Nicki Night - Desire In A Kiss

Entering the passcode on her screen, she opened the dating app. She had more private messages, one from a gentleman who looked like her favorite uncle. She scrunched her nose and deleted his message without reading it. She hadn’t actually read any of the messages fully. She only saw part of the first line, which was previewed under the subject line. She didn’t know if the sender could tell if she had opened the messages or not. Instead she let them pile up, reducing the likelihood of responding. She clicked on a few more profiles.

Despite her reservations, she was entertained by what people wrote in their profiles. Some kept their introductory lines simple, describing their interests and professions. Others got creative. She stopped short at the profile of a good-looking caramel-colored man with a smooth black goatee, assuming she’d be intrigued by his summary. Instead, what she found caused abrupt laughter to erupt from her mouth.

“You’ve got to be kidding!”

She read the words under his picture again.

Roses are red, violets are tan,

You finally found your perfect man.

Giggling, she took a screenshot of his profile with the cheesy poem and tapped a quick text to her girlfriends on their group chat and uploaded the image.

This is why online dating is a bad idea! LOL!

That text would serve as a source of amusement for the rest of their day. Returning to the dating app and shaking her head, she closed the window of his profile. The next one featured a full-body picture of what looked like a rather handsome man. Serenity zoomed in to see his face better. His summary said he loved music, travel and great wines. The information he provided was minimal, and for some reason that intrigued her. She looked at his zip code and realized that he was also from Nassau County.

The school bell rang long and piercingly. She flinched, launching from her seat. One hand flew to her chest, while the other tightened the grip on her cell phone to keep it from flying out of her hand. In that short amount of time, she’d forgotten where she was.

“Goodness!” She recovered her breath, sighed and opened the music-room door. The second bell rang, and students poured from classrooms, filling the halls with a high volume of chatter.

“Hey, Ms. Williams.”

“Hey, Melanie.”

Serenity held her hand up for Melanie and her other students to slap her high five. Some of the crowd carried their loud chatter from the hallway into her classroom. Girls snickered, boys laughed, friends promised to meet after class.

The next forty-three minutes would take her mind off the dating site. Serenity was thankful for the reprieve. She was curious about the man named Chris Mullins. She pushed him to the back of her mind and closed the door.

“Okay, everyone. Settle down, take your seats and take out your music books. We’re going to start by reading notes. We’re learning a new song today. Turn to page two-fourteen.”

“Sing for us, Ms. Williams,” one of her students called out.

“Open your books, guys.” Serenity smiled and shook her head. She loved everything about music, and she would sing or play one of several instruments for her class when they behaved well.

“Please?” students chorused.

“Yes, Ms. Williams. Please?”

“You promised!”

“I did?” She scanned the room with a skeptical gaze.

“Yes. You said if all of us handed in our papers on time that you’d sing for us next class.”

“Okay, okay.”

Serenity walked over to the piano, sat down, opened one of the music books and flipped through the pages. They loved when she taught them how to play popular music—especially songs from their favorite artists. “Turn to page ninety-six in your music books. I’ll start singing and, those who know how to play the song, join me on the chorus.”

Their response was collective. One student pumped his trumpet in the air.

Serenity cleared her throat, and the room fell into absolute silence. Delicately she fingered the intro on the piano keys and began singing the first verse to one of the most popular songs on the radio.

“Yeah, Ms. W!”

Serenity laughed but didn’t break her flow. She was a good singer but a better musician. Some students snapped their fingers. Others waved. One stood and pretended to dance with an imaginary partner. Serenity chuckled at his dramatic display but relished the fact that her students appreciated her talent and loved music as much as she did.

She held one hand high, lifting a finger, signaling her students of the upcoming chorus. Without missing a beat, she raised her eyebrows. The students took that as their cue and lifted their instruments in preparation. After four head nods from her, they joined in, undergirding her voice with their harmonies. Once the class picked up the rhythm, Serenity stood, still singing, pushing deeper into the song, now feeling it on the inside.

Walking the tempo, she made her way around the room, careful to acknowledge each student with a smile or wink. She made her way back to the front by the time she released the last note into the air, holding it long enough for her students to stop playing, stand and begin cheering.

“Oh my gosh, Ms. Williams! That was amazing.”

“So dope,” one young man said.

Her smile radiated from her core. She curtsied, taking in her adoring students’ applause.

“Okay, now. Let’s get to work.”

“Okay,” someone whined.

Serenity guided them through their lesson. As usual the class came to a rapid end—the bell ringing while they were still playing.

“Okay—” Serenity clapped and shouted over the varying sounds of the instruments “—we’re done. Don’t forget to pick up a permission slip on my desk for the show. Make sure a parent signs them. Remember, your artist profiles are due next time.”

Quickly, the students replaced their instruments in their cases and stacked them in closets. The class was completely cleared seconds after the second bell.

Serenity plopped into her chair feeling both exhilarated and winded. Teaching took so much energy but gave her so much joy. She had a free period, which she planned to spend preparing for her next group. Wheeling her chair snugly into the opening of her desk, she tapped the space bar on the computer, bringing the screen to life. Her phone buzzed. She’d temporarily forgotten about the dating app, but now it would dominate her focus again.

Just as she picked up the phone, Rayne rapped on the door two quick times before stepping in.

“How’s it going?”

“Great! They made me sing again.”

“That’s because they love you.”

“I guess so.”

“Give any more thought to the dating app?” Rayne sat on the corner of the desk and plucked a mini candy bar from the dish Serenity kept there.

Serenity shrunk into her shoulders. “Yeah.”

“You did?” Rayne’s eyes opened as wide as her gaping mouth. “Cool!”

Serenity rolled her eyes. “Don’t make such a big deal about it. I just perused some of the profiles.”

“Oh! See anything you like?” Rayne lifted a brow and popped the unwrapped candy in her mouth. Balling up the shiny cover, she shot it toward the wastepaper basket as if she were going for a layup.

“Nice shot.”

“So. Any prospects?”

“Not quite yet. I did see a few cute guys though. Some are nuts, just like I anticipated.”

“Oh my goodness! I laughed so hard at that horrible poem you sent. Did that guy message you?”

“He and a bunch of others, but I haven’t responded to anyone yet.”

“Why not?”

Serenity shrugged and sat back in her chair. “I need to get more comfortable with this first.” Her mind shifted to the image of Chris Mullins again. She wondered what else was in his profile, but the old-fashioned girl in her refused to let her believe that pursuing him was a good idea. She wasn’t sure how to apply the dating rules to all this online stuff, nor did she know if she was willing to make the first move.