It was a normal Monday, but I found myself distracted. I’d been distracted a lot lately, but it had mostly been because I was thinking about my separation from Richard and how to find extra things to do so I wouldn’t have to go home. But now I was distracted by all thoughts of Jesse. I heard my seniors talking about how hot Mr. Drake was, and I found myself jumping into their conversation, letting the girls know that he was much too old for them, where before I might’ve just ignored it. I found myself thinking about him all day, about his mood the night before when he’d come home and about who Carly was and who Allison was. I thought about his arm wrapped around me and the firm softness that perfect nook had provided as my pillow the night before.
I realized that I was in much deeper than some crush on a hot coworker. This had suddenly gotten much more serious.
And he was right. That damn Starbucks oatmeal was delicious.
The day passed quickly, and before I knew it, the last bell of the day rang and it was time to head to our staff meeting. I sat with Quinn, who I’d spoken to privately just before lunch and told her not to tell anybody about my current living situation. We were always two of the first teachers to arrive at staff meetings, and Jesse was up front in his delicious suit, fussing with the computer and pulling up his presentation. He didn’t look nervous; I knew it was stupid because I spoke in front of people all day long, but for some reason I still got nervous when I had to speak in front of my peers. I didn’t get nervous to talk in front of high school students, but presenting to my colleagues was nerve-wracking. But Jesse looked calm, confident, and professional. I knew I was staring, but I just couldn’t help it. My eyes had been waiting all day to feast themselves on him, and now that he was presenting, I had the perfect opportunity to stare unabashedly at him.
“Stop staring,” Quinn poked me, breaking into my thoughts.
I blushed. “I wasn’t staring.”
“Your pink cheeks say otherwise, sister,” she teased.
“Shut up,” I mumbled immaturely.
“How’s the roommate situation?” she asked.
I glanced around and found that no one was in close hearing distance. “He’s tempting me,” I said in the tone of a tattletale.
“Oh?” she asked.
I lowered my voice. “We may or may not have shared a bed last night.”
“Veronica!” she scolded, a bit louder than I would have preferred.
“What?” I grinned. I glanced up and locked eyes with Jesse for just a moment. I saw something change in his eyes as they heated over while he gazed at me, and then he turned back to the computer. I took a deep breath, affected as always by just one simple look from him.
“Did you?”
I nodded. “Not like you’re thinking, though.”
“Oh? What am I thinking?”
“I know you. You’re always assuming the worst.”
She shrugged. “Yep. You know me. So what happened?”
I lowered to a whisper. He wasn’t that far away, and I didn’t want him to know I was confessing all of this to my best friend. “He came in late, and I’d fallen asleep on the couch. He, um, helped me get to bed, and then he sat with me for a minute, and we both just sort of fell asleep.”
“Morning wood?” she asked.
“Jesus, Quinn,” I giggled, and she looked at me innocently. Other teachers started to arrive and the chairs next to us were suddenly occupied, effectively ending our conversation.
“This conversation isn’t over,” she warned.
I allowed my gaze to land back on Jesse, and I was completely drawn to and enamored by his easy confidence and his command of the room as he surveyed the teachers who were gathering and talking. I’d always been drawn to him, and I’d always appreciated his friendship. He’d always been the kind of person to make everyone around him feel special just because he was gracing them with the tiniest bit of his attention. But after the night before, I really felt like we shared something. I felt like I knew him better than anyone else at work did, and something about that warmed my heart.
Our principal, Clark Edwards, walked over to Jesse, and the two of them chatted a moment, presumably about when Jesse would take over the meeting. Mr. Edwards settled down the crowd of teachers and led us in celebrations followed by announcements. Then he handed it over to Jesse. Before he started, Jesse’s eyes met mine, and I automatically winked. I saw his mouth curl into a smile, and then he launched into his presentation.
He was a great public speaker, peppering in jokes to keep his audience captivated and delivering the information we needed with a charm that made us want to hear it. I couldn’t remember a meeting where I’d been more engrossed in what the speaker had to say, except maybe the last time Jesse had presented at a faculty meeting.