervous way her hands are rubbing against one another. “My number one priority is to keep these kids safe. I understand why Adam kept her a secret. I admire him for it.”
