then ALL the judgment. And yes to the lilacs.
Good luck letting the cat out! Can’t wait to hear how it goes.
It had become a part of their daily routine.
She would close the door behind the last student and flip off the lights, luxuriating in the silence and avoiding the congestion of the parking lot for a little while, settling back in her chair and reading his midday message. Swinging the door shut after the last student went scrambling out of the room after the dismissal announcement, Sumi dropped into her chair with a grin. Sure as clockwork, his response to her early morning whinging was there, causing a bubble of warmth to move through her as she grinned.
He was funny. He was more than just a little dramatic. He made her smile and laugh every single day, as she did then, the sound of it echoing in the empty classroom.And he’s a stranger. When was the last time Jordan made you laugh? Why haven’t you put this much effort into your actual relationship?Sumi pushed away the little voice, unwilling to entertain its treachery.
PinksPosies&Pearls:Yeah, it was definitely a puddle of puberty
You’re probably going to go through it again now
Get ready for your voice to move through three octaves in every conversation
Are you sweaty yet? Don’t worry, you will be soon!
Sorry, I don’t make the puddle rules.
Her grin faded slowly, remembering that she needed to put in an appearance in the teachers’ lounge, and that Jordan would be there. Her stomach flip-flopped as she gathered her things, a quiver of guilt moving through her.It’s not like you’re doing anything wrong. You have a boyfriend. He has a girlfriend. You literally don’t talk about anything that could get you in trouble. It’s not like you’re exchanging nudes and getting off together.
She knew her inner voice was right, but that didn’t prevent a tiny bit of guilt from gnawing at her conscience.You’re guilty over everything else. Guilty because you haven’t told Jordan the truth, that you’re selling this place and leaving town. You need to rip off the bandage and get it over with.
That part was true, she was forced to concede. She was tired of tiptoeing around the truth. But. The undeniable truth, Sumi was forced to admit, was that if ChaoticConcertina was someone in her actual daily in-the-flesh life, she couldn’t promise even to herself that they wouldn’t have already hooked up.
She was just a few feet away from the door to the lounge when her phone buzzed.
ChaoticConcertina:It’s a good thing I stand behind a tall counter most of the day.
The seconds seemed to audibly tick by as her eyes read his words, lips moving slightly as she repeated them in a murmur to herself before her brain latched onto the implication. She honked like a goose, earning strange looks from her coworker exiting the lounge. It was the very first time either of themhad ever alluded to anything even remotely sexual, andshehad inadvertently opened the door.
Sumi dropped against the wall, hand over her mouth as her shoulders shook in renewed laughter, warmth moving up her neck.Not here. Not now! Jordan’s here. You have to wait until you get to your car.
The lounge was crowded with bodies, every teacher in the building seemingly packed into the tight space, along with the school board, pumping hands and tacitly reminding everyone that they existed. If Jordan was there, Sumi knew she would not need to look hard to find him. He would be where he was most comfortable — holding court in the center of the room, speaking on the subject over which he was most passionate — himself.Sure enough.
“Did you happen to read the story they did about me in the Ledger? I wouldn’t say it was a hit piece, but it certainly wasn’t flattering, nor truthful. They did mention that I went to Spencer, however. So at least I got the impressive part in there, am I right?”
The collection of people standing before her boyfriend all laughed, right on cue. Sumi hoped her smile did not resemble a grimace of pain.
That they were all human went without saying. The entire teaching staff was. There was one girl in particular, a petite blonde, staring up at Jordan completely besotted. She was from the board, Sumi thought, recognizing the woman from a few of the meetings she’d attended.
“At least they managed to get your good side, Jordan,” another board member piped up. “The photo is of your head and not your ass, even though that’s what you were talking out of the whole interview.”
Another volley of laughter amongst the group, as she slowly edged away, making her way to the food.He won’t even notice ifyou’re here.After all, he noticed so little. Anyone with eyes could see the missing knickknacks and pots and pans in her kitchen, the pared down living room.Are you really hiding anything if it’s happening out in the open?
Her thoughts turned almost involuntarily back to her phone as she picked up a square of cheese. How she responded to his message could change the tenor of their conversations for good.You might need someone to lend a hand. Wouldn’t want you to get a cramp.
“Are you counting the minutes yet?”
Sumi jumped, nearly dropping her phone.That’s what you get. You’re in a public school, surrounded by co-workers and your boyfriend, and you’re thinking about offering a virtual hand job to an online stranger.
It was one of her coworkers, a teacher from the other team in her grade, piling tiny canapés on a paper plate. The union had been providing a party tray of snacks every day for the last week, of which she helped herself to each afternoon before heading to the house. A thank you for another great school year, they said.Please be sure to cast your vote, she knew was the hidden subtext of the miniature quiches and carrot sticks.
“You know I am,” the other woman went on. “The parents this year, I thought they were going to be the death of me. One mother, she called every single week for a touch base. Lady, your kid is already getting straight A’s. How much more do we have to talk about?”
Relaxing into the commiseration, Sumi laughed, still gripping her phone. Sheneededto put it away.Jordan’s going to see you, and you know how he feels about people and phones.Andwhat if he says yes? Are you ready to follow through, trade nudes? What if it ruins everything?
“I already told my husband I’m not sure how much longer I can do this.”
