Page 6 of Marked By Moonlight

“Thanks, Maggie. Hope I didn’t ruin your Friday.” Claire rolled her shoulder, testing it carefully as her friend and coworker unlockedthe apartment door for her. She winced at the shooting pain and flexed her fingers around the small, white pharmacy bag, eager to down one of the pills within.

“No problem,” Maggie replied, tossing her purse onto Claire’s couch. “The kids are with their dad this weekend anyway.”

“Well, I still owe you.”

Without her purse, Claire lacked her insurance card and money for the co-pay. Thankfully, Maggie had been home to take Claire’s call and come to the rescue.

“Sure. And don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone at work what happened. Not even Cyril.”

Claire looked sharply at her friend. “Cyril?”

“Aren’t you two dating?”

She should have guessed that her one date with the band director would have made the rounds and been exaggerated into more than single, innocent date status. Cyril was a new teacher and word spread fast when an available man arrived in a largely female-populated workplace.

Cyril was a nice enough guy. At her age, and in her profession, she should latch onto him like bait on a hook. But there was no chemistry. Not that there ever had been. With any man.

“We’re just friends.”

“Mind if I give him a shot, then? I’m always on the lookout for an available guy.” Maggie waggled her eyebrows.

“Go for it.” Claire shrugged, and then sucked in a breath at the resulting pain. “But I have to tell you, I don’t think he goes for the aggressive type.”

Maggie settled her hands on generous denim-clad hips, her red lips curving into a grin. “Are you saying I’m aggressive?”

“No,” Claire hedged, “but he’s asked both me and Jill Tanners out.”

“Tanners? The counselor?”

Claire nodded, trying to hide her dislike. Jill Tanners was the at-risk specialist. The counselor was supposed to help kids, supposed to keep them in school. Yet she hadn’t done squat for Lenny or blinked an eye over his uncharacteristic absences.

“That cold fish?”

To drive home her point, Claire answered, “Yep. Miss Morgan and Miss Tanners. The mouse and the cold fish.”

“You’re not a mouse,” Maggie argued, averting her eyes.

“Please.” Claire fluttered a hand. “How many fights broke out in my classroom this year?”

“Uhhh…”

“Six,” Claire answered, having no doubt that Maggie knew the number. “How many fights have you had?”

“I dunno.” Maggie shrugged. “Can’t remember.”

“You can’t remember because there weren’t any.”

“So what are you saying?” Maggie asked. “Cyril likes his women… soft?”

“Spineless would be a better word.”

“You’re not spineless,” Maggie disagreed, slapping her hands together as if suddenly struck with insight. “You survived a dog mauling, right?”

“Yeah,” she grumbled, glancing at her shoulder and plucking the bloody shreds of her blouse in distaste. “A little worse for wear.”

“Smarts, huh?” Maggie’s face screwed tight with sympathy. “Pop a couple of those pills and you’ll feel better.”

Reminded of the money she had borrowed this evening to pay for those pills, she said, “I’ll pay you back on Monday.”

---