The Billionaire Band Director

Chapter 13

    “That’s not slutty enough.”

    Martha’s mother’s ghost knew that she had a date tonight.  Of course she did.  And, as a result, she would not leave Martha alone.  She followed Martha all over the loft, critiquing everything Martha did.

    “Mom, please,” said Martha.  “He’s a coworker.  It’s not a real date.”

    “Does he know that?” asked the ghost.

    Martha thought for a minute.  She was sure the ghost meant to ask whether Landry knew it was a real date, but when Martha thought about it she was fairly sure she hadn’t told her she was a new teacher at the school.  Of course, the address she gave him for picking her up was on school grounds.  That kind of gave it away.

    “He knows it’s not a real date,” she answered.  “He said it himself.  Just dinner and talking.  He doesn’t expect anything more.”

    The ghost smiled lasciviously.

    “A push-up bra wouldn’t hurt,” said the ghost. “And some sexy underwear.  If you’re right and he never sees it, then he’ll never know.”

    There was logic in that.  Slutty logic, but logic all the same.

    “Mom, if I put on slutty underwear, will you leave me alone?”

    Her mother’s ghost smirked.

    “For now,” she answered.

    Martha grabbed red lace panties from her dresser and flung them at her mom like a slingshot.  They went right through the ghost, who laughed and then disappeared.

    With her mother’s ghost gone, Martha grabbed a matching red lace push-up bra from her dresser too.  She has a point, thought a small voice in Martha’s subconscious.  Is it really slutty if he never knows?  And if he does find out… better safe than sorry, right?

    Martha picked one of the dresses Betsy had bought her.  She told herself that it was because Landry was a teacher at the school and she wanted her colleagues to think well of her, but she knew she still would have dressed to impress if he had actually been a gardener.  The dress was black, which Martha thought was mysterious enough.  She stayed away from the dresses that looked too professional, but the tight red dress with a low neckline and a slit up the skirt sent a message Martha was not sure she wanted to send.  Well, maybe she wanted to send that kind of message, but she wouldn’t.  Not yet anyways.

    The black dress seemed like it struck the right balance between “date” and “not a date.”  It was fitted at the top with an off-the-shoulder neckline and flowy from the waist down.  It hung down to her knees but floated up if she spun around, or if she stood over a vent like Marilyn Monroe.  She didn’t know where they were going, so she wanted a versatile dress that would fit in somewhere fancy or casual.  She threw on a pair of black heels.  She’d worn heels to the appointment earlier, so maybe he would think she just wore heels all the time and not that she was wearing them for him.  She was, of course, wearing them for him, but he didn’t need to know that.

    As if her mother’s ghost’s teasing wasn’t enough, Josie let out a catcall whistle at Martha as soon as she got down the stairs.  Martha rolled her eyes.

    “Relax, Josie” she said.  “I told you already, it’s not a date.”

    “Are you sure?” teased Josie.  “Those sure look like “do me” shoes to me.”

    Martha was tempted to throw one of the “do me” shoes at Josie.

    “I told you,” she explained.  “It’s not a date.  It’s just a nice, professional meal between colleagues.  While you were going ga-ga over all the instruments, we talked about my new job and he offered to tell me more about working at the school.  It’s strictly professional.”

    Of course, Martha could not tell Josie that they had bet on whether she would select the same instrument as Landry.  She decided her story was believable enough.  She wished Josie agreed.

    “With a man that hot, nothing is strictly professional.”

    “Josefina!” snapped Martha.  “He is your TEACHER!  You should NOT be talking about him like that.”

    Josie snickered.

    “Oh relax, I meant for YOU, not for ME.  And besides, you know the boys in your class will say the same kind of thing about you.  Maybe some of the girls too, if you dress like that for class.”

    Josie’s comment threw off Martha to the point where she was rethinking her choice of outfit.  Before she had time to change, however, the doorbell rang. Josie skipped past Martha and opened it.

    Landry LeBlanc looked like an absolute snack.  Every time she had seen him before he had been wearing jeans and a t-shirt, even at the school that day.  She had liked the way his jeans hung on his hips and his t-shirts gave a hint of his muscular chest, but that was nothing compared to date night Landry.  Date night Landry was irresistible.  He wore a dark grey suit that was perfectly tailored to his tall body.  The white button up shirt underneath was clean and crisp, with the top button undone.  No tie.

    “Hi Mr. LeBlanc!” chirped Josie.

    “Hey, Josie!” he responded warmly.

    He was holding some sort of flat duffle bag in his hand, which he offered to Josie.

    “I brought you something” he said.

    Josie grabbed the bag and ran into the house.  Landry follow after her.  Josie set the bag on the kitchen counter and slowly opened it.

    “Bells!” she squealed.

    Inside was a bunch of silver keys arranged like a piano keyboard, attached to a black frame.  A pair of sticks with little balls on the end rested on top.

    “Bells,” confirmed Landry.  “To practice.”

    He unzipped a compartment on the outside of the bag and pulled out a book.

    “And music,” he continued.  “See, these bells are labeled, so you will know what notes they are to start.  You’ll have to remember though because the bells in my classroom are not labeled.  This book has all the explanation you’ll need to get started.”

    Josie was staring at her bells like she wanted to kiss them.  Martha imagined they’d have a cold metallic taste.  Martha had kissing on the brain, apparently.  Yes, he was kind of arrogant today about the whole instrument thing, she thought to herself, but look how happy Josie is right now!  Anyone who makes Josie that happy must be a good person.

    Martha looked from Josie to Landry and saw that he was elated by Josie’s excitement.  Landry looked back at Martha and smiled. 

    “Shall we go, ma chere?” he asked. “I think Josie would appreciate some time alone to acquaint herself with her new bells.”

    Josie answered for Martha.

    “Yes, yes, go.” she said, never taking her eyes off the bells.  “I need some alone time, and goodness knows Martha needs a night out!”

    Martha’s face turned as red as the lace underwear she had hidden under her dress.  Landry just laughed, in a good-natured way.  Martha kissed Josie on the forehead, grabbed her purse in one hand, and grabbed Landry by the arm with the other.  She dragged him to the front door before her cousin could embarrass her any more.

    As she shut the front door behind them, she heard a metallic “PING! PING! PING!” echoing through the house.  Good timing, thought Martha.  If I have to leave Josie alone, her first night playing a new instrument is the perfect time to do it.  And if I’m going out anyways, there is much worse company I could be in…