Valentine's Day

"Hey, hi! How are you?" said Jake, who recognised a little insecurity in his voice. He suddenly felt like he should say something else, just to cover his anxiety. "I'm so glad to see you here. My gosh, what a coincidence, ha ha." 

Fake laughs weren't Jake's strength, and it wasn't really a coincidence that he ran into Esther that afternoon. In fact, Jake had been waiting for her to come out of the building since after lunch. He was walking up and down the parking lot, wearing his new leather shoes, always close to the car he knew she was riding - a blue Volkswagen, he sure knew. He also kept an eagle's eye on the heavy doors, and indeed, after they opened for the hundredth time, Esther walked out and over to her car, which is, of course, where they met. 

"Hi Jake, what are you doing here?" She noticed he was nervous, but for some reason she let him believe that his acting was convincing. "Such a coincidence."

"Right? Ha ha," he opened and closed his hands several times, "Oh, you know, now that we've met, erm, I actually meant to talk to you about something. Do you have a minute?" 

"Now? I mean, now?" she was and she wasn't surprised. The moment she saw him, Esther sensed that he wanted to talk to her - that's why she knew what was coming -, but as an overall phenomenon, which is seeing Jake outside of work, outside of the very building she just left, she wasn't prepared for this at all. "Sure, what's up?" she finally said. And quietly she added: "Just, please don't call me by my first name, you know, we're not supposed to do that here. I mean, we are in different positions and, you know, people could hear us."

"Of course, I understand, Miss Johnson, but I have a very important something to tell you and I would really appreciate it if you would let me finish." Jake suddenly felt a rush of confidence growing inside his chest. Partly because he knew he had already said too much to escape into a swift wave of small-talk, and partly because he had played and replayed this scene over and over again in his head, so that he actually knew what he was about to say. "Listen, Esther, we've known each other for over three years now. I remember when I first saw you. You were wearing a white blouse and a black skirt and only little make-up, which I thought was very nice, and when you walked through those doors for the first time, everybody looked at you with huge eyes. It was a really exciting day, I remember it like it was just last week. Well, and given the history that we have built over those years, I mean, all those great talks and the little jokes, you know, I can't help but realise how much I like you. And I think I always did, since the day you first came into that building. I know, it's probably a bit of a - and believe me, I've thought about this a lot - a bit of a surprise to you, but I think ... I mean I know, I'm in love with you. Very much, Miss Johnson."

Esther was speechless. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other, unable to say anything for a while, trying to comprehend what just happened. "Jake," she finally said, "You're thirteen. And I'm your teacher. I'm double your age." 

"But I love you, Miss Esther." Jake was desperate. "And what does age matter anyway? You're my English teacher, not my maths teacher."

"That's not the point, Jake." Esther smiled at his last attempt to win her over.

"But today is Valentine's Day," he said, looking down at his feet, "and you're my Valentine!"