Paula sat in the teacher's break room, looking discretely over at Oren as she ate. She had to agree with the other women, Oren was attractive. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. . He looked strong without being muscle-bound. He also had handsome features, with wild and wavy brown hair.
Oren had started at the school a month ago, teaching history, and had quickly become popular among the students. Also, he seemed to be well liked by the other faculty members and employees, particularly the women. Still, there was something about him that scared Paula a little.
It wasn't that Oren hadn't been nice to her, Paula thought. In fact, he had been so nice that she wondered if he wasn't trying to come on to her. But when he spoke to her, there were times when the smile on his lips was not matched by the look in his eyes. It was a little disconcerting.
"I'm probably just overreacting," Paula often thought. "He's probably just being friendly and I'm just reading too much into it."
Oren looked over at her and Paula dropped her eyes. She didn't want to be caught staring at him. When Oren walked towards her, Paula looked up and smiled.
"How are you today, Paula? I haven't seen you all morning," Oren said. His voice sounded soft, deep, and confident.
"I'm doing well Oren, how are you?" Paula replied.
"I'm fine," he said, studying her for a moment. "I'm glad I caught you. I'm going to the pub today after work. I wanted to invite you to join me." He paused, seeing the wheels turning in Paula's mind. "It is the end of the work week," he said for emphasis. "I think you'll find it's a nice way to unwind. It would give us a chance to get to know each other better."
Paula's initial response was defensive. Outside of work, she seldom went anywhere without her husband. But this weekend, her husband was away on business. She wasn't sure whether she liked Oren, but she was fairly sure she could count on him to be a gentleman. Also, he was right, it was a beautiful day, it was Friday afternoon, and a drink at the pub might be a nice way to unwind.
Not wanting to go home to an empty house, Paula gave in, "Sure, Oren, I think that might be nice."
"Good," Oren said. He seemed genuinely pleased. "Why don't we meet after school in the parking lot. We can take my car and come back later for yours."
"That sounds fine," Paula said. Then, as Oren walked away, she felt a twinge of guilt. John, her husband, was away and she felt as though she were cheating on him. "That's nonsense," she scolded herself. "Oren is just taking me out for a drink." Still, she didn't want Oren to get the wrong idea. Also, she didn't want to be the subject of gossip around the school. "Stop worrying," she said to herself. "You'll have two drinks, then you'll go home."
The pub Oren took her to was only a few blocks away. They made small talk on the drive over and were soon facing each other in a comfortable booth. Two large mugs of beer were on the table between them.
"I don't usually drink very much," Paula was saying.
"Well then you need to start," Oren pointed out. "This is very good beer and it deserves our attention. Did you know this beer has historical significance? It has a long and noble tradition. It dates back at least as far as 10,000 BC - not this particular beer, you understand, but beer-making in general. We have an obligation to drink this beer. If we don't, we could be destroying centuries of hard work."
Paula was amused. He was giving a tongue-in-cheek history lecture as though it were something of the greatest importance. Also, she was also beginning to relax and enjoy herself. There was good music playing. Everyone in the pub seemed to be having fun. It was nice not to be home alone.
For the next hour, Oren proved to be good company. The two of them talked about the school - Oren made her laugh with his descriptions of some of the students. They talked about Oren's previous jobs. They talked about politics. They even talked about John, Paula's husband, and what he did for a living. Here, Paula took the opportunity to make it clear how much she loved her husband.
Before long, Paula found herself letting Oren talk her into having a third beer. "One more," she said, "but after this one, I'll need to get home."
"Then let's enjoy it while it lasts," was Oren's reply. He continued talking, telling amusing anecdotes about his university days, but now Paula began to laugh less frequently. She was beginning to feel queasy.
"All you all right?" Oren asked, seeing the look on Paula's face.
"I think I might be coming down with something," Paula replied. A few beers had never made her feel like this, she thought.
"Perhaps we should get you home," Oren said, looking concerned.