Page 4 of Thinking It Over

It sounded like I was ancient, which I wasn’t, but stumbling into this principal position so young—from a combination of luck, hard work, and simply being in the right place at the right time—made me feel a hell of a lot older.

“Thanks for coming in at such short notice.” I reached out my hand as I stepped around my desk. “Austin Harrison,” I said, hoping he’d tell me his name.

He smiled, the gesture lighting his eyes, startlingly so, as he gripped my hand more firmly than I expected. “Jasper Taylor.” He pumped a couple of times before releasing. “I appreciate you inviting me in.”

There was that smile again, surprisingly calm and genuine, especially considering our situation. AndJasper. I repeated his name a couple of times in my head, determined not to stumble and call him something else.

“Come, Jasper. Take a seat.” I led him to the couchand the two soft chairs surrounding a small table, much preferring to conduct the interview in a more relaxed setting. Plus, it was away from the building paperwork I was trying to ignore. “Help yourself to water.” I indicated with my head the fresh glass and the chilled jug on the table.

“Thanks.” He bobbed his head before reaching out and pouring himself a small glass with a steady hand.

“Let’s start with you telling me a little about your teaching experience, and we’ll go from there.”

His eyes locked on to mine, the brown depths drawing me in and forcing me to clamp down on the inside of my cheek. Hell, he was cute. And me crushing on a young teacher here for an interview was about as inappropriate as you could get. Reminding myself of that fact, I pushed my reaction to his physical appeal to the back of my mind and listened intently as he proceeded to tell me about his history, his experiences inside the classroom, and his current situation.

When he moved on to explain how he hadn’t taken up the offer of renewing his contract with his last school so he could return to his hometown to look after his mother, I knew deep in my gut he was the sort of teacher I was happy to have on staff.

We were a small school of just four hundred students, and I was proud that our ethos was one ofnurturing as well as academic success. When I’d first taken over, it was no secret the school was failing and doing one heck of a disservice to its students and the good staff who were still here. It had taken blood, sweat, and tears to turn the place around. But we were finally there.

Having someone so young and so vibrant joining the team would be a boon for us.

“The position will be for the rest of this academic year. It’s all I can guarantee for the moment. Though there’s a possibility of it being extended and turned into a permanent position next year. But I can’t guarantee that.” Jim, the teacher who Jasper would potentially be covering for, should honestly have retired two summers ago. This recent injury and subsequent illness would probably be the final straw, and come the end of the term, which would also be the end of the school year, I expected his resignation.

“It sounds perfect,” Jasper said. “It gives us a chance to see if we’re a good fit.” His eyes flared a moment, and the barest of blushes colored his cheeks before he stumbled to say, “As in me and the faculty, that we carry the same… ethos.” He clamped his mouth shut after that, and amusement settled in my chest. Through the whole interview process, which had taken fifty minutes so far, not once had he been flustered or on edge. I couldn’t help but wonder at the change and what had gone through his mind.

“I agree,” I said, offering a small smile. “I have full authority to offer the position to a teacher of my choosing, but we’d need someone to start immediately.”

Jasper sat up a little straighter. “As in next week?”

“If that’s possible, it would be perfect. The senior classes especially need stability and a specialist with them as soon as possible.”

He bobbed his head.

“So, Jasper, will you be able to start on Monday?”

His eyes widened, and his lips parted before he appeared to gather himself. “Absolutely, that would be amazing.” A grin followed. “I’d need the syllabus and materials today, though, and access to the classroom over the weekend so I can be as prepared as possible.”

His eagerness was refreshing. “I’ll make it happen.” I stood and reached out my hand. He shot out of his seat and clasped it. “Good to have you on board.” My words were genuine. Everything about him felt right, and the grin he sported was pretty contagious.

“Thank you so much.” He released my hand and all but vibrated on the spot.

“What I’ll do is send you out to see Barb so you can sort all of the necessary paperwork. We need to get your details in the system today so you’re all set for Monday.I’ll ask her to organize a meeting with Lizzie, who runs the department, so you can spend some time with her. Are you okay to spend the day?”

He bobbed his head eagerly. “Absolutely.”

Shit, he seriously was cute. Once again, I clamped on my increasingly raw cheek, keeping myself in check. “Excellent. Let’s make it happen. I’ll also clear time this afternoon so we can go through anything extra needed.” The offer slipped out, and I blamed his infectious enthusiasm. But it was too late to withdraw it now. “I’ll walk you out to Barb and get everything moving.”

Happiness radiated off the guy. It was a heady thing, something I could get used to. Surrounding yourself with positivity could do wonders to your own headspace and outlook. It was something one of my sisters piped on about regularly when we caught up. As I walked Jasper out, I was certain he was the right fit for the school—the faculty and our students. I couldn’t help wondering if he was the breath of fresh air I needed too.

My throbbing headhad dulled to a simple, irritating pain so much more manageable and easier to ignore. I’d been able to get on top of the most pressing tasks, had provided enough details on the new classrooms to hopefully get the board off my back for a while, and was confident I’d made the right decision about Jim’s replacement.

Speaking of… I glanced at the time. While I’d spent thirty minutes or so with Jasper after lunch on a whistle-stop tour of the grounds, I wasn’t sure if he’d left the site or not. I shouldn’t be concerned, nor should I be pocketing my keys and phone to go and investigate. Yet my hand was already on the handle, and it seemed like my feet were in control and definitely not another part of my anatomy.

Barb was picking up her handbag in preparation to leave for the weekend when I exited my office. Her intelligent gaze raked over me before she said, “I expect you out of here in thirty minutes. No later.”

“That’s the plan,” I answered, shooting her a wry grin.

She quirked her brow at that. “Seriously, Austin, it’s Friday afternoon, soon to be night. You’re single.” She didn’t hold back a smile of glee at that one. She wasn’t a fan of my ex. “Get your butt out of here and cut loose.”

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