“True, true.”
“And you could use the time to think up lots and lots of ideas for revenge on Mark. You know, make a long list. Really long.”
“There’s the wickedness I was looking for. I can see it now. And I like it,” he said, looking her up and down with approval.
Her stomach did a little flip. She might be out of her depth, but she’d be damned if she wasn’t going to enjoy the swim.
7
Erin drove to school feeling as if something heavy had been lifted off her shoulders that she’d been carrying for a long time without ever noticing the weight—until it was gone.
She’d found Andy in the kitchen when she emerged from the bedroom in the morning. He’d greeted her warmly, handed her a cup of coffee, and returned to the table where he’d already amassed a pile of pens and stacks of scribbled-on paper.
As she turned into the school parking lot, she reflected on the fact that he’d taken what she’d said quite seriously. It was a heady sensation to be listened to. Out of habit, she flipped down the driver’s side sunshade and checked her appearance. She couldn’t help smiling at her own reflection.
What was happening to her?
Erin closed the mirror and stepped out of the car into the summer sunlight. It was already hot and would get hotter.
There were barely any cars in the parking lot. Most teachers, Erin included, took as much advantage as they could of their time away from school. It was too easy to burn out if you didn’t take time to recharge.
Her footsteps echoed in the empty outdoor hallways. She unlocked her old classroom door and stepped into the musty air of the closed-up room. There was so much to move: boxes, computers, books, and stacks upon stacks of files.
She sighed, which turned into a cough thanks to the dust, and decided to see if the school library was unlocked. She could snag a big rolling cart if she was lucky.
It looked dark inside, which wasn’t promising, and the door didn’t budge despite a hard tug. She peered through the window and banged hopefully on the door. Just as she was about to turn away, she heard a voice calling from the depths of the building.
“Hang on, I’m coming!”
A woman pushed open the door from the inside. She wore a black t-shirt with the words, “Come to the Dark Side, We Have Cookies,” emblazoned across the front over a pair of indigo jeans. Her frizzy hair escaped a messy bun held precariously in place by an old stick with a crystal stuck to the end. She looked over her stylish tortoiseshell glasses at Erin. “What are you doing here?”
“Hey, Raya,” said Erin. “I just came in to start moving my classroom.”
“Fair enough. Need a cart?”
“Yeah, a big cart would be great.”
Erin entered the library. Its soaring ceilings disappeared into darkness. A desk lamp and computer provided the only illumination. Erin’s eyes slowly adjusted as she followed Raya to a back room.
“So, what have you been up to this summer?” asked Raya. She turned on the back room lights.
Erin mentally flipped through an assortment of responses and discarded all of them. “Not much.”
Raya began rolling smaller carts out of the way to get to a larger cart. “Not much? You either need to get out more—or you’re leaving out the good stuff.”
“Actually,” said Erin, “I made a new friend.” Raya was more of a work friend than a best friend, but it felt good to open up to someone, and Raya had always been insightful, if a bit unorthodox.
Raya froze in mid-roll and looked over her shoulder at Erin. “What?”
Erin nodded.
“Is this ‘friend’ of the gentleman persuasion?”
Erin nodded again.
“You’re not on the rebound already, are you?”
Erin raised her eyebrows. “Why would you say that?”
Raya chuckled as she pushed a cart over to Erin. “I don’t know.”
“After what Mark did, I’m not exactly eager to get mixed up with someone new,” said Erin.“You want me to take care of him? I know swamps where his body will never be found.” She nodded sagely at Erin. “Except maybe by an alligator.”
Erin was pretty sure Raya was joking—but with Raya, it wasn’t always easy to tell. “It’s okay. Really.”
“All right. You just say the word.” She moved the scattered carts back into place. “So what’s he like, this new friend?”
Erin weighed how much to tell the quirky librarian. “He’s—nice.”
Raya turned off the back room lights and shut the door. “They’re all nice, baby, until they’re not.”
They returned to the library proper and sat down in two reading chairs facing each other.
“I know,” said Erin. “But he’s different. Really different.”
“Like, good-looking? Is he smoking hot? Because that might make it worthwhile.”
Erin laughed. “Yes. No. I don’t know. You’re making me lose my train of thought.” Erin dropped her head into her hands.
“Sorry. Go on. No, wait a second.” Raya leapt up and crossed the library to her personal mini-fridge, retrieved a soda, and snagged a bag of cookies from the cabinet above the fridge. She carried the goodies back and plopped into her seat across from Erin. “Okay, go on.”
“He’s just a friend.”
“Sure, sure. Tell me about Mr. New Hot Friend.” Raya popped a cookie in her mouth and chased it with a swig of soda. “Your family know about him?”
Erin twisted her necklace and looked down at the floor. “Definitely not.”
Raya grinned. “Oh, not bringing the family in on this one, huh? Damn, he must be something special.”
“He wanted to help me move my classroom.”
Raya sat up. “Seriously? Why isn’t he here today?”
“I guess I could bring him in … ”
“Hell, yeah, you will! I gotta meet this guy.”
Erin ignored the tiny voice whispering that this might not be the best plan. After all, moving a whole classroom would be exceptionally difficult for one person. Andy’s help would make it much easier.
“We could even have lunch together tomorrow,” said Raya.
“Lunch?”
“You bet,” said Raya around a mouthful of cookie. “That way I can get to know Mr. New Hot Friend, see if I think he’s any good for you.”