Page 5 of Wintertime Heat (Holiday 1)

When Aaron looks up, hope in his eyes, I could see a glimpse of the heartbreaker he would grow up to become. Since, he technically hadn’t received a slip from me, I could give him a pass. But at the same time, I also didn’t want him to think that he could always get a pass.

A thought occurs to me.

“Is your dad late, everyday?”

Aaron nods.

I grin at him, “You know what you can do, let’s call this your punishment for hitting Mason. I’m still setting up my classroom. You can help me out every day after school, till your dad comes to pick you up. Does that sound fair to you?”

His face transforms with the huge smile, and I couldn’t help but respond in kind. I didn’t want to punish the child for standing up for his friend, but he still had to be held responsible.

Putting on a thoughtful expression, I muse loudly, “I

don’t know if you’re up for the task, though. There’s going to be a lot of drawing, and carrying things, and colouring in the pictures.”

At this point, his eyes are bright, and he is literally jumping in his seat, “I can do that!”

“Are you sure? It’s going to be a lot of work.”

Those pretty blue eyes are wide with excitement, “I can colour! I can also draw!”

I beam at the boy, “Well, alright. Let’s start from tomorrow.”

It felt good to reach out to a student. Although, Aaron still had a few years before he reaches my class, he was still a student of this school. But before I get the chance to ask him about his class, I hear a deep voice call-out his name.

“That’s my dad!” Aaron grins, and clambers down from his seat. Looking at me, he hesitantly asks, “Should I stay till your friend comes?”

It was at that moment that he completely stole my heart.

I smile and reach out to ruffle his hair, “No, it’s okay. You go.”

He takes another look at me before he starts running down the corridor.

“Don’t forget our promise!” I call out to him, and he waves back at me, shouting, “I won’t!”

I walk over to the window to see him being ushered into a very fancy car by a man, whom I could not make out in the distance.

He must be pretty-well off, I assume.

The man wore a long trench coat, under which I glimpsed a dark blue suit, covering a trim body. Leaning against the window, I watch them leave.

A glance at my own watch tells me that I should be on my way home.

Scarlett was sitting on the couch in our living room, a big bowl of chocolate ice cream in her lap, her eyes transfixed on the television.

Dumping my purse on the table, I walk over to see what she was watching.

“Didn’t you watch that episode yesterday?” I ask, leaning over to grab some of the crackers that lay next to her pyjama clad form.

“Yeah,” She mumbles, her eyes not even blinking. “But Alessandro is so hot in this one. The way he grabs Maria. I need somebody to grab me like that.”

Rolling my eyes, I leave my roommate to her sexual fantasies and open the fridge.

“We’re out of milk, Scarlett.” I point out. “And eggs. And bread.”

“Yeah. I saw.”

I debate whether to chew her out on it, but she has had such stressful few weeks, that it actually puts my mind at ease to see her so relaxed. I grab my keys and plant a loud smacking kiss on top of her head, “Okay, have fun. I’ll go to the grocery store.”

---