From Fake to Forever by Jennifer Shirk Page B

We have to show tolerance to bugs, spiders, whatever. That’s how the children will learn to appreciate nature and all things in it.”
    “I know,” Missy said, looking contrite. Then her gaze slowly traveled to Ben, and the two broke out in a fit of hysterical laughter.
    Sandra cracked a small smile herself but shook her head. Maybe she’d share in their mirth more when their business was a little more stable. Right now, she was too worried about a child telling his or her parents about the spider incident and then having those parents complain to the school. She couldn’t afford for something like that to happen.
    “Shh,” she admonished when she noticed Hannah and her friend Sarah approaching with their pictures. “Oh, boy, they look great, girls. Miss Missy will be thrilled to hang them up for you.”
    Missy took her cue and valiantly composed herself. Then, with one last flirtatious smile for Ben, she whisked the pictures and children away to the front of the room. Carol chose to peek her head through the door at that moment and, upon zeroing in on Ben, grew two huge hearts in her eyes like a cartoon character.
    “My class is outside on the playground with the aide , so I wanted to see what all the commotion was,” Carol explained, walking in with those hearts projected right at Ben. “By the way, I don’t think we’ve met.”
    Sandra watched in bemusement as down-to-earth Carol held out her hand like a nineteenth-century debutante .
    “My name is Carol. I teach here—when I’m not living all alone with my cat, Toffee,” she added shamelessly.
    Ben cast a smug glance toward Sandra before taking Carol’s hand in his own and kissing it. “Lucky cat,” he said with a dazzling smile.
    Sandra pointed a finger in her mouth and pretended to gag herself—not that Ben or Carol noticed. Was she the only normal woman in this entire place? Why couldn’t anyone else see through his whole fake, charming-celebrity persona? One thing was certain. Men like him had women all over the country and weren’t to be trusted. Ever.
    Tired of standing there being ignored, she snorted. Twice. She still hadn’t managed to get their attention. “Carol, I think you’ve left your class alone for long enough, don’t you?” She tried to keep her tone controlled and not snippy, like she was feeling, but was unsuccessful.
    Carol continued to stare at Ben as though she’d been on the Atkins diet for the past year and he was a carbohydrate smorgasbord. “Huh?”
    “Earth to Carol,” she said louder, cupping her hands around her mouth. “You have a class waiting.”
    Carol blinked and glanced at Sandra, flushing right up to the roots of her dark hair. “Oh. Right. I guess I have to go,” she told Ben. “I look forward to talking with you again.”
    Sandra made a face. Talking? Who was doing any talking? They just stared fixedly at one another for what seemed like hours. They should get a room already.
    “Good-bye, Carol,” Ben said. “It was very nice meeting you.”
    “Yeah. ’Bye , Carol,” Sandra said between clenched teeth.
    With the kind of willpower that would make Tony Robbins proud, Carol tore herself away from Ben’s star-studded presence and finally went back to the playground area. As soon as Carol was out of sight, Sandra grabbed Ben by the arm and marched him out into the hall and away from prying eyes and ears.
    “What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded once they were alone.
    “What?” he asked, blinking.
    “Don’t ‘what?’ me. You were doing specifically what I asked you not to do.”
    He scratched his head. “Explain to me what that was again.”
    “You were making googly eyes at Carol and Missy.”
    “You’re mistaken. They were making googly eyes at me . Get your facts straight.” He turned around and headed back toward the classroom door.
    “Well, you certainly didn’t discourage it,” she shot at his retreating back.
    He stopped and whipped around, his eyes narrowed