[u]Chapter 2 [/u]
Friday was a busy afternoon, for everyone except Jane. She would be spending the evening at home alone, confined to the indoors, given the dreary weather outside. She figured that she could use the time to work on her [i]French Art History[/i] essay, having fallen behind in her classes over the past couple of weeks, not to mention having lost all inspiration for her upcoming [i]Impressionist[/i] assignment. She removed the library books she had taken out that afternoon from her school bag, along with her laptop computer, and set up for work at the kitchen table. At least the walls will be pleased with her pedagogical efforts, she thought to herself begrudgingly. She sat herself down at the table, the book [i]An Historical Take on French Art[/i] opened at page 234, [i]Jean Fouquet's influence on the French Renaissance[/i]. She considered she'd focus her argument on how the artist grafted elements of the Tuscan style while still preserving his purely French sentiment.
It was then that she vaguely heard the house phone in the kitchen ringing.
She checked the caller ID cautiously before answering, not recognizing it at first.
"Hello?"
"Am I speaking to a Miss. Lane?"
She felt her heart stop for a moment in excitement when she recognised who it was. "A young woman by that name does live here."
There was a hint of gravel in his voice, and she discovered why history wasn't such a boring subject in high school.
"You remember last week?" He asked her.
There was a moment of silence. Hearing his voice made her feel like a school girl all over again. "Well, Anthony," she replied as calmly as possible, trying to suppress the feeling of her heart leaping from her chest. "To be honest, making cannoli together, and having the man sleep on the couch while the woman sleeps in the bed isn't all that memorable. I don't want to do that until [i]after[/i] we're married, and notice how I said [i]woman[/i] and not [i]girl[/i] Anthony? You're not a dirty old man for being attracted to me."
"You wouldn't be saying all of that if you didn't like me, so I'll take that you don't mind my calling you?"
"Mind? No. It's so good hear from you again. Perhaps this time we meet, I'll have the chance to suppress my fetish for tall, middle aged, history teachers."
"Who's middle aged?" He chuckled. "I'm pleased to hear that you're still interested. I was hoping that our little, ah, meeting wouldn't be the only one we'd have," he said smoothly.
She was delighted by his words.
"So, ah, I'm free for the rest of the evening," he continued. "If you're interested? Maybe we could get something to eat and go from there…"
"I'd love to," she replied, before he could finish what he was saying. "As long as you promise [i]not to[/i] act like such a perfect gentleman this time."
"Okay," he agreed. "As long as you refrain from being so forceful. I'm not the sort of man who likes to rush things."
"A man who takes his time is [i]kinda[/i] sexy, I guess," Jane teased.
"What time do you want me to pick you up?"
She glanced down at the time displayed in the corner of her computer screen. "About eight. I'll text you my address."
"Okay, I'll pick you up at eight," he replied. "See you sweetie. Stay beautiful for me."
Anthony slid his blackberry into his pocket, before dropping several files of paperwork into his briefcase.
There was a knock at the door before Timothy O'Neil entered his office. "Hey Anthony," he greeted. "I couldn't help but overhear that you have plans with a special lady tonight?"
Anthony snorted, agitated by his friend's frequent intrusion into his personal life. "Can't keep a lid on anything in this office."
Timothy approached him with two steaming mugs of herbal tea in his hands. He sighed in response to the grey and drizzly weather outside, and placed one of the mugs of hot liquid on Anthony's desk. "I just wanted to congratulate you," he said applauding. "It's been a while since you've, well… been out with a girl…"
"You're not asking if you and Janet can tag along, are you?" Anthony's face revolted as he sniffed the repellent odour wafting from the steaming mug of what was [i]supposed[/i] to be tea.
Timothy leaned against the bookcase, a thoughtful expression on his face. "A double date? Now that sounds [i]festive[/i]. How do you feel about Ethiopian food?"
"Forget I said anything Timothy. I will not share the same row of seats with that woman at a teachers' conference, let alone have dinner with her, no matter who she's accompanied by!"
Timothy sat himself down on the edge of Anthony's desk. "It's too bad you never warmed to Janet's abrasive exuberance."
"Maybe THIS has something to do with it!" Anthony pointed to a small scar above the tip of his lip. "My first week teaching at Lawndale, Fall of '86, the woman pushed me into the glass trophy cabinet in the foyer of the library, just because I held the door open for her and offered to carry her bag of books. I should have read the slogan on the t-shirt she was wearing, [i]Sisters doin' it for themselves since '63[/i]."
"We don't have a trophy cabinet in foyer of the library."
"Exactly."
"It'll do you good to get out in any case," he said, ignoring Anthony's distain towards his soon-to-be wife.
The two men had been through a lot together over the years, teaching side by side at Lawndale High School, under the punitive administration of the late Ms. Angela Li. Anthony couldn't believe how hastily Timothy ran back to Janet's arms, after they both solemnly agreed that leaving Janet was the best thing for Timothy's wellbeing.
"Since when were you so concerned about my personal life?" Anthony wanted to know.
"Well, one thing's for sure, all work and no play makes Anthony a very mean teacher, or I should say Principal, now that you've got your promotion."
An exasperated sigh escaped Anthony's mouth upon discovering a copy of the previous years' budget plans, drawn up by none other than Principal Li, a thick booklet, in the top drawer of his desk. What had bothered him most was the singular line placed in the centre of the first page, which stated in clear, bold, print [i][b]the cutting of study supplies to the History faculty a top priority.[/b][/i] "There'll be a lot of changes to this school," he vowed quietly, tears pricking the brim of his good eye. "Goddamn allergies! What was Ms. Li's preoccupation with collecting dust?"
Timothy handed Anthony a handkerchief.
Claire Defoe entered through the side door of his office, her softly spoken voice breaking his thoughts. "Anthony, Dianne and I are heading to a book signing after work. You're welcome to join us if you like?"
He shrugged on his suit jacket. "I would, but I have other plans."
She nodded, folding her arms, exchanging a wry smile with Timothy. "I'll take that as a [i]no[/i]."
Timothy turned around to face her. "Anthony will be courting this evening with some lucky lady."
"Watch it Timothy, I heard that. [i]Oh I heard that[/i]. This old wolf has more radar than that new-age gadget the job forces me carry around in my back pocket."
"Oh, do you gentlemen want me to leave?"
"Don't mind us, Ms. Defoe, just brotherly talk hear."
Claire raised her eyebrows. "So, Anthony who might this lady be? It's not Carol from Student Services is it? She's had a thing for you since day one," she informed him. "Just a word of advice, she has a real breath problem. Not that I'm making fun of people with that sort of medical issue."
"No it's not Carol. Just some girl I met in bar last week," he said. He felt his blackberry beeping in his pants pocket, and quickly retrieved it, pleased with Jane's hasty response. He clutched the handle of his briefcase and headed towards the door, reading the text message on his way out. "Sorry, I've got to go," he called out to his two colleagues. "I'll keep you posted with any new developments regarding the joint Public School Carnival over the weekend. I hear Lawndale Heights is willing to team up with us this year, that's if we can get Chesterton Junior High on board. Makes for good surplus for our upcoming curriculum expansion, don't you think." And with that, he was down the corridor, pushing his way onto the already crowded elevator full of noisy students from an after-school drama club meeting.
Claire and Timothy exchanged bemused glances in response to Anthony's odd behaviour.
"Well, they say change is as good as a holiday," Timothy quipped on a lighter note.