searched her memory and couldn’t place ever hearing about an assembly of any kind. “Elliott, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Come on, Ms. Gilkins!” Julie interrupted. “We’re going to miss it, and it’s supposed to be really cool!”
Sophie’s frown deepened. Julie was a pretty level-headed girl. If she was saying this assembly was real, maybe Sophie really had spaced it. “What is it even supposed to be?”
“Something to help the arts and music program. Come on! ” Elliot insisted.
“Okay, okay, fine. Let’s go to the gym.” She followed her excited students to the gym, all the while wracking her brain about this mysterious assembly, and coming up short. She was so involved in her own thoughts that, when she walked through the double doors into the gym and was met by uproarious cheering, she screamed and almost hit the roof she jumped so hard.
She looked over at the bleachers bursting with kids, teacher and parents first, then slid her gaze over to the stage that had been erected in the middle of the basketball courts. Her heart did backflips and cartwheels as she spotted a very familiar tall, blond man making his way toward her with the biggest grin she had ever seen.
“Wh…” She swallowed hard and tried to remember how to verbalize. “What…what the hell?” she whispered.
Elliot and Julie exchanged surprised glances. “Holy crap, Ms. G just swore,” he murmured.
Sophie was trembling when Zane approached her, and was thankful for his ever-present poise because she felt like she was going to poop her pants. He chuckled, which meant she must have looked as shocked at she felt.
He lowered his lips to her ear and whispered, “Hello again…Sophie Storm.”
She felt heat flood her cheeks. Of course. If she wasn’t in a perpetual state of red around Zane, he would think she was sick.
She reached out to place her fingertips lightly on his chest, to assure herself that he was real, that she wasn’t dreaming. “What are you doing here?” she squeaked. As she looked past him, she could see the other band members tuning up on stage. She frowned. What in blue blazes is going on? She looked back up at Zane and her heart melted, much to her chagrin. He was just as beautiful as she remembered, and she turned into a blushing groupie around him.
He reached down and took her hands in his, never losing his smile. He was the picture of confidence, the picture of talent, the picture of the man of her dreams. “Sophie, I want to discuss something with you.”
“Discuss? For starters, discuss what your band is doing in my gym!”
He chuckled. “We’re putting on a show. It has been very difficult keeping it a secret from you, but I had some good help.” He threw Elliott, Julie and Aaron a wink.
Sophie frowned and turned to her students. “You all planned this behind my back?”
“I wanted it to be a surprise,” Zane interrupted. “If you’d known ahead of time, you probably would have rationalized it until there was no juice left. This needed to be fueled by pure emotion, because only then are you honest with yourself. If anything, I have learned that about you over the last several months.”
She would have protested, but she couldn’t…because he was right. Plus, at that precise moment, he reached up and took her face in his hands, and she was lost. She had missed his touch, missed his presence, missed everything about him.
“All the proceeds from ticket sales tonight are going directly to the arts and music program here at your school.”
She looked up at him and felt tears burn her eyes.
“In addition to that, I have an offer for you.” He pointed to the stage. “Over there are three musicians ready to put on a rock concert, but we’re minus a bass player. Now, we have Dan, the guitar tech, who is sufficient, but lacking in the stage presence department. Not to mention the fact that all of our fans keep asking for a certain woman with a natural ability
“Come on, Ms. Gilkins!” Julie interrupted. “We’re going to miss it, and it’s supposed to be really cool!”
Sophie’s frown deepened. Julie was a pretty level-headed girl. If she was saying this assembly was real, maybe Sophie really had spaced it. “What is it even supposed to be?”
“Something to help the arts and music program. Come on! ” Elliot insisted.
“Okay, okay, fine. Let’s go to the gym.” She followed her excited students to the gym, all the while wracking her brain about this mysterious assembly, and coming up short. She was so involved in her own thoughts that, when she walked through the double doors into the gym and was met by uproarious cheering, she screamed and almost hit the roof she jumped so hard.
She looked over at the bleachers bursting with kids, teacher and parents first, then slid her gaze over to the stage that had been erected in the middle of the basketball courts. Her heart did backflips and cartwheels as she spotted a very familiar tall, blond man making his way toward her with the biggest grin she had ever seen.
“Wh…” She swallowed hard and tried to remember how to verbalize. “What…what the hell?” she whispered.
Elliot and Julie exchanged surprised glances. “Holy crap, Ms. G just swore,” he murmured.
Sophie was trembling when Zane approached her, and was thankful for his ever-present poise because she felt like she was going to poop her pants. He chuckled, which meant she must have looked as shocked at she felt.
He lowered his lips to her ear and whispered, “Hello again…Sophie Storm.”
She felt heat flood her cheeks. Of course. If she wasn’t in a perpetual state of red around Zane, he would think she was sick.
She reached out to place her fingertips lightly on his chest, to assure herself that he was real, that she wasn’t dreaming. “What are you doing here?” she squeaked. As she looked past him, she could see the other band members tuning up on stage. She frowned. What in blue blazes is going on? She looked back up at Zane and her heart melted, much to her chagrin. He was just as beautiful as she remembered, and she turned into a blushing groupie around him.
He reached down and took her hands in his, never losing his smile. He was the picture of confidence, the picture of talent, the picture of the man of her dreams. “Sophie, I want to discuss something with you.”
“Discuss? For starters, discuss what your band is doing in my gym!”
He chuckled. “We’re putting on a show. It has been very difficult keeping it a secret from you, but I had some good help.” He threw Elliott, Julie and Aaron a wink.
Sophie frowned and turned to her students. “You all planned this behind my back?”
“I wanted it to be a surprise,” Zane interrupted. “If you’d known ahead of time, you probably would have rationalized it until there was no juice left. This needed to be fueled by pure emotion, because only then are you honest with yourself. If anything, I have learned that about you over the last several months.”
She would have protested, but she couldn’t…because he was right. Plus, at that precise moment, he reached up and took her face in his hands, and she was lost. She had missed his touch, missed his presence, missed everything about him.
“All the proceeds from ticket sales tonight are going directly to the arts and music program here at your school.”
She looked up at him and felt tears burn her eyes.
“In addition to that, I have an offer for you.” He pointed to the stage. “Over there are three musicians ready to put on a rock concert, but we’re minus a bass player. Now, we have Dan, the guitar tech, who is sufficient, but lacking in the stage presence department. Not to mention the fact that all of our fans keep asking for a certain woman with a natural ability
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