The Staff Room Mirage
In the cold winter of 1976, Mike Volkov arrived at the Cantonment School in Colorado as the new Physical Education teacher. Tall, charming, and in his late twenties, he carried a carefully hidden Russian accent and a dangerous secret — he was a Soviet spy.
On his very first day, in the dusty staff room, his eyes found her.
Leela stood there in a simple formal salwar kameez, her creamy skin glowing in the afternoon light. Her black wavy hair was tied in a long braid that reached her lower back, with a few loose strands framing her face. She had big brown eyes with long lashes and a proportionate, slim figure. When she noticed him approaching, she smiled politely and extended her hand.
“Oh… you must be Mr. Mike. I’m Leela, the Math teacher.”
Mike took her hand, held it a moment longer than necessary, and brushed his thumb across her knuckles. With a slow, charming smile, he replied, “Leela… now that’s a name that suits a girl who looks like she walked straight out of a dream.”
From that instant, he was completely enchanted.
