Chapter 3: The Teacher and the Secretary

Dave Stedman fairly flew from the school. He was already late for a very important date. He certainly didn’t want to disappoint Maggie Tillotson. It was Valentine’s Day and he had a very special gift for her.

The encounter with Crystal Thomas had unsettled him. It wasn’t the first time he’d been propositioned by a student. It might have been the most difficult to turn away. Crystal was certainly attractive enough; she’d been pretty explicit about her intentions. Not that she wasn’t obvious all the time. Every class, it seemed, had a front row of young women in short skirts and plunging necklines, looking up adoringly at him. He knew many were disappointed that their interest did not improve their grades.

He took the flowers from the back seat of his car and carried them to room 218 of the little motel. He pushed the door open and pocketed the key. Maggie lay nonchalantly on the bed, propped up against a pile of pillows, reading a magazine.

“I thought you’d never get here,” she said.

Dave checked his cell phone for the time. He was only two minutes late.

“I ran into a little traffic at school,” he said. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Maggie.” He presented the flowers to her and bent to kiss her tenderly.

“What kind of traffic did you have at school?” Maggie asked. She had an idea.

“Oh, just a student who had questions about becoming an activist,” Dave said, passing it off as nothing.

“A girl?” Maggie asked, not letting him off the hook.

“Well, yes. Not that it makes a difference.”

“A very pretty girl,” Maggie insisted.

“I suppose ... if you’re into teenagers. I’m not. I’d be a terrible teacher if I was, you know.”

Just because he wouldn’t do anything with a student didn’t mean he never thought about it. Sometimes, even fantasized about it. He could well imagine spending some alone time in bed with his recollection of Crystal Thomas, her breath on his ear, and her kiss on his cheek. But, of course, he would never do anything about it. He realized he’d grown aroused at the thoughts he was having and moved to join Maggie in bed.

She pushed him aside when he reached to hold her.

“When will you be meeting this one? Do you plan to have her right here in this bed when I’ve gone to work? How active do you think your little teenage activist will be?”

“Maggie, I have no dates to see anyone but you. And you’ll make me the happiest man in the world if you will be the only one for me for the rest of my life,” Dave pleaded. He began fishing in his pocket for the ring. He fully intended to propose to Maggie, but she was intent on pursuing this line.

“Do you really think your teacher’s salary is enough to provide for a girl like me?” Maggie asked. “I think you are only a teacher because of the rich field of liaisons you might have. A student activist one day, a cheerleader the next, and the sweet young wallflower the day after that. I could never satisfy a man with that kind of opportunity.”

“I’ve been looking for a different job. I need to complete my contract at the end of the school year, but I have some very attractive prospects,” he defended himself. At least the job discussion got Maggie off the topic of teenage girls. He reached for her again and she rolled to his side so he could hold her.

“What kind of job?” she asked.

“Well, there are positions in various museums for people with a history degree. I might even become an administrator. And I’ve made a contact with a law firm looking for a research analyst. I think that would be a very good area.”

Really, there was nothing that interested Dave Stedman more than teaching history. He got to keep expanding his knowledge of the world, and could share that knowledge with eager young minds in the classroom. He felt that at least half the minds in his classroom were eager. And they weren’t all pubescent females. He didn’t think.