by J. D. Monroe
“Yeah,” she said. “Thank you, serani. I’m really sorry to bother you.”
“It’s okay,” he replied. “See you soon.” He hung up then folded his hands. “Chloe, I’m so sorry, but something’s come up with my family. I really need to go.”
A guarded expression crossed her face, a mild half-smile that didn’t suit her like that bright, dimpled smile he’d glimpsed earlier. A pit formed in his stomach. “Sure thing,” she said. “Thanks for the coffee.” The polite thanks sounded like a dismissal.
Not so fast, Chloe Madsen.
He leaned closer. “Would you have dinner with me sometime?”
“I’m really not in a place to be dating.”
His jaw dropped. “No one said dating. At least let me buy you dinner, since I’ve insulted your honor, and now I’m cutting this short. Maybe the third time’s the charm, and I’ll prove I have some sort of decorum.”
Her lips pursed, like she was trying to hold back a smile. “I suppose,” she said. She slid the napkin from under her coffee, then plucked a pen from her jacket pocket and scrawled a number on it. Then the barely concealed smile emerged. “Do you need this, or do you already have it from cyber-stalking me?”
He sighed. “I didn’t stalk. But to be completely honest, I have your number.” She started to pull the napkin back, but he grabbed it, letting his fingertips drift across the back of her hand. “But I’ll take this if you’re offering it.”
Her eyebrow lifted as she released the napkin. “Thanks again for the coffee, Taegan.”
“I’ll call you,” he said, letting his gaze linger on her.
“Okay.” She said okay, but he heard bullshit.
He raised an eyebrow. “I will.”
It took him fifteen minutes in afternoon traffic to reach Tellana, who was sitting in her car parked next to the cart return in the Target parking lot. Despite being obscenely wealthy, Tellana drove a modest black SUV, nondescript, except for the bags full of silk flowers filling the entire backseat like a florist shop had exploded inside.
He parked next to her then rapped on her window. She gasped in surprise and got out of the car. Her eyes were rimmed in red, her usually flawless makeup smudged. She’d been crying. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked.
“I’m so stressed,” she blurted, fresh tears spilling over her cheeks. “And I apparently left my goddamn interior light on. I’m on a tight schedule, and this is costing me all this time, and—”
“Hey, hey,” he said, gripping her hands gently. “It’s just a car battery. It’s going to be fine. Do you want me to drive you downtown?”
She sighed. “Yes, but then I’ll be stuck with no car, and you’ll have to drive all the way home.”
“You know I don’t mind.”
“As always, you’re sweet, but no,” she said. “I have to deal with it sooner or later. Let’s get it running.”
He hesitated with the jumper cables poised over the open hood, but refreshed himself with a quick reference video on YouTube. Once the batteries were connected, he murmured a silent prayer that he wasn’t about to incinerate them both. He started his car and let out a sigh of relief when it didn’t explode. “Go ahead,” he said. Tellana’s car made a rhythmic chugging sound, grumbling to life. She threw her hands up in triumph. “Let it run for a couple minutes.”
“Very manly of you. I’m impressed,” she said. She grabbed her purse out of her car and started fixing her makeup. Her eyes were comically wide as she licked one finger and dabbed under her eyes to tame the smeared eyeliner. “I’m sorry I interrupted you.” Her brow furrowed, punctuating the exact moment Tellana’s insatiable nosiness activated. It was a part of her operating system. If any of my family members is up to something, then ask what. Continue asking until information is obtained and curiosity is satisfied. “What were you doing?”
“I met up with that girl from the race,” he said. “Just like you said.”
“Did you tell her to come see us?”
“Well…I don’t think she knows she’s a dragon,” he said. He told her about Chloe smelling smoke and her story about her family. “She said she’s had a headache for months. And she’s at least in her late twenties, so she’s well past time for a first shift.”
Tellana winced. “Why don’t you invite her out to fly with us this weekend?” It was hard to have a serious conversation as she reapplied mascara, her mouth wide open as if that somehow made her eyelashes more accessible.
“She doesn’t know she’s a dragon, which means she probably doesn’t know we even exist,” he said. “So, you think it would be best to let her watch a dozen of our family strip naked, shift, and take off into the sky?”
“I mean…it’s kind of like jumping into the deep end,” she said. “It’s not a terrible idea.”
“I’ll think about it,” he replied.
She snapped the compact closed. “I’m not trying to be shitty with you, but she has to come in. With everything that’s going on, Mom’s not screwing around with outsiders. We’ve got the Gatekeepers from Seattle and the Queen of Skyward Rest up our collective asses to make sure things are kosher. Even if she doesn’t know, she can’t just hang around town as a free agent.”
“I’ll handle it,” he said. And wouldn’t that be fun? He’d never had to tell a grown adult that she was actually a dragon. Chloe struck him as intelligent and logical. He wasn’t sure if she would laugh in his face, punch him, or simply refuse to believe him.
“Good. Why don’t you use your plus one and bring her to the afterparty?”
“That might be even worse than flying,” he said.
“At least the booze will help,” Tellana said. “Take care of it.”
“So, he just picked up and left?” Maura asked over a forkful of microwaved spaghetti.
“Yep,” Chloe said. “It was probably a robo-call, and he used it as an escape. He said he’d like to take me out some time, but I haven’t heard a word yet. I’m not holding my breath.”
A hundred fourth and fifth graders filled the lunchroom with a dull roar, adding a layer of discomfort onto her already too-sharp senses. She had long forgotten what it was like to not have a headache, but today was worse than usual, like something was burrowing through the back of her skull and chewing on her brain stem.
To make it worse, she was sweating like a pig. She shrugged off her cardigan and surreptitiously sniffed at herself. The faint smell of smoke tickled her nose again, along with the artificial floral smell of her deodorant and the grease of lunchroom pizza.
“Is it hot in here?” Chloe asked. She swiped a hand over her neck, finding her skin warm and slick with sweat. Gross.
Maura was bundled in a gray Beaverton Elementary hoodie. She frowned. “I’m freezing. But you know I’m always cold,” she said. “Anyway, sorry about your date. He’s an idiot.”
“It wasn’t really a date,” she said. Her abbreviated meeting with Taegan had been utterly disappointing. He was the one who was rude, and he was the one who’d left. His attempt to make up for their rude first meeting was a failure, which should have told her what kind of guy he was.
And even so, she wanted him to like her. The conversation had actually been kind of nice. He’d held eye contact, showing off those gorgeous green eyes framed in thick lashes. He’d seemed genuinely interested, at least until he took off and left her feeling utterly rejected.
Wow. So being a halfway decent conversationalist and looking at her when she spoke was desirable? She taught her fourth graders that much. Talk about a low bar. But to be perfectly fair, she’d been hard on him. Maybe he’d figured she wasn’t worth the hassle once she dumped all her family baggage on him.
Chloe’s phone buzzed. She took it out of her lunch bag, frowning. They still had eight minutes before they had to clean the tables and return to class. The alert was a text message from a local number. She skimmed it, trying to suppress the smile clawing its way through.
Hi Chloe. This is Taegan. Sorry I didn’t get
a chance to call last night. I figure you’re working right now, but let me know a good time to call you. I’d like to take you out on Saturday if you’re still willing.
“He texted you, didn’t he?” Maura asked. Her lips spread into a wolfish grin.
“He didn’t…” Maura was leaning over the table to read the message. “You snoop.” She pressed the phone to her chest.
“He did!” Maura crowed. “You’re smiling.”
“Am not.”
“Yes, you are,” Maura said. “Did he ask you out?”
“Maybe,” Chloe said. “I don’t know if I want to go.”
“You’re the actual worst,” Maura replied. “Let a hot guy take you out for a date.”
“What if he’s a serial killer?”
“He’s not a serial killer.”
“You don’t know that. People thought Ted Bundy was a nice guy,” Chloe said. “They say it’s the nice, handsome ones you have to watch out for.”
“Well, then you’re already a dumbass because you went out with him yesterday.”
“Because you told me to,” Chloe said.
Maura threw up her hands in frustration. “Five minutes ago you were pissed off because he left in the middle of your coffee date and didn’t call you. Now, you’re talking yourself out of going. What’s the worst that happens?”
“Other than being violently murdered and stuffed into a dumpster?”
“Jesus, Chloe,” Maura said. “Just see how it goes.”
“But what if he—”
“No, ma’am,” Maura said. “You always do this. Don’t sabotage it before you even go. Go on the date. You can always call me if things are weird, and I’ll bail you out. Important question now is what you’re wearing.”
“Miss Madsen?”
Chloe turned to see Monica hovering by the table, her little face screwed up in concern. “What’s up, sweetie?”
“Alyssa is crying and won’t tell us why,” she said.
“Was someone mean to her?” Chloe said. She gave Monica a stern look. “You can tell me.”
The girl’s dark eyes widened as she shook her head, setting her braids swinging. “No, ma’am. She’s been sitting there the whole time. Ansley asked her to come sit with us but she wouldn’t move, so we left her alone.”
“Thank you for telling me,” Chloe said. “That was the right thing to do. Go finish your lunch, and I’ll talk to her.”
Once Monica returned to her seat, the three students around her turned to look at Chloe, like rubberneckers gawking at a car accident on the highway. When she tilted her head at them, the little group turned around, conspicuously looking away like she’d forget she saw them.
Sure enough, Alyssa was an island at the end of the table, with two empty seats between her and the next student. Chloe glanced back at Maura. They’d discussed her after the marker incident. “Have you managed to get anything out of her?”
“She’s been the same with me. It’s weird,” Maura said. “I called her mother yesterday, but she just said they were having some transitions at home. She didn’t mention what, but she said she’d speak to her about it.”
Chloe headed toward Alyssa, winding between the narrow aisles to crouch at the end of the table. She took a deep breath, preparing for the girl to lash out. “Alyssa? Are you okay?”
“Leave me alone,” she said into her folded arms. Her rectangular pizza and weirdly bright fruit salad was untouched.
“I’m worried about you sitting down here alone and not eating,” Chloe said. “Is someone being mean to you?”
“No,” Alyssa said.
“Would you like to go talk to Miss Davies for a little while?”
“No.”
Chloe drew a deep breath, filling her nose with the scent of lunchroom food and the faintest hint of smoke. She frowned, looking around the room. It smelled like wood smoke. Then it was gone, as if she’d only imagined it. If she told Maura she smelled smoke, her brain tumor theory was going to gain some serious credibility. “I just want to make sure everything is okay and that you’re safe. Why don’t we go talk to Miss Davies?”
“I said I’m fine!” Alyssa growled. She raised her head finally, and her blue eyes gleamed bright against bloodshot irises.
Irritation sparked through Chloe, hot and quick, like striking a match. “Okay,” she said firmly. “Come on.”
“I said—”
“I heard you, and you’re still going,” Chloe said. “You can take your lunch.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Then leave it here,” Chloe said. “Let’s go.”
Her kindly schoolteacher act could only go so far. With her sudden withdrawal and the lashing out, a dozen nightmare scenarios ran through Chloe’s mind. Maybe it was normal family drama, but she’d rather have Alyssa mad and know that she was safe.
If looks could kill, Alyssa’s glare would have incinerated Chloe in her shoes, but the girl got up, leaving her untouched tray on the table. Her eyes drifted to it, then back up to Chloe, as if to say, I dare you to say something.
Chloe raised her eyebrows and waited as Alyssa walked ahead of her, fists balled at her sides, as she stormed toward the front office. Without being told, she plopped down in the chair next to the guidance counselor’s door.
After checking that she didn’t have a visitor, Chloe stuck her head into the counselor’s office. A half-eaten salad sat on her desk while she typed rapidly. “Miss Davies, I have a student to talk to you,” she said quietly. “Alyssa Kouris. I sent you an email the other day.”
The counselor nodded, shoving another bite of her salad into her mouth. Around a bite of tomato, she mumbled, “I remember. Let me just...” She dabbed at her mouth with a napkin then moved a towering stack of files to the floor. “Send her in.”
Chloe stepped out and found Alyssa staring across the room, perhaps trying to bore a hole in the opposite wall. “Alyssa, Miss Davies will see you.”
Alyssa gave a heavy sigh and didn’t speak as she brushed past Chloe and into the office, closing the door firmly.
By the time she got back into the lunchroom, Maura had already wrangled the kids to dump their trays and line up to return to class. Halfway through the math lesson, Alyssa returned and glared at Chloe for the remainder of class. Though she told herself she didn’t care if the girl was mad, she wanted Alyssa to understand she only had her best interest at heart. Chloe was relieved when they switched classes, sending Alyssa across the hall to social studies with Maura.
While her next class worked on their starter problems, she checked her email to find a note from Miss Davies.
Hey Chloe -
AK says her father is in Seattle for work, which is making her sad. I called home to confirm, and her mother said the same. Let’s keep an eye on her, and I’ll call her up again in a few days to check in. She mentioned that she likes to read, so I’m talking to Jenny about being a library helper. That may give her something positive to focus her energy on. Thanks for the heads up. We’ll get her through it!
-Terri
That had to be it. She was glad it was something so mundane, but something still didn’t sit right with Chloe.
At the end of the day, Maura popped into the classroom. “Did you text him back yet?”
“Maura, you’re unbelievable,” she muttered.
“I want you to get laid,” Maura replied. “Did you?”
“No. I’ve been working,” she said. Maura raised her eyebrows expectantly, a patented fourth-grade teacher look if Chloe had ever seen one. “I’ll do it now.” After taking her phone from her purse, she typed a quick reply.
I’m out of class now. You can call when it’s convenient for you.
It sounded so stiff and formal. After adding and deleting three different emojis, she sent the original message. She glanced up to see Maura still in the doorway, staring intently. “He’s not going to call right away.”
As if Taegan was determined to prove her wrong, her phone rang. The tin
kling crystal sound was an electronic I told you so. Maura squealed with glee. Chloe answered it. “Hello?”
“Hello, Chloe? This is Taegan,” he said. “Is now a good time?”
Her heart thumped. He certainly was eager to talk to her. “Now is fine.” She waved at Maura, hurrying to close the door. Her friend puffed a steamy breath on the door, drawing a heart. Giggling to herself, Maura backed away and flashed a thumbs up.
“Sorry I didn’t respond earlier.”
“No apology needed,” he said. “I’m sure you have your hands full with fourth graders.”
He remembered. She smiled then scolded herself. Low bar. “We always have our hands full,” she said.
“As I said, I’d like to take you to dinner this Saturday,” he said. “My family is sponsoring the Lip Sync Battle for charity on Saturday, and I have two VIP tickets. Prime seats and we get into the after party at Departure. We can eat before. What do you think?”
Her mind spun through excuses, but strangely she wanted to go. She liked that he’d followed up on his promise to call, and even more that he’d called knowing exactly what he wanted to do. “That sounds fun,” she said. “What’s the attire?”
“Well, I’m wearing a suit,” he said. “My cousin says it’s cocktail attire, whatever that means to you. Can I pick you up?”
The thought of Taegan in a suit…phew. That alone was nearly enough to convince her. She hadn’t dressed up for a night out in a long time. Fear tickled at her. “If it’s okay, I’ll meet you for dinner,” she said. “Where do you want to go?”
“Let me make a reservation and call you back by tomorrow. Anything you don’t like?”
“No Thai. I can’t handle lemongrass.”
He laughed, a surprising, rich sound. “Understood. Anything else?”
“Nope,” she said. “Surprise me.”
“That will certainly be a pleasure,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing you again. Have a good evening, Chloe.”
Her breath caught in her chest, a pleasant heat sweeping up to her cheeks. “You too.”
