My mind races. Would I be okay with going to strangers’ homes? If so, where would I even start with teaching? What should I charge? And how often? I’m excited by the thought, but I need to think about it and figure some things out.
I realize I’m just standing there mute while they stare at me. Finally, I agree to think about it and get back to them. They both give me their phone numbers, and as they walk away, I notice the same man who was watching from the doorway earlier is staring at me again. Great, it looks like I’ve attracted a creep.
I’m even more alert when I realize he’s followed me into the lobby. He walks past me and takes a seat beside a gray headed man who looks like he’s pushing seventy. As I make my way past his table, he waves at me, gesturing for me to come and talk to him. My indecision makes him grin, and he points to the sign attached to the front of the table.
Cooper’s Music, now accepting applications for part time position.
Okay, so maybe he’s not a weird creep for watching me play piano. They’re here to search for employees like everyone else. Both men greet me with a warm smile when I approach their table.
“Hi,” I say, and curse myself internally when it comes out in a near whisper. This is not the confident behavior that Remee and I practiced. Swallowing, I stand up straight and stick out my hand, trying again. “I’m Kelly Bryant.”
“Easton Cooper,” the older man replies, shaking my hand. He gestures to the man who was watching me. “This is my son, Jesse.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise. Are you looking for a position?” Easton asks.
Fumbling, I pull my resume out of my folder and hand it to him. “Yes, sir. I’m a student and I’m looking for part time work.”
“And your availability?” Jesse asks as they peruse the resume.
“Evenings and weekends. My classes end around three. What kind of position are you looking to fill?”
Easton hands me a list of job duties. It’s pretty basic retail responsibilities including cashier, stock, and general cleaning. “I’ve never run a cash register,” I admit. “But I learn fast.”
Jesse leans over and murmurs something to his father. “We’ve had quite a few inquiries lately looking for music lessons and I understand you play the piano quite well.”
“I’m…proficient.”
“Have a seat,” Easton invites. “If you’re interested, of course.”
If I’m interested? The opportunity to give piano lessons or even just work in a place that touches on one of my interests would be a dream compared to burning bread and getting scolded. Find something that suits me, Zara said.
Maybe I just did.
Chapter Two
Layton
“Dalton is going to meet us at the bar. He’s bringing a couple of friends,” Travis announces, as we claim two treadmills at the school gym. It’s one bonus of working at the community college. The university that we share a campus with has partnered with the community college, which means all faculty and students can take advantage of the gym and other perks. I don’t have to pay for a gym membership or drive to the only decent one across town.
“Why am I sure these friends are women?”
Dalton is the eternal single man in our group. I’ve only recently joined him in the single life after a long-term relationship and engagement that did not end well. And by not end well, I mean after eight years she didn’t know that I like my women like I like my coffee. Strong, hot, and without another guy’s dick in it. Since the moment he found out, Dalton has tried to set me up with one of his multitude of “friends.”
Travis flashes a smile at me. “Would getting some birthday head really be the worst thing?”
“I do not need Dalton’s sloppy seconds. Or to wake up handcuffed to my bed while some chick rifles through my house for money and robs me blind.”
“Now, that only happened to him once.”
Dalton was lucky we had plans that morning or he’d have been handcuffed to the bed all day. It still makes me laugh when I remember walking in on him. It’s not one we let him forget. “Would you let him set you up?”
“I have a wife.”
“If you weren’t married?”
“Hell no,” he snorts. “He’s my boy and all but the guy has no taste in women. He sees big tits or a pretty face and jumps all over her.”
I increase my speed and fall into a comfortable jog. “Exactly.”
“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be looking. You already got your rebound relationship out of the way.”
That was a turbulent few months. Kyra seemed nice enough. She was a dental hygienist with no children, owned her own house, and seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. Barely three months into the relationship and she started planning a future with me including marriage and kids. Once she showed me a picture of the engagement ring she wanted, and hinted that Valentine’s Day wasn’t far away, I noped out of that situation fast. Maybe dating someone eight years older wasn’t the best idea. You could hear her biological clock banging like bongos.
“I’m not seeking out anyone right now.”
Travis glances at me. “I know what Paula did fucked you up. Just don’t let it stop you from trusting someone again, or the bitch really wins.”
Travis married his high school sweetheart and has been happily married for over ten years. Dalton gives him shit about being tied down or having a ball and chain, but we both know he’s one of the lucky ones.
I’m not going to let my ex-fiancée take away my chance at having that someday, but for right now, I’m fine with being alone, maybe with an occasional hookup. My teaching career—plus investing and consulting on the side—keeps me busy. This semester, I also volunteered to oversee an Adulting Club a couple of days per week, so I have plenty to keep me occupied.
“I’m over her,” I assure him. “But you know the bar isn’t my scene.”
Twenty-eight. I turned twenty-eight today. Maybe I’m getting old. I mean, is this how it starts? When you’d rather sit on your porch with a beer and music you actually enjoy listening to instead of trying to pick up women while top forties songs torture your ears. “Poker?”
Travis grins at me. “Sounds good to me. Low stakes. If you clean me out, Diane will come looking for you.”
We fall silent and focus on our running. Travis has to leave before me, since he has to pick up his kid at his mother in law’s house. “Oh, I almost forgot,” he says. “Ransing Corp is looking for a freelance consultant. I put in a good word for you and gave them your email, so you may hear from them.”
Travis has the same economics degree I do, and from the same university, but we wanted different things once we joined the work force. I like consulting, but I’m not sure about doing it full time. I’ve always wanted to try teaching. As much as I hate to admit it, it’s not as fulfilling as I pictured. Most students take economics just to fill in a gap on their schedule or because it’s required for another field. There’s very little interest. Math pun intended.
I hesitated on whether to continue this semester when I was offered the position but decided to give it one more year. I can always freelance as a consultant to enhance my income. I’m not rich by any account, but I’m not struggling either. I have some leeway to see where I’ll be happiest.