“Don’t deflect! You don’t want to admit that Chase could be the guy!”
“For someone else.” She’s a busybody and nosey, like Mama. She’s going to be up my ass until either Chase moves on or I give in. I’ve got a stubborn streak she can’t touch, though, and she knows it. “We’ve talked about this. No more matchmaking! Let the man mourn the incredible sex, and move on with his life.”
“Gross, but also valid. Have you finished mourning his big dick?”She counters in a yell, and I have to pull the phone away from my ear.“Come on, your ex-asshole doesn’t deserve to get any more of your life, and you don’t even see you’re giving it to him!”
Once again, she’s right. The youngest of all of us and yet, she’s the oldest soul. I never thought about it that way, making excuses every time a man showed interest or limiting it to friends with benefits. I mull over the idea of calling him, but I shake the thought from my head.
“You still there, or did I cross a line?”
“Dani, you always cross lines, and I hope you never stop. I gotta go.” I try to rush her off the phone, but she gets one last dig in.
“Ha! I knew I could get you to call him. Matchmaking fucking bruja!”
“I’m going to work, not calling anyone.”
“Hey, wait! I need a date for a dinner party next week! Xander can’t make it. Please say you’ll come with me?!”
“A dinner party?”
“Yeah, with some of my artsy creative friends. You’ll love it. I thought about asking Kennedy, but she’s actually sticking to this sober lifestyle, which is great, but?—”
“Fine.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yeh, tell me what to wear and when. I need an excuse to get out of the house for a bit anyhow.” I love recharging and staying home when I can, but sometimes, to get a better charge, I need to drain my battery down to nothing. Besides, how crazy can a dinner party be?
* * *
When I get to my classroom, there’s a note on my door asking me to see Mr. Miley, the principal, as soon as I’m in. If he didn’t suck at his job, he would know I came in two hours ago. I don’t go to my room first thing most mornings because I’m in the cafeteria making sure all the kids are getting something to eat, or in the library running tutoring sessions. It’s been this way for the last few years.
I pull the note off the door and crumple it up. If he can’t bother to learn schedules, he can wait until I have my things settled before I give him my time. I flick on the light and head straight for the back room and open a storage cabinet, where a dozen bobbing heads of Chase Cooper stare back at me. They’re judging me. I can tell.
I’ve been meaning to give them to Dani, but keep forgetting to bring them home. I grab one and stare at it. “Those bastards even got your stupid eyes right.” I sigh and lock the cabinet, still holding onto the toy. I walk to my desk and put it on the corner. It’s a terrible reminder, but it also makes me smile.
I almost knock the toy off the desk when I go to write something on the board and see what’s taking up over half of my wall. As if I need another thing to remind me of him, I’m staring at the shiny new smart board Chase promised he’d take care of before he’d left. I’m not sure if I’ve got Miley or Chase to blame for this, but I don’t need the wrath of other teachers coming down on me because I got the cool new toy, and they didn’t. Fuck that. I grind my teeth while I march up to the office to clear this up.
Miley spots me as I walk into the main office. He’s sitting on the edge of his assistant’s desk, flipping through a supply catalog like he would have a clue what supplies it takes to run this place. Idiot. “Ah, the stunning and talented Ms. Silva!”
“Sir, if this has to do with the smart board, I didn’t?—”
“Boards. With ans, Ms. Silva.” He drops the catalog into the trash and nods to the door. “Let’s talk in my office.”
I follow him into the office, hesitating when he motions me to close the door.
“You’re not in any trouble, Ms. Silva. In fact, I want to commend your school spirit.” His chair screams for mercy as he throws himself into it. The walls are full of old trophies and awards from his youth, like a shrine to himself. None of the pictures are from the last ten years, and the body language of the people in them says he’s always been a creep. “This could be very beneficial for the school if you play your cards right.”
“My cards?”
He licks his lips and my stomach turns. “You must be damn good to earn yourself an entire school worth of smart boards. I signed off on having the remaining boards installed over the weekend. Pity you haven’t shown this kind ofambitionbefore.”
My nails dig into the palms of my hands when he leans forward, pretending to adjust his glasses while he stares at my tits.
“You could have used your charms to get yourself a raise. Or a promotion. But I can understand using them on Chase if he’s going to repay you like this.”
“Mr. Miley, I don’t appreciate what you’re insinuating.”
“You’re denying using your feminine ways to, eh, convince Chase to drop this kind of cash?”
