He took a deep breath as he reached across the desk to retrieve Jill’s file. “I’m actually proud to say that I’ve survived my first set of mid-terms and interviews and I still want to teach. My professor at teacher’s college can now eat his words.”
Little lines bracketed her full lips as she laughed softly. He had to remind himself where he was and that staring at a student’s mom’s lovely mouth was probably not a professional thing to do and that perhaps his professor had been correct all along. ‘You are on a different stage here, Mr Westlake. No one cares how charming you are or how much money you have, or how many Number Ones you’ve had in the charts. The parents of your students certainly will not. And neither do I. You came here to learn, not hit on every female in this lecture hall. Quit wasting my time, Mr Westlake, and get back on your tour bus.’ Jason shook his head slightly as the words rang through his head.
“You’re a new teacher?” she asked, assessing him, perhaps trying to guess his age. They had to be around the same, he estimated, considering her as well.
“Yes, I guess you could say that I came to my calling late.”
“Well, feel blessed, Mr Westlake. Some of us never find our calling.”
“It’s Jason, please,” he said, wanting to hear her say his name.
She looked away. Her mouth tensed again.
Whoops.
“Lainey,” she returned softly.
“Lainey, then,” he said.
Yeah, Lainey, that is perfect. She looks like a Lainey.
“So how has my daughter been in your class, Mr…?” she paused as he took a breath and prepared to correct her. “Jason,” she amended.
To his surprise his stomach actually clenched at the sound of his name coming from her lips.
What the fuck?
“Some of the other teachers are, well, rather worried about the decline in her marks,” she continued.
“Actually, I think she’s coming back around. I mean, I know I have only been here for a few months and some of the other teachers know her better than I do, but recently, she’s begun to get back into things. She’s participating in class more and handing in the majority of her assignments.” He opened the file and selected her last test. “See, this was our last quiz. She got a sixty-eight. Which is up from the fifty-twos she was rockin’ when we first started this adventure together.”
“That’s good. I’m glad to hear that. She’s had a rough time.”
“I’m sure you both have,” he said, without thinking.
She looked down at the test, engrossed in the page.
“The other teachers tell me I’m not being hard enough on her. That I need to push her. That submersing her in schoolwork would be the best thing for her right now. She was on the road to having her pick of any college or university of her choice and this little ‘speed bump’ that she is experiencing is going to obliterate any chance she had to get into the school of her choosing. She’s always been an excellent student. I’ve never had to push her. She pushes herself. At least she used to.”
“And what do you think?” He turned to view her fully, his knee almost touching hers.
“I think I understand why she just doesn’t give a damn right now.” She inhaled sharply at the statement, her eyes darting, as if she hadn’t meant to reveal that to him. “I mean, everyone goes through difficulties in their lives and they learn how to do what they have to do, despite the hardships. This is just another learning curve, a life lesson. Something that just might help her cope with things that may be thrown her way when she’s in college or university.”
“I think you’re right,” he agreed. “And you know your daughter better than any of us. She’s going to come out of this stronger. Better prepared. And so are you.” Without thinking again he reached over and touched the back of her hand.
She took a deep breath and licked her lips, looking anywhere but at him. Obviously the divorce had not been her idea. She was just as wounded as her daughter. It was a shame. She was a beautiful woman. But she seemed weary.
“What else have you got?” She squinted at the desktop.
He slid the file over. “Go ahead. Have a look. As I said, she’s steadily getting better marks. I was a little worried at first. I even went so far as to check on her other marks present and past. She’s a very smart young lady. She’s going to be fine with a little encouragement from home and from us. I don’t think we need to hound her but gently nudge her back to the girl that pushes herself. We don’t want to put any added pressure on her either.”
Lainey flipped through the file then pushed it away. “Well, things are looking up then.”
Jason smiled. “Yeah, things are looking up.” Her gaze searched his. She had the most amazing eyes. He decided he wanted to erase all the worry that he saw in them.
“Well, then, thank you for your time, Mr Westlake. It was nice to meet you,” she rushed to collect her purse and stand. She was halfway across the room before he knew it, like she couldn’t get away from him fast enough. Jason found himself trailing after her, scrambling for something to say to keep her just a few minutes more.
“You too, Lainey.” She hesitated when he said her name, then peeked over her shoulder and gave him a small smile and a nod.
“You can call me any time. I mean, here at the school,” he rushed. “If you want to check in on her progress. And I will certainly notify you if I have any concerns.”
“I would appreciate that. Thank you.”
It had been a long time since he’d had any connection with a woman like her. In fact, since he’d settled here, he hadn’t seen or dated anyone—so focused on teaching and being a good boy that he didn’t have time for it. Nor had he missed it, until now. About to ask her out for coffee, he discarded the idea—she seemed to be very skittish. The conceited ass he was, he’d like to think it was him that was affecting her but he had a hunch that she was probably this way with all men. He followed her to the door instead.
“I hope to see you again,” he said, then wanted to bite his tongue as soon as it was out of his mouth.
Mumbling an obligatory “You too”, she rushed down the hall. He watched her go, enjoying the sway of her hips and the way the skirt brushed the backs of her knees. She had nice legs too, right down to the slim ankles and sexy strappy shoes. Squinting, he could almost make out a tattoo on her ankle. She disappeared around the corner. Sighing Jason cleaned off his desk, then turned out the lights and headed home to an empty house. And tonight he didn’t even have papers to grade to keep his mind off how big and quiet the place was. He warmed up some soup in the nuker and sat in front of the TV.
* * * *
Lainey let herself into the house and smelled the undeniable signs that Jilly was cooking. Her little girl loved to cook and Lainey was thankful for it. Especially recently, coming home so late and tired she couldn’t be bothered to cook just for the two of them. Luckily Jilly didn’t see it that way. She liked to cook for her mom.
“I guess I should have called ahead,” Lainey said holding up the fast food bags that she’d stopped and picked up on the way home from interviews.
“Oops, or I should have texted you that I had it covered,” Jilly said, coming out from behind the counter and taking the bag. She looked into it. “No problem. I’ll just take this for lunch at school tomorrow,” she said, cheerfully tossing the bag on the counter.
Lainey watched her daughter. Maybe Mr Westlake was right—perhaps things were looking up. Jill did seem a little more like her old self.
“So, how’d my conferences go?” she asked, stirring what smelled like soup or stew.
“Good, for the most part.”
“Liar.”
“Well, they are concerned, I guess, but we knew that, right?”
“Yeah. I’m getting it back together, Mom.”
“I know, Jilly. I never expected anything less. You know how to handle yourself. You always have.” Lainey stepped out of her shoes and sighed in relief.
“Thanks, Mama. Some parents would freak at the way I’ve let things slide. But not you.”
“Is that a good thing, Jilly? Some of the teachers think I should be cracking the whip.”
“Who? Mr O’Donnell and Miss Kelly?”
“Yeah, how’d you know?”
“Because they ride everyone’s ass. They are classic over-achievers themselves. They don’t understand a kid that just ‘gets by’.”
“But I got some encouraging remarks from your history teacher.”
“Ahh, the beautiful Mr Westlake. And what did you think of him, Mother dear?” Jilly rounded on her mom with a big knowing smile.
“What do you mean what did I think?” Lainey asked, innocently, as if she hadn’t even noticed how out of this world gorgeous the man was. Why hadn’t any of
her
teachers ever looked like him? She might have stayed in school longer.
“Oh, come on, Mom. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten how to appreciate a good-looking man. Dad’s not worth all that. You’re just depriving yourself.”
“Yeah, well, attractive men aren’t all they’re cracked up to be,” she said, thinking of her ex. Thad had been beautiful too. That was the problem. Everyone found him that way, and he just ate it up.
“Mr Westlake is not like Dad. He’s a nice guy.”
“Your dad was a nice guy too until he got rich and famous and started to believe his own hype.”
Jill’s face turned to stone as it always did when they discussed her father. “Yeah, yeah, football ruined him, I know.” She gave a dismissive wave of her hand.
Jill ladled some stew into a bowl and set it in front of her mother, then sat down with her own bowl.
“Mmm, this is good, Jilly,” Lainey complimented while blowing on the hot broth. “You should really think about going to cooking school.”
“I have actually thought about that. And if Dad gets traded to the Jets or the Giants, like he wants, I could live with him while I attend one of the culinary schools in New York.”
The familiar red rage settled over Lainey at the thought of Jill living with Thad. She hated it when she went to visit him. But she tried her best not to let it show.
Deciding to swallow her anger for once, she turned the subject back to the striking history teacher.
“So, you could have warned me that he was tall, dark and all smoldering hotness, ya know.”
“Who?” Jill asked, feigning ignorance.
“Jason Westlake.”
“Oh, it’s Jason, is it?” Her daughter’s fair brow lifted.
“Yes. It. Is,” she punctuated slowly and sighed as she conjured up his smoky dark eyes and lopsided grin. He filled out a suit like no teacher she’d ever seen. And he made her feel things that she thought she’d stomped out and killed long ago. He scared her.
Jill laughed and it sounded good to hear. “I know, right? He is hot. All the girls think so. And their moms, too. And even a couple of the dads.”
“I’ve no doubt. He’s quite lovely. And he, for one, thinks you’re going to be just fine too.”
“I will be, Mama, don’t worry. You should maybe think about getting your life back too. Don’t you think? Maybe you should invite Mr Tall, Dark and Smoldering Hotness to dinner.”
Lainey’s gaze widened at the suggestion.
Jilly rushed on. “Or less pressure, just ask him out for coffee,” she softened.
“Yeah, that’s what I’ll do,” Lainey answered, acerbically.
“You can’t blame every handsome man on earth for what Dad did to you. They’re not all that way,” Jilly protested.
“Yes, of course, you’re right. I will get my life back. In my own time. I’m just not ready yet.” Lainey turned and took her bowl to the counter, only half eaten.
Coming from behind, Jill hugged her shoulders, watching their reflections through the window. “I love you, Mama. You know that. I just hate to see you alone and so sad all the time. You deserve to be happy. We all do.”
“He’s your teacher, Jill, wouldn’t that just be weird?” Lainey asked, not really entertaining the idea at all.
“He won’t always be my teacher. Just consider it and maybe when you’re ready, you could see about making some history with the history teacher.”
“History. I’ve never heard it called that before.”
“
Mom!
I was talking coffee, what the hell are
you
thinking about?”
“Coffee, obviously.”
Jill laughed and left the room.
But thoughts of Jason didn’t make her think of coffee. The images he conjured were of rumpled sheets and soft skin sliding over rougher skin. She shook her head. She’d been there, done that, and come out of it raw and bitter. No, Jason Westlake was not a man to mess with.
Chapter Two
Two days later, Jason stood behind Lainey at the coffee shop, just a block from the school. It wasn’t a coincidence.
“Hello, Ms Clarkson,” he said, from behind her shoulder.
Turning, she looked up at him and her awesome eyes showed pleasure for a brief second before the wariness returned. “Hello, Mr Westlake. How are you?”
“Fine thanks, and you?” he returned.
“I’m well, thank you,” she answered, politely. “I’ve never seen you in here before.”
“One of my colleagues told me about the place. I thought I’d check it out some morning when I wasn’t running late.” It was a complete lie. He’d accidentally overheard Jill tell her girlfriends that her mother stopped at this coffee shop every morning. He remembered grinning like a Cheshire cat as the idea of ‘running into her’ developed in his mind. Of course, that only led to a full-fledged fantasy of her inviting him home and doing exquisite things to him with those full lips of hers. Unable to keep his mind off her since he’d met her, discovering any reason to see her was a bonus.