Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
“You left out one of the dance classes.” Mx. Lennox tapped a long nail on the table.
“My apologies.” Nolan whipped out a black marker to scrawl a bold note at the top of his packet. “Easily rectified.”
“What’s this about a color scheme?” Henry Little, who had to be one of the least imaginative people to ever teach language arts, held up a colorful sheet of paper.
“Ah. Yes. If we base all the classes’ offerings around some common elements, we’ll have more cohesion. I provided the mood board—”
“A what?” Henry squinted at the page.
“It’s inspiration for you.”
“It’s a lot of blue and silver,” Ken Kehoe countered. “My art students tend to be much more free-spirited in color choices.”
Nolan exhaled hard but didn’t have a chance to reply before Mark was back with a new set of complaints.
“Where are all the light strands coming from?” He tapped another sheet from the handouts. “This looks like a ton of lights.”
And that part was on me. Even scaling back Nolan’s big ideas, we would still need some holiday magic to pull off Nolan’s vision.
“We’ll get some more lights.” I finally spoke up, unable to watch Nolan flounder a second longer. This faculty inquisition made me want to wrap an arm around him and shepherd him from the room. He might be a substitute and only in our school temporarily, but he didn’t deserve to be caught in the middle of school politics. And for all they were grandiose and unrealistic, his plans had a certain undeniable energy. I’d given him a hard enough time myself. I didn’t like watching others pile on. “And we’ll obtain the necessary decorating items.”
“Oh? With what extra budget?” Belinda gave another haughty sniff.
“Even with our limited funds, we can still do a lot if we shop carefully.” Somehow, Nolan managed to keep his usual cheer. It was rather admirable, actually, and something unusually protective unfurled in my chest.
“And when are we shopping?” Mark scoffed, adding to his wife’s stream of complaints. “It’s almost Thanksgiving break.”
“I know.” I silenced them with a harsh stare. “Maybe Saturday, Mr. Bell and I could hit the big flea market and some other stops to look for cheap lights and supplies.”
“Well, if you think it’s feasible.” Ken had my back on this, at least.
“It’s feasible,” I said with far more confidence than I felt. “Mr. Bell has worked hard on the plans and the program.”
“Exactly. We should give him a chance.” Principal Alana clapped her hands together. The grateful look Nolan shot me was worth promising away my Saturday. His eyes were wide and soft, and it was difficult to avoid thinking about what else might inspire that expression.
After the meeting, Nolan caught up to me in the hall. “Are we really going shopping on Saturday? Together?”
“We are.” I resisted the urge to clarify that it wasn’t a date. It wasn’t. He knew that. I didn’t need to point it out. However, my pulse kept speeding up like it hadn’t received the memo that this was all about practicality. “The flea market is huge. We wouldn’t want you getting lost in a stack of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts.”
“That sounds kinky.” Nolan laughed, but I didn’t because now I was picturing Nolan shirtless, holding a bottle of chocolate sauce…
And yeah, I really needed to switch off my brain.
“Wear comfortable shoes,” I said instead.
“Are you bringing the boys?”
“Not unless I want to part with all my money.” I laughed, but I was serious. The Honolulu Flea Market was a kid paradise—cheap plastic stuff everywhere, loads of food trucks, and tons of places eager to do business in T-shirts, candy, and more. I’d suggested it because the flea market was an awesome source of cheap Hawaiian-themed decor, but I knew better than to bring the boys. “They have a rock-climbing outing for the outdoor club, and thankfully, this isn’t my week to chaperone.”
“Rock climbing? Like with ropes and stuff?”
“Absolutely. They’ve been rappelling for years now. Swear Legend’s more comfortable in a harness and helmet than in the water, which is saying something.”
“I renew my bid for flying fairies.” Nolan winked at me. “Or maybe elves? Reindeer?”
“No one is flying,” I said firmly, even though my resolve to stay away from Nolan had taken a large flying leap out the window.
“Darn.” Nolan’s wide smile revealed dimples that had otherwise stayed hidden. Damn it. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold on to disliking a guy this cute, cheerful, and persistent.
Seven
The sun! After all this week’s rain, I’m sure everyone is delighted by this weekend’s sunshine. Don’t forget to sign up for parent/teacher conferences during Thanksgiving break.
NOLAN
I usually used Saturdays to recharge from all the sleep I sacrificed while teaching during the week, but Merry had to drop the boys off super early for their van ride up the coast for the climbing outing. Thus, I was up early, walking over to Cara and Craig’s house. I started some decaf for Cara, made sure the snack cupboard was full, and promised to return in time to make dinner.