Blindsided Sneak Peak
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Thank you for wanting to read an excerpt from my novel, Blindsided. Here’s what you need to know:
Heather Hunter is a second grade teacher who has returned from Winter Break with a problem. One of her families has emerged from the Christmas holiday in crisis after the seemingly perfect Rena Michaels walked out on her husband Derek and their son Cameron. Rena’s unexpected departure has left Cameron in a state of overwhelming emotional distress and Derek with the daunting task of figuring out how to help his broken son. As Heather and Derek embark on a partnership to help Cameron cope and heal, they experience a few inexplicable moments of unintended chemistry breaking through their mutual concern.
In this chapter, Heather is still reeling from one of those moments. She and Cameron had been working together after school and when Derek arrived, things took an unexpected turn. Wanting to keep things to herself, she nervously walks into a restaurant to meet her colleague and good friend, Aidan Decker, for dinner. Being social outside of school is a very normal occurrence for these teacher pals, but Heather keeping secrets from Aidan is not.
For those of you who know me personally, Heather and Aidan’s banter was inspired by some memorable moments with some of my own favorite male besties.
A few hours later, Heather met Aidan for dinner at their favorite burger joint. She had left school feeling shell shocked, so she stopped at the gym to do a major de-stressing cardio workout. Finishing her hour on the elliptical with just enough time to shower, Heather threw on her favorite powder blue sweat suit, and pulled her hair into a semi-wet ponytail. A long and intense day usually set the perfect tone for a chatty dinner with one of her best friends. But as she miraculously walked into the restaurant only a few minutes late, nothing about her day felt anything close to usual.
Benny’s topped the list of Heather’s local favorite restaurants, offering mouth-watering food in a casual atmosphere. She loved the black and white checkered floors and the retro style booths and tables. Best of all was the aroma of juicy hamburgers and crispy fries that stimulated her olfactory senses as soon as she stepped in the front door. The smell alone could easily make her ravenous.
Heather’s stomach growled as she walked toward Aidan, already knowing she would find him at their favorite table. Aidan’s brown hair looked a little long and unruly, even for Aidan, but one look into his hazel eyes and Heather wondered how she would refrain from sharing the experience she had just had back at school. In Heather’s straight-shooting world, a crush on a parent was bad enough, but could Aidan ever understand why she had been compelled to give Derek her cell phone number? She had lived through the experience first-hand, and she still could not wrap her head around what had just happened.
Aidan took a noisy sip of his strawberry milkshake as Heather approached the table. “Sorry I started without you, but I’ve been craving this all day.”
Heather let out a nervous giggle. At twenty-seven, Aidan often seemed more like an energetic teenager than a grown man. As the middle child of three boys, he exuded the quirkiness of someone who had struggled his whole life to stand out in a crowd.
Aidan stood and pulled out her chair prompting the response, “Well, if you’re going to be chivalrous, I suppose I have to forgive you for not waiting for me. And besides, I am a few minutes late.”
Aidan stood fairly tall, but his lanky frame looked like it had never quite filled out. In spite of his boyish looks and demeanor, he continued to surprise Heather with a soul that seemed wise beyond its years. As he returned to his seat, she watched his SpongeBob Squarepants tie slide across his dark purple shirt. Heather never ceased to be amazed by the phenomenon that immense wisdom could live inside such a playful spirit.
Returning to his chair, Aidan sat and folded his hands around his milkshake glass. “Mondays are always much more pleasant when I get to have dinner with you.”
“Oh Aidan, do you still have your date night charm switch in the on position? Speaking of, how did it go on Saturday night with Mandy?”
Aidan frowned. “Next question.”
“That good, huh? No wonder you’re drowning your sorrows in that milkshake.”
“How about we skip over the experience known as the Mandy Massacre? I’d much rather talk to you about the latest teacher grapevine scandal. Did you hear about Don Pinter and Sandra Curtis hooking up over Christmas Break? Let’s focus on that kind of breaking news.”
Gossip. A helpful distraction and one of Aidan’s worst vices. “Really. How did I miss that one? Two more colleagues daring to bend the wiggly school rules?”
“You said it Heather. It never ceases to amaze me how many people like to live on the edge. But then again, we already know the school handbook is useless. There’s nothing in there about any kind of personal interactions among teachers which is why I think we’re growing ever closer to having seen it all.”
“You think?” Heather stammered.
“Pretty close to it all. Teachers with teachers, teachers with administrators and I think one teacher even dated a janitor. The only thing left on the list would be a teacher and a parent, but even that’s an unpunishable offense, if you don’t count the abuse a person would take in our brutal grapevine.”
Heather could not believe what she was hearing. Her uneasiness returned times ten, as Aidan’s milkshake glass appeared to have taken on the shape of a crystal ball. How is he already onto me?
Obliviously, he continued, “So can we talk about Don and Sandra? When we’re out of school, nothing is out of bounds.”
The waitress’ timing was perfect to thwart Aidan’s momentum even though she didn’t need to stay long. Heather and Aidan were such regular customers that they quickly ordered their ‘usuals’ as Heather hoped the time lapse had thrown Aidan’s bloodhound nose off her own guilty scent.
“You know Aidan, I think Don and Sandra could have a shot at something more than a hookup. I could see them together, couldn’t you?”
Heather held her breath, still irrationally fearful that Aidan might read something into her response that would cause suspicion.
“I could see anyone together at this point, Heather,” Aidan said, using his straw to dig through the thickness of his shake. “We’re not getting any younger, you know.”
“Wait. Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”
“You? Definitely not. You’re the last one I see counting the minutes left on your biological clock. You always have a new boyfriend either in the picture or on the horizon. I never worry about you finding someone. And that leaves me with a lot more time to worry about my own future, which at the current moment begs the question, will I ever get a second date?
“I know you’re in a bit of a dry spell, but you haven’t spent one Saturday night alone since I’ve known you. When you’re not on a date, you’re out with friends. That isn’t such a bad thing.”
Aidan rolled his eyes as his tone shifted into what Heather liked to call the playful sarcasm zone. “And exactly how would you know Heather? You may not have found your Mr. Right yet, but the evidence clearly shows that men love you.”
Heather’s complexion started to turn a shade of pink. “They may love me, but you know I’ve never loved any of them. And up until recently, I was okay with that. But now I feel like things might be changing. Since you just reminded me that we’re not getting any younger, isn’t it time for me to emotionally connect with someone for the first time in my life?”
Aidan took a loud slurp of his milkshake and started to tease her. “You know Heather, maybe Mr. Right showed up and you missed him because you were too busy having sex with Mr. Wrong.”
“Aidan!!” Heather squealed as she fantasized about dumping Aidan’s milkshake over his head.
In the next minute, their cheeseburgers and French fries arrived, creating another welcome pause in the conversation. After thanking the waitress, Heather took a bite and tried to steer Aidan in a slightly different direction.
“Let’s just say a relationship should start with attraction. Maybe it’s fate or maybe it’s something chemical, but there definitely has to be a pull. We’ve both had that experience, but now that we’re in our late 20’s, wouldn’t it be nice to find something more? Do you ever think about finding the one?”
“The one?,” Aidan replied sardonically. “When did this dinner turn into a scene from a chick flick?” After popping a fry into his mouth, Aidan continued. “Honestly Heather, you really are full of surprises tonight. I had no idea you started the year off with the white picket fence syndrome. I feel like I don’t even know you anymore.”
Heather knew Aidan was kidding, but a wave of guilt still crested over her. He couldn’t know the things she chose not to tell him, even if a psychic moment had thankfully gone undetected. A more spiritual person might take the scare as a sign, but for Heather, she started to feel a sense of dishonor. She didn’t have a good track record of keeping secrets from Aidan, but there was something larger standing in the way of this big reveal – Aidan’s addiction to the teacher grapevine.
“You know me plenty, Aidan. I have always rooted for the happy ending, even though it always seemed like a long way off. And we both know people meet in all kinds of ways. Don and Sandra apparently couldn’t help themselves in spite of the eventual grapevine consequences. Sometimes that forbidden fruit is way too tempting.”
“Is that thing in season again?” Aidan replied flippantly as Heather unknowingly struck a nerve.
“Very funny. We both know there is no season for someone coming into your life who feels a little off limits. Inevitably, that person becomes subconsciously more enticing. Don’t you agree?”
Did he ever. While Heather sent herself into a classroom flashback, Aidan found himself thinking about Heather. He had wanted to date her almost from the moment they started working together, but all signs pointed to his place in the dreaded friend zone. At this point, he wasn’t willing to risk the rejection or the decimation of the most important relationship in his life, so he sat back and played the role of her confidante, colleague, and best friend. Meanwhile, he clung to the possibility that time or circumstances might eventually change the dynamic between them.
“I’m a fourth-grade teacher Heather, not a relationship expert. But I do think there is something to be said for wanting what you can’t have. Like that banana split over there that would probably send me into cardiac arrest.”
Heather never noticed that Aidan couldn’t be wise when he had something personal at stake. If only he could enlighten her as to how much he understood. It had tortured him to watch the men in her life come and go when he knew that he shared something much deeper and more meaningful with her. Up until now, he had only been competing with guys who shared her bed and he seemed to be able to handle that situation. The bigger fear revolved around the day someone would mean more to her, possibly setting off a jealous side he didn’t like to admit to.
The conversation became more serious as they finished their meal and shared a piece of chocolate cream pie for dessert. Heather told Aidan about the challenges of working with Cameron, including the small moment of the day that had left her feeling more optimistic and hopeful. She always welcomed Aidan’s great teacher tips and advice, so prioritizing education strategies over personal confusion put her head back on straight. For as much as Heather loved and trusted Aidan as a friend, she felt too mortified to share the thoughts and feelings she wished she wasn’t having. Instead, she clung to the hope that she could find a way to re-focus and only see Derek Michaels as her student’s parent.