Page 117 of Compared
Beverly straightens out a napkin on her lap. “I’d be careful, Tyler. The entire school is starting to think that you and Miss Johnson are a couple. You don’t want to encourage rumors like that.”
I glance between the two women. “Maybe Idowant to encourage it.”
Diane is visibly upset. “I forgot the wine with dinner. If you’ll excuse me for a moment.”
I sigh.This is not how the afternoon was supposed to go.
“I better go talk to her.”
I make my way into the kitchen. Diane’s standing next to the counter, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers.
“I’m sorry.”
Her hand drops, and she looks up at me. “What are you doing, Tyler? Do you know how many rumors are going around about you and Meg Johnson? Several people have seen you together outside of school, and now I find out that she was at your house this morning. Did she sleep over?”
“No. But if she did, that would be none of your business.”
“It is my business when she works for me and is breaking the rules.”
“They’re stupid rules.”
Her shoulders square. “Do you want Meg to get fired because of you?”
“If it means that we can be together, then yeah, I'm okay if she gets fired because of me.”
“You better make sure she feels the same way before things go too far.”
“Can't you just overlook the rule one time?”
She shakes her head. “You remember what happened last time I had a teacher involved with a parent. The school almost lost its accreditation.”
“This isn’t the same situation as before. What’s happening between Meg and me is agoodthing. It’s different.”
Her eyes narrow on me. “It’s not different in the eyes of the board.”
“You're the principal and head of the board. I’m sure you could explain to everyone how this is different.”
“I can’t. I answer to the board of trustees and to all of the people who fund this private school. If word gets out that I let my son-in-law break the rules, what does that say about me?”
“Then I’ll take Krew out of the school and put him in a different one.”
“You’d take Krew out of a school that he loves where all of his friends are”—her voice quivers—“where hisgrandmais, and where Kristen wanted him to go to school, just so you can date one of the teachers?” She clears her voice, gaining her strength back. “That sounds awfully selfish of you.”
“I don’t want to justdateher. I want more than that.”
“No.” Her head shakes again. “You don’t have room in your life for more than that. You need to focus on Krew—focus on raising him the way Kristen would want.”
“If you don’t think I should be dating, why did you invite Beverly here today?”
“I didn’t say that you couldn’t date. I just said that I don’t think Meg is a good fit for you, and with the scandal it will cause at the school, I was trying to show you there are other options.”
I throw my hands out to my side. “Why isn’t Meg a good fit for me?”
“I saw her at the cemetery this morning. She was there visiting her mom.”
“So?”
She folds her arms over her chest and leans against the back of the counter. “So I don’t think she’s ready for everything that comes with being a widower’s second wife.”
