by Zoe York
“Guys, this is Millie,” Jackson said as we came to a stop at their table. He sounded like he was proud to be introducing me to them, which warmed me from within, and I had to hold back a snort at the way they kept looking between us, silent, their eyes wide. “Millie, these mutes are my buddies. Rob teaches Algebra One and Ty, PE and Health.”
“It’s nice to meet you both,” I said, thinking Rob looked exactly like the algebra teacher I’d had in high school, and that Ty probably had his hands full with hormonal teenaged girls who thought their gym teacher was hot.
“She brought us cake,” Jackson added, lifting the cake an inch as proof, when his friends still didn’t respond.
“Red velvet,” I offered, and they finally shook off their shock.
“Red velvet? My favorite, don’t tell Jan,” Rob joked before taking a sip of coke.
I assumed Jan was his wife and said, “I promise.”
Ty stood up and offered me a hand, which I shook, then gestured toward the chair and said, “Please, sit. Sorry we lost it for a minute there, we thought Jackson was exaggerating when he said how beautiful you are and were struck when we realized he’d been holding back.”
I laughed as Jackson rolled his eyes and went to set the cake down on the counter.
“That’s very sweet, Ty, thank you,” I said, my cheeks warming. “I know you don’t have a long break for lunch. Thanks for letting me join you.”
“Believe me, it’s our pleasure,” Ty responded smoothly.
“All right, all right,” Jackson chided as he sat. “That’s enough, smooth talker.”
Ty looked mock offended, then sat back, grinned, and popped some almonds in his mouth.
“I’m sorry, we only have ten minutes left, is that even enough time for you to eat?” Jackson asked, leaning in so that our shoulders brushed.
I looked up at him and found myself lost in his eyes for a moment. I noticed flecks of green in the brown, which seemed to twinkle behind his glasses, and I bit back a sigh as I remember how they’d looked when he’d gazed down at me Friday night when we were laying on my couch.
His dimple popped out and he murmured, “Millie?”
“Hmm?” I realized I was staring and turned my attention to my lunch bag. I pulled out my sandwich and chanced a peek up, only to see Rob and Ty grinning at me like crazy. I flushed and said, “Hi.”
“Hi,” they replied in unison, still grinning, and I heard Jackson chuckle next to me.
“You know, Millie, we’re so happy to meet you, really. Jackson’s had such a hard time since Julie, and it’s nice to see him looking happier than I ever have,” Rob said.
“Rob,” Jackson warned, probably not wanting Julie brought up, but Rob ignored his warning.
“What? It’s the truth, and Millie should know.”
“We’re going out on Saturday night, you should come with us,” Ty invited.
“Where are you going?” I asked, even though I had to work and it would be impossible take another weekend night off. Still, it was nice of them to invite me.
“Well, Rob likes country bars, and Ty likes to go out dancing, so we always go to the Irish pub. Kind of meet in the middle.”
“I don’t know an Irish pub is in the middle of a dance club and a country bar, but it works out. Pretty low key, so we can hang out and have a few drinks,” Ty added.
“That sounds like a lot of fun, and I wish I could, but we have two events on Saturday, and there’s no way I can miss it. Maybe next time?”
“Ah, that’s right, you’re a business owner … Do you get any days off?” Rob asked.
“We’re off Mondays.”
“Next Monday is a Teacher Work Day. We could change our plans to Sunday night, would that work?” Ty asked, and I thought it was really sweet that they wanted me there on their guys night.
“Um,” I mentally flipped through our calendar. “Yes, actually, Sunday’s event is a brunch, so should be done and cleaned up by four.”
“Let’s do that then,” Ty said, then paused, grinned and asked, “Didn’t Jackson say you have sisters?”
“Ty,” Jackson said, trying to sound chastising, but ruining it when he laughed at his friend.
“What? I’m just sayin’, they deserve a night out, right? Why not all meet up and have dinner and drinks.”
“I’ll see if Jan wants to come,” Rob added, then frowned and said, “Of course then I can’t have beer or corned beef. Maybe I won’t invite Jan.”
“I’ll talk to my sisters, see if they want to go,” I said with a laugh.
“Perfect,” Jackson said, and I turned to him and smiled, happy at the prospect of another night out with him, even if it was in a group.
Just then, the bell rang, and Jackson muttered, “Shoot, you didn’t even get a bite of your sandwich.”
“It’s okay,” I promised as I rose to my feet. “I had fun.”
Jackson leaned down and I rose up, eager to meet his lips, but before we touched, a stern voice said, “Mr. Heeler,” and we both jumped back.
We turned our heads slowly to see a short man wearing a button up, tie, and scowl.
“Who’s that?” I whispered.
“Principal,” Jackson replied, then said, “Go, I’ll deal with him.”
I gathered my things and hurried out.
As I was leaving, I heard Rob say, “That cake better still be here after school,” the principal ask, “Who was that? You weren’t having a date during school hours, were you, Mr. Heeler?” and Ty urge, “Give the guy a break, Wiggins, he’s finally happy.” Then I got out of there as fast as I could.
Jackson
It had been a few days since I’d gotten chewed out by Wiggins for having a date in the teacher’s lounge, the thought of which still made me smile. I’d pointed out to the principal that there was no actual written rule about such a thing, to which he’d huffed that it was implied, and asked if I’d ever seen anyone else have guests over for lunch.
Although I had seen Jan on occasion when Rob had forgotten his lunch, I’d known I was toeing the line by inviting Millie. The thing was, I couldn’t find it in me to care. I hadn’t seen her since, and that was four days ago, so I was happy that I’d gotten to see her, even if it was only for a few minutes.
We’d been mostly keeping in touch by texting each other throughout the day. We’d talked a few times, but we were on different schedules, and she was usually still working when I got off. I’d always heard owning your own business was tough, but the amount of hours Millie and her sisters put in was staggering.
Luckily, they were talking about hiring more full-time work. I didn’t know how they’d been functioning for over a year and was happy they were in a place where they could bring on more help and give themselves a bit of a break.
I shook my head and looked back down at the papers I was grading. This had been happening a lot lately, me daydreaming about Millie when I was supposed to be doing something else. There was no denying, the woman was getting under my skin.
The thought had me smiling as I focused on the paper in front of me.
The students had grumbled when they’d walked into class and found a pop quiz of sorts waiting on their desks. But, it was less of a quiz than a chance for them to give me their opinions on what we’d been reading and discussing in class. It helped me determine how much they’d comprehended the material, while giving me insight into their thoughts and feelings on the subject.
I did this with each book we read, and it was one of my favorite parts of the class, seeing how one work could be interpreted in so many different ways.
“Daddy?”
I looked across the table to where Kayla was doing her homework.
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
“Do I have to go stay with Mama and Papa again this weekend?” she asked, avoiding my eyes as she played with her pencil.
I set the red pen I was holding down on the paper and adjusted my glasses as I looked at my daughter with concern.
; “You love staying with them. Did something happen? Is there a reason why you don’t want to go over there?”
Kayla shrugged one shoulder and still didn’t look at me.
“Kayla,” I spoke softly, encouragingly. “What’s going on, honey?”
“It’s just no fun over there anymore,” she whispered. “Mama’s always sad, and Papa’s always angry.”
I sighed, mentally berating Julie for the negative effect she was having on everyone’s lives, even a year later.
“They don’t mean anything by it, they’re just missing your mom.”
“I know, but it makes me sad to be there.”
“Do you want me to talk to Grandma and see if you can stay with her and Grandpa?” I asked, talking about my parents.
Kayla shook her head.
“Do you want me to stay home? I was going to meet up with Rob and Ty, as well as Millie and her sisters, who I haven’t met yet.” I watched Kayla’s face pinch at the mention of Millie, but I wasn’t going to hide my relationship from my daughter. She’d have to come to terms with it eventually. “I could have Millie come here instead, and we could hang out. It would give you the chance to get to know her better.”
Kayla’s head popped up and she said, “No, that’s okay. I mean, I don’t want you to miss out on your friends. I was thinking, maybe we could ask Jess’s mom if I could stay over there. There’s no school on Monday, so…”
And, there it was…
I had no doubt that Julie’s parents were having a hard time adjusting to Julie’s disappearing act, but the real reason why Kayla didn’t want to go there was because she wanted to be with her friends. I guess at nine, she was getting to the point where hanging out with her grandparents all the time wasn’t as exciting as it used to be.
I’ve been played.
“You could have just come out and asked me about staying with Jess, you know.”
Kayla watched me closely, probably trying to figure out if I was angry or not, then sighed and asked, “So, you really like this Millie person?”
I got up, walked around the table, and crouched down in front of my daughter.
“Yeah, Kayla, I really like her. You have to know that things with your mom and me are through, and after all this time, and the way she left, that’s never going to change.”
I watched her face fall as my words sank in and her eyes filled up.
“I’ll always love her for giving me you, but it’s time for me to move on. I know you aren’t thrilled about me dating Millie, but I hope you’ll give her a chance. I’ll call Jess’s mom and go out, and we won’t have her over this weekend, but, Kayla, I do want to do something, just the three of us, soon, okay?”
Kayla frowned, but nodded slowly, and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and she probably wouldn’t welcome Millie with open arms, but at least it was a start.
“Okay, how about we finish up here, then order pizza, pop some popcorn, and catch up on Fuller House?”
Kayla grinned, because she knew I hated Fuller House almost as much as she loved it, and said, “Yay!”
Millie
“I’m so excited that we’re doing this,” I said as my sisters and I drove to O’Reilly’s, the Irish pub.
The event had run a little longer than expected, which happens more often than you might think, so I’d texted Jackson and told him I’d ride with Dru and Tasha and meet him there. It gave us the rare opportunity to get ready to go out together, something that didn’t happen as much anymore, and I’d forgotten how much fun it was.
We’d “pre-gamed” with Dru’s blackberry margaritas, and done each other’s hair while trying on different outfits. It reminded me of when we were younger. The only thing missing was our mother sitting in the corner laughing as we paraded through the room in our different outfits.
“Me, too,” Dru admitted. “I can’t remember the last time I went out to a bar.”
“Yeah, it’s been a minute,” Tasha agreed. Her bright-red hair was down in pretty, beachy waves, and she was wearing a simple, but sexy, black dress.
“I’m a little nervous about you guys meeting Jackson, though. Promise you’ll go easy?” I asked, mostly talking to Dru. I knew Tasha would go in with an open mind and be nice, but Dru was a wild card.
“Who, me?” Dru asked with mock offense, which made me groan.
“Yes, you, dear sister. I want you to go into this thinking you’re going to like him, instead of expecting to hate him, like you’ve done with everyone else I’ve dated.”
“In my defense, everyone else you’ve dated has been an idiot … You can’t really blame me for that.”
I shut my eyes, shook my head, and wondered if I should just jump out of the car now … save myself the embarrassment.
“Relax, Mills,” Dru cajoled, and I opened my eyes to look at her almost identical ones. “Everything you’ve told us about him makes him sound pretty great. I’ll give him a shot, all right?”
Of course, as soon as we walked in and joined Jackson, Ty, Rob, and who I assumed was Rob’s wife Jan, Dru walked right up to Jackson and asked, “So, have you unloaded the wife yet?”
“Dru,” I hissed as I grabbed her arm, then looked to Jackson, face flushed, and said, “Sorry.”
Jackson just laughed and stood, then shocked my twin when he wrapped his arms around Dru.
“It’s great to finally meet you.” Jackson let her go and pushed back so that he could look down at her. He looked a little shocked when he looked from me to Dru and back again. “Are you sure you guys are fraternal twins? The likeness is uncanny.”
We’d gotten that question our entire lives. Yes, we were fraternal twins, although even though that was the case, I couldn’t count all the times we’d been mistaken for each other over the years.
“And … I’m working on it,” Jackson added with a grin, answering her initial question.
“Good,” Dru managed, then pushed back and said, “Now, stop touching me.”
“My sister’s not a big hugger,” I informed Jackson with a grin, then allowed myself to be enveloped into his arms and sighed happily. After a moment of goodness, I tilted my head back to look up at him and offer him my mouth for a hello kiss.
Jackson complied, and within seconds I was putty in his arms.
A chorus of, “Get a room,” was shouted by our group, so when Jackson released me, we were both laughing.
“Um, hello, aren’t you going to introduce me, or is Dru the only sister that matters?”
“Sorry.” I moved out of Jackson’s arms to let Tasha step up. “Jackson, this is my sister, Tasha. Tasha, Jackson.”
“It’s great to finally meet you,” Jackson said, and I could tell he was unsure whether or not he should hug her, since Dru hadn’t been a fan, but he needn’t have worried because Tasha threw her arms around his middle.
“Tash is a hugger,” I said with a grin.
“I am,” she said, pushing back and looking at him like I did, except her face was serious when she added, “But if you hurt my big sis, I’ll cut you.”
“Noted,” Jackson chuckled. He let my sister go, then turned to the table and said, “My buddies, Ty and Rob, and Jan, Rob’s wife. This is Tasha, and Dru, and, of course, Millie.”
We walked around saying hi and introducing ourselves more intimately, as the waitress came up and took our drink orders. We had all just taken our seats around the table, with me sitting in between Jackson and Ty, with Dru and Tasha across from me, when a pretty blonde with a stylish outfit and nerves flitting on her face approached the table.
“Hey, sorry I’m late,” she said quietly.
Ty and Rob looked surprised, but Jackson jumped up and said, “You’re just on time, Rebecca,” then he looked around the table before saying, “Ty, why don’t you scoot down one and let Rebecca in.”
“Ah, sure,” Ty said, still seeming surprised, making me wonder what was going on.
Rebecca took the seat next to mine, and I could see her hand shaking slig
htly as she picked up the menu. Jackson made introductions again, and once he sat, I turned to Rebecca and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Rebecca. So, you work with Jackson?”
Rebecca turned her head toward me and smiled briefly, then said, “Yes, I’m a teacher.”
Ty leaned on the table to peer around Rebecca and shook his head.
“She’s not just a teacher, she’s the smartest teacher at the school. Teaches history while going for her doctorate in Education. Rebecca’s brilliant.”
Rebecca was still facing me, back to Ty, so I saw the pleasure suffuse her face and her breath catch at his words, and I understood … Rebecca had a crush, and my sweet guy was playing matchmaker.
I reached over to place my hand on Jackson’s thigh and squeeze, then turned to kiss him lightly on the cheek.
He didn’t know it yet, but he was totally getting lucky tonight.
We both were.
Jackson
Things were going great.
Millie’s sisters seemed to like me, Ty and Rebecca were chatting each other up, and Rob’s wife even gave in and let him eat the corned beef. We were all enjoying the drinks, atmosphere, and each other’s company.
Then Jericho Smythe walked in.
I didn’t notice at first. I was enjoying the feel of Millie pressed up against my side, her hand in mine as we laughed over Dru and Tasha’s worst clients ever stories. I saw Ty shout a greeting and stand up out of the corner of my eye, but it wasn’t until the three sisters stiffened and stopped talking that I looked up to see what was happening.
Jericho, normally self-assured and affable, was standing next to our table with his hands in his pockets and eyes wide as he took in our group.
“Glad you could make it,” Ty was saying. “I know Sundays can be busy for you.”
Jericho didn’t hear him though, his eyes were frozen on Tasha, while she sat aghast, staring back at him.
