I wasn't supposed to be at the station today. In fact, I almost always have Fridays off. But then John's wife got sick, and he wanted to be home to take care of her, so I agreed to come in for him. He thanked me for coming in right after I pulled a night shift, and I told him he can show me his appreciation by not cheating next poker night.
Smug bastard didn't miss a beat when he reminded me that he doesn't have to cheat, because my tells are too obvious. I hung up the phone before I could say anything I would regret.
I was just about to walk out of the station when Sandra, our receptionist who I don't think I've ever had a full conversation with, told me someone came in last minute for fingerprinting. I wanted to say no. I wanted to walk out the door, get in my truck, and roll the windows down to enjoy the last hours of summer sun, but when she mentioned it was a teacher, I told her I could. My Aunt was a teacher, she was actually my high school math teacher, and knowing everything she sacrificed for her students has given me a soft spot for those who choose the occupation.
Eden is a small town. We don't have any major coffee chains, most restaurants are closed on Mondays, and if something happens in the morning, it will be in the paper by lunch. I rarely see any new faces, there isn't much here that draws a newcomer in. So, I wasn't expecting much when I walked into the lobby.
But there she was, swinging her leg back and forth to a rhythm that made her skirt sway. I'm glad she didn't notice me, because if she had been, she would have seen the way my breath caught at the sight of her. I looked down at the clip board and read a name I'd never heard before, and couldn't believe that this woman, this beautiful woman, had moved to our town to be a teacher.
Things were going great, better than I could have hoped. My shitty day was turned around and I was beginning to wonder what I'd done to deserve meeting her, until I looked down at her left hand and noticed the ring. Of course she was married, a woman as kind and sweet as her would be, and it explained why she came to our town. What was a surprise was who she is married to.
I've known Aaron Walker my entire life, and the only good thing that I can say about him is that he left our town, but I guess even that didn't last forever. Knowing Lennon was married to the prick made me wonder what I did to deserve meeting her just to have my hopes crumble. It's not that I'm desperate to meet someone and be married, but in a town this small, by the time you get to my age, everyone you know is either married, or someone you can't date because they're family, or they're your ex. I may only be twenty-seven, but my prospects here aren't very high; I haven't seriously dated anyone since Rachel.
Knowing she is married, even to someone I despise as much as Aaron, puts an end to any pursuit in my mind. Marriage is sacred, and married women are off limits. I've seen enough heart break from affairs and divorce in my job, that I know I never want to be the cause of it. So, any thoughts I had about Lennon that labeled her beautiful and desirable, go straight into a place to never be thought of again.
I look down at her, because she's several inches shorter than me, as she shakes my hand.
"It's nice to make your acquaintance, Officer Ayers." Her grip is loose, as if she doesn't quite know how to give a proper handshake, and I want to laugh at how small her hand is compared to mine.
"Likewise, Mrs. Walker." I pull my hand from hers.
I turn, taking the ink stained pages with me as we walk back through the hallway to the lobby. I can hear her footsteps behind me, and I slow a little to let her catch up.
"Now, when these get processed," I hold the papers in the air. "Is there anything that will show up on your record? I don't think I want my niece having a teacher with a warrant out on her." She lets out a quiet laugh.
