Chapter Two
June
Thomas stayed in my head the whole day – the whole weekend, in fact. By the time I went home, I couldn't stop thinking about his handsome face. He was beautiful in a sensual way that I didn't often see in American men. He looked distinguished, educated – almost like some professor of French literature.
Angela was, of course, no help. She teased me endlessly as soon as she heard about “hot Mr. March” and I spent the whole weekend blushing at her jokes. Even when we went out to the movies, I couldn't stop thinking about him. It was totally inappropriate, and borderline creepy...especially considering the fact that he was likely sleeping with Hannah, who had seemed only a year or two older than myself.
Monday morning, I was in the teachers' lounge when Andy, another fifth-grade teacher, came up to me and sat down. He was younger – probably late twenties – than a lot of other teachers at P.S. 151 and we'd sort of bonded over this in the past. But truthfully, I found him pretty uninteresting. He was one of those guys who seemed to only know how to talk about himself, and I could tell that we didn't have anything in common.
“Hey, June,” Andy said. “How was your weekend?”
Well, I spent it obsessing over the father of one of my students, I thought, blushing hotly.
Andy smirked when he saw my blush. “That good, huh?”
His comment made me blush even harder. “Nothing like that,” I said. “I just went to the movies with my roommate, that's all.”
Andy nodded. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. Suddenly I could tell that he was nervous.
“Hey, listen, you wanna go to a play with me next weekend?” Andy kind of shrugged, glancing down. “I mean, I got the tickets from a friend – but he can't go now, and I thought you might want to.”
My heart sank. I'd never suspected Andy of having a crush on me – he was one of those guys who was seemingly friendly but distant to everyone around him. But now I was starting to wonder if I'd been too naive.
“I'm sorry, Andy,” I said. I swallowed. “I don't really feel right dating a coworker.”
Andy frowned. “It doesn't have to be a date,” he said stubbornly.
“Ask someone else,” I said gently. “I’m sorry, Andy, but I'm not looking for a relationship right now.” At least that much was true...even if I hadn't been able to get foxy Thomas March out of my head since Friday.
Andy scowled. “Okay,” he said. “Sorry I bothered you.”
I winced. The sarcasm stung, even though I probably deserved it. “Sorry,” I said, feeling lame. Andy pushed his chair back from the table and got up, striding purposefully away. For a moment, I felt guilty. But then the bell rang, and I leapt up from my desk to get to class.
Brett's behavior was much improved. He was quiet all day, even raising his hand to answer a few pre-algebra questions during math hour. I was still dying to know what was going on at home, but I didn't dare stick my nose where it didn't belong.
When the kids were dismissed at the end of the day, I called Angela. She answered on the first ring.
“Hey girl,” Angela said. “What's going on?”
“I was thinking about going out for a happy hour or something,” I said. I gnawed my lip. Bars – especially bars in New York City – weren't really my thing, but after the week I'd had, I like I deserved a drink...or three.
“Sounds good. If you can get to Brooklyn before five, we should go to Tio's,” Angela said, her voice rushed with excitement. “They have a deal – a slice of pizza and two beers for five bucks.”
“Oh wow, definitely there,” I said. “I'll be there as soon as I can, meet you?”
“Sounds good,” Angela said. “See you soon, girl.”
As luck would have it, I ran into Angela while we were walking up from the subway. The grimy smell of the streets mixed with the garbage and fast food stalls. I'd always loved New York, but it was only just starting to feel like home. I'd grown up in New Jersey, and sometimes the idea of living in such a big city was still frightening...but with Angela, I was starting to really find my way around.
“Tio's is right down here,” Angela said, pointing towards the crowded street. We quickened our pace, darting along the sidewalk as if we were running from something. By the time we got to the crowded bar, I was out of breath.
'This is a nice area,” I said. I glanced around, seeing expensive hotels and restaurants. “I haven't ever been here before.”
Angela nodded. “Yeah, I don't come this way very often myself,” she said. “But a bunch of guys from work told me about this place and it's off the chain.”
I wrinkled my nose and peered inside. “It's really crowded. Should we try somewhere else?”
Just as Angela was about to reply, I turned to the street and gasped. There, in a hotel bar right across the street from Tio's, was Thomas March. He was seated in front of a laptop with a pint of beer next to him. My heart skipped a beat and my breath was shaky for a moment as I watched his toned, hairy arms typing furiously away at the small computer.
“That's Thomas,” I said, grabbing Angela's arm and pointing towards the bar. Angela cried out, dropping her hand.
“Oh my god, June, don't be so obvious!” Angela stared, licking her lips. “Wow, you weren't kidding. He's really gorgeous.”
I nodded, blushing furiously. I couldn't believe that I'd just shrieked and pointed at Thomas, like he was an exhibit in some kind of human zoo.
“We should go say hi,” Angela said. She raised her eyebrow and smirked. “You know, just introduce ourselves.”
“Oh, Ang, I can't,” I whined. “Come on, that's embarrassing!”
But Angela was already crossing the street, her long legs making purposeful strides towards the hotel bar. Before I could catch up, she was darting into the hotel lobby and into the bar.
My heart sank. I knew this was a bad idea – besides, what the hell would I tell Thomas. Oh, we just saw you from outside and wanted to say hi?
I groaned. This couldn't be good.
By the time I got inside, I was crestfallen to see Angela standing at the bar, flirting with Thomas. When she saw me, she gave a jerk of her head to the side.
“Hey, June, over here!”
Thomas turned around. When he saw me, he narrowed his eyes. I felt like melting into a puddle of June on the expensive hotel carpeting. After a few seconds, he smiled – but warily, almost the way you'd smile at a dog you suspected might bite you.
“Hello, June,” Thomas said politely. I cringed. He couldn't have made it any more obvious if he'd tried.
“Hi,” I said shyly.
“Will you and your friend join me for a drink?”
Angela made a wide-eyed face behind Thomas's back and I blushed.
“This is my roommate, Angela,” I said nervously.
“Hi, Angela. Very nice to meet you.”
As soon as we sat down, I was sure Thomas was going to want to talk about Brett. But instead, he steered the conversation towards neutral topics. I could barely tear my eyes away from his gorgeous, leonine face. When he touched the back of my hand, I shivered.
“Hey, June, you should tell Thomas about Sundays in the Park!”
I wanted to cringe. “I'm sure he doesn't care about--”
“What?” Thomas gave Angela a charming smile and turned in his stool. I cringed as Angela started talking about Sundays in the Park – a local event every week in the summer, sort of like an open mic in the Brooklyn park across from our apartment.
As Angela talked, I realized that Thomas's glance kept turning back to his computer. Eventually, I grabbed Angela's hand.
“Angela and I really should be going,” I said nervously. Angela kicked me under the bar and I yelped.
Thomas gave me an amused grin. “Everything okay?”
I nodded quickly. “We were just on our way to another bar,” I said.
Thomas nodded. For a moment, I thought he was going to beg me to stay and I felt my heart swell inside my chest. But then he nodded and pulled out his wallet.
“Please, allow me to pay for your drinks,” Thomas said. He smiled. “If I may.”
Angela nodded quickly. “Of course!”
I yanked her arm and glared as Angela mouthed 'what' to me over Thomas's head.
“It was nice seeing you,” I said quickly. “We've really got to go, though.
Thomas looked at me and grinned. It was the first genuine smile I'd ever seen on his face, and it sent warmth shooting through my body in a way that made me tremble.
“Bye, June,” Thomas said. The way he said my name sent shivers down my spine. “I'll see you soon.”
When Angela and I got out to the pavement, she burst out laughing and I glared.
“What?” Angela demanded. “He's nice! And god, he's hot!”
“I know,” I said morosely. “Trust me. I know.”
–
When I woke up the next morning, I knew that something had to change. I couldn't keep moping around, wishing for Thomas to suddenly think that I was the most desirable woman on the face of the planet. I was going to have to take matters into my own hands – and really make sure that I stayed as professional as possible.
Andy was in the break room when I got into work. He was reading the paper and sipping coffee, and suddenly he seemed much more approachable than I'd originally thought. He didn't look up until I'd sat down next to him.
“Hey,” I said.
Andy didn't reply.
“You mad at me?”
Andy shook his head. “No,” he said. He gave me a funny smile. “Why would I be mad, June?”
I blushed and shrugged. “I don’t know. Hey, I was thinking that maybe after school, we could get coffee.”
Andy cocked his head to the side. “Like a date?”
I nodded, blushing harder. See, that wasn’t very hard, I thought as I bit my lip. I just need to learn how to be confident around men. But I didn’t want to let my confidence get the best of me – after all, Andy was nothing like Thomas March.
“Yeah,” I said finally. “I felt bad that I had to say no the other day…I just wondered if maybe we should get to know each other better.”
Andy grinned. “Yeah,” he said. This time, he sounded more enthusiastic. “That sounds great.”
I smiled. “Great,” I said. “Well, I’m going to class now. See you, Andy.”
“Where should I meet you?”
“Just come to my room at the end of the day.” I smiled, then I thought of Ruth. “Actually, no – you know what? I’ll meet you out front, how does that sound?”
Andy nodded. “Cool,” he said. “See you, June.”
I smiled at him one last time, then turned on my heel and walked down the hall.
The day seemed to drag on and on. I couldn’t stop thinking about how I’d boldly (at least, I thought so) asked Andy for a date. I was feeling confident and excited…but part of me wondered if I was really doing the right thing.
To make matters worse, Brett was behaving horribly. He dumped paint on one of the other kids, and he pulled Lila’s hair and made her cry twice in one day. Whenever I closed my eyes, I thought of his handsome father…but that didn’t mean I was going to let Brett off the hook. In the end, after multiple time-outs, I sent him to the principal’s office.
Thomas is going to be angry, I thought as I gathered my things together at the end of the day. As much as I knew that I shouldn’t care, I couldn’t help it. After all, teaching Brett was my responsibility as a teacher. I couldn’t worry about what parents would think – even though teaching in modern times was nothing like it had seemed when I was growing up. Ruth, my teaching assistant, had almost gotten fired last year after disciplining a student for bratty behavior. The kid’s parents had threatened to sue, and it had taken a meeting with the school board in order for them to calm down. The worst thing was, Ruth had been praised for her actions by our principal…but now, New York City had become so litigious that we really had to be careful.
After glancing around my classroom to make sure it was in order, I walked down the hall and out the main entrance of P.S. 151. Andy was waiting by the steps, sitting with his legs splayed open and a tattered paperback in both hands. He looked cuter outside than he ever had in the break room, and a nervous thrill of excitement made my stomach twist and cramp.
When Andy saw me, he grinned. “Hey, June,” he said. “You wanna go to the diner around the block?”
I frowned. “It’s so nice outside,” I said. “I was thinking that maybe we could go somewhere with outdoor seating?”
Andy grinned. “Yeah, sounds good,” he said. He stood up and stretched. When he came closer, I realized he was a full head taller than me. “Where to?”
I shrugged. “There’s a little café a few blocks over,” I said.
Andy nodded. “Don’t think less of me,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “But I might have to get a beer instead of coffee. Today was fucking rough.”
I nodded. “Tell me about it,” I said as we began walking in the direction of the café.
Andy chuckled. “Oh, yeah? You too?”
“Yeah,” I said. I rolled my eyes before launching into the whole saga of Brett March and his bad behavior. As I talked, I felt a streak of guilt – what if I shouldn’t be talking about this? What if it somehow got out and Thomas found out? Then he really would be angry with me.
“Wow,” Andy said. “That kid has problems.”
I shrugged. “I had a meeting with his dad last week, and he mentioned he’s going through a divorce,” I said. I puffed out my cheeks and blew. “That’s probably pretty typical for kids, right? To misbehave because they’re acting out?”
“Probably,” Andy said. He grinned. “Hey, thanks for asking me out,” he said. “I’ve really been wanting to go out with you, June. You’re hot.”
I blushed. “Thanks,” I said awkwardly.
We lapsed into silence as we rounded the corner and crossed the street. One of the things I loved most about teaching was the schedule – even if I had work after class, I could always take it home and be in the front door of my apartment by four. I especially loved it in the winter…no more coming out of an office at five-thirty to be greeted with gloomy, dark skies. I’ve always been a cheerful, optimistic person…to the point where Angela makes fun of me. But I can’t help feeling sad whenever it’s dark outside.
“Come on,” Andy said. “This way.”
I nodded and trotted after him. So far, I wasn’t regretting my decision to ask him out, but I did wonder if maybe I’d opened a can of worms that was better left alone. Andy was a nice guy, sure, but I didn’t feel very much of a spark with him. You’re being silly, I chastised myself as I followed Andy inside the café. Sometimes a spark takes time. Your life isn’t a movie – some dreamy guy isn’t just going to walk up and pull you into his arms for a kiss.
Andy and I asked to be seated outside. A cute, young hostess led us in the direction of the outdoor tables and I couldn’t help but notice Andy sneaking a glance at her backside. A flash of irritation crossed my mind. It wasn’t jealousy, though. I knew that realistically, most people check other people out all the time. But I was annoyed – this was our first date! Weren’t you supposed to put your best face on for a first date?
“This is nice,” Andy said. He sat next to me and peered intently into my face. “Are you having a good time, June?”
I laughed nervously. “We just got here,” I said.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of blonde hair and cringed. Hannah, Thomas’s beautiful assistant, was standing there with a smirk on her face.
Please don’t come over here, I thought. Please leave us alone.
As if she could read my mind – and wanted to make me as uncomfortable as possible – Hannah began striding over. All I could do was pray that she was alone, and Thomas was nowhere in sight.
“Oh hi,” Hannah said. “May I sit?”
Andy looked at her with eagerness. “Yeah,” he said. “Come on down.”
“Actually we were just about to leave,” I lied. “I’ve got to get home and get back to work on something.”
Andy narrowed his eyes at me. “June, we just got here,” he said slowly. “What’s going on?”
Hannah snickered. “Thomas is so upset with Brett right now,” she said, raising her perfectly-groomed eyebrows high on her face. “He’s even thinking of other options. I keep suggesting private school – of course a child like Brett shouldn’t be in public – but Thomas is so stubborn.”
I felt weak. If Thomas and his ex-wife took Brett out of P.S.151, I’d never see him again. Why can’t I stop thinking about Thomas, I wondered nervously, clenching my hands into fists under the table. It’s like I’m obsessed with him!
“We have a great school,” Andy said, somewhat defensively. “It’s gotten the highest ratings for any public elementary school in New York City.”
Hannah laughed and tossed her beautiful mane. “Sure,” she simpered. “But private education is just so much better,” she said. She stood up. “I mean, I can’t even imagine how stupid I’d be if my parents had forced me to go to public schools,” she added, emphasizing the word like a curse.
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, Hannah,” I said. “It was great to see you.”
Hannah peered at me with renewed interest. Then she looked at Andy and smiled. “Oh, June,” Hannah said in a voice dripping with fake sweetness. “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend!”
“I don’t,” I said quickly, trying to ignore the hurt look in Andy’s eyes. “This is a coworker of mine.”
“It’s the first time we’ve gone out,” Andy added, sounded wounded.
Hannah’s smile shrank. “I see,” she said curtly. “Well, it was nice running into you,” she added. “I’ll have to tell Thomas all about it.”
Inwardly, I groaned. But on the outside, I forced a fake smile. “Right,” I said. “Well, thanks again.”
Hannah lingered uncomfortably for a moment and I could tell that she wanted to say something else. She had a gift of getting under my skin, but I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of knowing that she was able to do so.
“What was that all about?”
I shrugged. “I have no idea,” I said honestly. “I really have no clue.”