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“Science, life science and biology to be specific,” Kevin explained.
“English,” June added.
“What books do you teach?” Colin asked.
“It switches from year to year, honestly, depending on what I can get away with teaching before the school board finds out and someone pitches a fit,” June laughed darkly, remembering the minor controversy she had caused the year before COVID by teaching The Hate U Give. “I tend to do a mix of books about contemporary topics and historical fiction. I love exposing students to a variety of topics, so they can see what they're interested in and what they don’t like.”
Colin nodded, encouraging June. She took another sip of beer, the warmth of the alcohol beginning to loosen her tongue, to tap back into why she had originally become a teacher. “So there’s this cheesy saying in education that I really believe in, so don’t make fun of it. Books should be windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors.”
“What do you mean by that?” Colin asked.
June’s eyes lit up - this was one of her favorite topics in the entire world. “Okay, so mirrors mean that students should see themselves reflected in their stories. So, for example, queer kids should be able to see their love stories and representation. Books should also be windows, though - straight kids learn about queer identities through reading about those types of relationships and experiences. And it’s not just sexuality - it’s race, gender, living situation, so many things! Geographic region, languages spoken, shit, there’s been an explosion of YA books over the last few years, it’s like drinking from a fire hose to keep up with all of them.” June took a breath, sipped her beer. “Okay, and books should be sliding glass doors, allowing the reader to step into a new world with ease. That can be a fantasy world, of course, but it can also be about seeing a new city or way of living. Like imagine growing up in a house, but then being able to understand what it’s like to live in an apartment. Shit like that, I love it.”
“I feel like I should have something deep and introspective to say after that,” Colin said, looking at June and cocking his head to one side. “But I don’t have much to say except ‘that’s cool’ which feels lame.” Colin rubbed his hands together and June developed a laser focus on the way his fingers twined together.
“I’m sure it’s good enough for June,” Kevin interjected, double entendres dripping from his voice. June felt her face grow hot again.
“I hope so,” Colin added, and June knew her face had progressed into full on tomato territory.
“Anyway,” June said, hoping to regain some control over the conversation and move it back to an arena that she was more comfortable in. “Books are amazing and still have such an important place in young adult development, even in the age of TikTok and YouTube. The delayed gratification in having a student wait to find out what happens and not being able to skip ahead to the next episode or video builds emotional stamina. And the simple pleasure of reading,” June sighed. “It’s a chance to escape.” The three of them sat in a silence, and June began to panic that she had said something stupid. She mentally rewound what she said, and was horrified to realize that her last sentences had been laced with words that could be interpreted to be about sex. Delayed gratification. Stamina. Pleasure.
“Sorry, I could just talk about this for hours,” June said, apologizing and filling the silence at the same time.
“As much as I want to hear June’s standard speech about the importance of young people reading, I’ve heard this roughly seventeen times a year since we started working together, and that doesn’t include the conversations she has with families,” Kevin said, turning his stool around and joining the other teachers in conversation. June flicked her middle finger at Kevin, who blew her a kiss in return.
“You two seem close,” Colin said, a hint of inquisitive wariness in his voice.
“He’s my best friend, both in work and out of work,” June explained. “He’s been my rock throughout the shitshow that’s been the past few years, but we were close from the moment that we met.”
“Are you…just friends?” Colin probed.
“Me? And Kevin?” June laughed out loud. “No, no, no, he’s just a friend. Plus, he’s gay. And married. To a man. And not my type at all.” June looked at Kevin, who was shorter and stockier and blonder than she typically preferred in her partners. June’s eyes then slid to Colin, who checked all of her boxes for what she found attractive in a man - dark hair that was long enough she could sink her fingers into and pull. Long limbs that she wanted to wrap around her body and just tall enough that she could tilt her head up to press a kiss to his lips but easily access all the essential parts during…other activities.
Jesus, June, she scolded herself. Get your libido in check. There’s no indication that Colin sees you as anything but a professional connection. He probably does this every week, because he seems like a nice guy. You’re just a lonely sad horndog.
“Do you read a lot?” Colin said, interrupting June’s spiral into dirty thoughts about how she could pull his hair out of that ponytail and give it a tug and direct his head exactly where June wanted it.
“I try to,” June said. “I studied English at school and used to read like 100 books a year, plus all the young adult ones I’d try to screen for my classroom.”
“What happened?”
June laughed grimly. “The pandemic. I feel like my brain lost the ability to focus on anything that wasn’t Netflix or re-reading Harry Potter or just staring into space and pondering the downfall of western civilization.” June picked at the label of her empty beer bottle. “It’s been getting better recently, though I’ve still been carrying around the same novel for the past three months. I think I’m on chapter seven? So at least that’s something.”
“I can’t imagine what it would have been like to be in the city when everything went down,” Colin said thoughtfully. “At least out here, it didn’t feel that much different, because we’re already kind of isolated from the hustle and bustle. I ended up going on a huge sci-fi kick in the first few months of lockdown. Partially because the books were, like, 500 pages each, so it gave me a lot to do. But it was definitely also a way to escape.”
“See? Sliding doors.” June said, a small smile appearing on her lips. Colin met her eyes, tipped his beer to her in a bit of a salute, and matched her with a small smile of his own. For a moment, they sat just looking at each other, seeming to relish in this tiny spark of connection. June studied Colin’s eyes this evening - a deep silky brown that shone, like chocolate when it had just been melted and you were ready to dip a strawberry into it. His gaze turned to the fire, the dancing flames in the fireplace reflected in his iris.
June continued to take in Colin’s face, tan and a bit weathered a bit from the outdoors, tiny lines that crinkled at the corners of his eyes when he smiled. Light brown eyelashes that fanned out over his cheekbones when he looked down. A slight reddish tinge to his cheeks and the bridge of his nose that indicated a recent day out in the sun, perhaps without enough SPF. A dabbling of light brown scruff across his jaw and upper lip that June imagined came from a few days without shaving - he didn’t strike her as the type of man that could sneeze and grow a beard, but one that was able to maintain a five o’clock shadow for days at a time. Finally, not able to avoid them any more, June’s eyes slid to Colin’s lips, surprised to find that they were slightly chapped. As if on cue, Colin’s tongue glided across his lower lip, the light trail of wetness shining and highlighting the small ridges on his lip. June wanted to reach over and take his lower lip between her own, tug and pull at the flesh.
“Are you going to stay or go, June?” Kevin’s voice pulled June out of her scrutiny of Colin’s facial features and her fantasies about kissing him.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t hear you,” June apologized immediately.
“I’ve only said it to you three times,” Kevin said, though June knew what he meant was A-ha, you’ve been caught staring and drifting off. She could hear the victory in his voice at the fact that he had confirmed that June was clearly attracted to Colin.
"I think I'll stay for one more," June said tentatively. She got up and looked at Kevin, but her eyes flickered back to Colin. "Does…anyone else want another round?"
"I'll probably head out in the next few minutes," Kevin replied, his eyes wide and communicating to June that she should stay. "I'm old and boring and need my beauty rest."
