Speaker 1: This show, along with hundreds of others from Caloroga Shark Media,
is available commercial free on any player. Just look for
the link in the episode or show notes.
Speaker 2: Caloroga Shark Media.
Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to Romance Weekly. This episode is titled
Back to School, Part two, Pageant Panic.
Speaker 2: Sarah's fingers drummed nervously on the steering wheel as she
pulled into the school parking lot. It had been two
weeks since that first day, and she's I've seen Jack
Cooper almost every morning since. Their conversations had been brief
but warm, leaving Sarah with a lingering sense of anticipation
each time. As she helped Lily out of the car,
she spotted Jack and Ethan approaching her heart did a
little flip. Morning Johnson's Jack called out, his smile bright
in the early morning sun. Hi, mister Cooper, Lily chirped,
while Sarah managed a slightly breathless good morning. As the
kids ran ahead to join their friends, Jack fell into
step beside Sarah. So did you get roped into the
full pageant committee too? He asked, a hint of amusement
in his voice. Sarah groaned, don't remind me, I made
the mistake of mentioning I used to do community theater
in college, you, Jack chuckled, Apparently being new in town
makes me perfect for bringing fresh ideas to the table.
Their words, not mine. They shared a laugh, and Sarah
found herself admiring the way Jack's eyes wrinkled at the
corners when he smiled. Well, misery loves company, she said.
At least we'll suffer together. As they reached the school entrance,
Jack hesitated, Hey, I was thinking maybe we could grab
coffee after drop off, to, you know, discuss pageant strategies.
Sarah's heart raced. Was this a date? A friendly gesture?
Before she could overthink it, she heard herself say that
sounds great the grind In fifteen minutes, Jack smile widened.
It's a date, I mean, not a date date, just
to you know what. I'm going to stop talking now,
Sarah laughed, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. I
know what you mean. See you there. As she watched
Jack walk away, Sarah's best friend, Megan appeared at her elbow. Well,
well well, Megan smirked, what do we have here? Sarah
rolled her eyes. It's just coffee, Meg, to discuss the
school pageant. Uh huh, nodded, unconvinced. And I suppose his
dreamy eyes and perfect jawline have nothing to do with it.
Ssh Sarah hissed, glancing around to make sure no one
had overheard. It's not like that. We're just friends. Meghan's
expression softened. Honey, it's been two years since the divorce.
It's okay to be interested in someone, Sarah sighed. I know,
it's just complicated. He's a widower, Meg, and we both
have kids. It's not just about us, all the more
reason to take it slow and see where it goes.
Megan advised, now go enjoy your not a date date,
and I want all the details later. Fifteen minutes later,
Sarah found herself sliding into a booth across from Jack
at the Grind. The cozy coffee shop was buzzing with
morning commuters, the air rich with the scent of freshly
ground beans. So Jack began wrapping his hands around his
steaming mug full pageant any brilliant ideas, Sarah laughed, Well,
I was thinking we could skip the whole thing and
take the kids to the movies instead. Think anyone would notice?
Jack's eyes twinkled with amusement tempting, but I have a
feeling Miss Hawthorn would hunt us down. That woman takes
her pageants seriously. They spent the next hour brainstorming ideas,
their conversation flowing easily from pageant themes to their kid's
latest antics, to their own childhood memories. Sarah found herself
laughing more than she had in years, drawn in by
Jack's quick wit and genuine warmth. As their coffee cups emptied,
Sarah realized with a start that she was running late
for work. Oh no, I should have left ten minutes ago,
she groaned, gathering her things. I'm so sorry, Jack apologized.
Didn't mean to keep you. No, no, it's not your fault,
Sarah assured him. I lost track of time. It was nice.
Their eyes met, and for a moment, Sarah felt a
spark of something more than friendship. But before she could
dwell on it, her phone buzzed with a message from
her boss. I really have to go, she said, reluctantly,
But this was fun. We should do it again sometime.
Jack nodded his smile warm definitely. How about we meet
this weekend to work on the pageant stuff. I promise,
I won't make you late for work. Sarah found herself
agreeing before she could overthink it. As she rushed to
her car. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was
stepping into something both exciting and terrifying. The next few
weeks flew by in a whirlwind of pageant preparations. Sarah
and Jack found themselves spending more and more time together,
their initial awkwardness giving way to a comfortable camaraderie. They
worked well together, their different strengths complimenting each other perfectly.
One afternoon, as they were painting sets in the school gymnasium,
Sarah noticed Jack watching her with an odd expression. What
she asked, suddenly self conscious, do I have paint on
my face? Jack chuckled, No, it's just you have this
look of intense concentration when you're focused. It's cute. Sarah
felt her cheeks flush. Oh, well, you should see yourself
when you're trying to untangle Christmas lights. It's like watching
a man wage war on tinsel. They laughed, but there
was an undercurrent of tension in the air. Sarah found
herself hyper aware of Jack's proximity, of the way his
t shirt stretched across his shoulders as he reached up
to hang a backdrop. Their moment was interrupted by Lily
and Ethan bursting into the gym, followed by a harried
looking Miss Hawthorne. Momad Ethan and Lily called out, can
we show you our dance routine? As the kids launched
into an enthusiastic, if slightly uncoordinated rendition of Jingle Bell Rock,
Sarah caught Jack's eye. They shared a smile, both clearly
thinking the same thing. How did we get roped into this?
Later that evening, as Sarah was tucking Lily into bed,
her daughter asked, Mum, do you like mister Cooper? Sarah froz,
What do you mean, sweetie? Lily shrugged. You smile a
lot when he's around, and he makes you laugh. It's nice.
Sarah felt a lump form in her throat. He's a
good friend, Lily, but you know you're the most important
person in my life, right. Lily nodded her eyes serious.
I know, but it's okay if you like him. Mum,
I like him too, and Ethan's cool. As Sarah kissed
her daughter good night, she felt a mix of emotions
swirling in her chest. Hope, fear, excitement doubt. She and
Jack had been darne around their growing attraction for weeks,
but neither had made a move to define what was
happening between them. The night before the pageant, Sarah found
herself working late at the school, putting the finishing touches
on the costumes. She was so focused on sewing sequins
onto a reindeer headband that she didn't hear Jack enter,
you know, Rudolph's nose is supposed to be red, not blue.
His voice startled her. Sarah looked up, laughing as she
realized her mistake. Well, maybe this reindeer is feeling a
little blue stage frighten all. Jack sat down beside her,
their shoulders brushing, Can I help? For the next hour,
they worked in companionable silence, The only sounds the snip
of scissors and the rustle of fabric. As Sarah reached
for another sequin, her hand brushed against Jack's. They both froze,
the air suddenly thick with unspoken words. Sarah. Jack began
his voice low I, but before he could finish, the
janitor poked his head in, announcing it was time to
lock up. The moment shattered, leaving Sarah with a sense
of missed opportunity. As they walked to their cars, Jack
cleared his throat, So big day tomorrow. You ready, Sarah nodded,
trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. As ready
as I'll ever be you. Jack grinned, Oh, you know me,
cool as a cucumber. They both laughed, the tension easing slightly.
As they reached Sarah's car, Jack hesitated, listen, Sarah after
the pageant tomorrow, would you maybe want to grab dinner
just the two of us? Sarah's heart raced. This was it,
the moment she'd been both anticipating and dreading. She took
a deep breath, ready to answer, when her phone buzzed.
It was a from her ex husband. Sorry, I have
to take this, she said apologetically. It's about Lily. Jack
nodded understandingly. Of course, we can talk tomorrow. Good night, Sarah.
As she drove home, Sarah's mind was a whirlwind of emotions.
She wanted to say yes to Jack, to see where
this budding relationship could go, but the text from her
ex was a stark reminder of the complications in her life.
Tomorrow would bring, not just the chaos of the fall pageant,
but a decision that could change everything. As Sarah fell
into an uneasy sleep that night, she wondered if she
was ready to take a chance on love again, or
if the risk was simply too great. Little did she know,
across town, Jack Cooper was lying awake, wrestling with his
own doubts and hopes, wondering if he was ready to
open his heart again after losing his wife. The full
pageant would bring more than just glitter and show tunes.
It would be the stage for a pivotal moment in
both their lives.
Speaker 1: Romance Weekly is a production of Calaroga Shark Media executive
producers Mark Francis and John McDermott. Portions of this podcast
may have been created with the assistance of AI
Speaker 2: Calaroga Shark Media