"Hello," Eileen took the telephone receiver from Mrs. O'Hara's outstretched hand, confusion covering her face. Who would be calling her?
"Hello, Ms. Grau? This is Doug Flannery, one of the Weildon representatives on New River's school board. First, let me say that we were all highly impressed with your interview. For such a young teacher you have a great presence about you and stunning recommendations. That said--"
Here it was, the 'but' she'd been dreading.
"You still have much to learn," he continued, and Eileen felt her heart drop.
"Yes, sir," she whispered.
"So we will be providing you with a mentor in the form of Kathleen Mage, the mathematics teacher."
"I--what?" she wondered.
"That is of course if you're still interested in the position--"
"YES!" She yelped then moderated her voice to a more professional tone. "I-I mean, yes, I am still interested in the position."
"Great! You should be receiving a call from Principal Wesleyan within the next day or so about signing your contract and general expectations. Since we're such a small school system, everything is generally taken care of through the high school office. Do you have any questions for me?"
"Uh, no, sir. Thank you, sir. I'll do my best s--"
"Great! Welcome to the New River family, Ms. Grau. Have a lovely day."
Click.
Eileen stared at the disconnected phone for several long seconds before she slid it into place on the wall, almost afraid the conversation had been a dream, a hallucination.
"Well?" Mrs. O'Hara whispered.
"I got it," Eileen said quietly, still not quite sure she'd heard what she thought she'd heard.
"That's great! Oh, we need to celebrate!"
They heard the front door open, and Ben walked in, "Celebrate what?"
"Eileen got the job!" Mrs. O'Hara beamed.
A large smile spread across Ben's face, and he actually jumped into the air, pumping his fist, "Alright, Eileen! Way to go!"
She felt a smile begin to cover her face too, and soon it became a grin so large it hurt her cheeks. "I can't believe it. I still can't believe it!"
"Believe it," Mrs. O'Hara laughed, pulling her into a tight hug. "You've certainly earned it, and I know you're going to do great!"
Ben sighed, "I wish I was a Vampire...Wait, what else are you teaching?"
She laughed at the hopeful expression on his face, "English for..."
Oh crap.
His eyes lit up, "For...?"
She had the sudden urge to call Mr. Flannery back, to beg for a position with younger students. But she couldn't very well do that without admitting her reason for not wanting Ben in her class.
"I'll be your new English teacher. For the next two years," she said quietly, hating how her heart hammered at the thought. She also hated that the pounding intensified with the joy that bloomed on his face.
"That's so awesome! Wait until I tell the Weildon guys that I grew up with our new teacher! They're going to..." his eyes narrowed.
"What is it, Benji?" Mrs. O'Hara wondered.
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The Reluctant Cougar (Rise of the Alpha King's Heir)
Romance*Complete but still subject to edits* Ben Cougar and Eileen Grau have been best friends since they were kids. For the young cougar-shifter, it was love at first sight. For the ostracized Vampire girl, it was good to have a friend--even if he was s...