Empty

 I used the sink in my room to clean up my face. Despite how embarrassed I am about what my boss said at the meeting and that the first time I talked to this new guy I was having a breakdown, I can't stop smiling. I know I swore off any man who is in the same career field as me, but this one was sweet and it was refreshing knowing there's a good one out there.

I figured that it was time to go back to the meeting, so I turned off the lights in my room and made my way into the hallway where I found Mr. Gym Teacher standing outside of his office.

"Still can't find the bathroom?" I say with a smirk. He looks up and sends me a big smile revealing his perfect white teeth. Okay, he is hot. He's got to be just about six feet tall with a fit figure and caramel skin tone with dark features. His beard fades into his hair which seems to be freshly cut. I felt my heart skip a beat. I turn around, throw my hands in my pockets, and slowly make my way back to the meeting. Too bad he's not my type.

I sneak back into the media center and make my way back to my seat. Mel looks at me with a look of confusion, "you good?" I nod.

I lean in to her, "more than good." She smiles. She knows exactly what I mean.

...

I'm in Mel's classroom helping her put up her bulletin boards replaying the day's events in my head. The interaction with Chris was so awkward, but so sweet that I can't wipe the smile off of my face.

"Did you know he was in the military?" Mels asks me while taping name tags onto her desks. I shake my head, "did he say that at the meeting?" I take a step back from the bulletin board to pretend like I'm assessing the alignment of the letters, when in reality I'm hoping Mel says more about this guy.

"No, but I looked him up on Facebook and found pictures of him in uniform. I didn't think it was possible for him to get even more good-looking, but it's possible." She says giggling. I turn to look at her, squinting my eyes.

"Mel, you have quite the crush for someone who's married," I laugh, "did you forget that you have a husband?" She shrugs her shoulders.

"I'm married, not blind," she insists, "but, you're on the market." I roll my eyes. I staple the letters on the board, one by one.

"He's not my type." I argue. "Plus, I'm not in the right headspace to date anyone.

"So?" she asks, "my husband wasn't my type either and look at where I ended up."

"Poor Ben." I wonder how on earth this girl got hitched so quickly. I've known her for years and commitment was never her strongest suit.

Mel got married quite young at 20 years old which was such a surprise for everyone who knows her, that we all thought she was having a shotgun wedding. Nobody believed her that she wasn't pregnant because it just seemed so out of pocket for Mel to get married. Mel and Ben dated for only a year before he proposed, and while I'll never say this out loud, Mel has not seemed truly happy since getting married.

"He is anything BUT poor, trust me," she says, "anyways, want to see Mr. Dalton's military pictures?"

YES. YES. YES. "No, I do not care about him. Like I said, I'm not interested." Mel crosses her arms over her chest. I hate myself for rejecting the opportunity to see this very good looking man in uniform. However, I need to focus and not let myself get tempted. Work is work and I am never getting into a relationship with a colleague ever again.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" She asks. "I know you, and I know how you left that meeting and I SAW how you came back. You talked to him and you like him." Shit, was it really that obvious? If Mel saw it, everyone must have seen it. I already know this will be the hot topic in this week's gossip. I definitely need to stay low-key.