A Date for the Goose Girl_A Middleton Prep Novella Read online

  Last year, Lillith had decided she wanted Lucy’s job in particular and had actually met with Principal Grimm a few times to spread false rumors about Lucy’s teaching style, trying to get her in trouble. Luckily Lucy’s boss was a very fair, understanding man and they had worked out the accusations, but Lillith still hung around, like a shark waiting to strike. Even worse, some people think we look like sisters! Lucy threw up her hands in disgust at the thought. Both women were blonde and thin and people often assumed they were related. Not in this lifetime. Lucy mixed the cookies a little more vigorously than she needed to as she worked out her frustrations. I can’t even figure out why she’s a teacher. If she’s after money, this isn’t the place to find it.

  AN HOUR LATER LUCY was completely exhausted. Who knew standing in a kitchen, making cookies was so taxing? As she started to walk down the hall to her bedroom she paused. I’m tired of being cooped up in this house. I wonder if I could make it to the park and rest in the sunshine for awhile, maybe even feed the geese.

  The idea of enjoying the warmth outside gave her a small burst of energy and she soon found herself down the street.

  Whew! It’s a good thing the park isn’t very far from my apartment. Lucy was out of breath and grateful for a bench when she arrived. Sitting down, she let her head lay back and closed her eyes under her sunglasses, letting the sun’s rays beat on her face and infuse her with all its energy.

  Lucy jerked up when the bench shifted and she realized she must have fallen asleep for a few minutes. Looking over at the person who had interrupted her peace, she froze. Sitting there, only a few feet away was the most handsome man Lucy had ever seen. Tall, lean, dark ... everything that made Lucy drool. He even had a well trimmed goatee and Lucy found her fingers twitching at the thought of touching it. Where the heck did this guy come from?

  When he started to turn in her direction, Lucy quickly faced forward. Good grief, ya creeper! She scolded herself. Way to make a great first impression, let’s just gawk at the handsome guy. He’s probably married or something anyway. There is no way a guy as good looking as that is single.

  Lucy felt an irrational flare of jealousy ping her chest at the thought of him belonging to anyone else. She squelched it as quickly as she could. Jealous over what? I don’t even know the guy!

  After a moment, she realized the guy was still facing her and she found herself drawn to look back at him. Melted chocolate eyes met her gaze and she had to hold in the gasp that wanted to escape.

  His lips started to twitch and Lucy had the distinct impression he was laughing at her. She stiffened, just about to go on the defensive, when he spoke,

  “Hello.” His lips curved into a smile that nearly took her breath away. The richness of his voice swept away her anger and it took Lucy a few moments to respond.

  “Hello,” she tried to say, but the hoarse rasp of her voice muddled the word. She mentally face palmed herself. Nice Lucy ... nice.

  The strangers brows had furrowed and he tilted his head, concern radiating from him. “Are you okay?”

  Taking a deep breath, Lucy tried again. She nodded her head ‘yes’ and then patted her throat.

  He narrowed his eyes and studied her for a moment. “You can’t speak?”

  Lucy shook her head. “Sick,” she tried to say, as way of explanation.

  “You’re sick?” He jerked back, as if she were contagious.

  Lucy smiled and shook her head ‘no’. “Was sick,” she whispered. I sound like a dying frog. Sooo attractive.

  “You were sick, but you’re not now?” He asked.

  Lucy nodded.

  His smile was back. “Well, I’m sorry you were sick. But I’ll admit that having a woman speechless in my presence is new for me.” His brown eyes twinkled with amusement as he made the quip.

  Lucy smiled and tried to laugh, but her voice didn’t make much noise. Instead, her laugh sounded like a wheezy, old man.

  His eyebrows furrowed again. “Wow, whatever you had must have really done a number on you.”

  Lucy raised an eyebrow, pursed her lips and nodded in agreement.

  The man turned away from her and looked around the park, before coming back to her again. “I suppose I should probably introduce myself, I’m Mateo.” He stuck his hand across the distance of the bench.

  Lucy nodded and shook his hand. “Lucy,” she rasped.

  “Lucy?”

  She nodded.

  “Wonderful to meet you Lucy.” His smile was back and the warmth of it overpowered the afternoon sun.

  Lucy smiled and nodded again. I must look like an idiot, all this nodding. But I guess it’s better than the dead frog in my throat. Sigh.

  The gentleman stood and squinted against the sun. “I’m afraid my lunch break is almost over and I had an errand I had to run. Maybe I’ll see you again sometime?”

  Trying not to appear too eager, Lucy kept the grin on her face and gave a slow nod. Being too excited might scare him away, if her dying animal voice hadn’t already.

  “Have a good day.” His smooth voice vibrated through her as he turned and walked through the park.

  Dear M.K.

  There is nothing fancy about our school’s

  Food. It’s not bad, as far as schools go, but

  Trust me, Middleton Prep does not serve

  caviar and shrimp. As for my favorite book,

  that’s a hard one. I enjoy reading but I enjoy

  everything from sci-fi to romance. Although I lean

  more towards the romance end. Not very creative huh?

  I think most women enjoy a good romance. :)

  My turn ... what did you want to be when

  You were a kid? My answer really doesn’t change,

  I told you I have always wanted to be a teacher,

  But what was your heart set on? Firefighter?

  Pilot? WWE wrestler?

  L.G.

  PS

  Refute #17: Captain America uses his eyes to see through lies.

  CHAPTER 6

  Mateo rubbed the back of his neck as he walked through the sunshine and whistled low under his breath. That woman was gorgeous! Her blonde hair nearly glowed in the sunshine and her olive skin was a nice contrast. He couldn’t see her eyes behind her sunglasses, but her lips sang a siren’s song. The bottom one was plumper than the top, creating a slight pout to her mouth. The mauve color of those lips was just as inviting as their shape.

  He thought back to when he had approached her, his knees had been shaking and his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. It was like being a freshman in high school all over again. It wasn’t until she had spoken with that froggy voice that he had snapped out of his nervousness. Somehow, her inability to talk made it easier to approach her.

  I wonder what her real voice sounds like ... soft? Low and husky? Light and airy? Whatever it was, he was sure it would sound like music to his ears. Mateo gave himself a hard shake. It wasn’t right to be thinking about the woman at the park when he was a on a mission to find another woman.

  L.G.’s latest email had let slip the name of the school she worked at, just like he had hoped it would. Middleton Prep. He had looked it up online and found that it wasn’t that far from his house. Today’s errand was to go and see if he could get a glimpse of her in action. Although his hopes were high that her emails were sincere, he had been burned before and refused to take things at face value.

  Walking the few blocks he had memorized from his phone map, he found himself across the parking lot from a large, brick building. “Nice,” he muttered under his breath. As a commercial real estate agent, he could appreciate the well kept structure and landscaping. There were only a few cars in the lot and he quickly walked up to the front entrance.

  Pulling open one of the doors, he searched his brain for what to say. I doubt they will just let me walk straight through their school, but what excuse can I give, especially when I don’t even know her name?

  The front office lay directly in f
ront of him and he knew he was going to have to come up with something quick. A plump, older lady sat at the desk and looked up as he walked inside.

  She eyed him with a raised brow. “Can I help you?”

  “Uh, yeah, I mean yes.” Mateo stammered. “I—” Suddenly a plan formed. “I have a child in school here and was hoping to catch a glimpse of her in class.”

  “You want to catch a glimpse of her in class,” the secretary repeated in a deadpan voice. Obviously she wasn’t buying his story.

  Mateo rubbed the back of his neck and stuffed his other hand on his front pocket. He could feel heat rising in his cheeks and hoped that his dark skin covered the blush. “Yes. She had mentioned to me how much she is enjoying her teacher and I was just hoping to sneak a small peak.”

  “Who is her teacher?”

  “Well ... see ... that’s the thing. I don’t know,” he stammered.

  “You don’t know your child’s teacher?” Once again, that accusatory brow shot up.

  “No ... but I know her initials are L.G.” Mateo winced, knowing he sounded like an idiot. Who doesn’t know their child’s teacher?

  The woman eyed him narrowly for a few moments. “I’m sorry sir. But I don’t think I can help you. If you wish to visit you will need to get the teacher’s name from your daughter and then come back and fill out a visitor’s pass. “

  Mateo felt his shoulders slump. Shoot. Now what? “Thank you, ma’am. I’ll do that.” Turning he headed out the office doors, pausing just outside the entrance. Turning to the left would lead him out of the building, but turning to the right would take him further inside. He glanced over his shoulder seeing that the secretary was watching his every move.

  With a smile, he waved over his shoulder and turned towards the outside doors. Keeping an eye on her in his periphery, he saw her look away as his hand grabbed the handle. She went to the telephone at her side, answering an incoming call. Now! He pulled the door open and then ducked down, so the secretary couldn’t see him. Hopefully the closing door makes her think I left. Crawling down the hallway, he worked his way around the corner before standing and straightening his clothes.

  “You’ll be lucky if they don’t call the police,” he mumbled to himself. Better move or you’re going to get caught. He scurried down the hall, noting how quiet it was. “Maybe this is the wrong school ...” The lights of the building were on, but most of the classrooms were dark and obviously empty. His heart sank as he continued to walk, causing him to almost miss the classroom to his right where a handful of kids were being taught.

  Ducking to the side, he peered into the classroom as carefully as he could. The kids looked to be bored teenagers. Wrong one. Straightening up, he continued on.

  Twenty minutes later he was in his third wing of the school, hoping it was his last. This is getting ridiculous. Spotting a couple of bright classrooms in front of him, he headed towards them. Finally! He had reached classrooms with elementary age kids. The first classroom had a male teacher and Mateo moved on. As he neared the door, he saw a flash of blonde hair. Of course it would be the very last classroom. Why didn’t I think of that before? He grumbled internally.

  Staying as out of sight as possible, he peered into the room. An average sized blonde woman stood in the front, showing the kids letter combinations on a projector screen. That’s got to be her! He stood watching her for a few more minutes. She seemed kind, she smiled at the students, but he noticed the students weren’t very enthusiastic back. Probably because they don’t want to be in summer school.

  She’s pretty enough. He thought, as he studied her. Her blonde hair was pulled back away from her face. She wore bright, red lipstick on thin lips, which stood out starkly against her fair skin. She had little to no curves, in fact, she was a little skinnier than Mateo normally preferred, but he wouldn’t hold that against her. Her lips and curves aren’t nearly as nice as the woman at the park ... He shut those thoughts down quickly. This isn’t about her looks, it’s about making a deeper connection. He scolded himself. That was the whole reason behind the dating site.

  While he was standing at the door window, he heard one of the kids yell from the back of the room. “Ms. Gresham?”

  “Gresham?” He whispered. That solidified it. The woman’s initials were L.G. Gresham was a perfect fit. Stepping back he began to walk away, trying to find an exit. Once outside, he worked his way back to the street, thinking as he went.

  He hadn’t been instantly attracted to her the way he had the woman at the park. Seeing Ms. Gresham hadn’t sent his blood rushing or his heart speeding, but did that really matter? Their emails had definitely shown a connection worth exploring.

  Sighing, he headed home. Best to stick with the teacher and forget Lucy at the park. He thought. I’m already invested in L.G. and I’ve already learned that looks usually mean no depth. Time to write another email.

  Dear L.G.

  As a kid? Hmm ... good question. I believe

  I changed my profession with every new

  Movie I watched. Astronaut, policeman,

  Wizard ... :) I obviously wasn’t nearly as

  Focused as you were. Another question, let

  Me see. How about favorite flower? I enjoy

  The classic rose, but maybe that is just

  The latin side of me?

  M.K.

  PS

  Evidence #18: Superman can see through buildings.

  CHAPTER 7

  Walking back to her apartment, Lucy was trembling. I guess I’m not quite up to a walk yet. Although the sun and air had felt good, she was still so weak from the pneumonia that a few blocks had been overdoing it.

  With a sigh, she climbed into bed and leaned back into the pillows. On her nightstand she caught sight of her computer and winced. M.K. I can’t believe I forgot all about him. Her thoughts drifted from her email correspondence to the reason she had forgotten. Mateo. He was the handsomest man she had seen in quite some time. His dark, good looks and deep, smooth voice had completely taken over her thoughts, so much so, that she had forgotten her budding online relationship.

  Is M.K. as good looking as Mateo? Lucy shook her head. If he was, he probably wouldn’t be online. But it doesn’t matter... It’s not like I’ll ever see him again anyway, no matter what he said. A small part of her brain wanted to argue that she had chemistry with the handsome Mateo, but the other argued that she had chemistry with M.K. too. Just a different type ... and one that will last much longer.

  With a huff of disgust at herself and her fickle heart, she opened her computer, determined to put Mateo out of her mind.

  She smiled and a warm sensation ran through her as she read M.K.’s email. Yeah ... this is how a relationship should start.

  Still smiling, she closed her laptop and snuggled in for a nap, but despite her best intentions, her dreams were filled with warm, brown eyes and a smile that heated her better than a summer day.

  Dear M.K.

  Your emails always make me smile. :)

  I’ve really enjoy getting to know you and look

  Forward to getting to know more. Let’s see,

  We’ve talked about movies, books, flowers

  And in the last email you asked my favorite holiday.

  That’s a tough one. With my family being gone

  All the time, I’m not as into Christmas and other

  Big holidays as you are. But I do have good friends

  Who help make the holidays fun. Thanksgiving

  Would have to be at the top of my list

  Simply because of the food. Okay, my turn ...

  Favorite season? I love sunshine, so spring/summer

  Are my favorite. And that,

  Of course, is also when my favorite flower,

  (which I mentioned previously) daisies,

  Come out. Bonus!

  L.K.

  PS

  Refute #30: Captain America is loyal.

  CHAPTER 8

  It took Mateo a week before
he decided to go ahead and approach Ms. Gresham. She’s been hinting in her emails that she would like to take things to the next level, might as well just go ahead and talk to her.

  He had stayed away from the park, purposefully avoiding the temptation to meet up with the lovely Lucy again. Maybe if things don’t work out with Ms. Gresham, I can see if she ... His thoughts trailed off as he approached the stone structure that he had snuck into just a week previous.

  He was a little early. The bell should be ringing in approximately fifteen minutes, if his research was correct. His heart pounded harder with each minute that passed. The heat of the sun was beating on his neck and sweat started trickling between his shoulder blades.

  Am I going to scare her off? Will she be mad that I looked her up? He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. So many things could go wrong and he desperately wanted them to go right. He had become attached to their emails and he truly felt that they had great chemistry through their words. Now to see if we can have it in person.

  He stopped mid pace when the bell rang; his breath suddenly becoming shallow. “Get a grip!” He scolded himself. “You’re acting like a teenage boy.”

  He watched closely as the children busted out of the school as if they had just been given the ultimate Christmas present. Surely the teachers won’t be that far behind.

  After another ten to fifteen minutes, Mateo watched a few adults come out of the building together. Not recognizing any faces, he settled in to wait some more. Just a few minutes later he saw her. She was walking with a male colleague, smiling brightly.