29. Eleanor
Eleanor
For the next three days, I relive Halloween in Theo’s office, wondering if it was some kind of crazy fever dream. It wasn’t our first time together, but it sure felt like it. Like he finally let go, finally let himself take what he needed, when he needed, consequences be damned.
And everything is different.
I can’t keep my eyes off him in faculty meetings, and he keeps finding excuses to visit my classroom.
It thrills the kids, especially given how willing he is to read to them, including silly voices and gestures, gaze straying to me over his glasses.
It melts my heart every time, but I can’t say I’m not worried that someone will notice.
Still, we can’t help it. We’re drawn to each other like two forces destined for collision.
I only hope we survive the crash.
At least since then we’ve kept our hands to ourselves on school property, but that’s little consolation.
He’s had late meetings in the evenings and I’ve been busy finalizing last minute fundraiser donors, so we haven’t had time together outside of school, either.
It’s only a matter of time before one of us snaps.
And when we meet later in the week with the extra volunteers for the fundraiser, I’m hanging on by a thread.
Paige, Danny, Juliana, and Rowan gather in the faculty lounge during first period while the rest of the school sits through a morning environmental awareness assembly, but Headmaster Wright is noticeably late.
I try to ignore the pang of disappointment, focusing on the chocolate brownies Paige brought to the meeting.
“These look great. Thanks, Paige.” I take one from the Tupperware container, smiling.
“You know we’ll expect these at every meeting now,” Danny quips, and she laughs.
“No problem.”
“It’s a shame the coffee sucks,” Juliana mutters, surveying her cup with distaste.
Rowan nods, setting his battered sketchbook down on the table and pushing up the sleeves of his Henley to reveal the faint lines of a tattoo just beneath. I wonder, not for the first time, how he gets away with that under Headmaster Wright.
“That’s because it’s machine coffee. French press is better.”
“No way,” Danny chimes in. “Who’s got time for that?”
The energy in the room shifts behind me, and I glance around to see Theo enter the faculty kitchen and move to the coffee machine. His brow is furrowed, but when his gaze meets mine, the frown falls away, his face softening. I love that I have that effect on him.
I shift restlessly, needing to be near him. Looking around for an excuse, I spy Paige’s brownies, grabbing the container off the table.
“I’ll just put these on a plate.”
A lame excuse, but no one seems to care. Juliana scrolls on her phone, bored, while Paige, Rowan, and Danny debate the merits of machine versus French press coffee.
I slip away from our group and cross to the kitchen, but being nearer to him doesn’t bring the relief I hope it will. It makes my need for him worse.
“Ready for the meeting, Miss Hart?” he asks, leaning back against the kitchen island as he waits for his coffee to brew.
“Yes, sir.”
His gaze flicks to mine for a fraction of a second, darkening. I’ve noticed he loves when I call him that, and I can’t deny the shiver it gives me, too. A subtle acknowledgment that he’s my boss. That he’s in charge.
That I’d let him do whatever he likes to me, wherever he likes.
I can’t help myself. I walk past him, heading for the plate cupboard, and let my finger drag along his lower abdomen, above his belt. He has his back to the room, so it’s not like anyone could see, but it sends a thrill through me, touching him here, with everyone around.
He sucks in a breath, heat igniting his gaze. His jaw tenses as he gives a tiny shake of his head, noticeable only to me, but I can tell by the way his lips twitch with a dirty, barely restrained smile that he likes it as much as I do.
The machine splutters, finishing his coffee, and he takes it, gaze on me the entire time. It’s like there’s an invisible tether between us, making it impossible to look away.
“What’s taking you guys so long?” Juliana asks pointedly from across the room, and the moment shatters.
What am I doing? I’m here to do a job, not lust after the headmaster. I can’t let myself get distracted like that. This fundraiser, Safe Harbor, the respect of my peers really matters to me, and I can’t lose sight of that. I need to find a way to be with Theo while staying focused on my work.
He tears his gaze from mine, striding purposefully across to the group. I quickly dump Paige’s brownies onto a plate and scuttle back, heart racing.
“Sorry.” I set the plate on the table as I rejoin the group and pick up my binder, holding it nervously to my chest, gazing around the assembled circle of colleagues and friends. “Thanks so much for meeting today, guys.”
“No problem.” Juliana takes a bite of brownie. “You got me out of that mind-numbing assembly.”
Her father shoots her a stern look, which she plays off with a good-natured grin. I take that as my cue to get started.
“As you know, the fundraiser is less than a month away, and there’s still a lot to do. More than I can manage without additional help.”
“But you’ve done an amazing job,” Theo interjects, a little too quickly.
Heat crawls up my neck. While I appreciate the support, I don’t miss the way Danny’s brows rise at Theo’s praise. Juliana shoots her father a look, and he clears his throat, glancing down to adjust his cuff.
“Thank you,” I say, leafing through my binder as I pray for the warmth in my face to dissipate.
“So, I thought we could use today to establish roles and clarify deadlines.” I pull out copies of the timelines, including a detailed list of tasks that still need to be completed, and hand them around the group.
“We’re not holding the event at Ocean Vista,” Rowan notes.
I glance at Theo, and he nods. “We’re going in a different direction this year. We wanted to do something more closely tied to the school and the cause.”
Rowan turns the paper over, as if searching for more information. “And what’s the theme of this year’s event?”
“I’ll let Miss Hart take the lead on that one.” Theo slides me a look, doing his best to keep his face neutral, but I catch the twinkle in his eye.
“Thank you, Headmaster Wright.”
Danny’s amused gaze slides from Theo to me. “No need to be so formal, guys.”
“Sorry,” I say, flustered as I turn back to Rowan. “Uh, we haven’t nailed that down yet.”
Juliana flicks a lock of blond hair over one shoulder. “Whatever it is, it needs to be super elegant.”
“It needs to be relevant to the cause, Juliana,” Theo replies, followed by an eye-roll from his daughter. She recovers quickly with a smile, but I catch a flicker of something underneath, as if she’s used to him shooting her down.
I nod. “Whatever we choose needs to convey the idea of creating a safe space, of anchoring students in tough times. That’s what this night is really about.”
“What about something like ‘Harbor Lights’?” Paige suggests.
Theo looks at me, waiting.
“I like that.” I smile. “What are you thinking?”
“I know,” Juliana cuts in. “Lanterns, fairy lights, soft blues and golds, nautical-inspired decor, that sort of thing.”
Paige nods in agreement, and I can already see it; the tent on the lawn, glittering under the fairy lights, blue and gold centerpieces on the tables, student artwork that captures the coastal feeling of the town.
“And the tagline,” Danny riffs, reaching for a brownie with a grin, “A guiding light for student wellbeing.”
“Yes!” I feel a zing of excitement as the event starts to come together. “That’s perfect!”
“It’s a strong concept,” Theo agrees, stroking his beard in a calm, measured manner. “Remember, the message needs to be clear. We don’t want donors leaving with more questions than answers about what Safe Harbor actually is.”
Paige glances up. “Have you announced the cause yet?”
I shake my head. “We’re still finalizing it, but we’ll present Safe Harbor to the donors and wider community at the fundraiser itself.”
“We could get the kids involved in that,” she suggests. “Create artworks, share stories, read poems, that sort of thing.”
Theo frowns at this, unconvinced, and Danny senses his hesitation, seamlessly stepping in.
“We’ll pre-approve everything before they go on stage.”
A begrudging nod from the headmaster, then he casts his gaze warily around the group. “I’m sure you’re all aware we’re under extra scrutiny after last year,” he says. “Everything needs to run without a hitch. No surprises.”
I soften, resisting the urge to reach out to him. “Of course. Please don’t worry.”
Juliana snorts a laugh into her coffee. “He’d have nothing to do if he didn’t worry.”
I ignore her, steering the conversation back on track.
“I’ve assigned you all different roles based on your strengths,” I say, pulling another bunch of documents from my binder, listed with the various tasks required of each role.
There’s a nervous flicker in my stomach as I turn to the assistant head.
“I’m thinking volunteer and community outreach for you, Danny?
” I hand him the sheet with the details he’ll need, and he takes it, scanning his eyes down the list, nodding.
“Sure thing, boss.”
A laugh slips from me as I breathe out. I’ve never been the boss of anything, but as I catch the gleam of pride in Theo’s eyes, my spine straightens. I’m doing this. I’m running this meeting, making Safe Harbor happen.
The next sheet goes to Rowan, and I’m more confident this time. “You’ll be in charge of student contributions and creative elements. I think you could bring a lot to the student art and music side of things.”
He scans the page, fingers absently grazing the leather cord at his neck as he nods. “I can do that.” He tucks the sheet into the back of his sketchbook, his gaze drifting in thought.
“Jules.” I turn to my friend, and she raises a brow. “I’m thinking decor, theme, visual design stuff for you. Thoughts?”