Daisy-dotted Doc Martens

Chapter Four

 “Miss Jay Woodson.”

I cracked open an eye to see a handsome blonde smirking down at me.

“Mr Reuben Keir.”

We had a short staring competition, his bright blue eyes to my single brown one. I was at the losing end. Hey, it’s difficult to keep just one eye open for long periods of time…

When my eye finally turned dry and I couldn’t help but blink, Reuben let out a chuckle and made to sit down. Feeling a dip in the couch, I sat up a little straighter and turned to face my colleague, yawning slightly and rubbing my eyes. The awkward position that I had just been half-lying in made my back slightly sore.

“So what’s a pretty young teacher like yourself doing sitting alone in the teacher’s lounge?” Reuben draped his arms across the backrest and the sidearm of the sofa, leaning back into the corner.

“Mr Keir…”

“I’ve told you to call me Reuben.”

“Okay. Reuben. I was trying to get some rest.” I said honestly, feeling another yawn approaching. It was only the 3rd  week of school and I was already feeling a little lethargic.

“Why, naughty students keeping their teacher up late at night?” Reuben asked innocently.

My eyes opened wide as I registered the innuendo. Narrowing my eyes at my grinning co-worker, I huffed. “It-It’s not l-like that! I was up marking!”

“I didn’t say it was like that.” He smirked.

“You were obviously implying it.” I rolled my eyes.

He waved me off. “Yeah, yeah…”

After a moments’ silence, he spoke again. “I know how tough it is being a young teacher at your first job. The first few months are painful, there’s so much to get used to, but you’ll get used to it. Young’uns these days, so adaptable…”

I stifled a giggle as he pretended to stroke his nonexistent beard. Reuben was only a few years older than me, as far as I could tell. “It’s okay, Grandpa.” Patting his shoulder awkwardly, I laughed aloud when he turned to me with an offended look on his face.

“Why don’t I take you out for dinner and give you some tips? Since we work together it’d be nice to get to know each other too.” Reuben suggested.

I gaped. Dinner? “Like… on a d-date?” I asked uncertainly, studying his face for any sign of mischief.

“Yes… It’s called a ‘dinner date’.” He looked at me oddly. 

“You plus me plus dinner?” He added as an afterthought, alluding to the subject I taught.

Finally realizing that there was a cute guy asking me out and here I was just staring at him with my mouth hanging slightly open in an extremely unattractive manner, I abruptly shut my mouth and nodded my head vigorously, not trusting my mouth to say anything.

Patting me on the head affectionately like a father would a child, Reuben stood and walked towards the staffroom door. “Well, I’ll see you a little later then. I’ll wait for you outside your classroom after your last class.” With a little salute and another charming smile, he left the room and the door swung closed.

I slumped back into the plush sofa. That was strange. Reuben was cute and all, but I had never really thought of him as a potential love interested. Maybe he didn’t understand the word ‘date’, cause he sure didn’t look interested in me THAT way either. But I guess I’d just have to find out later…