Rose forced herself to keep going. “I’m lucky to have you as my department chair, and I realize it.” The truth, although she generally avoided revealing such personal information to her colleagues. “I know Martin feels the same way.”
He wouldn’t mind her telling Keisha that. Rose had heard him say similar things to their supervisor before.
Keisha paused with her keys in her hand. “Thank you. I’ve always felt fortunate to have such dedicated, caring teachers in my department. You and Martin are exemplary educators.”
Okay. Enough of this.
Rose edged a few inches toward the school. “Thank you again. Is there anything else you wanted to discuss?”
Another long pause. Then Keisha exhaled through her nose and set down her briefcase.
“Nothing from a supervisory perspective. But…” She pursed her lips. “This is awkward, and I apologize for intruding on your personal concerns.”
This…was not good.
Whatever Keisha intended to discuss now, Rose was pretty sure she’d have preferred a bingo-related reprimand.
“We’ve worked together for over a decade, so we both know I respect your privacy. But I need to say this. Not as your boss. As your—” The other woman sighed. “As a concerned spectator.”
Rose swallowed over a throat that had turned dry as the Gobi. “Okay.”
Keisha’s eyes caught hers. “Martin doesn’t have a hard shell. You know this. I know this. Adorable newborns in Malaysia probably know this.”
Oh, no. No, Rose didn’t want to have this conversation. Not now or ever.
Still, she remained silent, because she respected Keisha. Trusted her, if only in a limited way.
“I don’t know what’s happened in your past to make you what you are.” Keisha pointed a forefinger at Rose. “And let me be clear. I don’t want or need to know. It’s not my business. Beyond that, you’re an admirable person. You’re a fantastic teacher and a hardworking colleague, even if you keep yourself at a distance from your colleagues.” She crossed her eyes a bit in emphasis. “From all of them except Martin.”
With precise movements, Rose folded in her hands in front of her. “But?”
“But you do have a hard shell. And that man is so into you, he can barely form words when you’re occupying the same space.” The department chair let that sink in for a moment. “I get that you may have had a hard past, and I get that he turned you down once for a date. But if you don’t intend to let him inside that shell, be kind.” Keisha’s braids rustled as she leaned forward. “Be kind, Rose.”
Rose kept her breathing steady. In. Out.
Until her department chair drove off, she needed to appear tranquil. Unruffled.
“I hear you,” she said, each word a pristine pearl of calm enunciation.
“I know you do. And no matter what happens, I won’t mention it again. Like I said, I apologize for the intrusion.” Keisha unlocked her door and heaved her briefcase inside the car. “Now I need to convince my doctor to test my thyroid. Wish me luck.”
Rose forced a smile. “Good luck.”
Leave. Please leave. I need time to think before Martin appears at my door.
After folding herself into the driver’s seat, the department chair squinted up at Rose.
“I almost forgot. Two more supervisory matters.” Her finger pointed at Rose once more. “Cool it with the note-passing at staff meetings.”
Damn, that woman had sharp eyes, even if they spent some of their time crossed.
Keisha’s grin pressed dimples into her round cheeks. “And at our next consultant presentation, I get my own bingo board.”
Yup. Way too sharp.
With that, Keisha closed her car door and drove away.
As soon as the other woman left, Rose rushed back to her classroom, closed and locked the door behind her, and hustled back to her precisely-placed desk. She didn’t turn on her lamp. The blinds were up, so the descending dusk would provide enough illumination for a few simple tasks, and her computer provided its own light.
