Mr. Cooke walks out of his office and veers toward us. “Allie Rogers!” he gushes enthusiastically. “It’s been at least a decade since I’ve laid eyes on you. How are you?”
Sticking her hand out to shake his, Allie tells him, “I’m good, Mr. Cooke. How are you?”
“It’s Johnathan now,” he booms. “Why don’t we go sit in my office and have a chat?”
Allie turns to me as though to say goodbye, but I follow along. Leaning in, I whisper, “Johnathan asked me to join your meeting.”
Her head tilts as a look of curiosity crosses her features.
Once we get into the principal’s office, Johnathan sits on his big black chair behind his desk and motions for us to take the two seats across from it. When we’re settled, he tells Allie, “Noah is a big fan of yours.”
She side-eyes me briefly before responding, “That’s very nice to hear. We had fun last night watching the girls and boys play basketball.”
“Basketball isn’t my biggest priority, Allie,” he says.
While he’s made this abundantly clear, I still have the urge to reach out and smack the side of his head. Basketball might not be his priority, but having a sport can make or break a kid’s high school career. It can also be the deciding factor on whether or not they get to go to college.
“I graduated college Phi Beta Kappa with an English major,” Allie tells him.
“That’s very impressive, but without a license I can’t hire you full time. In fact, even to substitute we’d have to file for a special permit.”So much for my thinking she could sub without credentials.
“How long does a special permit take?” Allie asks nervously.
Johnathan answers, “It shouldn’t take long. We’ve posted the job and have yet to get any applicants, so I can file for emergency coverage.”
“I thought you just found out that Trish was leaving,” I interject. “How long have you had the job posted?”
Johnathan smiles somewhat deviously. “Two days, but I can fudge my way around that if Miss Rogers is the right candidate.”
“And how will you know if I’m the right candidate?” Allie asks.
“You’re here, aren’t you?” Johnathan’s laughter reverberates around the room.
“So you’re offering her the job?” I ask, looking for clarification.
He trains his gaze on Allie. “I can’t pay you what I could if you were certified, but I can offer enough extra that if you take on coaching the girls in basketball, I can get you pretty darn close toTrish’s salary.” Finally, Johnathan is addressing the girls having their own team.
“What do you say, Allie?” I ask her. “Are you interested?”
She looks between me and the principal. “Don’t you have any other questions to ask me before offering me the job?”
“You’re a hometown girl with a degree. What more do I need to know?” Johnathan replies.
Allie snort/giggles before shaking her head. “I could think of a thousand things you might want to know, but honestly, Mr. Cooke, if you want me, I’m yours.”
“Johnathan,” he reminds her.
“Johnathan,” she repeats.
The principal points to me. “Noah will take you to meet Trish. She’ll give you a tour of her room and a rundown of your responsibilities.”
“Just like that?” Allie seems to be having a hard time grasping the ease with which she’s being offered employment.
“Just like that,” Johnathan assures her. “I’ll leave the girls’ basketball team up to you.” Standing up, he tells her, “I should have contracts for you to sign in a few days.” Then he pushes a note pad across his desk along with a pen and adds, “Write down your phone number and I’ll give you a call when everything’s ready.”
Allie follows orders while asking, “When should I plan on starting?”
“Monday of next week,” he says.
