Chapter 7

The next three days were the longest of his life. He plowed through the week and in one of his few magnanimous spells, postponed all the work that he had originally scheduled to be due on Friday until the next Monday. The kids were overjoyed since he never cut them any slack when it came to schoolwork.

During that time, he only briefly spoke to Ann Marie. They flirted a little, but were otherwise professional to the point that it seemed like they were ignoring each other.

When the final bell rang on Friday afternoon, most of the people in the school left immediately. The football team was off for a week before the sectional playoffs began. No one wanted to be at school once the weekend started.

Jake scurried about his room, straightening up the desks, picking up a little bit of trash and even setting up for the following Monday. If things panned out the way he hoped, he wasn't going to get much work done between now and then anyway.

Half an hour after the last bell rang, Jacob heard a knock at his door. He looked up and saw Ann Marie standing there.

"You look beautiful," he whispered once he could find his voice. When he saw her earlier in the day, she was wearing her usual Friday apparel: comfortable jeans, a nice t-shirt and sneakers. After the final bell, she replaced the t-shirt with a thin cable-knit turtle neck sweater that seemed ready to burst around her round breasts. It hugged her in all the right places, highlighting the desirable parts. Her hair was pulled back and she uncharacteristically wore make-up that showed off her eyes and full, sensuous lips.

She blushed but recovered quickly. "You're lookin' pretty hot there yourself, Jacob."

"Are you ready to go?" he asked nervously. "Would you like to drop your car off at your house?"

"I thought we'd take my car," she said tentatively, obviously trying not to offend her chivalrous date. "With gas prices the way they are, I figure it's better than driving your truck..."

Jacob smiled at her thoughtfulness. He fidgeted for a second, did the math and figured she was right. He would make sure to pay for all the gas, though. "Sure thing, Annie. Let's stop by my place ... I need to pick up some things anyway."

They went out to the parking lot, walking side by side, almost close enough to hold hands. Sally Barnett waved to Jake from the main office. He smiled and continued on.

They got in their separate cars and drove to his apartment. His suitcase was already packed and he loaded it into the back of her Camry. To his surprise, she handed him the keys. He took them mutely and opened the door for her. Then he got in the driver's side and they drove off, fully aware that his neighbours were watching him.