Chapter 2 #2
As he stood next to his car in the driveway, he took a deep breath, letting the crisp fall air fortify him.
“He’s an old man, Adam. Just let it be.”
Yes, he was, but Adam knew from the countless times he’d sat on his therapist’s couch that Grady’s age didn’t excuse his behavior. He should’ve said something. His therapist would’ve encouraged him to. Unfortunately, as he always did, he swallowed his pain and focused on what was in front of him.
“Way to go with establishing boundaries, Adam, way to go.”
“Principal Keller, may I have a word with you, please?”
Janae watched as the woman’s face drained of color, the warm smile she usually greeted people with quickly vanishing. Yeah, she knew exactly what Janae wanted to talk about if her facial expressions were anything to go by.
“Mrs. Sanders. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
So we’re playing ignorant today, huh?
Janae stepped up to the woman, shaking her hand as she usually would before getting right to the point.
“You shut down the design and performing arts programs without any notice to the kids or their parents. What’s going on? This isn’t standard operating procedure. We’ve worked well together over the last two years. What brought this about?”
Principal Keller took a deep breath, before tipping her chin toward the main office.
“Let’s have this chat in my office instead of the hallway.”
Janae followed her, accepting the seat she was offered as the principal sat down on the opposite side of her desk.
“Budget cuts, Mrs. Sanders. We’ve fallen prey to them. We have a new superintendent who’s decided to attempt to rein in our budget. The first things he cut were the clubs and other extracurricular activities.”
“All the clubs?”
Principal Keller closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. “No, just those falling under the humanities umbrella.”
Janae honed in on what the principal was saying or at least attempting to say in a tactful way.
“So, let me get this straight. This new superintendent cut the arts programming, but everything else, including STEM and sports, he left alone?”
Principal Keller raised soft, thoughtful eyes to Janae. From her experience with the school administrator, the principal always tried to do what was in the overall best interests of the kids. So, if she was doing this, Janae understood she was backed tightly into a corner.
“I know the extracurricular programming for the arts is very important to the kids. I’ve seen how children like your James have blossomed once they’ve found and are allowed to tap into their calling. But we just don’t have the money to support the program anymore. I’m sorry.”
Janae tilted her head, giving the principal a nod and a general smile.
“Mrs. Sanders, there’s really nothing I can do.”
“Oh, don’t worry. You might not be able to do anything. But I can.”
“What do you plan to do?” The principal’s nervousness produced a slight tremble in her voice. Yes, Janae was one of those parents that didn’t take no for an answer, and Principal Keller knew Janae didn’t care about being a pain in the ass when it came to her son-shine.
“Isn’t there a district board meeting coming up soon?”
The principal gave a nervous nod.
“Good.”
“What does that mean, Mrs. Sanders? What are you going to do?”
“Oh,” she replied with a bright smile. “I’m sure you’ll hear about it eventually. But whatever I do, I can promise you we’re getting this program back for those kids.”
The principal looked at Janae through slits before allowing a cautious smile to grace her lips. “If anyone can make that happen, Mrs. Sanders, it’s you.”
Janae stood and shook the woman’s hand before leaving the office and heading toward her car in the parking lot. Excitement flooded her as she plotted the destruction of an invisible enemy with each step.
“You’re goddamn right I can get it done.”
She was so busy devising devious plans that she walked right into a hard wall that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Slightly dazed, she wondered why she wasn’t falling backward.
As hard as she’d hit whatever that was that seemed to appear out of thin air, she should’ve been on her ass.
When she finally got herself together enough to look up, she locked eyes with none other than Adam Henderson.
The man she’d secretly lusted after for four years.
Her eyes walked down his angled face, caressing his strong carved jawline and nearly becoming mesmerized by those hazel eyes with the fiery sparks of green specks that made them look even more golden.
His full lips were framed by a thin, light brown goatee that made his mouth appear more desirable than it had any right to.
His hair was artfully twisted into the sexiest locs she’d ever seen. They were pulled into an intricate pattern that created a tasteful, yet pleasing bun at the back of his head.
Her eyes traveling down further, she took in the lines of a finely made single-breasted suit that displayed the sharp lines of what looked like a well-defined body with a muscular chest and arms. She didn’t know if he still played basketball like he did in high school, but whatever his fitness routine, he was looking tastier than a slab of barbecued ribs searing on a grill.
“Are you all right?”
Dammit, she’d nearly gotten her composure back when his lush voice poured over her, making her shiver.
“I’m fine … I’m sorry, Adam. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” She looked around, trying to keep her eyes off him so she could get her bearings and finally get her mind right. “What are you doing here on campus?”
“I … work here.”
She blinked rapidly for a few seconds, trying to get her brain cells to work.
“Of course you do. Michael mentioned that you worked in secondary education in New York.”
His scrutinizing glare felt like a hot spotlight shining on her, putting all of her flaws and insecurities on display.
“Are you sure you’re all right, Janae?”
“Yes,” she replied, much too quickly for someone who wasn’t supposed to be bothered by this man.
“I just haven’t had enough coffee yet. Shift work does that to you.”
“If I remember correctly, you’re a nurse, right?”
She nodded, feeling a little more confident once the conversation landed on her occupation. She was always cool, calm, and collected when it came to work. So this topic change was just what she needed.
“I practiced as a critical care nurse for a few years after I finished undergrad before becoming a certified registered nurse anesthetist. I’ve spent the last twelve years working in that role.”
“And how does one become a nurse anesthetist?”
She scanned his face to see if there was any hint of bullshit. Some people still felt nursing was a woman’s career that was somehow inferior to becoming a physician.
When she saw a bright spark of interest in his eyes, she was slightly surprised.
So he isn’t just another chauvinist asshole.
Although somehow happy about that, she couldn’t pinpoint why she was so relieved to know she wouldn’t have to curse him out about his outdated views on women in the workplace.
“You have to earn your BSN, then practice for a few years in a critical care subspecialty, followed by three to four years of full-time study to earn your DNP or DNAP.”
“DNP or DNAP?”
Curiosity flashed in his eyes, making her want to tell him more. Janae loved what she did, and she was damn good at it. Talking about her beloved profession made her step into her confidence the way she did most things.
“Doctor of nursing practice or doctor of nursing anesthesia practice. The former focuses on the organizational specialization of nursing, which includes some focus on practice. The latter focuses specifically on the practice of nursing anesthesia. I’m not really interested in climbing the administrative ranks in the health care system as a whole, so I earned my DNAP to help me learn all I could about my practice. ”
“Dr. Tate, then.” He beamed. “That’s very impressive, Janae.”
She shook her head. “It’s kind of frowned upon in the medical profession for anyone other than MDs or DOs to be called doctor.
I’m only referred to as ‘doctor’ when I’m adjuncting at Monroe Hills University.
And then it’s Dr. Sanders and not Tate. I was married when I earned my degree, so I still use my ex-husband’s name professionally. ”
He had a strange look in his eye that made heat slowly spread throughout her insides. If this didn’t stop, she was certain she was going to break out in an embarrassing case of the sweats even though it was a comfortably cool autumn day.
“You earned that title. No matter whether it’s medical, practical, or academic, don’t feel you have to deal with other people’s bullshit courtesy standards. Doctor Sanders.”
A shiver of something unrecognizable slipped down her spine, and she had to fight to keep from reacting to it. Her ex-husband, Marq, had never had that kind of reaction to her professional accomplishments.
“So,” she said a little too enthusiastically as she tried to change both the subject and her line of thinking. There was no world where highlighting the ways in which Adam was much more pleasing to her than her ex-husband wouldn’t end in frustration for her. He was off-limits.
“I’m sure you’ve got a busy day ahead,” she said. “I’ll get on out of your way.”
He held his hand out, and she stopped, looking up at him.
“I’ve actually got a few minutes. I’m still getting a feel for things, so I thought coming in early would help me get better acclimated. A lot’s changed in the twenty-five years since we were on this campus.”
He pushed his hand into his pants pocket, looking every bit the debonair playboy she remembered from childhood. He always had a pretty smile for all the girls … except her.
Remember that before you get caught up, Janae. You were practically invisible to him.
That was mostly true, except for when they were competing in their classes. Then, he let her have it as good as she gave it to him. It annoyed her to high heaven. He was so damn arrogant. Arrogant or not, he was good, and she had to give him his respect as a worthy opponent on the academic front.
“You think the school has changed that much?” She shook her head. “Take away the renovations, upgrades, and the new wing, and it’s still the same old Monroe Hills High.”
“Agreed, the school itself may feel the same, but look how big this campus is now. The elementary, middle, and junior high schools have been added to the campus, as well as the administrative building. It wasn’t that way when we attended here.
This district has spent a pretty penny on upgrades in the last twenty-five years. ”
Adam glanced down quickly at his watch, before returning those dreamy, yes, dreamy, eyes to hers. That was the only word to describe their rich, hazel color. If you stared at them long enough, you found yourself in a trance.
“Listen, it was great getting to see you again, I feel like we haven’t talked in ages.”
“That’s because we haven’t. We barely crossed paths in school, Mr. Popular.”
His laughter lit up his face, making him even more unbelievably handsome than before. His mouth especially.
“You know, Janae, sometimes the popular kids are too nervous to make friends too.”
She stared up at him, trying to read him, to see if this was just Adam being charming. A contemplative look settled across his face, and she got the distinct impression that Adam was being sincere.
“I hope now that I’m home for good, maybe we could get to know each other. It seems I’ve missed out on a whole lot since I’ve been gone.”
Before she could respond, he stepped to the side of her, preparing to walk past her, but he stopped, closing any distance between them, allowing their arms to touch.
“I gotta get inside. Hopefully I’ll see you at the reunion. It would be a perfect time to introduce you to the new and improved Adam Henderson. Maybe if you like him, you’ll even give him your phone number.”
She was about to say no but between him winking at her, and the cool scent of his cologne, or shower gel, or whatever the hell that intoxicating scent was wafting up from his skin, she was having real difficulty coming up with an excuse to turn him down. If she even wanted to turn him down.
Adam allowed one finger to ghost over hers. It was a simple action. Something that could’ve been construed as accidental, even. But the way his eyes lit up like gold fire, it was obvious to her the caress was intentional.
“Enjoy the rest of your day, Janae.”
She didn’t respond, not verbally anyway.
All she could do was watch his tall frame walk away with the confident swagger of a man in control of everything around him, including her.
That’s the only explanation she had for pulling out her phone, finding Michael’s text where he’d sent Adam’s number, and sending Adam a winking emoji followed by an “It’s Janae,” before her good sense could intervene.