“Come on! I want to see it!”
I inched my way around the door, pulling on the bottom hem of the dress, hoping that my panties were not showing.
Alice gasped. “Holy shit,” she said breathily.
I looked at myself in the full-length mirror. My panties were not showing, thank heavens, but I worried about bending over even just a little. The neckline reached down to expose a good amount of cleavage. I turned this way and that. It was not all that bad. Skimpy? Yes. Appropriate for school? Definitely not. “Wow.” I could not think of anything else to say. I had to admit, I looked pretty sexy in it.
“You’re getting that,” Alice said, leaving no room for negotiation.
There was no way I could argue with her. I did look hot.
***
“So, what are you doing this week?” I asked before taking a sip of my pop.
“I have to do a promotion in Colorado Springs.” Alice looked me up and down and lifted an eyebrow. “I wish I could stay home and just have you wear that dress for me that you bought.”
I felt my face burn, and I had a feeling of tingling in my stomach. The fact that this gorgeous woman, a model, found me attractive was so amazing to me. Not only did she find me attractive, but she found me sexy, as sexy as I found her.
“What about you?” she asked.
“I have planning to do. Susan, Georgia, and I are meeting up to plan our next teaching units over pizza and drinks on Saturday, and then Sunday I have to write up my lesson plans for next week and finish my grading. I can’t believe how behind I am.” And I was. I had skipped grading papers last weekend to go out with Alice to the fight and this week I had an evening class plus homework for it.
Alice’s face fell. “Well, we can maybe meet up the week after.”
“Yeah. I don’t know my schedule yet, but I know I have a staff meeting on Wednesday after school and then we have a party the Friday before Thanksgiving. It’s a tradition. You should come.”
“We’ll see,” was all Alice said.
“So, what happened with the Boston thing?” I remembered she had flown out the week before to meet the man who had given her his card.
Alice shrugged. “It didn’t go well. He tried to make a move on me and said that I would need to do some nudes shots if I wanted to join his team. I told him where he could shove his offer.”
“Good for you.” I felt relief wash over me that she was strong and sure enough to stand up against people like him. A feeling of regret washed over me as I thought about how selfish I was being. My relief stemmed to more than my pride in her strength. I was happy she would not be moving away from me. If she had gotten that job, there was a good chance that would have happened and I was not sure how I would handle that.
The mall’s food court was busy but since it was late-afternoon, it was not too noisy. Several families were trying to make children sit in their seats, and were having a hard time doing so. I wondered how they’d feel if they had twenty-five of them to try to keep in their seats.
“What’s so funny?” Alice asked.
I did not realize I had laughed aloud. “Sorry, I’m just thinking about kids and how hard they can be.”
“And you teach?”
“Yeah,” I said laughing, “but I get to send them home at the end of the day.”
“Don’t you want children?”
I was taken aback. The subject came up in my past relationships, but not until we had been living together for several months. This was not what I had expected at all so soon.
“Well, I don’t know,” I said. “I would like to have kids one day, I think, but adoption can be a long and expensive process.”
Alice shrugged. “I don’t know if I want to have kids. I like my life, and it’s not set up for little ones. Can you imagine dragging a baby to a fight?”
I laughed. “No, certainly not, although I had a student last year who went to all of the WWE fights with his dad whenever they came to Denver.”
“Yeah, but it’s different going to a fight to watch and going to work.”
“True.”
An uncomfortable silence came over us as I watched a mother place her five-year-old son on his chair for the fourth time. The idea of having kids was nice, but dealing with them all day made it less appealing. Yet, if they were mine, then maybe it would be different.
“Well, look,” Alice said, interrupting my thoughts. “I have to get home and collect all my dresses to take over to the dry cleaners. We leave at eleven tomorrow morning and I’ll be gone until next Tuesday. Text me whenever you want, but I doubt I will be able to take any calls…at least not while you’re awake.”
We threw our trash in a bin and walked to the exit. A bag swung from my arm from the clothing store we had visited earlier with the blue blouse I wanted, the half-shirt I wondered why I had purchased, and the sexy blue dress I could not wait to wear for Alice.
If we could set up a time to meet up again.
The following weeks proved difficult as Alice became busier and I tried to survive until Thanksgiving break.
***
Dinner consisted of a microwave meal and a glass of wine. Mondays always were hard, but today was somehow harder. My confidence was waning. Was I even making a difference with my students? Were they actually learning anything? Or was this all a waste of time?
I missed Alice. The last time I heard from her was just this past Saturday, but it seemed an eternity. The blue dress hung in the closet and I had yet to wear it besides at the store when I tried it on over a week ago.
TV was dismal and I was not up for a romance movie. I clicked off the TV and laid my head against the back of the sofa and looked up at the ceiling. My mind was a jumble of thoughts going back and forth about how I felt about Alice. One minute I wanted her in my arms, the next she should stay at arm’s length.
The phone rang and I answered without looking at who it was.
“Hello?” I took a sip of my wine, not caring who it was, only hoping it would be a short call.
“Hey, Carrie,” the voice said on the other end.
“Alice? Is that you?”
“Yesh, is me.”
I laughed. “My God, are you drunk?”
She giggled. “I am. We got done early with our shoot today and I wash…was…bored.”
“Well, I’m glad you can call me when you’re bored.”
“Hey, are you mad at me?”
Mad? Where did she get that? “No, why would I be mad at you?”
“I don’ know. You jus’ sound like you don’ want me callin’ you.”
“Alice, I’m not mad at you,” I assured her. I wanted to get her mind on a different track. “It sounds like you’re having a good time.”
“Nuh-uh, ‘cause you’re not here.”
I shook my head. She was trashed.
“Look, Carrie…” she hiccuped, “I want us to be together, ya know? I really, really, really like you.”
“And I want that too.”
“Then come to a party with me on Wednesday. We’re having this big bash, a big after-fight party, and I want you to be there wish me.”
“Alice, I have to work Thursday morning. I can’t go out partying in the middle of the week.”
“So? You can jusht stay for a little while. I wanna show you off to my friendsh.”
I blew out my breath. “Fine, I’ll go for a little while, but I can’t stay long. Are you going to go to my party on Friday?”
“I’ll tell ya what…if you come wish me to my party, I’ll go wish you to yours. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“Alice, come on! Get off that damned phone and have a shot with me,” a woman’s voice said in the background. I felt that green-eyed monster wake up again inside me and wished I was there with her right now to protect her from some predatory women who might try to take advantage of her. OK, that was not necessarily true. I just wanted them to know she was taken because no one could take advantage of her, even in her inebriate
d state.
“I haveta run. But meet me at eight Wenshday. I’ll text ya the address.”
I laughed. “OK, I’ll see you then.”
“OK, honey, byyyeeee!”
The phone went dead.
What was I getting myself into?
Chapter Ten
The next morning Dale, the principal, caught me as I walked through the front door.
“Carrie, may I speak with you, please?”
I groaned inwardly as I followed him into his office. He closed the door behind us and offered me a seat. Which of the parents was complaining this time?
“I wanted to let you know that we got the preliminary test results back on your students’ test scores.”
My breath caught in my throat, just as it had every year this conversation came up. Many times, the results of these tests reflected how the students did on the state tests in March and April.
“Overall, your students did well,” he said.
I was surprised. Dale had never called me into his office to discuss when test results were good. There had to be something else he wanted to say.
“Well, I’m glad to hear that. We’ve worked hard so far this year.”
“That’s actually the reason I wanted to talk to you. Chris Bakersfield’s mother was here after school yesterday.”
I closed my eyes. He called me into his office to talk about Mrs. Bakersfield but started off with testing results? It made absolutely no sense to me. And what could that woman want to complain about now?
Dale must have felt my tension because he said, “She’s just concerned about the pressure you’ve put on him about his reading. Apparently he’s been going on saying that you have mentioned him possibly having dyslexia.”
I groaned. Damn. He was not supposed to know I thought that. “Dale, I believe that it might be the case, but his mother refuses to even broach the subject. I’ve been using dyslexia strategies to help him with his reading, but they are strategies that could work with any number of disabilities and reading problems. I have never once mentioned to him that I thought he has dyslexia or that he might have a learning disability. All I’ve done is encourage him. I did mention it to her at conferences, though.”
“Well, be that as it may, she is going to the board of education to lodge a complaint about you and to get him removed from your classroom.”
My heart fell. All the weeks of building our relationship were going to be pulled out from under us. Then a rage bubbled over in me, stronger than I had ever felt before. “How can she do that?” I said, my voice raised. “I’ve worked so hard to work with him. He’s enjoying reading group now. I’ve seen so much progress in him over the past few weeks, more than I would have expected in such a short time.” My eyes narrowed. “What is going to be her ammunition at the board meeting?”
“Apparently all she has is Chris stating that you think he has dyslexia.”
I pursed my lips. I would get to the bottom of this. “Thank you for giving me the heads-up,” I said as I stood. “I have to go get ready for the day.”
I stomped down the hall, and I had to look a sight because more than one teacher moved out of my way. I headed straight for Susan’s room and slammed the door behind me, making her jump in her chair in front of her computer.
“My goodness, woman, what’s the matter?”
I told her what Dale had said.
“Well, she can’t do that,” Susan said when I finished ranting. “You know what I would do?”
“What’s that?” I asked as I sat slumped down in the too small chair.
“Talk to Chris. Find out how he found out about the dyslexia thing.”
“Won’t my talking to him make things even worse? And what if she doesn’t send him to school today?”
Susan laughed. “Tell me something. Has that boy missed any school since it started?”
I thought for a moment. “No, actually he hasn’t.”
“Right. Most of the kids that I’ve had that got on my nerves the most were at school every single day. Do you know why?”
“No.”
“It’s because they act just as ornery at home as they do at school, regardless of what the parents say. The parents don’t want them home any more than teachers want them at school.”
I laughed. “You know, you’re right. Last year I had Mark and he had perfect attendance.”
“See. It’s a weird thing, isn’t it?”
“Well, he’s been so much better the past few weeks, so something else is definitely going on.” I shook my head in determination. “Thanks, Susan. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
I left her room and headed to the playground where the students would be waiting for the bell to ring. When I found Chris, I called him over to me.
“Good morning, Chris, how are you this morning?”
“Good.”
“Hey, I was wondering something.”
“Yeah?”
“Where did you hear the word ‘dyslexia’?”
“I didn’t.”
I looked at him with surprise. “You didn’t? Have you ever heard that word before?”
He shook his head. “No.”
Well, this was definitely a strange turn of events. I wonder what his mother was up to.
“OK, I was just wondering.”
“Is it a bad word?” he asked innocently.
I laughed. “Oh, no, not at all. I was just wondering if any of the students knew what that word means. But thank you for answering my survey question for the day.”
“You’re welcome,” he said with a smile and ran off to play with his friends.
The child had come a long way and it broke my heart to think of him having to start all over with another teacher, which would probably be Susan. His mother was up to something, and I was determined to find out what it was.
Chapter Eleven
I met Alice at the address she had given me. The house was a monster log building with several balconies and a wraparound porch. Huge windows glowed from the light inside, silhouettes of people drinking, dancing, and making out contrasting. The music was so loud I swore I could hear the glass vibrating to the beat.
My legs were freezing, exposed as they were. I had worn the blue dress Alice had picked out for me and I still worried my panties were showing. I kept pulling on the hem, hoping to make it a little longer, but when I bent over, I thought my breasts would fall out of the top. I sighed and finally gave up.
The sound of the doorbell was long and melodious, and I wondered if anyone would hear it. After almost a minute, when no one came to let me in, I tentatively opened the door and poked my head inside.
“Hey!” someone yelled just inside the room. “Come on in. Don’t be shy.” The man looked me up and down appreciatively, but all I could do was smile. His shirt was tucked into his pants and open to his waistline, reminding me of a romance novel model with his tight abs and muscular arms pushing against the material. Too bad Susan was not here. She would have loved the view.
“I’m looking for Alice,” I shouted, trying to be heard above the music.
“Alice? Alice.” He stood there looking off at nothing thinking.
“Brown hair, olive skin, one of the ring girls,” I said, hoping to help him out a little.
“Oh, Alice! Yeah, she was in the kitchen the last time I saw her. Just go through that doorway.” He pointed to a large arched opening across the wide room.
“Thanks,” I said with a wave of my hand. I made my way through the large group of people, mumbling apologies as I pushed my way through. There must have been three hundred people there.
“Carrie!” Alice said when I pushed through the last person before entering the kitchen. She came up and hugged me before turning around to the group she had been talking to when I walked in. “This is Carrie, everyone. Carrie, this is…well…everyone!”
I gave a weak wave and let Alice pull me to a bar that was set up in the room just off the kitchen. The man behind the
bar looked like a pro, he was probably someone they hired.
Alice leaned in to talk into my ear. “My God, woman, you look so damned sexy! I just want to take you right here in front of everyone.” Her breath smelled like alcohol, and her eyes were dilated.
I could feel my face heat up, but so did the area between my legs. It felt good to feel so attractive and have someone desire me.
“What do you want to drink?
“Just a Coke,” I said.
“Coke? Yeah, there’s coke, but what do you want to drink?”
I gave her a questioning look before I realized what she meant. Then I was mortified. “No, I want a pop, Coke, Pepsi, something like that.”
Alice bent over laughing, apparently thinking what I had said was much funnier than it had been. “Ohhh, a coke. Do you want rum in that?”
I shook my head. “No, I have to be able to drive home.”
She put her arm around my shoulders and said in my ear, “You could always stay here with me.”
I laughed and shook my head again. “No, that’s OK. I have to work in the morning, and third graders aren’t very forgiving.”
“You’re a teacher?” a voice said from behind us.
When I turned, a blond woman raised her glass to me. “I wanted to be a teacher when I was a kid. But then I realized how much schooling it would take and decided that I didn’t want to work that hard.” She laughed and high-fived another girl next to her who had auburn hair with purple ends.
“This is Renee,” Alice said pointing to the blond, “And Jonie.” She pointed to the brunette. “They are ring girls too.” She pulled Jonie in and kissed her on the lips and Jonie kissed her back. The men around us cheered and clapped. When the kiss stopped, Alice added, “And they are good at their jobs.”
I felt my blood pressure rise. “Add a shot of rum to that Coke,” I told the bartender, who nodded and did as I asked.
“So, this is a fight party,” Alice said, pulling me in for a hug. “I want to introduce you to some of the others.”
Perfect Match: A Lesbian Romance Page 6
