3

Marilyn knew the moment Jonathan Madaris entered the teachers’ lounge. The scent of the cologne he was wearing was a dead giveaway. She recalled the way his manly fragrance had easily flowed through her nostrils, that first day, when she’d been in his office

It was just before the start of the school day. There was a pot of coffee brewing and Ms. Etheridge had just dropped off a batch of hot blueberry muffins. This was her second week and she’d already discovered that the lounge was the place most of the teachers gathered before the day started. She’d come here every morning, but this was the first time she’d seen Mr. Madaris drop by. One of the teachers mentioned that he was usually at the school every morning a little before seven, although classes didn’t officially start until nine.

Marilyn figured the only reason their paths were crossing now was because she’d arrived early to meet with a parent who needed to be to work at seven-thirty.

He glanced up, as if surprised to find her in the room. She studied his features, wondering if he was disappointed the room hadn’t been empty. Some people preferred solitude while they enjoyed that first cup of coffee in the morning.

“Good morning, Miss Bannister. You’re here early.”

“Yes, sir. I had a meeting with one of the parents.”

He nodded as he poured his coffee. “That’s right. You met with Elijah Clem’s mother.”

“Yes, sir.” Marilyn wasn’t surprised that he knew about the meeting. He must have looked at her schedule. She was new, after all. There was no doubt in her mind that most everything she did would be reviewed and scrutinized for a while.

“And you can drop the ‘sir’.”

She glanced up as he sat down at the table across from her. She tried not to act surprised that he wasn’t taking his coffee and returning to his office. “Excuse me?”

“I said you can drop the ‘sir’.”

“Oh. Yes, sir.” Too late, she realized her error. “Sorry, it will take some getting used to.”

“That’s fine. How have the first two weeks been?”

“They’ve been great. I’m really enjoying the children.”

“And your meeting with Ms. Clem? How did that go?”

In a way she’d hoped he wouldn’t ask, but he had. “Not so great.”

He chuckled. “Umm, let me guess. First she expressed her displeasure that he was repeating the first grade. Then she tried to tell you how to run your classroom; specifically, any area that pertains to her son. She painted him as an angel and all but told you to never bother her with foolishness about him misbehaving in school because little Elijah is the perfect student.”

Marilyn fought back a smile. “Sounds like you’ve met with her before.”

“We all have, trust me--every teacher he’s ever had, most of the clerks, my secretary, and me. So, yes. We all know Nadine Clems, very well. And I know her better than most, since we graduated from high school together. Elijah’s father, Derek, graduated with us as well.”

Marilyn nodded as she took a sip of her coffee. “I understand he was killed in the war.”

“Yes, and Nadine was pregnant with Elijah at the time. She took his death hard, which is one of the reasons she spoils Elijah rotten and refuses to discipline him.”

“He’s really a bright little boy.”

“I agree. Smart as a whip, just like his dad but unfortunately his disciplinary problems gets in the way of him learning. Derek was our class president and valedictorian. He won a scholarship to attend a college in Louisiana but instead, he volunteered to fight in Vietnam. They married before he left, but he never had a chance to see his son.”

“How sad.”

“Yes, it was.” He glanced at her over the rim of his cup. “Do you have anything in mind that might help Elijah?”

Yes, she’d come up with a plan, but she would have to get his approval to implement it. “I believe his discipline problems stem from boredom with the regular curriculum. He finishes his assignments ahead of the class--that’s when he becomes a handful. However, I’ve noticed that he really likes math, just like I did. In fact, I loved it so much, I wrote a book.”

He lifted a brow. “A book?”

“Yes, it’s a math game book that I created while I was in college. It’s not for sale or anything like that, though. I came up with the idea, put everything in place, and then got a friend of my brother’s to do the layout. All I had to do then was go to a printer. I only had a few copies made, but I think it will be an excellent tool for Elijah, something for him to work on when he’s bored. And it would definitely challenge his mind.”

Mr. Madaris silently drank his coffee. Marilyn wished she could stay focused on their conversation, and not on everything male about him. There was the way his lips would slightly purse before taking a sip. Or the patch of hair that covered the back of his hands, or the length of his fingers or--

“I would have to see this book before you can use it in the classroom.”

“Of course.” She absently played with the handle of her mug, trying to avoid looking at him.

“So tell me, Miss Bannister, what other talents are you hiding?

* * * *

Jonathan took another mouthful of coffee. He should have taken his mug and gone back to his office the minute he’d walked into the lounge and discovered she was there. But he hadn’t. Now he was sitting here, having a conversation with her, asking her questions, just to keep her talking.

He had hoped things would be different when he saw her again. But they weren’t. In fact, they were worse. His attraction was even stronger than before. And, it wasn’t just her beauty. She also had a wonderful personality--intelligent, confident, yet modest. What she didn’t know was that Nadine Clems had stopped by his office on the way out and had done everything but sing her praises. When he’d asked Marilyn Bannister how their meeting had gone, he’d already known. At least, he’d known Nadine’s version. Now he knew Miss Bannister’s.

Although he was certain Nadine had done her best to give Miss Bannister a hard time, the way she’d done with Elijah’s former teacher, his new teacher seemed to have earned Nadine’s respect. And he could see how. When talking to anyone, Miss Bannister always kept her voice level and calm. Nadine had said she hadn’t felt as if she were being talked down to, the way Elijah’s prior teacher had done.

It was obvious Marilyn Bannister loved kids, probably just as much as he did. And from listening to her, it was also obvious she thought that educating them the right way was important. So did he. But why did knowing they had those things in common kick up his heartbeat a notch? Even just sitting here, sharing a cup of coffee with her, was doing something to him, something he’d never felt before.

“I saw your resume, Miss Bannister. How on earth did you manage to create a book of math games while in college, and still be active in all the things that you were involved with, including Barbara Jordan’s campaign?

She shrugged her beautiful shoulders. “Strong time management skills, I guess. Mom says I inherited that from my father. He was always doing something to stay busy, building something or another. He became known as the neighborhood handyman.”

Jonathan could have sat there and talked to her forever, but realistically, he knew he couldn’t. Others would be arriving soon, and the last thing he wanted was for someone to walk in and see them sitting and chatting amiably. Especially since it wasn’t his habit to converse with any of the other teachers this way.

He checked his watch and then stood. “How soon can you get that book to me?” He was already contemplating when he would see her again.

“Is tomorrow soon enough?”

He nodded. “Yes, and have a good day, Miss Bannister.”

“You do the same, Mr. Madaris.”