Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Elle
ELLE
Thank you again for the save tonight.
I didn't expect a response, so color me surprised when the little bubbles popped up that said Rhett was texting me back.
RHETT
I'll save you anytime.
Was he flirting with me? It was sad that after an hour with him, I couldn't tell. He was an enigma.
ELLE
I hope I never need it again.
Rhett's response was immediate.
RHETT
Me too. Good night, Elle. Talk to you soon.
ELLE
Night.
I held the phone to my chest and took a deep breath.
There was certainly something about the man that drew me in and made me want to learn everything I could about him.
After getting ready for bed, I slid under the covers and knew even before I tried to close my eyes that I would be dreaming about Rhett's blue ones and the pain I saw in them tonight. That pain would haunt me until I could make it better.
Five days later
"How's it going with Mr. Hotty?" Molly––one of the other third-grade teachers––asked as we sat down on our much-needed lunch break.
For some reason, the kids were feral today and nothing we did was helping to keep their focus.
That was what happened right before a long break, and yet for some reason, as teachers, we always hoped it would be different.
"I don't know." I shrugged. "I haven't talked to him since that night." Much to my disappointment.
"Wait." There was no mistaking the shock on her face. "I thought you said the two of you hit it off?"
"Yeah, as friends." I brushed it off like it was no big deal. "Contrary to popular belief, friends don't need to talk every day." Or at all, it would seem.
"Huh." Molly sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. "I thought for sure you were downplaying it."
"Downplaying what?"
"The chemistry between you two. I mean come on. Friday night’s dress on you even had me wanting to bang you, and I love dick more than most women."
The sip of water I just took moments before shot out of my mouth and covered the table. "Molly!" I scolded my friend. "You can't say stuff like that at work." I looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to us.
"Oh hush." Molly waved what I said off. "This is the teachers’ lounge. It's our safe space."
Safe space or not, there were other teachers in the room, and the last thing either of us needed was to be called into the principal's office.
"Anyway." I dragged out the word. "It doesn't matter how good I looked. Rhett and I agreed to just be friends." We did no such thing, but it was implied.
Molly sighed. "A damn shame really. Especially after you described how hot he was."
I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes at her. "Good looks only get you so far in life."
Even as I said the words I knew Rhett was the whole package even if the man didn't want to admit it. He had himself convinced he wasn't a good man, but I could see right through him.
I was taking another sip of water when my phone vibrated on the table where it sat between Molly and me.
"Twenty bucks says that's him now."
I rolled my eyes for the second time in a matter of seconds. "I highly doubt..." I didn't get the opportunity to finish my sentence because I was too stunned by the name sitting there on my screen.
"It's him, isn't it?"
I nodded my head, then swiped the screen to see what he had to say.
RHETT
Sorry. I wasn't purposely ignoring you. My job took me out of the country for the last few days. How are you? How are the students treating you?
My fingers flew across the screen as I quickly responded.
ELLE
Hey! It's okay. I figured you might be busy. I'm good, but the students are crazy. Spring break tends to do that to them.
"Well, don't leave me hanging," Molly begged. "What did he say?"
I hugged the phone to my chest. "He's been busy with work. That's why he hasn't texted me."
"Ohhhh." Molly sounded disappointed.
I immediately went on alert. "Why did you say it like that?"
"No reason." She was saying “no reason,” but I knew that wasn't the case based on the way she couldn't meet my eyes.
"Bull," I called her out. "Tell me."
Molly sighed. "It's just a bit of a red flag, don't you think?"
"What do you mean?"
"It takes all of two seconds to send off a quick text. Are you telling me, in five days, he couldn't even find a few seconds for you?"
"He was out of the country," I argued.
"Ohh." Molly's eyes lit up. "Well, that changes things, then..."
I stopped listening when I felt my phone vibrate in my hand. I wasted no time pulling it away from my chest and unlocking the screen so I could see what he had to say.
RHETT
Need me to come straighten them out?
ELLE
Is that your way of saying you want to come visit me?
I hit send before I could change my mind, but when I didn't see the little bubbles appear immediately, my nerves got the better of me.
"What's that look for?"
I glanced up and found Molly looking at me with concern in her eyes. "I think I messed up."
"Let me see." She snatched the phone out of my hand before I could pull it out of her reach.
Molly's eyes got big. "Oh girl. You didn't mess up at all."
Before I could ask her what she meant, Molly turned my phone so the screen was facing me. It was then that I realized Rhett had texted me back.
I clutched the phone in both hands and brought it closer to my face.
RHETT
I'd love to visit before I head out on my next assignment.
My heart did a little flip as I reread his message.
"I knew there was more to the two of you than just friends."
"Shoosh, you." I waved Molly off and thought about how I wanted to respond to Rhett.
ELLE
Coffee this weekend or will you be gone before that?
"Really? Coffee?" Molly asked as she looked over the top of the phone and read my conversation with Rhett.
"It's the friendly thing to do," I hissed.
I waited with bated breath to see what he would say. Thankfully he didn't make me wait long.
RHETT
Name the time and place.
Molly's squeal pulled me out of the Rhett-induced fog I found myself in. "Shhh." I swatted at her, then looked around, once again, to make sure no one was paying us any attention. A group of fourth-grade teachers side-eyed us but went back to their own conversations after I stared them down.
"That doesn't sound like being friend-zoned to me. That sounds like a man who wants your attention."
I shook my head. "What happened to him being a red flag?"
Molly pfft me. "That was before I saw the messages he sent you. That man is interested."
I refused to get my hopes up because truth be told, after Friday night, I wanted Rhett to be interested, but I didn't think that was the case. Or at least I didn't think he would allow it to be the case.
"It's just two friends having coffee," I reminded her and myself.
"If you say so."
The warning bell that lunch was almost over cut me off from saying anything further. Packing up my lunch box, I slid my phone into my pocket and headed toward my classroom. It wasn't until I was sitting behind my desk that I worked up the courage to text him back.
ELLE
10:00 a.m. Saturday. Carmello's. I'll send you the address.
With my thumbnail between my teeth, I watched the bubbles pop up and then disappear two times before a text finally came through.
RHETT
Looking forward to it.