A Heart of Gold

Chapter 20

Let's face it.

Just a look from Harry is enough to make anyone weak. It's a miracle, actually, that anyone who has locked eyes with him is still alive. I laugh to myself and imagine him, his tight white tank tucked into flowing wide-legged trousers and a loudly patterned, silky shirt gently billowing open and behind him as he walks casually down the street.

His smile is friendly as he nods to people in greeting, but his emerald eyes zap both men and women with each turn of his head. People simply drop to the ground as he passes them and they lay slumped on the sidewalk, ruined at his feet. Food spilling from dropped grocery bags, dogs set loose with their leashes dragging, car alarms beeping and horns blaring.

Yet he continues on, clueless, whistling as he walks and brushing his luscious brown curls from his forehead, leaving utter destruction in his wake.

And for me, remembering his long fingers laced tightly through mine, his urgent pants in my ear, his bubblegum lips on my shoulder... I know that I'm done for.

My kids start to giggle, calling my mind back to the present. "Miss Jacobs, Harry's here again!" they chorus. I turn to see him with his eyes wide and his finger pressed over his lips, then he wags that finger at them and scolds, "Shhh! You're going to get me in trouble!"

He's peeking his head into my doorway with a bunch of white daisies brushing his chin, looking just as smitten as I am.  They've caught on to our "crush," mostly because Harry doesn't do much to hide it, and they're hardly surprised anymore when he comes to visit.

Our eyes meet and we move like magnets toward each other. He draws me even closer to him with his lazy, half smile and whispers, "Hi love," and I can feel my face flush. I am absolutely giddy and I smile back at him through the delicate white petals.

"That's a fine lookin' suit, Harry!" Luis calls.

"Harry, I've been practicing. I'm almost ready for the talent show!" yells Isabella, excited.

Harry gives them a thumbs up behind my back, but he's still grinning and looking at me.

"Hey Harry, did you bring candy?" Thomas calls out.

This breaks me from our spell and I turn to him, "Thomas!" I tsk.

Harry shrugs and looks sat him, confused.

"Aww, you said you were gonna bring candy for us next time, remember?" he whines.

Victor mumbles, "Yeah, not just stupid flowers again."

"Oh, gee..." Harry says slowly and looks at his feet. "No, kids, I'm sorry... I didn't." The kids all groan.

He ducks back out the door, then turns back face the class with his exaggerated happy face, holding up a giant white bakery box and announces in a crescendo, "I brought cookies!"

The kids erupt in cheers.

"No, Harry! Now they're going to be crazy!" I jump aside as they scramble from their seats. "And I've got so much to get done with them before the shoot this afternoon!"

My protest is cut short by the devilish look in his eye. He makes his voice low and slow, "Oh c'mon, baby, didn't I loosen you up last night?"

I gasp and smack his shoulder.

He laughs and clears his throat. "Boys and girls, I need to borrow Miss Jacobs for a moment, yeah?" and he pulls me by my wrists into the hallway.

"Okay," some mumble. They barely notice.

"Harry, I can't leave them in—" I crane my neck to look over my shoulder and can see them happily munching their cookies though the paned glass window.