Meeting Chris, Part III

By the time Friday’s classes finally ended, I really wasn’t in a mood to go out---I was just exhausted and wanted to go home and take a nap. As I shuffled through the teacher lounge to sign my time sheet, the staff there was lively as ever. “Hey, Jackson!” It was Bob, a veteran English teacher who was my mentor during my first year teaching there. “Are you ready to get happy?” He grinned, “I hear Mona’s sister is coming today as well.” There were some snickers from around the room. “My sister is always dying to meet new teachers,” Mona said, “especially when they’re male and single.” This confirmed my need to get home and hide. “I don’t know,” I said, “I’ve got a dandy of a headache.”

“C’mon,” Bob urged. “A couple of drinks and you’ll feel much better.”

“I’ll be there,” I said, “but I’ll be a few minutes. I need to get home and let the dog out.” It was the only thing I could think of at the moment.

“Okay,” Mona said, “but don’t be too late. I’ll try and save you a seat.” She winked at me. “Right next to my sister.”

I didn’t know then that it wasn’t Mona’s sister I’d be sitting next to…