Page 78

I can feel my cheeks heat, and even my ears feel warm.

“It is, you can tell by her blush.” Josie grins.

Mallory rubs the side of my arm, her eyes fill with empathy. “We shouldn’t have been so nosy if you weren't ready to say anything. I’m sorry. We just got excited for you.”

Josie hugs me. “Yeah, sorry, Soph. We’re just living vicariously through you.”

Exhaling a ragged breath, I hug Josie back.

“It’s okay. We were just hoping to keep it between us for a bit longer. I’m not quite ready to tell my family since they all know Drew. They’ll be all up in our business in an instant.”

Mallory smiles, her expression gentle. “That’s understandable. We won’t tell a soul.”

Josie slides her thumb and forefinger along her mouth like she’s zipping it shut.

“So, since we’ve already been nosy … why was it the greatest week of his life?” Mallory asks with a wink.

A dreamy sigh escapes from my mouth before I can stop it. “We’ve just stayed up late every night talking after the girls go to bed.”

“Talking … or talking.” Josie waggles her eyebrows.

“Just talking.” I roll my eyes with a laugh. “I feel like we’ve gotten to know each other so well in just a week. It’s such a unique situation. We were barely even friends at first, just seeing each other in the mundane everyday life. And somewhere amidst the mundane, things began seeming not mundane at all. Every glance, every brush of the hands, every time he helped Samantha with something. I began to fall for him.”

Mallory and Josie take a seat in the small chairs made for children right in front of my desk, their elbows resting on their knees, and their hands holding their faces. Their eyes are glossy and they look like they could fall out of their chairs at any second as they swoon.

“Oh, Sophie.” Josie sighs. “That sounds so romantic.”

“It really does. I need a Drew.” Mallory smiles up at the ceiling, like she’s picturing her own knight in shining armor. “Not your Drew, obviously. But my own.”

“I knew what you meant.” I smirk.

We continue to chat and eat our lunches quickly before the kids come back. Just as the girls are leaving, Headmaster Williams knocks on the door frame. She says hello to Josie and Mallory, and I give them a little wave as they leave.

Headmaster Williams is a stately woman, probably in her mid-fifties. She’s an intimidating height, easily five inches taller than me, and that’s without her heels on. She has friendly, brown eyes, but when she’s getting down to business, they turn steely. And you do not want to be under her steely gaze.

Thankfully, her gaze is kind at the moment, and her shoulders relaxed. She’s always wearing a tailored blazer with a button-up shirt underneath with trousers or a pencil skirt. All of her blazers are emblazoned with our school logo on the lapel. When she walks in the room, everyone sits up a little straighter, even those who know her well. When someone said women can do anything a man can do, and they can do it in heels? This was the woman they were talking about.

“Headmaster Williams.” I smile and gesture for her to come into my classroom. Not that she needs an invitation. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

She smiles back politely as she strides into the room with her long legs. “Thank you, Ms. Miller. Oh!” She spies my flowers on my desk and grins. “Those are gorgeous!”

I blush. “Thank you.”

She doesn’t ask questions about the bouquet of bright yellow blooms. Thankfully, she’s too busy to be nosy. I’m going to have to chat with Drew, aka Mr. Muscles, about sending extravagant gifts to me at work. I’m already cringing at the comments I’ll inevitably have to field from my students.

She smiles again before getting straight into business. “I just wanted to stop by and follow up on your student, Peter Vanderven. How are things with his behavior? And have you had any more issues with his father?”

“Actually, Peter has been doing much better. His attitude towards completing his work isn’t stellar, but as far as I can tell, he’s no longer copying his classmate's work.”

She secures her hands behind her back and stands up straight as she nods. She has the posture of a soldier. I straighten my spine, absently trying to emulate her perfect posture.

“And I haven’t had any more interactions with his father since that day we previously spoke about.”

“Good, good,” she says in a clipped tone. “I had a meeting with him soon after that and told him we will not tolerate bullying from him or his son. I’m happy to hear he took our conversation seriously.”

My students burst through the door as they begin haphazardly dashing to their desks. As soon as they notice Headmaster Williams standing next to me near my desk, their eyes go wide and they slow their strides and continue single file to their desks. More quietly than I even knew they were capable of.

When they’re all seated, they greet our guest. “Good afternoon, Headmaster Williams.”

“Good afternoon, children.” She nods her head, seeming pleased with their respectful greeting. She turns her gaze back to me. “Ms. Miller, I’ll leave you to your students. And enjoy your weekend.” She takes one last look at the flowers, then winks.

My eyebrows shoot up before I school my features. “Um, thank you. You as well.”

She glides out of my class without another word.

And for the rest of the day, my students take guesses as to who sent me the giant flower arrangement.