Tristan's Loins (5 page)

Selene looked up and smiled. "It's over, we
can plan that divorce party you guys have been talking about."

Darcy entered and closed the door, her blue
eyes filled with compassion. "How bad was it?"

"It was not bad at all," Selene reflected,
"got all worked up for nothing. I did not even have to deal with
Jim. My attorney handled it before I got there."

Darcy looked relieved, her chubby face
relaxing. "We were so worried about you when you called in," she
said, referring to her and Maggie. "I wanted to come by last night
to check on you, but I figured you would call if you needed to
talk."

"No, I'm really ok about it. I guess reality
hit me finally. It's over."

"Was he fair with everything?"

Selene grinned. "Yeah, he paid off the car.
Guess he wants Ginny real bad."

Darcy made a face. "I saw her at Macy's on
Saturday. She was at the make-up counter. You should have seen all
the crap she bought. She does not know me, so I had to wander over.
Sure enough, she used Jim's credit card. Trust me, when he starts
paying her bills; he will feel the burn."

"That's what my attorney said. We both know
Jim hates frivolous waste."

"Forget about him, Selene. You’re young and
pretty. You have your whole life ahead of you."

"Why do I feel like a total loser?" Selene
bit her lip to fight the burning behind her eyes.

Darcy sat down at one of the kids desks and
gazed at her with concern. "Selene, you did not fail here. Jim did.
I learned that after five years in therapy when John left me. Look
at him now? That internet floozy he hooked up with is long gone.
Doesn't mean I want him back, but it's a good feeling when they
come crawling back to tell you they regret what they did."

Selene knew it took forever for Darcy to get
past her husband bailing on her and their three kids for a woman he
met on Facebook. She was dating a guy in her Weight Watcher's group
now, and had never been happier.

Maggie's situation was far different. She
left her wonderful husband of ten years for a much younger man. The
twenty-something hottie guy lived off her now, trying to launch
himself as an actor. Joining the ranks with both her friends now
being divorced was tough.

"Hey, I know it won't work out with him and
Ginny. It's just that everything is at my expense right now, you
know?"

"I do, and I told John that the last time he
begged to come home."

"Why does it seem like the perfect guy isn't
even real, Darcy?" Selene asked and felt a tight feeling in her
throat.

Darcy smiled sadly. "You will meet someone
else one day, Selene."

Selene would have made some reply but her
first class started piling in. Darcy excused herself, promising to
meet her for lunch. Her students all filed in and took their seats,
looking relieved to see her. That was something. She knew her class
adored her. They were all eager for their grades on their reports,
even Jacob who left a rice crispy treat on her desk. The little boy
smiled sheepishly as he took his seat in the front. Selene heard
the bell and closed the door. she smiled at their expectant
faces.

"I have your reports graded." She walked
among the rows of twenty-four desks. "Feel free to form a line and
get your paper. If you want extra credit, you know what to do."

Selene smiled as her students formed a line
and rifled through the pile of papers at the end of her desk. Extra
credit consisted of standing in front of the class and reading it.
She knew Jacob would be her first volunteer. His report would get
everyone warmed up.

By lunch, she was feeling a lot better about
her situation. She decided to keep her running dialogue with
Tristan to herself. Her friends were worried enough about her as
they joined her at their table in the teacher's lounge.

Maggie was drop dead gorgeous with dark hair
and eyes. She had a figure a woman half her age could not claim and
wore the shortest skirts she could get away with. She had a salad
and a packet of dressing when she sat down. Darcy had her
prepackaged Weight Watcher's special.

Selene made a sandwich and had bottled water
and the rice crispy treat from Jacob.

"So, tell us, what's the damage?" Maggie
opened her salad. "Did you nail his balls to the wall?"

"He paid off the car and gave me the
settlement."

"I'm glad because I really love your
car."

"He wanted this over as quickly as I did."
Selene made a face. "He and Ginny are going to Vegas the weekend
after our court date."

"You have got to be kidding me?"

"No, that's why he gave me whatever I wanted
to sign off yesterday. My attorney told me he is quite
anxious."

"I bet she's pregnant," Darcy chimed in
without thinking. She saw Selene's hurt look and apologized. "I'm
sorry, Selene. I just meant it is so sudden. He's rushing right to
the altar."

"I know and the thought did cross my mind
too," Selene admitted. "Not my problem anymore. Good for them."

"What an asshole." Maggie rolled her eyes.
"I'm sorry Selene, but I never did like the guy. I told you
that."

"Yeah well, it's over." Selene felt her mood
plummet just talking about it. "Can we forget about Jim now? I'd
like to move on."

"Here, here. So how's the book coming?"
Maggie asked.

"Yeah, did you do anymore writing?" Darcy
opened her microwaved lunch and eyed her expectantly.

Selene had the opportunity to tell them her
lead character was alive and living in her computer, but decided
they would both think she lost it. Telling them Tristan was helping
her rewrite her manuscript would not go over well.

"No, just a little revision here and there,"
she lied smoothly. "I finally unpacked yesterday."

"Good, I was ready to do it for you the last
time I was over. Bout time," Maggie opened her Diet Coke and took a
swig. "It will feel like home in no time."

"Selene what are you going to do with the
money?" Darcy whispered. "Have you thought about that? You know Ted
is a financial planner for AG Edwards. He would be happy to talk to
you."

Ted was Darcy's chubby boyfriend, and Selene
appreciated it. She was not ready to plan the future just yet. "I'm
going to sit tight for now."

"Oh my God, did you guys here the latest?"
Maggie leaned forward, her voice lowered to a whisper. "We just got
a new gym teacher. I heard he's a total babe."

Selene could care less as she listened to
them gossip about the new gym teacher. Her mind was wandering to
Tristan and his dilemma. She knew she was suffering from some sort
of delusion. She was seeing Dr. Saunders and was eager to resolve
her obvious breakdown. There was no way what was happening was
real. Common sense told her to get help.

Selene was not paying attention when she was
walking down the hall to leave the school. She bumped into a hard
body and looked up with an apology on her lips. She froze, staring
up into the bluest pair of eyes she had ever seen.

He had short, spiky blond hair and was quite
tall, nearly six four, give or take. Maggie was right. He was a
babe. She knew from the sticker with his name on it, she was
looking at Axel Gifford. Coach Gifford. Selene could see how
attractive he was. He had the other female teachers in an uproar.
Word had it he was single, putting them all in a furor.

"I'm sorry; I was not watching where I was
going." Selene felt herself flushing in embarrassment.

"It's ok; I did not see you coming either.
I’m lost.”

“Where do you need to go?"

"I have to find my new office," Axel replied
and frowned. "It's been moved down to the gym. Room 125, do you
know it?"

Selene looked at the piece of paper he handed
her and smiled. "It's not a room, Mr. Gifford, it's a closet."

Axel looked slightly put out. "A closet? You
have to be kidding?"

"It's a big closet, come on. I'll show you,"
Selene offered generously as she turned in the hall in direction of
the gym. "It's bigger than the office you had, trust me. I'm Selene
Weston by the way. I teach fourth grade English."

"Good to meet you, Selene, I'm-" he began and
smiled, looking down at the sticker. "You know who I’m
already."

"Yes, it's not often we get a new teacher
here. You’re the talk of the town," Selene joked as they went
through the double-doors leading to the gym.

Axel followed her to a large closet off the
gym. She opened the door and showed him inside, turning on the
light. A desk and a chair was there, buried under sporting
equipment.

"This is it, and as you can see, It's much
bigger than your cubby in the office," Selene saw his look of
relief. "It's quieter too."

"When you said closet, I did not think it
would be this big."

"Coach Denton liked being off to himself. You
will learn to appreciate it."

Axel frowned. "I heard I have some pretty big
shoes to fill."

Selene met his dark blue gaze and saw his
insecurity. "It was time for Howard to retire. He has been the gym
teacher here for thirty years."

Axel nodded and stepped into the closet that
was now his office, raising a golden eyebrow. "Do you have any idea
if I have an internet connection down here?"

"We have WI-FI, you should be fine. You don't
have a phone line though."

Axel looked grateful as he looked down at
her. "Thank you so much, Selene. Today has been overwhelming."

Selene felt her heart skip a beat at his look
and wanted to kick herself. She was acting like one of her students
over a cute boy. She smiled brightly and wondered if she looked
like the dork her students would call her.

"No need, I know how it is to be the new guy,
"she offered, "Is this the first teaching position?"

"Yeah, I just finished college six months
ago. I was a foreman at GM for fourteen years until I lost my job.
I took enough classes up until then to finish my degree in
elementary education. I took the coaching job until a place opens
up in the science department."

"You won't have a long wait," she informed
him. "We can't keep science teachers. My friend Maggie has been
here the longest. You will get a regular gig in no time."

"I sure appreciate you helping me, Selene,"
Axel said and smiled down at her. "How about lunch sometime? You
can bring me up to speed on how things roll here at Grand
Blanc?"

Selene almost gaped at him. He was asking her
out to the school cafeteria. Did that constitute a real date? It
was a date either way you looked at it. Her heart began to beat
frantically under his warm regard.

"Sure, I usually take lunch at eleven every
day. My friends and I sit in the lounge. Look for me." She felt
self-conscious by the way he looked at her.

Selene had taken extra time with her
appearance today as a means to feel better about putting her best
face forward the first day of being single. She wore her favorite
light blue suit-dress. She knew she looked nice. Mr. Rutgers from
the history department and resident pervert had been checking her
out all day.

"I guess I'll go to my truck and start
unpacking my stuff," he added as he looked at the mess in the
closet.

"Alright, I have to take off anyway." Selene
wondered why she lingered in the doorway anymore. The guy was an
eyeful that was why. "Good luck, Axel and welcome to Grand
Blanc."

"Thanks Selene, it was good to meet you," he
offered warmly and his startling blue eyes made her feel hot all
over.

Selene turned and walked out of the gym,
feeling a shortness of breath until she hit the parking lot. She
realized she was acting like a jerk and released the breath she was
holding. Axel Gifford was certainly easy on the eyes and a definite
improvement to Howard Denton. When she was halfway home, she
realized she had been lost in a risqué fantasy about Axel and
forced herself to come back to the present. She really needed to
get a grip. Divorced one day and she was drooling over the new gym
teacher! Still, just thinking about the handsome Axel Gifford made
her feel decidedly giddy.

Selene went home and collected her mail from
her box, leafing through bills mostly. She went up to her apartment
and let herself in, setting her purse and keys on the island bar
separating the kitchen and living room. She noticed she had ten
blinking messages on the answering machine and frowned. Two
messages were from her attorney, one from Darcy, and the rest were
from Jim.

He sounded annoyed to say the least. She
picked up the phone and dialed him, knowing he was still at the
office. He answered on the first ring.

"Selene, we have to talk," She heard a touch
of irritation in his voice.

"Bout what?" Selene asked, sounding casual.
"I signed off yesterday, Jim. You got what you wanted.

"Selene, I cleaned out my savings and
liquidated everything to give you a fair settlement," he said
tightly. "At least you could do is give me back the ring. I paid
ten grand for it. I'd like to return it if I could."

Selene counted to ten mentally. "It was a
gift. I'm not required to give it back, Jim. We both know you plan
on giving it to her, so don't lie to me."

Jim paused and Selene knew he was debating
whether to continue lying to her or fess up. Obviously, he did not
know when to quit.

"Why would you want it?" he nearly
whined.

"It's mine, Jim. I earned it, unlike your
fiancée, so don't ask me again. If you can't afford to buy her a
ring now, that's your problem, not mine."

"Why are you being this way, Selene," Jim
said wearily. "When did you get so selfish and bitter? It is not
flattering at all."

"Bitter and selfish?" She gave a scornful
laugh. "Coming from you, I suppose it would seem that way. You
never thought of anyone but yourself, since this all began."