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Once I get to her classroom, I poke my head in, looking for my little girl. Imagine my surprise when I see a different girl altogether looking right at me.
"Clementine?" I ask, my eyes wide.
"Mike?" she asks, worry in her voice. "What are you doing here? I mean, I know we're going out tonight but..." She looks around, confused. "It's not exactly appropriate for you to ––"
"Daddy!" Louisa shouts from the back of the classroom. "I didn't know you were coming to get me today! Auntie Millie always does."
"Daddy?" Clementine raises her eyebrows.
"You know my daddy?" Louisa asks, pulling on her backpack and grabbing her lunchbox from her cubby. She walks over to me and it takes her one second to slip her tiny hand in mine. I don't let go.
Louisa is the love of my life, the girl of my dreams. She's my everything.
"I heard you calling Daddy ‘Mike’," she says to Clementine, with her nose all scrunched up.
"I do know your daddy," she says. "Actually, your daddy fixed my car yesterday. Isn't that nice?"
"Yeah, my dad is the best at fixing cars."
"Hey Lulu, did you return that library book today?" I ask.
"Oh," she says, pressing her palm to her forehead. "I forgot, Daddy."
"That's all right. Let me sit here and talk to Miss Clementine for a moment, all right? I want to make sure you're doing okay in school.”
"Oh, it's not Miss Clementine, silly," LuLu says. "It's Miss Smith."
"Right, I know that you've talked about her enough the last few weeks."
Louisa runs off to return her library book and I turn to Clementine, whose face is written with worry.
"Look," I tell her. "I had no idea, she's been talking about her new teacher, she was calling you Miss Smith. I couldn't have put two and two together."
"And yesterday," she says, rolling her eyes to the sky. "You got that text from her... I assumed it was someone you were dating... I'm such a dork."
"Not a dork. Jealous maybe?" I ask, giving her a smile.
She leans in, "Don't smile like that at the school," she tells me quietly.
I pull back confused. "Why not?"
"Because," she whispers. "It gets me all flustered."
"I see. And you don't want to be flustered?"
"I do, just not here. I told you my job really matters to me and I don't want to mess anything up."
I run a hand over my jaw. "What do you mean mess anything up?"
"I appreciate the offer to go out tonight, but now that I know you're Louisa's dad, I can't."
I raise my eyebrows.
"You're worried about being appropriate?" All I can do is remember the way she looked naked on top of my Chevy yesterday. Legs spread, pussy tight.
"Yes, I told you, my job really is important." She shakes her head. "You're Louisa's dad. This won't work. I told you I'm leaving soon. I'm gonna get a job somewhere else, and the last thing Louisa needs is…"
"You gonna start telling me what Louisa needs?" I ask defensively. Truth is, someone like Clementine is exactly what Louisa needs. Kind, smart, funny.
“No, I didn't mean it like that. I just mean the timing isn't right."
"That's what you think? Really?"
"You're a single dad and I'm not exactly in a place to commit to something like... that."
I shake my head. "For being such a smart girl, you sure are hardheaded. I told you yesterday, I'm not asking for forever, I was asking you to dinner. Look, I'm not gonna push you to go out with me. I asked you because I like you. And I'd like to know more about you. But I don't want someone who doesn't want me. I've been down that road before."
"I'm not trying to hurt you, I was just…" Clementine shakes her head, her eyes falling to the floor. "I'm sorry. You deserve someone who doesn't already have one foot out the door."
"And that's what you want? Deep down, at your very core? You want to walk away from this?"
"Daddy! Did Miss Smith say I was a good girl?" Louisa asks, bounding down the hall, smiling as she meets us.
Clementine gives my daughter a wide smile. "Oh, sweetie, of course, I told your dad that you're a great girl. I'm so lucky to be your teacher,"
"You know," I tell Clem, "I've only heard good things about you. Ever since you started student teaching a month ago, Louisa has been raving about Miss Smith. She loves the art lessons you've given and the science projects you have done. After you studied butterflies, we went to the library and got a book on them, so Louisa could point out which ones she was studying. "
"The monarchs are my favorite," LuLu says proudly.
"Mine too," Clementine answers. Clem and I share a look, and I know she sees what I see. Potential.
But instead of telling me that she was being crazy and that canceling our date was a bad idea, she just turns and tells me goodbye.
