Jan. Week 3: A Long Weekend-Monday...Lunch with Jonathan: It was Mr. Howard...

Leah was caught up in the glow of her own little bubble, replaying Jonathan’s dopey smile when she suddenly realized who the person the hostess was talking to was. The angular shoulders, the well kept polo, the cologne that smelled like “I can fire you at any time”—it could only be one man.

Principal Howard, in the flesh.

“Ah! Miss Williams. Well, isn’t this a surprise,” he said, his voice lower than it needed to be, and colored with the barest hint of a smirk.She tried not to flinch, but her spine melted into soft panic.

“Mr. Howard! Hi! Didn’t expect to see you here.” She forced a brightness, like the embarrassing student who runs into the school principal at the liquor store.

“I am waiting around for some takeout.” he said, eyes glinting with professional mischief. “What about you? Come here often?” He chuckled at his cliché humor.

“I wish.” Leah wanted to roll her eyes. “Just lunch with Jonathan.” She grabbed Jonathan’s arm as if to shield her from Mr. Howard’s leering. Jonathan was standing next to Leah awkwardly.

“Jonathan,” Leah said, waving one hand at Mr. Howard, “this is Mr. Howard, our Principal.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right. How are you?” Jonathan nodded and they shook hands.

“Doing well—I think we have met a few times before, last time was at the school Christmas party, I think.” Mr. Howard grinned devilishly. “Thanks for asking—Just enjoying a nice three-day weekend. I hope you’re keeping Miss Williams out of trouble today.”

“Trying to!” Jonathan said in a friendly tone but was unsure of when this awkward introduction would end and he could get to some tasty food.

“Have y’all ever eaten here before?” Mr. Howard asked as he prolonged Leah’s anxiety.

“Yeah we have come here before.” Leah said as she looked around feverishly for the hostess who had evidently vanished into thin air.

“Yeah it’s pretty good. How about yourself?” Jonathan asked politely.

“Absolutely. I’m a fan of the spicy carbonara here. Really…gets your blood going its’s so hot.” Mr. Howard’s tone was ever so slightly suggestive. “The chef here is very creative. He isn’t shy about mixing things up, and he’s not afraid to experiment a little—sometimes that’s where the magic happens. I think Miss Williams can appreciate a little improvisation every now and then…in her classroom and what not.”

Leah smiled through her teeth, certain that she’d swallowed battery acid.

“Sure, I love to try something new when I can,” she said, careful to keep her vowels bland and her consonants sharp.

“That’s what I always say about Leah. She’s the adventurous one, not me.” Jonathan nodded, obliviously.

“Oh, I know,” replied Howard. He sounded almost fatherly, except for the way his eyes lingered a fraction too long on Leah’s neckline, which was a little lower than usual now that her coat was off. “She takes risks, thinks outside of the box. That’s what makes her such an asset to the, ah, school community.”

“That’s really kind of you, Mr. Howard.” she said, her voice a shade higher than normal. What she really wanted was to crawl into a ventilation duct and disappear.

Mr. Howard seemed to enjoy drawing out Leah’s discomfort. His eyes roamed the menu stand near them though reading from a script designed to fuck with her.

“Can I be honest? They have a starter here that’s almost as good as the main course. The oysters are, shall we say, legendary.” The sly glint returned. “I’ve always found oysters to be…invigorating. Don’t you agree, Miss Williams?”

Leah bit down on her tongue, determined not to let him get a reaction out of her. He was playing the innocent gourmand, but every casual word was a loaded gun.

“I’ve never been an oyster guy. The texture is kind of weird. But Leah loves seafood.” Jonathan was still oblivious and playing the part of being a polite fiancé.

“Oh really?” Mr. Howard said with an exaggerated face, “You don’t mind slurping down the…thick…gray…goo?”

She wanted to gag at the memory of the last time she’d put something slimy in her mouth for his benefit.

“Oysters are an acquired taste, but yeah, I guess I don’t mind…” she said, her voice flat. Leah tried to divert the conversation.

“Oh, I suppose you’ve had to practice enjoying such a delicacy a lot then huh?,” Mr. Howard asked, the words so silky and measured that she felt her heart kick against her ribs.

“Um…yeah I suppose I have.” Leah said awkwardly. Leah then tried to divert the conversation.“So, what did you order for takeout?”

Mr. Howard only glanced at her then returned his focus to Jonathan.

“I’m waiting on the kimchi arancini with a side of miso-glazed meatballs. The arancini is a bit of a, ah, guilty pleasure. It’s so gooey, you almost need a fork and knife to get the whole thing in your mouth.” His gaze flicked to Leah’s lips, then back to the menu. “I hear the chef’s secret is in the creamy center.”

Jonathan laughed, thinking it was just a weird food joke. “That sounds messy. I always go for the safe options—burgers, pasta, that kind of thing.” He grinned at Leah again. “She’s the adventurous one, like I said.”

“I appreciate a woman who’s not afraid of getting a little messy,” Howard said, this time letting the phrase hang for several intolerable seconds. “It takes confidence. You either have it or you don’t. And Miss Williams has it in spades.”

Leah felt her cheeks burn as she imagined Howard undressing her with every word.

“Isn’t that right, Leah?” asked Howard, his voice a velvet whip.

She met his eyes, refusing to blink. “You only live once, right?”

“YOLO!” Jonathan quipped, trying to keep things light. “Sometimes Leah gets me to try her stuff, but I’m not as brave.”

“That’s how it should be. You find someone who challenges you, helps you grow.” Howard’s eyes lingered on Leah. “You know, I had Miss Williams in my office just last week, and she surprised me with her dedication. She’s full of…hidden talents. I hope you appreciate what you have, Mr…Mr…Adcock. Right?”

Leah rolled her eyes.

“I like to think so.” Jonathan grinned, clueless.

“Miss William’s,” Mr. Howard grabbed a laminated menu from the empty hostess stand. “I was thinking about adding something to my order, since I just placed it. I may be waiting a while. I was thinking about enjoying the Kimchi Arancini I love the spicy…drizzle and the gooey mozzarella. The Miso-Meatballs, who doesn’t love the taste of some good meatballs? Or maybe a dessert…you think the Yuzu Cannoli? I really love stuffing things with cream—I mean their cream stuffing.”