Chapter Chapter Seven
Amy
“Alex, you do need to go back to your seat so you can finish your homework.”
I always had a break before and after lunch. The high school kids had other classes around that time, which was why I hopped over to the elementary building to help out. They typically did a bit of homework before lunch, and then the rest of it after.
Alex gave a big sigh. He melted my heart whenever he did that. “Okay.”
“Who’s ready with their homework and wants to read it out loud?” I asked.
Five little hands flew up in the air. I smiled and picked Ramona.
I loved these kids so much. Sometimes I regretted becoming a high school teacher and not an elementary one. But I’d ask the principal if there were ways for me to help out even after Francine came back from leave.
After the kids read their assignments, I said, “All right, you can all go to the lunchroom.” It was adjacent to the classroom, so they didn’t need chaperoning. I would just stand by the door, making sure they made their way over.
No surprise, Alex was the first to head out.
Back at my desk drawer, I took two lunches out and found my little girl. “Lisa, do you want to help me with lunch again today?” The lunches in the cafeteria weren’t expensive, but Lisa’s family couldn’t even afford that.
She sat up straighter in her chair, smiling from ear to ear. “Of course, Miss Amy. I’d love to!” Her smile was contagious as I handed her the lunch bag.
I loved doing this for her and her family. At the last parent-teacher conference, I met her mom, and she was totally fine with my helping out.
“This is just between us, okay? Your classmates don’t need to know that I give you a lunch, right?”
“Yes, Miss Amy. It’s our secret. What is it today?”
“A cheese sandwich, and for dessert, an apple crumble.”
Lisa’s eyes lit up as she said, “Oh, yum. You make the best apple crumble.”
“Thank you, honey. But make sure to eat the sandwich first.” I was all about these kids eating well. All too often, I’d see them eating the good stuff their parents gave them and leaving the healthy stuff behind.
After she went to the lunchroom with the other kids, I sat at my desk, munching on my own sandwich while checking my phone. I had a message from Knox, and instantly my lips burned. Goodness.
I wasn’t sure if I was overthinking his kiss, making it seem hotter than it was. I had been a little tipsy, after all.
Nah, he’d shamelessly touched me, so no, I wasn’t making it up. It had been hot. I was certain that he was texting so we could talk about it.
Knox: Don’t forget to tell me when I should plan a trip to the school. I need to finalize my calendar for the month.
My stomach lurched with disappointment. Why did I think he’d want to talk about the kiss? There was nothing to talk about.
I’d realized by the way he’d looked at me several times during the evening that something was different between us.
Then again, I’d had that impression many times over the years, and it hadn’t amounted to anything. But last night it had. Oh, it had.
But now I had to push it to the back of my mind. I wouldn’t pretend it didn’t happen. That would be silly. We were friends who had a momentary lapse in judgment. We could own up to that. The last thing I wanted to do was risk losing his friendship.
Amy: I’m going to ask the principal this afternoon. It doesn’t solely depend on me.
Knox: Sure. I just didn’t want you to forget.
Amy: Thanks for doing this.
I hesitated before sending another message.
Amy: Thanks for last night.
Knox: Which part?
Wait, is he referring to the kiss? I was about to reply when I realized he was typing, so I waited.
Knox: The fake call, the cocktail, or the kiss?
I swear to God, heat coursed right through me when I read the word “kiss.” Well, well, well, it seemed my lapse in judgment was not just contained to last night. I decided to be honest.
Amy: All of it. You get a bonus for the surprise kiss.
My stomach somersaulted when I saw that he was still writing, and then it all stopped. He couldn’t leave me like this.
His next reply didn’t help me cool off in the slightest.
Knox: I’m especially fixated on that kiss. I didn’t plan it, but I fucking enjoyed it... every second of it.
Things were clearly heating up. I started to fan myself with one hand.
There was a knock at my door, and Gregory stood in front of it awkwardly. Then again, he always looked awkward.
“Hey, Gregory, how can I help you?”
“Hey, Amy. What are you doing here?”
“Umm... I do the lunch break, and you take over in one hour, remember?” Sometimes he could be so weird.
“Right! Got my wires crossed.” He winced.
Seriously. He forever mixed things up.
“Don’t forget to come back, okay?”
“Yeah, I won’t forget. Don’t you worry.”
In the beginning, I thought he was going to ask me out, but then I just realized he was awkward with everyone—it wasn’t a sign that he liked me or anything. And honestly, he wasn’t someone I’d readily date.
After he left, I checked my messages again. I had a new one from Knox. And it cooled me off well and good.
Knox: Won’t happen again. You were just very irresistible last night, and I had a weak moment.
I swallowed hard. I didn’t like what he said, though I couldn’t explain why. I should have been happy that he wanted to keep things as they were, because he was not a forever kind of guy.
Amy: It’s all good, Knox. Friends?
Knox: Friends!
Yeah, it wasn’t like I was imagining marrying him and having a gazillion kids. We were just friends, nothing more.
I had no idea what had gotten into me lately.
It was as if my hormones had kicked into overdrive when it came to wanting children.
Clearly, it was clouding my judgment. I’d made a ridiculous plan to find my soulmate.
Last night, Knox had kissed me, and now I was having crazy thoughts about him. That’s all it was.
I cleared my head as the class began to drift back in. I put away my lunch as Lisa came by me and whispered, “Thank you, Miss Amy. It was all very good.”
“No, thank you, Lisa, for always helping me out.”
The girl had impeccable manners. Her family had just fallen on some tough times, and I wanted to help in any way I could.
“It’s the best part of my day,” she said meekly.
I nearly burst into tears, but I held them back.
“The lunch break is the best part of your day? Why?”
She nodded. “Yes. Being here with you and eating lunch, it’s like having family.”
“You don’t have dinner with your parents?” That was interesting. Had something changed from the last parent-teacher meeting?
“No. Mom and Dad both work night shifts now. Our neighbor, Miss Betsy, comes to watch over me.”
“Every night?”
“Almost. When I’m sick, Miss Betsy takes me to her place and looks after me.”
I couldn’t imagine not being able to have your mom and dad there with you when you were sick. Lisa’s parents were good people. They worked themselves to the bone to make ends meet. My heart broke for this sweet little girl and her family.
As she went back to her seat, the rest of the class filtered in. God, today was a doozy. Between Knox and Lisa, I had a lot on my mind.
Gregory showed up just then, and I popped over to the high school for the rest of my classes, stopping short of entering the building to text Knox.
Amy: Can we speak real quick about a schedule?
He called me almost instantly, and I listened to his hot, manly voice say, “Hello, Amy.”
Ooh la la. I shivered a little. Hmm, he sounded even sexier today. I didn’t know that was possible, but clearly it was. “Tell me when you’re busy so I can let the principal know when would be a good time.”
“Sure. Can you take notes?”
“Yep, I can.” I put the phone between my ear and shoulder and took a piece of paper and a pen from my bag. “I’m ready.”
I jotted down the days he already had plans.
“We’ll figure it out. I’m sure of it.” He sounded all business now. Where was the sexy undertone?
“I’ll call you after my meeting with the principal. Actually, no, wait. After that, I’ll go back to class.”
He laughed. “Just call me whenever you get the chance, Amy.”
“Will do.” My voice sounded weird. Why was I suddenly nervous? This was my friend Knox, the one I had studied with for four years in college.
“Anything else?” he inquired.
“No.”
“Are you sure? You seem to have something on your mind.”
“You can tell that from my voice?” I asked.
“No, from the awkward pause and the way you keep breathing into the phone like you want to say something but then lose the courage to do it.”
“Knox!”
“Is it about our kiss?”
I groaned. “You’re infuriating today.”
He laughed. “I’m just trying to make things easy for both of us, Amy.”
“Oh.” It was good to know that he was struggling too. But the whole conversation was awkward, and I wanted to end it, so I said, “Right. I’ve got to go. I’m at the principal’s office, and she’s waiting.”
“Very elegant way of dismissing me. I approve.”
I didn’t have a chance to reply because he hung up the next second.
Okay, so judging by this moderately awkward conversation, it was going to take a while for us to go back to the way we were.
I hurried inside, straight to Ms. Adams’s office. She was a lovely woman in her mid-sixties and had been the principal for the past two decades.
I knocked lightly on the door. “Hey, Ms. Adams. Got a few minutes?”
“For you, Amy? Of course, always. Come in and sit down.”
“It’s just for a few minutes before study hall is over and my class begins. I found someone else to come talk to the students about their careers.”
She smiled. “Excellent. Where’s he employed?”
“He owns his own business.”
“What kind of business?”
“Honestly, it’s all a bit of a blur between him and his brothers. There are a lot of them, but Sterling Investments is their flagship company.”
Ms. Adams jerked her head back so quickly that part of her bun came loose. “You know the Sterling brothers?”
“Yes. I went to college with one of them, Knox. We’re good friends.”
Her eyes widened. “Goodness, girl. You’re keeping secrets. The Sterling money could go a long way to help our schools.”