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But Melissa had me on the edge of my seat today.
I pushed through the door of the girls’ bathroom and went for the mirror, instantly cringing. No wonder she told me to freshen up. The curls in my hair had fallen flat and been replaced with frizz, while my makeup suddenly appeared uneven.
With a sigh, I did the best I could to address the issues. I dabbed a damp paper towel under my eyes to get rid of the smudges and pulled my hair halfway up, in hopes of eliminating the frizz. My loose black blouse was still fresh enough, and at least it didn’t have any stains on it from a long day.
I don’t even know why I’m worried about it. It’s only an hour-long class.
Shaking my head, I made my way back to the classroom to enjoy a few moments of peace before the kids all piled in. The evening class had ages ranging from five to ten, which naturally made for a lot of chaos, which is why Melissa usually helped with it.
“Good, you look better.” Melissa startled me as I stepped into the classroom. She looked like she had freshened up as well—and switched from a pair of black flats to five-inch heels.
“What is happening this evening?” I urged, leaning up against my desk. “Are there going to be pictures taken or something?”
“Oh most definitely, and there’ll be videos taken as well. I’ve already reached out to the parents for permission, and everyone was more than happy. I invited the parents to stay as well.”
“…Why?”
Melissa opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out, her eyes growing wide at the doorway behind me. I whipped my head around at the sound of footsteps…
And then did exactly what Melissa just had—only for completely different reasons.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
“Good evening, Lena.” Jackson gave me an obnoxious bow, like he actually could be considered a gentleman or something.
“Hi.” My voice went flat.
He shot me a wink as he slipped past me, his woodsy cologne catching my breath as he went for Melissa, extending his hand. “You must be the director of the music program.” His voice was cool and charming, and the smile on his face was, well, typical. He was sucking up to her—or just putting on an act in general.
My eyes drifted back to the doorway, where a whole freaking camera crew was making their way into the room under the direction of a tall, expressionless woman. She pointed around the room, giving instructions, before her eyes made their way to me.
“You must be Lena,” she said, her chocolate eyes narrowing.
“Um…yeah.” I had no idea if she was scrutinizing me because I looked less than camera ready or because she might know that Jackson already knew me.
“I’m Genna.” She extended her hand. “Jackson’s PR agent. He’s here to volunteer, interact with the kids, and hopefully play some music for them.”
Oh. My. God. He’s using my job to help his image.
“Okay,” I managed to mutter through a forced smile. As soon as she dropped my hand, I turned to see Jackson, eyeing me while standing next to Melissa—who was giggling her face off like a little girl.
I had never felt more awkward.
I ripped my eyes from my flirtatious boss and Jackson, turning back to Genna. “So I was requested to be here tonight?” I knew what I sounded like—like an over-the-top fan with a crush—but it wasn’t like that. I just wanted to know why Jackson wanted me there.
She let out a long sigh, her lips pursing. “Yes, you were.”
“Great,” I uttered, and her eyebrows shot up in an amusing way.
“I see Jackson’s spell hasn’t been cast on you,” Genna chuckled, before slipping off to talk to one of the cameramen.
“No way,” I answered under my breath. I made my way to the desk, choosing to take a seat in the chair, while Melissa continued to talk Jackson’s ears off. I had never seen her act that way before, and it was clear she must be a fan of his band…
I was too. But not anymore.
I hadn’t listened to any of their music since the concert—and didn’t intend to either. I had burned that bridge.
“Miss Harris! Miss Harris!” A little voice grabbed my attention, and I turned to see Aliyah, a six-year-old student of mine from the previous year, running through the doorway. “You’re here tonight!”
