Authors note: Each of my Sally stories are based on actual happenings. However, I do take liberties in filling in around the edges. Each Sally story is written to stand alone and they are not in consecutive order based on any time line.
*
Teaching school is a respected profession. However, in the early 1980's in Florida it was not a well paid profession. The school board of my district, in their all seeing wisdom, decreed that a teacher with a Masters Degree is more valuable than one without and the salary schedule showed it. If I get a Masters Degree, based on where I am on the salary schedule, I can increase my yearly salary by 25%. Not bad. Furthermore, the Masters Degree can be in any field.
Well, here I am, not yet 30 years old. I have a mortgage that I obtained only by promising the bank that I would rent out my spare bedroom. Since I live alone I struggle to make ends meet each month. No brainer. I will get a student loan and get my Masters. I can easily pay off the loan with my increased income and who knows what new doors will open for me.
I decided to not limit myself to the world of education and registered for a two year MBA program designed for working professionals. We were to meet as a class with the instructor one or two weekends per month and were responsible for readings and projects in between.
When I attend my first class session I am overwhelmed. I am the only school teacher in this classroom full of business professionals. I haven't picked up a book, other than an elementary student textbook, since graduating from college. I don't understand the vocabulary or the assignments because they are all business related.
Tom, a married, balding accountant with thick glasses must have seen my lost expression. On one of our classroom breaks he suggested to the group that we develop a study group to work on projects and assignments. Almost everyone thought this was a good idea and I joined Tom's group along with 2 other guys.
I felt extremely lucky to be in Tom's study group. He was smart and, unlike me, knew where he wanted to go professionally.
We began by meeting over coffee at the local Denny's several times per week. This got old because of the distractions around us and we all had a hard time concentrating. One evening I suggested that since I was the only single person in our group that we begin meeting at my condo. I had a coffee pot and a table we could meet around. It would be just like Denny's without the noise and distractions. The arrangement worked and I always had a bottle of wine available at the end of our sessions so all who wished could relax before going home to wives and standard family pressures.
Tom took me under his wing and after while was the only one who stayed after for wine and conversation.
I never hesitated to call Tom, always at his office rather than at home, whenever I had a problem. No matter whether class related or personal. In the beginning I thought of him as an older brother.
In the second year of our MBA program we had an especially difficult assignment and the group met at my place almost nightly. After the other guys left, Tom and I would move into the living room with our wine. I got to know Tom on a really personal basis and eventually he shared the problems of his personal life. He was not happily married.
One night, after an especially open discussion and several glasses of wine, I kissed Tom on the cheek and gave him a full body hug. Tom responded by returning my hug and a really tender mouth on mouth kiss. Then he left.