Checkmate

5

"Sam has a god-given talent for drawing."

"Does he now?"

"Yes! Here, let me show you."

Sam's art teacher walked away towards his cabinet.

These parent-teacher conferences were always the same. They told me things I already knew, but as a concerned mother, I always came just in case Sam could be lacking in a field and I didn't notice.

"Here you go. This was an auto-portrait."

"Wow," I whispered as I looked over Sam's creation, "He's... you're right. He's really talented."

I smiled down at the drawing. My son's a little Picasso, how sweet. I ran my fingers over the paper as pride swelled in my chest.

"Ms. Graham," I spoke softly, making me tear my eyes away from the other paintings that I now noticed was Sams', plastered on the walls, "I thought I could use the opportunity to tell you about the school's art program. Talent like Sam's is rare to find. With guidance, he could go far. In case you're interested, there is more information in the flyer, and you can always contact me in case you have any questions."

I smiled at him, accepting the flyer.

"Thank you. I'll read it over."

"Of course, ma'am. Have a good day."

"You do the same."

   I walked out of the colorful classroom into the hallway. Folding the paper into my purse, the screams and activity going on in the lunch area lured me in. A few parents were standing by a large window that gave us a nice view of the cafeteria. As my eyes scanned over the room, I smiled when they landed on my boy. He was sitting at a table laughing next to his friend, Elliot. It'd been a while since I'd last seen Elliot. I'll have to speak with his mother for a play date sometime soon. Who am I kidding? Sam's birthday is right around the corner; they'll get to play then.

"So, which one's yours?" said a deep voice, yanking me out of my thoughts.

   I looked at the man beside me who offered me a kind smile. He was tall; his deep brown eyes stared back at me while his bright smile put his pearly whites in dismay. The grey shirt that covered his chest only accentuated the outline of his pecks and I failed to restrain from running my eyes over it.

Noticing that I'd been staring, I turned back and pointed at Sam, "This little guy over there."

He looked and nodded before his gaze was back on me.

"What about you?"

"She's not enrolled yet. We just moved here so."

"Where are you from?"

"Minneapolis."

"You're far from home."

He chuckled at that; nodding in agreement.

"There's nothing left for me there. I wanted a fresh start but also didn't like the idea of starting from scratch. Since I have some family in the area, it makes things easier."

"I see. And do you like it so far?"

"Absolutely. I've always been fond of big cities; the constant activity, lots of opportunities, all kinds of people..."

He paused and looked me over. A shiver crept up my spice as he appeared to take in every square inch of my body with just as much hunger as I did him.

My reaction didn't go unnoticed, drawing a smirk across his face before he leaned in slightly, "Beautiful women as well."