Page 38 of Whiskey & Honey

Since the last weekend at the lake, I’ve gradually started putting distance between myself and Piper. Seeing her is a little like putting a cupcake in front of a kid and saying look but don’t touch. Simply put, Piper Lawrence is my temptation. Everything about her entices me. Once she put the brakes on anything else happening between us outside of friendship, I needed space.

That space will be put to the test this weekend since its Halloween. While we’ve seen each other at school, as co-workers, we haven’t been social in over a month. I have been opting to work on the house instead of attending family dinners, much to my mom’s chagrin.

Today is the school’s fall festival. I know Piper is in charge of the cake walk while I volunteered to work on setup. The cake walk was my favorite part of the school carnival when I was a kid. We thought we were cool because unlike the little kids playing musical chairs, we had the cake walk. The joke was on us though, a cake walk is essentially musical chairs just without the chairs and the winner walks away with a cake.

Tonight, I’ve opted to stay with the cowboy theme I’ll be wearing tonight but a scaled-down version. Dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt, I put on my Stetson before heading into the gymnasium where the festival is being held.

I see a few of my students and their parents on my way to the cake walk. The fact that I have compared Piper to cake and temptation is not lost on me at this moment. From a distance she stops me in my tracks. Dressed in all black, she has on a large witch’s hat with feathers hanging off the ends. Only, it isn’t what she is wearing that stops me. It’s the way she is crouched down talking to a little boy. Smaller than most of the kids, this little guy is dressed to the nines as Darth Vader. Piper is smiling at him like every word he says is the most important thing to her.

She’s beautiful. Time away has done nothing for me. Her laughter wafts across the room and hits me in the gut like a bullet. After a few minutes she stands and catches my eye. Her smile grows a little bigger and she waves. I wave back. God, I’m such a pussy. I’m standing here in the middle of the elementary school gymnasium dressed as a damn cowboy waving at the pretty girl.

“Hey, Mr. Sullivan. Wow, Miss Lawrence sure is pretty. Is she your girlfriend?”

I look down at one of my students.

“She sure is pretty. No, Will, Miss Lawrence isn’t my girlfriend; she is my friend though. Would you like me to tell her you think she’s pretty?”

“What?! No way! I’m going to the fishing booth. See ya!”

I laugh and walk over to Piper.

“Miss Lawrence, you’re a very pretty witch.”

“Well thank you, Mr. Sullivan. You’re a pretty snazzy-looking cowboy. Jacob, this is Mr. Sullivan. He is your sister Clementine’s teacher. Mr. Sullivan, this is Jacob Thorne and Mrs. Honeycutt.”

I shake Mrs. Honeycutt’s hand and turn my attention to Jacob. “Don’t mind Miss Lawrence, Mr. Vader. She is obviously very confused as to who you really are.”

Giggles come from beneath the mask as he pushes it up over his head. “It’s me! I’m Jacob Thorne, silly!”

“Oh, my mistake. You sure do make a great Darth Vader. Are you having fun, Jacob?”

“Yep. Mrs. Honeycutt said she is taking me to the fishing game. If I win I get to take a fish home! Did you know that? Clem will probably make me keep my fish in my room but I don’t care. It’s going to be awesome!”

Jacob’s enthusiasm is contagious and I’m considering joining him to catch my own goldfish. Before I can contemplate this odd thought, Mrs. Honeycutt excuses herself and Jacob. Alone with Piper, I suddenly feel awkward.

“How have you been, Ben?”

“Good. You?”

“I’m good. You’re lucky you don’t have to leave here to get ready for tonight. I’m a little frazzled. I haven’t even seen my costume. I can’t believe I let your sister make it for me, sight unseen.”

“Wait. You haven’t seen it? Are you nuts?”

“Why, have you seen it? Oh my God! What did she do?” Piper looks around, almost checking to see if anyone can hear us before she lowers her voice to a whisper. “Am I going to look like an extra in a porno?”

Her words combined with the look of horror on her face have me laughing so hard I’m crying. “No, I haven’t seen it, but it’s Ash. The likelihood you’ll look like a stripper or porn star is pretty good.”

A groan from her has me putting my arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry, you’ll have your very own Village People and Neo to protect you.”

“Not helpful,” she says, burying her head in her hands.

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but is the cake walk happening?”

I feel Piper tense immediately. Before I turn to the voice full of contempt and attitude, I give her a little squeeze. Once I turn to face the condescending woman who has obviously affected Piper, I’m not surprised to see Felicity Remington-Thorne.

“Oh, Ben. I didn’t realize that was you. Is something wrong?” Suddenly the tone has gone from one of contention and annoyance to saccharine sweet.

“Nothing is wrong, thank you for your concern. Clem, you look lovely.”

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