“That sounds sensible.”
“Yeah, but then I had to find this rental last minute and travel down here in a rush. I still feel like I’ve forgotten something. School has been a disaster so far this week, but it was a little better today. I think I’m getting the hang of it and the kids are settling down, but I’m exhausted all the time.”
“I’d say that’s probably normal, although I’m not a teacher.”
“Yeah, I think it is. This is the first time I’ve had a classroom of my own, and it’s like the kids can sense it.”
“Kids are hard that way. How’s the food?”
Jessica took a bite of chicken. “Mmm, delicious.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I know you told me, but I’ve forgotten what you do for work.”
“I’m an accountant at a local insurance company.”
“Do you like it?” Jessica asked.
“I love it. I know it doesn’t sound like a very exciting job, but I like the people I work with. I enjoy managing finances, I’m pretty good at it too. And the boss treats me well. Plus, I have a twenty-minute commute, which is basically a miracle in Atlanta.”
“That’s true. I’m finding out all about the traffic here… Ugh.” Jessica groaned. “Sometimes I sit for half an hour just to get through a four-way stop.”
“I know, it’s bad. But that’s Atlanta. When it rains, the entire city grinds to a halt.”
“And this heat… When does it get better?”
Teja laughed. “You’ll have to wait a while for that. But it’s never gonna get as cold as where you’re from.”
“That’s fine by me. I’ve had enough snow to last me a lifetime. My college campus was real pretty in the winter, though.”
“So, you recently graduated?” Teja asked.
“In May. I thought for sure I’d get a job in Oklahoma, then I missed out on the few I interviewed for. I’m grateful for this job but I never wanted to leave my home state. I’m close with my family…”
“I’m sorry. I can’t imagine that, since I see my folks all the time and generally wish I had a bit more space. Especially from the in-laws. Don’t tell.” She pressed a finger to her lips and grinned.
“Your secret is safe with me. I don’t have in-laws, but I can imagine it’s challenging at times.”
“I’m mostly joking, although my mother-in-law loves to drop in without so much as a phone call. So, you don’t have a husband, but is there a man somewhere with a ring in his pocket waiting to pop the question?”
Jessica shook her head. “Definitely not. There’s no ring on the horizon anywhere for me. I had a boyfriend in college, but… let’s just say it didn’t end well.”
“Colour me intrigued.”
Jessica wasn’t sure how much to tell. She’d kept this story to herself, guarding it carefully. She hated to be vulnerable, or let people in. It had cost her so much already. But Teja seemed like a trustworthy person, and maybe it would help to talk about it.
“His name is Hilton. He was in love. I was… smitten, I guess. For a while, at least. But it wasn’t too long before I realised it probably wasn’t going to last, and I decided we should part ways about two years ago. I was young, and I didn’t see the warning signs. He seemed passionate, and I hated to hurt his feelings. So, I tried to break it off gently, but he didn’t get the hint.”
“You were too gentle,” Teja said.
Jessica gave a quick nod. “Too subtle. So, I sat him down and told him plainly that I wanted to break up. After that came the constant phone calls, begging, pleading, threats that he’d harm himself if I didn’t take him back. He started stalking me, harassing me, following me to class and home again. It was awful.”
Teja’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry that happened.”
“Thanks. I really didn’t know what to do. At first, I didn’t tell anyone because I was so embarrassed and thought maybe I was imagining things or overreacting. I felt bad for breaking his heart, so I wanted to give him time to heal. But it just didn’t stop.”
“What did your parents say when you told them?”
