“You know what?” I said in a hoarse voice. “Why don’t I just grab the last few papers and—”
She peered over her shoulder. “It’s my job, I’ve got it—”
“Avery, I’m warning you, pick up one more piece of paper and I’m going to pull that pencil skirt down to your ankles and toss you over my very sturdy, very new desk.”
She jerked to attention, smoothing her skirt down with her hands before giving me a nasty look and storming off.
And they say honesty is always the best policy.
Her shoes slammed against the hardwood floor as she walked unsteadily back to her desk. I covered my mouth with my hand and tried not to make a sound as I watched her flushed neck turn a little redder.
I’d affected her.
And by the look on her face, she was pissed about it.
Her back was ramrod straight as she sat at her desk.
The phone rang.
She dropped the receiver four times before finally being able to hold it near her ear.
“Yes.” Her eyes roamed over to where I was leaning against the doorway to my office. “Yes, I’ll let him know.”
When she hung up, my eyes narrowed. “What’s that look mean?”
“Oh, it’s just—” She sighed. “Nothing, we have school visits at one and three o’clock now. Both high schools want to implement the app, but they want you to teach the teachers so they can go teach the—”
“—students.” I nodded, all business. “Got it.” I checked my watch. “We leave in fifteen, alright?”
“Yup.” She looked at her computer while I picked up the rest of the papers.
I quickly checked my email, turned off the lights in my office, and then headed out; the school visits would take the rest of the afternoon.
Avery shot up from her desk, grabbed her jacket and purse, and followed me to the elevator.
It was empty.
Why was it always empty when I was with Avery?
The private space gave a man ideas.
It gave me ideas.
“So”—she cleared her throat—“I thought the roommates were Tuesday.”
I frowned in her direction and shrugged. “Not that it matters since it’s my schedule, not yours.” She flinched. “But they fly out tonight, so I don’t get them tomorrow.”
“Okay.” She drew out the word and stared straight ahead. “But you still have Monday tonight, right?”
“Right.” Though I hadn’t texted Molly yet, which wasn’t my typical MO. Normally, I texted her first thing in the morning and made plans.
“Oh.”
I groaned. “Avery, out with it. Just say what you want to say.”
“By midnight you’ll have slept with, what? Three girls? All within a twelve-hour period?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no, I’ll have slept with zero, especially if this elevator keeps moving at the pace of a snail.” I checked my watch again. “And not that I think you had a high opinion of me in the first place, but I try not to screw girls at brunch. It upsets the other patrons, makes them stare at their sausage a little too hard, if you get my meaning.” It was a bit of a white lie, but it had the desired effect. The last thing I wanted to admit was that it bothered me for Avery to know all the gory details of my sex life.
She gasped.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I scandalize your virgin little ears?” I teased.
“I’m NOT a virgin!” She finally looked at me, thank God. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I have loads of sex, all the time.”
“Really?” I crossed my arms. “All the time, huh?”
“All the time.” She confirmed that with a serious nod. “In fact, I’m having sex tonight.”
“Are you?”
“Yes.”
“With Carl?”
“Who?”
“Fess up, he’s not real.”
“He’s ABSOLUTELY real!” She scowled as the elevator doors opened. “In fact, we’re meeting for drinks later.”
“Where at?”
“Not telling you.” She stormed out of the elevator and into the hallway.
“Fine.” I held up my hands. “Let’s call a truce. Besides, we have a lot of ground to cover this afternoon. Now give me your phone.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why would I give you my phone?”
I sighed and looked heavenward. “So I can give you my number just in case this jackass is real and I have to hunt him down. Why else?”
She hesitantly handed her phone over to me. “No funny business?”
“Nope.” I held the phone in the air to prove I was doing something simple, like typing in my number.
While also turning on her GPS and Find My Friends app.
Harmless.
Right?
“Here you go.” I handed it back.
“That took too long.” Her eyes narrowed.
“Usually that’s a bonus, when things take longer.” I shifted toward her, almost pinning her to the wall of the hallway. Her perfume floated around me.
She pointed her cell at me. “No more sex talk.”
“Stop being paranoid.” I placed my hand on her lower back. “Now, let’s go save the children.”
“Ughhhhhh.” She groaned and jerked away from me. “God really did a number on you, Thorn.”
“What?” I smiled brightly. “Because I love kids?”
She eyed me up and down and smiled wickedly. “I cursed you yesterday.”
Well, that was wonderful. “Um, thank you?”
“I cursed your cow too.”
“I don’t believe I own a cow.”
“Because I cursed you.” She nodded. “But beware if one suddenly appears in your life. It’ll probably be cursed, just like your cat.”
“You cursed a poor, helpless imaginary cat?”
“Of course! I had to include all animals in your foreseeable future. Oh, also, I prayed you’d develop adult acne and get in a car accident where you’d be forced to walk into the light, but let’s be honest—the darkness calls you way more.”
I groaned. “Business. Professional. Why don’t you try that for, say, three hours?”
“Fine.” She pulled on her jacket while I called an Uber.
“So, save the children time?” She peered up at me with hopeful green eyes.
“Exactly,” I whispered.
Chapter Fifteen
AVERY
I opened up an IPA and chugged half of it before I slammed it down onto my small kitchen table and contemplated making friends with the spider in a corner of the room.
No matter how many times I sprayed for spiders, one always found a way in.
And they never ran away from me, just stared me down, waiting for me to make my move so that they could yawn, wave, and then slowly crawl back into the hellhole they’d come out of.
Spiders and Lucas Thorn had a lot in common.
Interesting.
I played with the green label on the beer bottle and yawned.
It had been a long afternoon at the schools. Not only did I suddenly appreciate the fact that I was out of high school and free of the smell of books, lockers, and puberty—but luckily for me and Lucas, one of our school visits had been the very high school we’d attended.
At different times of course.
But it didn’t help that when we walked by the trophy case, there was still a picture of him and Kayla in their homecoming garb.
Causing long-buried memories to flood to the surface.