Lesson Learned {Student Teacher Romance}

Chapter 1

"Remember," I recite for my boss's benefit, "extra whip cream, extra chocolate sprinkles, and-"

"And extra hot fudge," Mike's wide grin stretches his rotund cheeks.

"Thanks, Mike," I toss him a playful wink.

"Nothing's too much for Joey," he chuckles, handing me the towering banana split. "Say hi for me!"

Balancing the confectionary mountain, I hightail it out of the kitchen and through the bright red double doors into the dining room.

Down the chromed counter are a pair of huge blue eyes belonging to the cutest customer in the restaurant.

Joey bounces up and down on the cracked padded seat of his stool.

"Ohh!" Keri squeezes Joey's skinny shoulders in excitement. "What do you say?"

"Thank you!" Joey squeaks, looking up at me like I gave him the world.

Keri and her son grab their spoons and dig into the delicious mounds of ice cream already melting under the diner's pendulum lights.

Joey holds his utensil in his chubby four-year-old hand like a tiny shovel, which always delights me. I can't remember attacking anything with that kind of carefree joy, but it's pretty darn cute.

"Mind if I join you?" I lean over the counter to hold up a third spoon.

"Of course!" Keri laughed out loud, bouncing her enviable strawberry blonde curls like a curtain of rippling silk. "We can't possibly finish this thing on our own."

"I'm gonna try!" Joey exclaims around a messy mouthful.

"Good man!" I spoon a bit of whip cream.

The sweet emulsified cloud melts down my throat to bend my mouth into a smile.

Joey's mop of sandy blonde hair gleams under the lights while he paints his face with the remnants of each gleeful bite.

He's just such a sweet boy, like an overeager puppy who wants nothing more than to be your best friend.

"So," Keri's mischievous smirk peeks around the wall of ice cream. "What are we doing for your B-day?"

"Enjoying a lazy evening at your house eating brownies and watching movies?" I suggest.

"No! C'mon Moira!" Keri scoffs. "You can't spend your big day in pajamas on my couch like some sad single woman with ten cats! You are turning twenty-one for Christ's sake!"

"Mom, language!" Joey pipes up.

"Sorry, honey," she cringes, petting her son's head tenderly. "Mommy said a no-no word."

"You know the fee," he presses, his eyes narrowing.

"Oh come on!" Keri laughs, "It wasn't a real swear."

"Mom," Joey warns. "Grandma says it's close enough."

Keri rolls her bright blue eyes and reaches into the pocket of her jeans to pull out a quarter that she places in her son's outstretched palm.

"Thank you," he says, turning back to his ice cream.

"I'm losing too much money on this deal," Keri complains with a smile. "Now, where were we?"

"I believe you were shaming me for wanting a quiet birthday," I giggle.

"Moira," Keri sighs with feigned exasperation, twisting up her face to rearrange the dusting of freckles across her nose. "You act like this is a form of torture. I'm trying to get you out of the house for one night. You can't stay home and babysit your mom every day."