Touched for the Thirty-First Time

Thaddaeus had been told that he seemed innocent. Most of the other professors seemed to forget he’d been married long enough to have a child. He was shy; that much was true. However, when he saw Maeghan, the thoughts that ran through his mind were far from innocent and pure.

He shook himself and smiled at the other professor in a friendly manner. “Hello, Maeghan,” he said softly. “I was wondering… if you had plans for Friday night?”

“The night of the school play?” she asked. “Well, I’d planned on seeing it. I’m told the drama club has outdone themselves this year.”

“I was going to see it too,” Thaddaeus said, his smile broadening. “Would you like to see it together, perhaps? Following dinner?”

Maeghan blushed slightly and glanced around. It wouldn’t do for the students to see their teachers behaving like school children with crushes, particularly toward another teacher. “That sounds great,” she said. “Pick me up at… half past five?”

Thaddaeus nodded and waved a hand as she started off. They both had classes to teach. Thaddaeus couldn’t keep the spring from his step. For the first time in two years, he was going out on a date.