Not really.

Ms. Naylor stands up and nods, indicating the interview is over. With a smile you extend your hand, and with a smile that edges on flirtatious she shakes it.

"Welcome to Pink Rose Academy Mr. Watt. I'm sure you'll be a fine addition to our faculty. And please don't let my concerns about hiring male faculty bother you. It's a professional opinion, not a reflection on you or the other teachers."

"Thank you," you smile, squeezing her hand again before releasing it.

"You won't remember this, but we met before." Ms. Naylor says, blushing faintly. "It was a few years ago. In Vermont. Burlington. You were playing shortstop for the Lake Monsters. You went four for five with a home run and two stolen bases and played your position like you invented it. After the game my girlfriend and I saw you at a pub. You were with some of your teammates and a lot of young women, but my girlfriend dragged me over and we talked for a bit. You signed a baseball for me."

"Best day I ever had in professional baseball," you say softly. "I didn't have too many of them."

"You're still better than anything this school has seen," she says firmly, but still with a blush on her neck. "I think you'll be a great asset to the school Brian. As a teacher and as a coach. You have to be better than the last coach of the team. I'm afraid she just wasn't up to the task."

"I'm not sure that I am," you say deprecatingly. "I've never coached before."

"But you've been coached, and at a professional level," she says earnestly. "I'm sure you can show the girls things that the last coach couldn't."

"I'll do my best," you say with a smile. "The previous coach, is she still here? Will there be any bad feelings about me taking over the team?"

"None at all, in fact, she'll welcome it. You see, I was that coach," she says, her blush deepening as you nod and make your way out of the office.

Consulting the map you see that the quickest way to your cottage is to continue down the hall and exit the main building. Trailing your suitcase you stroll down the marble hall, glancing around as you go. Most of the rooms appear to be classrooms, marked with brass number plaques. You make a mental note to explore further after you've found your cottage.

At the end of the hallway you find double doors. Pushing one open you step outside into bright sunshine. To no surprise, the grounds here are equally immaculate as at the front of the building. Gravel paths lead away to other buildings, and you can pick out the shapes of several small cottages through the landscaping, perhaps a hundred yards away. With a nod you set off, enjoying the clear air and bright green of the lawn and foliage.

Cottage 4 turns out to the be the third one you reach. Each cottage is set in a little bend in the path, the landscaping giving each a measure of privacy from its neighbours. It's slightly larger than you expected, designed in the Craftsman style and blending well with the immaculate landscaping. Nodding in silent approval you step up onto the porch and slide your key into the lock.