Free Secrets by Robin Jones Gunn Page A

Half of her sandwich and a few more bites of potato salad were still on Jessica’s plate. Actually, her stomach must have shrunk in the past week due to her limited diet, and she found it hard to imagine how she was going to stuff the rest of the food into her mouth. But she couldn’t bring herself to throw away the food. Once they were inside the restroom, she decided to wrap the sandwich in a paper towel and stick it in her purse. She felt like a neurotic miser, but did it anyway.
    “I suppose I don’t need to tell you to beware of Martin the Masher,” Teri whispered once they were safe behind the bathroom doors.
    “He is something else,” Jessica said. “He reminds me of a mad scientist who experimented with lizards all his life and somehow got his molecules mixed up with theirs.” Jessica gave a little shiver. “Is he creepy but harmless? Or does he eat flies and slide under rocks when no one is looking?”
    “I don’t know. I try to keep my distance.”
    “To be on the safe side,” Jessica suggested, “why don’t we move our seats before the next round of meetings begins? I’ll feel a little better without him breathing down my neck.”
    “Good idea,” Teri agreed.
    They sat in the back this time, which gave them a little more room to nod off without being noticed. Jessica felt certain all the information they were covering was listed in the handbook and stack of orientation papers they had been handed the first day. She had skimmed the material already and had foundlittle reason for Charlotte to have to repeat everything.
    After several hours of reviewing the information, Ms. Mendelson stopped mid-sentence and stared at the back door. Jessica looked over her shoulder. Kyle stood there in his firefighter uniform. She didn’t expect her heart to begin racing, but it did.
    Kyle looked at Jessica and smiled.
    “I don’t believe it,” Teri whispered when her eyes followed the trail of Kyle’s smile, and it landed on Jessica. “What?” Jessica whispered back.
    “Nothing.”
    Charlotte found her voice and instructed her staff to take a ten-minute break. She hurried to greet Kyle at the back door. Jessica stood and turned around, pretending to be stretching, but really trying to get a clear view of Kyle and Charlotte. Kyle lifted his clipboard and pointed with his pencil at the ceiling. Jessica guessed he must be in the middle of the fire inspection Charlotte had requested. So why did he need to consult with her?
    “Very interesting,” Teri said softly.
    “What?” Jessica asked, sitting back down and scanning Teri’s face.
    Teri folded her arms across her chest, and tilting her head, she looked at Jessica as if seeing her in a brand new light. “I never would have guessed,” was all she said.
    “Guessed what?” Jessica wanted to grab Teri by the shoulders and shake her so she would spill the mystery beans.
    “Kyle told me last week that he had met somebody. I never guessed it was you.”
    “What do you mean it’s me? He didn’t meet me. He rescued me. He must have been telling you about someone else.”
    Teri shook her head. “Like who? Charlotte, maybe? I don’t think so, Jessica. Kyle didn’t tell me who it was, but after thatsmile he just gave you, I know it’s you.”
    Jessica felt the insides of her stomach begin to flutter. She had to put an end to this right now. “Teri, we’re talking like a bunch of high schoolers. We’re supposed to be mature teachers, remember? Not a couple of little crush cadets. They arrive on Tuesday.”
    Teri laughed aloud, and several of the teachers cast a glance her direction to see what was so funny. “That was very good, Jessica! I’m going to remember that: ‘little crush cadets.’ I like that.”
    Jessica had to smile. She hadn’t even realized that’s what she had said. Attempting to persuade Teri of her seriousness, Jessica said in a hushed voice, “Nothing is going on between Kyle and me, okay?”
    Teri stopped laughing, but her smirk