Page 75 of No One Like You

“Like a date?”

“Yes, I am asking you on a date. I’ve arranged a sitter for Sophia.”

“Our first date! Yes, absolutely yes!”

CHAPTER 45

SINGLE LADIES (PUT A RING ON IT)

The next few days went by quickly for Tasha as she looked forward to her first real date with Megan. Sophia did a really good job with the lasagna, and Megan reported that she only watched while Sophia prepared the whole meal by herself. Megan handled getting the lasagna in and out of the oven for safety reasons, but other than that it was all Sophia. They both knew that lasagna looks like it is harder to make than it is, but they were very proud of her for trying it and doing well. She even made garlic bread and a simple salad for their meal.

Work was relatively smooth that week as well. Kevin eventually got over his fear of Megan, but Tasha was more than capable of handling whatever bullshit projects he gave her. Her co-workers seemed more open and engaging with her now that she opened up to them. She still didn’t love the job, but that was more about the corporate BS than the actual work—she felt much more engaged when she was at home doing freelance work. Lauren’s contacts were paying off, and now those contacts were referring people to her as well.

The best parts of her week, though, were those involving Megan and Sophia. Her daily walks to school with Sophia and their chats about her day had become an important ritual in her own life. As for Megan, she felt like they were both getting more comfortable with just being together.

Friday morning, Tasha wore an ankle-length skirt and a festive yet classy sweater, as well as a long coat, because Megan had told her that they would be going out for dinner right after work. Megan scored tickets to a play from another teacher whose plans had changed and couldn’t go.

Tasha got to the brewpub first, but she didn’t have to wait long. Her girlfriend arrived moments later, dressed in a classy but not overly elegant outfit for their date. They kissed and sat down at their table and chatted about their day as they perused the menu. It was a comfort food night with Tasha choosing a hearty stew and Megan going with the mac and cheese. Each paired their entree with one of the suggested beers. Once they ordered and their beers arrived, they sat back and relaxed a bit.

Megan restarted the conversation. “Next week is going to be interesting, and probably pretty weird.”

“Right… Next week was supposed to be a holiday week, right?”

“Yeah. A lot of teachers will be out because they already had plans. Other school staff as well. I have no idea how this will all work.”

“Does the school district even know?”

“Not a clue as far as I can tell. Because I’m a sub, I’m getting time and a half all of next week, but regular teachers don’t.”

“That’s messed up! How did that happen?”

“The district insisted on that when the strike was ending.”

“That seems stupid and unfair and a good way to piss people off.”

“Yep, all three. I mean, at this point, most people have reached the acceptance stage, and I’m not complaining about the extra money, but wow… it’s definitely messed up.”

“Are you still going to see about going permanent in PPS?”

“Yeah, it makes the most sense. I’m looking at the current openings, and I figure that there could be some more openings in the new year. I’m back at McDaniel High School all of next week. I really liked the vibe there, so I’m happy about that.”

“That’s good. Any other schools that you like?”

“Almost all of them so far. Irvington was really nice. I liked Richmond, but that’s the Japanese language magnet and I don’t speak Japanese, so probably not. I dunno, I’m keeping an open mind.”

“That’s good. Tell me if there’s anything I can do to support you.”

“You mean besides being the best girlfriend that a woman could ask for? Hey, speaking of support, is there anything that I can do to support you?”

Wow, she really is amazing.

”What do you mean?”

“Well, you’ve been doing a lot of freelance work in the evenings, plus your regular job. Then I’ve got you doing early morning yoga now…”

“Not gonna lie, the extra work is… It’s good and I really enjoy it, but every time I finish a project, that person seems to find me two or three new clients. So far, I haven’t had to say no, and it’s a good problem to have, but…” Tasha shrugged to accentuate the potential dilemma.

“You’re good at what you do, and that’s awesome, but you might be reaching your limit.”

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