“What about you?” I reach for my lemonade. Condensation slides down the side of the glass, providing a welcome relief. The temperature outside has finally broken, but when I’m in the presence of this woman, I always run hot. “Tell me something about yourself.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
It’s the most honest answer I can give.
She drums her fingers on the table, as if thinking. “Let’s see, my favorite color is pink, but not light pink, bright pink. Think fuchsia. My full name is Piper Lilian Reynolds, which I probably shouldn’t have told you, but I guess we’re beyond stalking at this point.” She pauses, flashing me a shit-eating grin. “I love to read, but only fiction. Romance is my favorite, especially the spicy kind.”
“Spicy? Like they cook while they’re falling in love? Gran watches those kinds of movies on Hallmark all the time.”
Piper bursts out laughing, her howls suggesting they do not, in fact, cook while falling in love. Tears stream down her face, but I can’t bring myself to be embarrassed. Not when she’s beaming at me like I’m the funniest guy on the planet.
“The spice is the…” She covers her mouth with her hand, trying to stifle her giggles. “You know, the sexy bits.”
Jesus Christ. Maybe I should just tattoovirginon my forehead and get it over with.
Heat scalds my cheeks as the server appears with our burgers, and by the time we’re settled, Piper’s regained her composure.
“So.” I pop a fry in my mouth, searching for a topic that won’t make me look like a raging dumbass. “Have you always wanted to be a teacher?”
Piper nibbles on a fry, chewing thoughtfully. “Yes, and no.”
She’s quiet for a long time, but I don’t push. I can be patient if that’s what she needs.
“My childhood wasn’t what you’d call stable.” She offers me a wry smile. “I never knew my father and my mother was so wrapped up in her own life—in men and alcohol—that she barely knew I existed. When I started school, it was a relief to be somewhere people actually cared about what I was doing.”
My chest tightens, a vice squeezing the air from my lungs. Because while I was raised with love and compassion, Piper knew only indifference and heartache.
Is it any wonder she’s so guarded?
I can’t imagine growing up like that, the emotional scars it would leave on a child.
“For a long time, I didn’t believe I could rise above my circumstances. But then, in seventh grade, we readThe Giverand my English teacher, Mrs. Monroe, had us write an essay on the book. A few days after we turned them in, she pulled me aside to tell me I’d scored the highest grade in the class. I was floored.” A wistful smile takes hold and her eyes lose focus. “God, I still remember the feeling of exhilaration when she told me. I’d never been the best at anything before that moment.”
It's hard to imagine a version of Piper who lacked poise and confidence, and though my fingers ache to reach for her, I hold back.
This story has a happy ending.
It must because the confident woman before me is nothing like the lost child she’s just described.
“Anyway, Mrs. Monroe said if I kept up the good work, I could go to college one day and become a writer.” She flashes a self-deprecating smile and pops a fry in her mouth. “She may have also used the word famous, but as you’ve probably guessed, I decided to forgo fame and fortune so I can teach.”
I scoop up my burger. “Fame and fortune are overrated.”
Her shoulders sag. “You think I’m being naïve.”
“Not at all.” I hold her gaze, willing her to hear the sincerity of my words. “It sounds like Mrs. Monroe inspired you and you want to pay it forward.”
“Exactly.” She grabs her own burger and takes a ravenous bite, chewing and swallowing before she continues. “If it weren’t for all the teachers who encouraged me over the years, who helped me realize my full potential, I’m not sure I would’ve been able to see a way out. And now that I’m free, I want to be that light for another child floundering in the dark.”
It’s the most selfless fucking thing I’ve ever heard.
“I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this.” She shifts and our knees brush, the heat of her body warm against my own. “I guess you’re just easy to talk to.”
I’ve always been a good listener, but it’s more than that. We have a connection, even if she refuses to acknowledge it.
“You don’t have to explain yourself, Piper. When I said I wanted to know everything about you, I meant it.”
