Chapter 9
1209 Words
Martha could hardly chase after the stranger with Josie sitting right there. Thank goodness, she thought. If Josie weren’t here I probably would go after him. How desperate would that make me look? Yes, she told herself, it was better to play it cool like he was. She knew she was incapable of “playing it cool” with him based on their prior interactions, but she decided not running out of the pizza parlor and chasing him down like a lovesick lunatic was a good start.
Martha replied to the email immediately to accept the offer. She later wondered if she should have waited to play a little hard to get, or maybe negotiate for more, but she decided a prompt acceptance was fine. I can’t play hard to get with the hot coffee guy AND my dream job- I just can’t pull off being that aloof.
The next morning, Martha woke up and saw that Mary Kensington had already responded to her acceptance. The job was hers, and she could move in to her new cottage whenever it was most convenient for her. Martha knew Mary was probably expecting her to move in a few days before school started, but Martha wrote back that she would move in that same day. They were living in a motel. It would not take long to pack and get out of there forever, and then they could start their new life in their new home.
They pulled up to main building of George I Academy before noon. Martha hoped that her downgrade in clothing and vehicle would not lower Mary Kenginston’s opinion of her too much, but Mary Kensington was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a smiling middle-aged man ran out to greet them when they arrived. Martha was relieved to see that he was dressed as casually as she was.
“Martha James?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m Martha,” replied Martha, subtly correcting the pronunciation of her name. “And this is Josefina Lopez.”
“Josie,” corrected her young cousin. She gave Martha a look that seemed to say “If you can do it so can I.”
“I’m George,” said the man. “Welcome to the academy.”
“THE George?!?” asked Josie.
The man laughed affably. “Not any sort of special George. Just George the groundskeeper,” he said. “The academy is named for Kind George I, the first Hanover monarch to rule Great Britain. Since the school opened during the reign of Queen Victoria, who ended up being the last Hanover ruler of the United Kingdom, the founders thought it proper to honor the first ruler of her house.”
Martha still did not understand why the founders decided to honor a British king at all in naming the school, but at least the selection of king made sense.
“I’d be happy to give you a tour of the school, but first, let’s get you settled,” George continued. “If you just follow me I will show you to your cottage.”
George got in to a golf cart that was parked in front of the school. Martha and Josie got back in their car and followed.
The golf cart headed into a wooded area next to the school. A narrow road wound through the trees. Although they passed other buildings on their drive, the road was twisty and the trees so thick that they could see nothing but forest up ahead. George slowed down, the turned into a driveway hidden in the trees. As they turned to follow him they saw a brick house at the end of the driveway.
The house was red brick with green vines crawling up the side. It had a brick pathway leading to the front door with a small garden on either side of the path. Martha thought it was the most beautiful house she had ever seen.
“Here we go,” said George. “Dahlia House.”
“Dahlia House?” asked Josie. “The house has a name?”
“Yes,” said George. “Every building on the grounds has a names. These cottages are all named after flowers, and Ms. Kensington thought it was appropriate to give you a house named after the national flower of Mexico.”
Martha was surprised. She did not know that Mary Kensington had known she was half Mexican. In fact, when discussing magical realism, she had been careful to avoid discussing her Mexican roots. Maybe it’s a nod to the subject I’ll be teaching, she thought. Or maybe she was thinking of Josie’s full name.
They entered the house, and Martha was surprised again. The house looked so old-fashioned and quaint on the outside, but the inside was completely modern. From the front door they could see straight back to a two-story wall of windows, giving a view of a large back deck and the thick woods beyond. Although the house was probably about 1,500 square feet, the high ceilings, open floor plan, and huge windows made it feel much bigger. An all white modern kitchen with a large marble island was open to the main living area. Walking through the house, they found a bedroom and bathroom in the front of the house and a staircase that led to a loft. The loft was open to the main living area below, giving it a view of the woods through the giant two-story glass window wall, and had its own bathroom and walk-in closet. Martha was relieved to see that the entire house was already furnished, including dishes in the kitchen and bedding for the beds in the first floor bedroom and the loft.
“This… is incredible!” said Martha.
George beamed. “Thank you. I oversaw the renovations myself. A lot of the cottages are still very traditional inside, but I like to offer a variety so all our staff can find somewhere they can be comfortable. If you’d prefer something else…”
“No!” shouted Josie. “This is PERFECT! Martha, can we stay here forever?”
Martha smiled. “We can stay here for now.”
George cleared his throat. “Actually, Josie, you have a choice. You can stay here, if that is what you both want, or you can stay in the dorms. Some of the students have family nearby and commute to school, but most of them live in dormitories near the main building.”
Josie shuffled uncomfortably.
“I… I think I’d like to stay with Martha. At least for now, if that’s okay?”
“Of course!” said George. “I understand. Just remember, if you change your mind, I’m sure we can find space for you in the dorms.”
George left them to unpack. Josie had wanted the loft bedroom at first, for its bigger size and amazing view of the woods. However, when Martha pointed out that the loft bedroom was open to the living room and would give her no privacy, Josie quickly changed her mind and claimed the first floor bedroom instead.
That’s what I thought, mused Martha. Josie wants to lock her door and sing and dance in peace. I, on the other hand, have no real need to privacy. Not unless I happen to run in to a certain coffee shop man and invite him back here…
Martha stopped that train of thought. She had way too much to focus on with getting settled into their new home, preparing for her first real teaching job, and getting Josie ready to start at her new school. She could wait to lust after the handsome stranger until Josie went to bed…
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