I park up in the faculty's parking area. The kids are all dropped off for their first days. I spot Mia and wave. Mia is a part of the sports faculty with me and Carl. Carl is middle aged and hungry for anything football, he is well respected on the field with the boys. He also covered Basketball, wrestling and the boys baseball team. Mia was in her thirties, she joined us half way through last year in replacement for the retired Mrs Phipps, who I had started with. Mia was Swedish, she had the blondest hair I've ever seen, so bright in the sun you had to wear shades talking to her. She had just cut it to her shoulders where it had been long to her butt before that. She worked the athletics side of things, all things track and field with the addition of swimming. Mia always smelt like chlorine, that and sunscreen from standing beside the track in the blazing sun.

"Well look what the cat dragged in" Mia called out jovially as I stepped out of the car. She had waited for me curb-side.

"You know ... I could consider that bullying" I say playfully, locking the car and taking up walking by her side as we made our way on auto pilot to the teachers lounge.

"How was Christmas" she asked in an accent I had long got used to. It was actually kind of sweet. "I went to New York and spent it with Annie and the kids... it wasn't as awkward as expected... but then I got dumped so... New Year ended in the gutter just like always"

"Wait" Mia says stopping me mid stride, her hand on my forearm "you got dumped" she asked taking off her shades and looking to me with her pale blue eyes. "I didn't even know you and Leah were a thing yet... last I heard you were flirting but hadn't met up again yet"

I slowly inhale "I forget I've not seen you in a month. She came up and we spent a week together. It was... perfect" I say drifting off into the memory before slapping it back out of my thoughts "Anyway I misjudged her. I got it very very wrong. She dumped me New Year's Eve and didn't even have the guts to tell me to my face"

Mia frowns "that's horrible" she says taking my arm as we walked on and leaning into me "I'm sorry that happened"

"Thanks... honestly Mia... I don't think I'm loveable. Clearly there's something wrong with me. It never works out... and I always, always, end up this same way...alone" I say sighing through the dark cloud that made its way over my head.

"Not true. You are beautiful and fun, kind and most definitely loveable... heck...I love you" she admits.

I glance her way and smile "yes but I mean in love Mia. I'm cursed to never have that great love I've always desired... and I'm not going to look for it anymore. Let it live in the stars... I'm done" I confess as we enter the building and the cool air of the air-con hits our skin.

"Ooh I missed air con" Mia admits, sighing.
She releases my arm and adjusts the strap of her backpack on her shoulder. "I don't think you should give up on love Morg. If you give up on love you give up on yourself and you are far too special to give up on... and far too beautiful to sit on a shelf alone"

"How was your Christmas" I ask, changing the subject.

She narrows her eyes at me "I saw that subject change... and I'm not done with you yet but I will play... yes it was good. The family are well. I missed that clean air of home" she says with a soft smile.

"And Jonas... did you guys have a romantic time reconnecting" I ask with a wink.

She laughs. Mia had a long distance relationship with Jonas who she had been dating for three years before she moved to the states. He was meant to join her here in the summer "we reconnected once... it was brief... I realised that I didn't feel excited to see him and the sex was awful. I just couldn't get into it. I mean, he wasn't awful. He did all of the right things... but I just wasn't feeling it" she confesses.

"Oh" I reply frowning "that doesn't sound good Mia I'm sorry"

She waved her hand dismissing it "it's fine...it's just run it's course is all. We no longer have that deep connection, and perhaps it's my fault for leaving home and him. I feel guilty about it but I can't fake feelings that I just don't have"

"True... so did you split then" I ask.

She nods "yes we had the chat before I left"

"So we are both single" I say smiling a little playfully.

She looks to me and her lips lift "we most certainly are. I think we should spend our lunch hour getting on every dating app we can find and have ourselves a little fun... because women like us should most definitely not be sat home alone on a Friday night... right?" She asks.

I nod "right"

"Then let's tag team the hell out of phoenix's sea of singles. A hunting buddy is just what I need" I confess.

She holds her hand up as we high five to that.

"Why phoenix?" Mia asks, suddenly realising I didn't say Scottsdale.

"Oh Mia" I say nudging her arm as we walk "Never hunt too close to home... I have so much to teach you"

"I can't wait.." she admits eagerly "We will not mope at home about lost love Morg. We will march forth and take what we want" she says psyching herself up. I needed that, someone to vibe off of and get out of my damn funk with. I wasn't looking for love but I sure as hell could look for a distraction or two.

The faculty lounge was getting busy, and everyone looked depressed. The first day back from the Christmas holidays would do that to you, and some of the kids we taught were not angels. It wasn't an easy job teaching, and I could never teach academics such as maths or English, but out on the field doing baseball and lacrosse with my girls....I couldn't think of spending a work day doing anything more fun. It was intense, and exhausting yes, but rewarding, most definitely. This years season Mia and I would also take on the girls soccer team together too, sharing the work.

I grab a water as Mia fills a paper cup with coffee and we take a seat beside one another. "Nobody here take your fancy" I ask her.

She rolls her eyes up and looks sideways to me "not funny" she muses "not the most diverse pool of potential love interests is it"

"So what are you looking for" I ask her, having never discussed her love life before her relationship with Jonas.

"I'm not sure actually" she says in reply and seemingly in thought as she gazes upward.

"A male in his... what's your cut off age limit" I ask.

She looks at me a little thrown "I never said I was looking for a male" she says feigning offence.

An amused smile slips onto my lips "okay this is news to me" I say, taking a sip of my water and looking back to her waiting eyes.

"Did the dating pool in the faculty lounge just get wider by one queer" i joke.

She almost choked on the coffee she had just sipped.

"Morgan" she teases, wiping her mouth.

I wink, before getting back to the more serious business of my timetable this term.

"My cut off ages are over twenty eight and under forty five" she responds as she flicks through her own paperwork on her lap.

"Noted..." I say without even a glance as I write a few notes beside each year group, noting the players that showed promise last year that I needed to watch out for.

"And yours" she asks.

I stop writing and look to her briefly "I have no idea... younger or older... none have ended in me finding my forever girl. So I'm no longer checking drivers licenses before I partake in a little fun... since I'm not looking for forever anymore it's all just unnecessary.... " I say grimacing at the thought of dating for love. "As long as they are old enough to buy a drink at the bar, that's fine with me. My check list just went out the window. I'm going for vibes instead"

"Ooh girl loves a vibe" Mia responds. "And what's the vibe you're attracted too" she asks.

"Come to bed eyes would suffice, and a sense of humour is a must. I can't have her crying into her coffee when I've ghosted her by morning"

"Morgan Keaton ... you are about to hit your prime I can feel it" Mia says amused.

I look back to her and see a twinkle in her eyes "and you Mia are coming along for the tour... especially now we play for half of the same team" I say with an eyebrow raise.

She laughs. "I would like to explore whether it's the better half. I don't have a tonne of experience but I'm willing to learn" she says jovially.

"I bet you are" I guffaw. She looks sideways to me with her lips lifted with amusement.

"It's eight forty five" I note as the faculty pour out into the halls before the bell rings. "I have to get to the gym. I have tenth grade volleyball to start my day" I add, standing and walking out between staff with Mia beside me.

In January through April I covered an array of PE classes. Physical education was my day to day. In February spring season soccer would start and in April, Baseball would fill my schedule, with the teams, my girls, being my priority.

"See you at lunch... " Mia says as we part "I have to get down to the pool for the ninth graders" she adds as we both turn and go separate ways down the hall.

"See you" I wave.

***