and then went inside to teach the first lesson of the day.
***
She was still thinking about Mike at the end of the day, as she watched from the window while the parents came to pick the children up from school. His bike was not there, and she returned to grading papers, feeling strangely disappointed.
After a few minutes, she heard the sound of someone coming back up the steps towards her classroom, so she stood and opened the door. Young Joey was standing there, his eyes wide and on the verge of tears.
"Uncle Mike hasn't come back for me," he said, his voice trembling.
She put a hand on his shoulder, told him not to worry, and then they went together to the staff office. Joey's father was regularly late, so he knew his own way to the office. Actually, she was surprised that he had come back into the classroom.
"Joey needs to make a phone call," she told the secretary, and a phone was placed promptly on the desk.
"Would you phone him, Miss Weston?"
"He isn't my uncle," she said scornfully but picked up the phone anyway.
The phone rang three times, and then a woman's voice said, "Yes?" The woman sounded as though she was offended at the call.
"This is Joey Murray's teacher. He hasn't been picked up from school."
There was a hasty conference at the other end, and then Mike got on the line and said, "Tell him I'll be there in five minutes." The phone went dead, and Elena looked at it in surprise before handing it back to the secretary.
"Is he usually late?" she asked, as she walked with Joey to the school gates.
"It's Missy-Ann,” Joey said. "When she comes in to town, he always drops everything," he continued with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Miss Weston. I thought he might like you and that was why I was late today. I know you got dumped by your boyfriend."
She felt herself blush and said, " That is none of your business."
At that moment, the bike pulled through the gates. Elena was still bright red, as she watched Joey put on his helmet and climb onto the front of the bike. The Ducati , she reminded herself , the powerful superbike .
She watched the pair drive off, wondering why she felt such as sense of deflation. After all, it was not as though she had ever been attracted to bikers.
***
Chapter 2
David was slumped in front of the computer when she arrived back at the apartment. He didn’t look up, but he managed to grunt when she spoke to him. The faint smell of cigarettes in the air told her that Janine had been there.
“Are you dating that girl?” she asked.
“Janine? No.” However, Elena knew that he was lying. They hadn’t lived together for five years without her becoming familiar with his lies. Still, that was in the past now.
“A biker came to school today.”
That made David sit up and take notice. He turned around in the chair and stared at her with his eyes, pale and shadowed after sitting in front of the computer for so long. She couldn’t help but think of Mike’s smoldering eyes. Somehow they seemed to stand out in her memory.
“A biker, huh? They get younger every year.”
“He was dropping off his nephew,” she said, realizing that she sounded defensive. Why do I even need to defend Mike to him? David doesn’t know him, and he certainly doesn’t care because he has that one-woman chimney, Janine.
He laughed lightly at nothing and turned back to the computer. “I’m going out later to the pub.”
In the past, he would have asked her to join him. Now, there was nothing between them. The sooner she left this apartment, the better. She looked around the room, thinking of all the things she might take with her.
David had put on his coat and was walking to the door. She looked at him, framed by the hall light and wondered what she had ever seen in him.
***
After David left, Elena took out her students’ workbooks and placed them in a pile on the table. She
***
She was still thinking about Mike at the end of the day, as she watched from the window while the parents came to pick the children up from school. His bike was not there, and she returned to grading papers, feeling strangely disappointed.
After a few minutes, she heard the sound of someone coming back up the steps towards her classroom, so she stood and opened the door. Young Joey was standing there, his eyes wide and on the verge of tears.
"Uncle Mike hasn't come back for me," he said, his voice trembling.
She put a hand on his shoulder, told him not to worry, and then they went together to the staff office. Joey's father was regularly late, so he knew his own way to the office. Actually, she was surprised that he had come back into the classroom.
"Joey needs to make a phone call," she told the secretary, and a phone was placed promptly on the desk.
"Would you phone him, Miss Weston?"
"He isn't my uncle," she said scornfully but picked up the phone anyway.
The phone rang three times, and then a woman's voice said, "Yes?" The woman sounded as though she was offended at the call.
"This is Joey Murray's teacher. He hasn't been picked up from school."
There was a hasty conference at the other end, and then Mike got on the line and said, "Tell him I'll be there in five minutes." The phone went dead, and Elena looked at it in surprise before handing it back to the secretary.
"Is he usually late?" she asked, as she walked with Joey to the school gates.
"It's Missy-Ann,” Joey said. "When she comes in to town, he always drops everything," he continued with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Miss Weston. I thought he might like you and that was why I was late today. I know you got dumped by your boyfriend."
She felt herself blush and said, " That is none of your business."
At that moment, the bike pulled through the gates. Elena was still bright red, as she watched Joey put on his helmet and climb onto the front of the bike. The Ducati , she reminded herself , the powerful superbike .
She watched the pair drive off, wondering why she felt such as sense of deflation. After all, it was not as though she had ever been attracted to bikers.
***
Chapter 2
David was slumped in front of the computer when she arrived back at the apartment. He didn’t look up, but he managed to grunt when she spoke to him. The faint smell of cigarettes in the air told her that Janine had been there.
“Are you dating that girl?” she asked.
“Janine? No.” However, Elena knew that he was lying. They hadn’t lived together for five years without her becoming familiar with his lies. Still, that was in the past now.
“A biker came to school today.”
That made David sit up and take notice. He turned around in the chair and stared at her with his eyes, pale and shadowed after sitting in front of the computer for so long. She couldn’t help but think of Mike’s smoldering eyes. Somehow they seemed to stand out in her memory.
“A biker, huh? They get younger every year.”
“He was dropping off his nephew,” she said, realizing that she sounded defensive. Why do I even need to defend Mike to him? David doesn’t know him, and he certainly doesn’t care because he has that one-woman chimney, Janine.
He laughed lightly at nothing and turned back to the computer. “I’m going out later to the pub.”
In the past, he would have asked her to join him. Now, there was nothing between them. The sooner she left this apartment, the better. She looked around the room, thinking of all the things she might take with her.
David had put on his coat and was walking to the door. She looked at him, framed by the hall light and wondered what she had ever seen in him.
***
After David left, Elena took out her students’ workbooks and placed them in a pile on the table. She
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