Abbi and Derek

Here's the first few pages of "A Soft Impeachment". After doing a quick review last night, I noted that this book is ALMOST FINISHED! Here's a teaser for you. Let me know what you think.


CHAPTER ONE
“Why couldn’t anything go right today?” Abbi thought to herself. She had woke up late, nearly ran out of gas on the way to school, and then one of the kids had thrown up in the doorway to the
room. Now she was running behind with her conferences and all she really wanted to do was go home, get into her pajamas and forget this day ever happened.
She was glad that she was finishing school. This was the end of her last semester, her student teaching semester. It had been a long haul. She started college right out of high school, but she had always worked while she was taking classes. She was twenty-five and finally going to be a college graduate. The kids had been great and she was feeling good about her decision to go into teaching.
She always thought she looked good in yellow and today she needed the bright color to keep her spirits up. She had two conferences left, and then she was done. Tomorrow was her meeting
with her instructor and graduation was a week from Saturday.
Ally’s parents arrived and her brain returned to teacher mode. She looked down and ran her hands over her sweater.
“Hi, Ms. Went,” Abbi greeted Ally’s mom. Abbi lead her to the back of the room and they sat at the table. Ally’s mom had helped in the classroom for the Valentine’s party and had chaperoned a couple of field trips. Abbi was comfortable with her. It helped that they were close to the same age and she didn’t have any concerns with Ally’s progress this year.
They were leaning over the table when Abbi felt eyes on her. She fought the reflex to see who was looking at her. She kept her head down and her voice low. She tried to concentrate on what she was saying and make sure that it really made sense. She hoped she was accomplishing that.
Abbi stood up to get a packet off her desk and when she turned back she was able to get a glimpse of the man staring at her from the doorway.
He seemed nervous, hands in pockets, rocking on his heels. He was scanning the room with his gaze but his eyes kept returning to her. He was tall, firm, muscled, and handsome. He had a white tee peaking out from under a black fitted sweater. His blue jeans looked nearly painted on. He had a smile on his face and a look in his eyes that said his thoughts weren’t really in that room.
Abbi sat back down, trying to finish quickly. She felt his eyes hold on her. Or maybe she had imagined it. He was really staring at her now, was he?
She walked Ms. Went to the door and said goodbye.
“Mr. Alexander? Hi, I’m Abbi Hamilton. Come on in,” she gestured. She hadn’t meet Mr. Alexander before this and she was a little nervous. She knew that he was a famous record producer. Abbi walked across the room and hoped that he was following. He did, and when they got to the table, she gestured for him to sit.
They sat across from each other and she looking into his dark, green eyes. She sucked in a quick breath. When she realized she was holding it, she slowly let it out.
“Mr. Alexander, Lucas has done really well this year. He does good work and he is very smart, but he has moments where he seems to lose focus. I think he could do great next year, but I’d hate for him to lose any skills over the summer.”
“uh, huh…”
Abbi chuckled softly.
“What?” he asked, somewhat startled.
“Now I see where he gets it from.” She smiled at him.
“Anyway, here is what we’ve been working on.” She went over tests and class work. She subconsciously leaned forward to show him the report card. She smelled his cologne and fought the urge to inhale.
“These are the areas he can work on over the summer.”
“Hmm. That’s great, Ms. Hamilton, but I’m not sure I’ll have time. I’ve taken on some new clients and I expect to be pretty busy this summer.”
Abbi didn’t know what his job entailed and she wondered how somebody could be too busy for their own kids.
“Oh, well, what about his mom?” she asked trying to focus on Lucas’ needs.
“She’s not around. Debbi left us a couple of years ago. Ithought you knew.”
“Mrs. Emerson did mention something about his mom being out of the house.”
“It’s okay. I don’t have any contact with her, except through the lawyers. She hasn’t seen the boys since she left us.”
“For two years?” she squeaked, and then covered her mouth with her hand.
He smiled. “It’s okay. Most people have that reaction. How could a mother not have any contact with her children?! I don’t know. I’ve learned to adjust and so have the boys. I have a nanny to help take care of the boys while I’m working.”
“Maybe I could give you some worksheets that the nanny could work on this summer?”
“That would be great if I knew who she was.”
“What?” Abbi squeaked again.
“Our nanny just got married. She’s still working for me during the day, but obviously she wants to be with her husband at night. She is only staying until I find a new live in. I’m not having much luck right now.”
“Oh, I see. Maybe I could help you.”
“How’s that?” he sat forward, his hand nearly touching hers.
“I can make some calls. Check at school. What are you looking for? Just somebody for the summer?”
“For now. Maybe she could stay on, but we’d use the summer as a trial period. You know, make sure she likes the boys, the boys like her and she can handle the responsibility.”
He pulled a business card out of the inside pocket of his leather jacket. Their fingers brushed as he put it into her hand. “If you think of anybody, give me a call. Or if you decide you want the
job for yourself,” he said with a twinkle in his eye, “please give me a call.”
By now, they were walking to the door.
“Thanks for coming in today, Mr. Alexander. It’s nice to see parents taking an active roll in their children’s learning.”
“No problem, Ms. Hamilton. It was my pleasure.”