Page 15 of Beyond Perfect

“I like hearing that. What’s he doing now?”

“He started college this year.”

Jackson smiled. “Those kinds of stories warm my heart.”

He talked with the potential donors for a while then left to mingle some more. He headed for another table and bumped into a woman who came out of nowhere. Her drink spilled. “Oh, dear, I’m so sorry.”

The blonde glanced down. “No worries, it was my fault. And didn’t even hit my shoes.” She raised pretty green eyes to him. “We haven’t met. I’m Morgan Mason.”

“Jackson Kane. Nice to meet you.”

“I recognized you.”

“Have we met?”

“No, my father has donated to Pathways. I came with him tonight and intend to make my own contribution.”

“Thank you, very much.”

“I was going to get some appetizers. Want some?”

“Yes. I should eat.”

They crossed to the buffet of heavy hors d’oeuvres. After selecting some, they went back to the table. He bit into the creamy brie and apple, liking the taste. “So, you know what I do, Morgan. How about you?”

“I’m living on my divorce settlement right now. I gave up my career so I could help my ex entertain clients and people from his law firm.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s an ex because it wasnever enough for me. But I have a degree in city management. I plan to get back into the field.”

“You sound confident. I’m sure you’ll do well.”

Others came to the table to greet Jackson, and Morgan stayed. They chatted the rest of the evening with donors and alone.

As the event wound down, he said, “You were a real boon to me tonight. You’ve made the evening go fast.”

She sidled into him. “The evening doesn’t have to end. Would you like to escort me home and come up for a drink?”

He thought of Maisy right then. Which was stupid. Well, he couldn’t have a relationship with her. But he could enjoy some recreational sex. “I’d love to.”

* * *

Maisy arrived at the conference room adjacent to Jackson’s office, hoping to avoid being alone with him. All the other teachers were here. She slid into a seat next to Annie.

Jackson said, “Thanks for coming for this evaluation. I know these things can be tedious. But I need your input on all of the boys, both grades and behavior, before the school year ends. If you’ll take out the forms I sent you, we’ll start. Any volunteers to begin?”

One teacher said, “Quentin Wright barely passed Math. If his final project is weak, he won’t make it.”

“You’re supervising that right?”

“Yes. He’s a bit behind. He can’t sit still for any length of time.”

“What about your partner?” Math and Science worked together like Language Arts and Social Studies.

“I think I got him through science,” the woman said. “His final paper is in.”

“What was it on?” Maisy asked. She was curious.

“They had to pick a famous scientist and do a deep dive into him. Quentin picked Sir George Fredric, who was the first to diagnose ADHD in 1902. It caught his interest.”

Jackson asked, “Did you lead him to the doctor?”

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