* * *
Sam woke to the dull thud of the newspaper hitting the door. He grinned sleepily at Josie, her head on his shoulder, blonde hair tousled, a trace of yesterday's mascara smudged beneath her lashes. He traced his thumb down her cheek to her lips and gave her a gentle wake-up kiss. "C'mon, beautiful, time to face the world."
Josie smiled dreamily and blinked her eyes open. She raised her hand to Sam's stubbled cheek. "Tell me you're really here�that this isn't a dream�" she murmured.
Sam laughed. He pinched her gently and kissed her thoroughly. "Want to see what's in the paper this morning?" he teased. He got up and went to the front door to pick up the newspaper.
Josie got out of bed, pulled on her robe and met him on the loveseat. He pulled the paper from its plastic sleeve; the headline read simply: FINALLY BEEN KISSED! By Augustus Strauss. Beneath it were three photographs. The first was of Josie alone, tears in her eyes as the clocked ticked down to zero. The second was of Josie and Sam in the middle of their first kiss; it was a picture of pure emotion, love and passion evident. The third was a picture of Sam and Josie, hand in hand, as they walked slowly off the field, aware only of each other. They looked at the photographs and smiled. Sam began to read aloud:
Josie Geller finally received the kiss she asked for in yesterday's feature article, Never Been Kissed. Arriving about forty-five seconds late, her mystery teacher swept her into his arms and gave her the most romantic kiss it's ever been my privilege to witness. Afterward, they walked off the field hand in hand and have been unavailable for comment.
Her mystery man has been identified as Sam Coulson, 26, of Chicago. He is an English teacher at South Glen South High School where Josie was enrolled as a student for an undercover assignment. Coulson is a magna cum laude graduate of Yale University where he majored in English literature and Education and minored in French. He is currently pursuing a master's degree at the University of Chicago.
The pair became unlikely friends when Josie ended up in Coulson's class and they worked together on the prom committee. When questioned prior to the publication of yesterday's article, Geller denied that any romantic relationship existed. "I only know how I feel�and how hurt he was when he learned who I really was�the rest is purely hope on my part."
As they were eating breakfast, the telephone rang. Josie picked it up. "Hello."
"Geller," Gus barked, "I want to see you in my office at three p.m. today."
"What�" Josie began.
"No arguments, Geller, just get your butt down here."
Josie hung up the phone, a puzzled look on her face. "Gus wants to see me in his office this afternoon. He didn't sound too happy�I thought�I thought everything was okay. Oh, God, Sam, what if he fires me?"
"After what happened yesterday�your story�I can't imagine that he'll fire you. I'll go with you if you want�for moral support. I've got a few things I'd like to say to Gus Strauss anyway."
"That would make me feel better�at least if I get fired I'll be able to cry on your shoulder."
"I should probably check my messages. My family was probably a little surprised to see me on the news last night." Sam dialed his number and punched in his code. Three messages.
"Sam�its Abby�am I dreaming or did I see you on the news tonight kissing a very pretty reporter�call me." Sam was puzzled�Abby lived in California. Apparently, he and Josie had gone national.
The second message was a surprise. "Hi Sam�it's Lara�I just saw you on the news�I guess you found a way to work things out after all�Good luck!"
Sam groaned as he listened to the third message. "Sam�Jack Kerdan�I saw you on the news last night�it's imperative that I speak with you�and Miss Geller, as well, today. Can you swing by around one o'clock?"
Sam frowned. "What's wrong?" Josie asked.
"We've been called to the principal's office."
Sam held tightly to Josie's hand as they walked through the empty halls of South Glen South High School toward the principal's office. Sam knocked on Jack Kerdan's door.
"Come in. Hello, Sam�Miss Geller. I appreciate you're coming down here. In light of the events at last evening's baseball game, I need to ask you a few questions about your relationship. Miss Geller, while you were posing as student here, you were in Mr. Coulson's English literature class, is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Did Mr. Coulson ever say or do anything that could be construed as inappropriate?"
"No�Sam was just a caring teacher who befriended a shy and lonely student�he encouraged me in my writing and was trying to help me get into college."
"You had no idea if he had feelings of a romantic nature towards you?"
"Not for sure. I just hoped that he did�I had fallen deeply in love with him�I decided to tell him everything."
"So you did tell him you were, in fact, twenty-five?"
"I started to�but we were interrupted�so no�I never had the chance to tell him until I blew my cover at the prom."
"I see. Sam�when did you realize that you had developed feelings for Miss Geller?"
"Several weeks ago."
"While you still believed she was your seventeen-year-old student?"
"Yes."
"Did you ever reveal these feelings to Miss Geller in any way?"
"No, Jack, I didn't. I knew that I couldn't�not as long as Josie was still my student. I planned to tell her after graduation�"
"Miss Geller�I'm puzzled by one thing�you said that Sam never shared his feelings with you. What made you think that he might share your feelings if nothing had been said?"
"Have you ever been in love?" Josie asked quietly. She took Sam's hand. "I just knew�I can't explain it�somehow, our hearts communicated with each other�without a word being spoken."
"Thank you both for your time and your frankness. If you wouldn't mind waiting outside, I've asked some of Sam's other students to come in�"
Sam and Josie exited Kerdan's office. In the outer office sat Aldys, Kirsten, Kristen, Gibby, and Guy.
Aldys jumped up and hugged Josie. "With everything else going on yesterday, I never thanked you for what you did at the prom." She looked up at Sam, still holding tightly to Josie's hand. "I see now how much it almost cost you."
Gibby spoke up, "Josie�we behaved badly�if it means anything, what you said at the prom really made us think."
"They apologized to me," said Aldys softly, smiling at her former tormentors.
Josie looked at the three popular girls again. They appeared�softer.
"Besides, we'd like to think we're partially responsible for your transformation," said Kirsten.
"I'll confess�I've never had as much fun shopping as I did with you girls," Josie admitted.
Guy Perkins shyly kissed Josie on the cheek. "She's an amazing woman, you know," he said to Sam.
"Yeah, I know," Sam said looking tenderly at Josie.
Jack Kerdan poked his head out the door of his office. "If you kids wouldn't mind�I'd like to get this over with." They filed into Kerdan's office. He shut the door firmly behind them.
"I asked you here to determine if anyone saw any odd or inappropriate behavior between Mr. Coulson and Miss Geller while she was pretending to be a student here?"
Aldys spoke up first. "Mr. Coulson and Josie talked a great deal in class�but only about the subject matter�which was Shakespeare. They had a way of making it come alive for the rest of us�if anything�I'd say we all benefited from having Josie in our class. And�if I could just say�Mr. Coulson is a terrific teacher�he not only cares about the subject�he cares about us."
"Mr. Coulson takes the time to talk to all of his students�he's always interested in what's going on with us," said Guy.
"They did work together on the prom committee�but there were a lot of us involved with that," said Kristen. "They talked a lot�but Josie's really into books and stuff�"
"Yeah, she's so deep," said Kirsten.
"Did any of you ever witness anything�physical�between Mr. Coulson and Miss Geller?"
"Ewww," said the three popular girls in unison.
"They did dance together at the prom, but I saw other teachers dance with students," said Aldys.
"I dated Josie and I had no idea that she had feelings for Mr. Coulson at all," said Guy.
"Thank you all�I know this is not a pleasant subject." He strode to the door and opened it. "You can come back in," he said to Sam and Josie.
The students stood to leave, but Principal Kerdan motioned for them to stay put. "Sam�Josie�I'm sorry I had to put you through this�it's a very sensitive subject�I'm relieved to say I found no evidence of any undue influence or inappropriate behavior. Inappropriate feelings, perhaps�but they were not acted upon. Case closed."
Sam hugged Josie tightly.
"So�will we see you at graduation, Josie?" asked Aldys. "I'm valedictorian, you know."
"I wouldn't miss it," Josie said happily.
Forty-five minutes later, Sam parked his jeep in the parking garage at the Sun-Times. "Would you mind if I ran a quick errand?" Sam asked, "I'll meet you up there."
"I'll be okay�I've been reamed out by Gus before. It's the seventh floor�just come up when you're done."
Sam walked her to the elevator and kissed her lingeringly. He started whistling as he strode off.
Josie tentatively knocked on Gus' door.
"Enter," Gus bellowed.
Josie walked in and sat down.
"Geller," Gus growled, "do you have any idea what you've done?"
"I thought�" she began.
"You've single-handedly increased sales by fifty percent, both yesterday and today. Not to mention Rigfort's making a fortune with syndication of yesterday's story."
"Excuse me?" Josie asked, puzzled.
"Geller�get with the program�You're a hit. I'm offering you a weekly column�temporary for now�but if it's successful�it'll become permanent."
"My own column?" Josie whispered.
Gus grinned. "Congratulations, Geller!"
Josie jumped up and hugged him.
"Geller�do I have to give you my memo on intra-office hugging?"
Sam wore a satisfied smile as he pushed the button for the seventh floor. People sure were looking at him strangely. He blushed when he suddenly realized why. He chuckled to himself as the doors opened up on the seventh floor.
He found himself face-to-face with a flustered Anita. "Hi Pam�or should I say Anita," Sam grinned at her. "Could you tell me where Gus Strauss' office is?"
"I'll show you." Sam followed her through the noisy maze of the 'bullpen'. As he passed by, conversations halted and people stared.
Anita paused at Gus' office. Sam glimpsed Josie through the window. She did not look upset. She looked ecstatic. He knocked.
"Enter." Gus bellowed.
Sam opened the door and Josie launched herself into his arms. He found himself confronting the man who'd tried to ruin his life. "You must be Strauss."
"Gus," Josie reminded, "didn't you have something you wanted to say to Sam?"
Gus cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Coulson�I�uh�believe I misjudged you�I'm sorry for what I tried to make Josie do�good thing she's a better person than me."
Josie looked up at Sam. "Gus never apologizes to anyone," she whispered.
"I should be extremely angry with you for what you tried to do to me...to us�but�I never would have met Josie if it weren't for this newspaper's misguided attempt at an undercover feature. So I guess what I'm trying to say is�thanks. Oh, and�I want those videotapes."
Sam looked down at Josie. "So what's got you looking so happy? Other than me," he joked.
"Gus just offered me my own column�temporary for now�but it might become permanent if it's a hit. Sam�I'm finally going to be a writer!"
Sam hugged her tight. "Oh, Josie�I'm so happy for you! Any story ideas?"
"I thought I'd do a series of interviews with some of the graduating seniors from South Glen�get them to talk about going off to college, leaving their friends and families�their hopes and fears and dreams."
"Sounds like a terrific idea�I told you you'd find your story!"
As they exited Gus' office, Anita latched onto Josie's arm and dragged her into her office. Sam, still holding Josie's hand, was pulled along.
Anita pushed the door closed.
"Josie, I need to talk to you," Anita said. "I've got a problem�"
"Of course," said Josie.
Sam placed his hand on the doorknob, ready to give them some privacy. Anita surprised him by laying a hand on his arm.
"No�stay. I might need a male opinion on this."
"What's going on?" asked Josie with concern.
"Last night�at the baseball game�when you two kissed�I got�caught up in the moment�"
Sam and Josie gazed into each other's eyes. "It was quite a moment," Sam said.
"Yeah," agreed Anita. "Josie�I kissed�" she gulped, "Gus."
"Gus�Strauss?" Josie asked, stunned.
Anita nodded. "And�I liked it. He kissed me back�but today�he's barely talking to me and he's pretending it never happened."
"Maybe he thinks you were just�reacting to the moment. Like kissing whoever's closest on New Year's. Anita�do you want it to be more than that?" asked Josie.
"I'm thinking, maybe�yes."
"There could be something else bothering Gus, too," Sam said. "Josie, you told me Anita dates a lot of guys from work. Maybe Gus doesn't want to be just another conquest. If that's the case you'll need to�tone things down, maybe�" he said gently.
"What do you mean?" asked Anita.
"Look�I don't know you very well�but the first time I met you, you flirted like crazy with me in front of a roomful of hormonal teenagers waiting for their annual safe-sex talk. I just think�someone as�intense�as Gus probably prefers a little mystery. Plus�he's your boss�and I can tell you from recent experience what a dangerous game that can be. It's a tough line to walk."
"I think what Sam means is�don't flirt with every guy you see�maybe dress a little less sexy�above all, don't play head games with Gus."
"Head games? I don't do that, do I?" Anita sounded upset.
"Sometimes. Like cozying up to Bruns to get Roger from Op/Ed to ask you out."
"I did do that, didn't I?"
Josie nodded. "Just�be up front with Gus�take things slow."
"Maybe let Gus make the next move," Sam added.
"But what if he doesn't?" Anita said miserably.
"Just stay cool. You don't want to appear over-eager. If it's meant to be, it'll happen," Sam said with certainty.
They went back to Josie's to change for graduation. As Sam struggled with his tie, the telephone rang. Josie picked it up. "Hello."
"Hey, girlfriend," said Kirsten, "we were hoping maybe you could stop by Gibby's house before graduation�we have something for you."
"That should be fine�I'll see you then," said Josie.
"Who was on the phone?" Sam asked.
"Kirsten. They want me to stop by Gibby's on the way to graduation�would you mind?"
"Not at all�actually�maybe I could drop you off there and we could meet up in my classroom before the ceremony�I�uh�have some paperwork to finish up," Sam said mysteriously.
Josie looked at him quizzically. "Well I guess I could get a ride to the school with them�Why do I feel like you're up to something, Sam Coulson?"
Sam grinned. "Just trust me, okay?"
* * *