Angela pushed the heavy double doors open with her butt and stumbled out into the dark, windy November rain. Her computer bag on one shoulder, a tote full of student reports and marking on the other, hands full of craft supplies and half-finished costumes, she hitched up her bags, looked around at the largely empty staff parking lot and trudged her way towards the bus stop.
"Sell your car," she grumbled to herself, "you'll save money and get so much exercise. It'll be so great! What the fuck was I thinking back in August?" Angela was so busy chastising herself for selling her car that she didn't see the basketball a student had left out and stepped directly on it. Crafts and costumes went one way, student reports went another and she landed, full weight on her thigh and bottom.
~
Noah Campbell walked into the staff parking lot and saw the pretty new drama teacher go flying across the wet pavement, bags flying every which way. He heard her yell, "FUCK!" as she hit the ground and couldn't help smiling slightly at her unexpected curse. He wracked his brain trying to remember her name as he rushed over to help.
"Ms.?... Rivera! Are you okay?"
Angela looked up at the tall, handsome man running her way and swore again under her breath, of course the person to see her fall, coming gallantly to her aid, was the hottest teacher in school, Mr. Campbell.
Noah Campbell was the high school shop teacher. He worked on the other side of campus and the drama students and shop students didn't mix much. She'd only seen him a couple of times, enough to notice his big strong hands, his broad shoulders and his intimidating height.
"Just what I need today, to look like a drowned rat in front of this towering tree of a man,” she muttered under her breath.
As he got closer, Noah couldn't help noticing that her grey wool skirt had ridden up, showing a tantalizing amount of leg and soft round backside. He could see that her black tights were torn and her thigh was bleeding.
"It is Ms. Rivera, isn't it?" he asked, reaching his hand out to help her up.
"Angela, please." She took his hand and felt a sense of comfort with her cold wet fingers clasped tightly in his big warm mit.
"No point in being formal witnessing that incredible display of acrobatics." She looked up and for the first time noticed how green his eyes were. They were both drenched, rain dripping from his thick, dark curly hair and onto his raincoat. She found herself utterly tongue tied staring into his green eyes. The spell was only broken as she saw her bus drive down the street and past her stop.
"Well that's just fucking perfect isn't it?!" She said again and Noah laughed.
"For a school teacher you sure have a filthy mouth!"
Angela blushed and started gathering up her scattered things.
"Hopefully, I can still grade these reports. Looks like some of the costumes are ruined." Noah knelt on the wet pavement.
"Thanks but you don't need to stay and help, I'll just call a cab and wait inside," she said defeatedly.
"Nonsense," he said kindly. "It's past 7pm and your leg is bleeding. My truck's right over here, let me give you a ride home."
Angela thought about protesting and then gave up. It had been A DAY and she was ready to sit somewhere warm and dry. She hitched up her skirt slightly to peak at her injured leg, it stung. “Fucking, basketball!” Angela grunted as she kicked the ball as hard as she could into the rainy field. Noah laughed and headed towards his big grey pick-up. He opened the passenger side door for her, took all her bags and placed them in the back.
"Gimme your hand," he said, "it's a bigger step than you'd expect."
Angela put her cold hands into his again and was struck by that same sense of safety. A shiver, that had nothing to do with the rain, went down her spine. He settled her in her seat and circled around to the driver's side. Angela slipped out of her soaking wet raincoat and hung it over the seat-back, she lifted her long sodden hair off her neck and twisted it up into a lazy bun, securing it with a pencil she found in the centre console.
Noah got into the truck and his stomach did a nervous flip-flop as he saw her for the first time without her bulky raincoat. A thin dark purple blouse tucked into her grey wool skirt, it seemed to strain against her full breasts as she wound her hair up and off her neck. The buttons gaped slightly, enough for him to see a black lace camisole underneath. He marveled at women's ability to put all that hair up with only a pencil and at the easy way she made herself comfortable in his truck.
He too took off his wet jacket and started the truck, turning the heat on full. Angela leaned her head back against the headrest, closed her eyes and sighed, again noticing the sharp sting of the cut on her thigh. She sensed more than saw Noah's face and body very close to hers. Her eyes popped open and Noah was leaning across her, his face only inches from hers in the close confines of the truck.
"Just turning your seat warmer on," he blushed and averted his eyes shyly. When he looked down he noticed her nipples harden slightly against the soft material of her shirt.
"Shit, " she thought to herself, "can he tell that I'm getting turned on right now?"
He cleared his throat and popped open the glove box, pulling out a tidy little first aid kit.
