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“Who are the flowers from?”
I should have known it wouldn’t be so easy. “I don’t know.” I had a very good idea, but that was my business, not theirs.
“There’s a card,” Tanisha said with laughter in her voice. “And it’s shaped like a heart. Must be love.”
If only. “Must mean someone didn’t do the assigned reading.”
“That battle was tactically inconclusive and this battle is far more interesting Coach C. I’m sorry but it is.”
“It’s not, believe me,” I grumbled under my breath as my blood began to boil. Ben was playing a dangerous game for a man who claimed he couldn’t have his authority undermined by dating one of his employees. “Since some of you didn’t do the reading, do it now. Quietly. I’ll be back soon.”
“Yes, Ms. Callahan.” I didn’t buy that compliant tone for one damn minute, but this nonsense had to stop. Now. It was cruel and unfair. I knocked on Mr. Wilson’s door and the older man opened with an annoyed sigh. I wasn’t bothered because that was his default position. “Can you keep an eye on my class? They’re reading silently while I take care of something important.”
“Of course, Ms. Callahan. Is everything all right?”
“It will be, Mr. Wilson. Thank you.” My steps were determined and quick as my anger grew. Who in the hell did Ben Rutherford think he was, playing games like this? He clearly wanted a confrontation and now, he would get one.
I breezed right past his secretary and knocked on the open door, no regard at all for the phone call he was on as I continued to knock. “I’ll have to call you back, Mom. I have a visitor.” I couldn’t hear what she said that brought a smile to his face and I didn’t care. “Thanks. I have a feeling I’ll need it.” He hung up the old school phone on his desk and smiled at me. Smiled! Like this was a social visit.
“This has to stop, Ben.”
“What does?” He asked the question so casually, as if he had no idea what I was talking about, but his smug smile and the way he folded his arms told the truth.
“The flowers. The plants. The food. More flowers. Rinse and repeat. It all needs to stop. Now.”
He nodded thoughtfully, the way he did with students when he forced them to think about their actions. “You don’t like food or flowers?”
“That’s not the point, Ben, and you damn well know it.” With my hands fisted on my hips, I took a step forward and aimed a finger at his smiling face. “This is mean-spirited and it’s cruel, and I didn’t think that was the kind of guy you were, but now that I see it, I just want you to stop.”
His brows dipped in confusion. “Cruel? Mean-spirited? Is that what you think?”
“What the hell am I supposed to think, Ben? Things between us ended and for a very good reason. So, what other reason could you have for this behavior?” And more importantly, how could I have been so wrong about him? I spent a year crushing on him, dreaming of dates and getting to know each other, only to get it all wrong. So completely wrong.
“Anything but that,” he roared and rose to his feet, anger simmering in his voice.
“Oh right, because you’re so above petty revenge? I don’t think so, Ben. Just stop playing games, all right?”
“I’m not playing games.” He took a step forward and I took a step back, a move that darkened his frown to black. “Did it ever occur to you, Joss, that I realized I was being a damn fool?”
“No, it didn’t. For the past two weeks you haven’t said one damn word to me, only sending me little reminders of our time together. A time which amounted to absolutely nothing, in case you forgot.”
“I haven’t forgotten a damn thing.”
“Then what the hell do you think you’re doing?” The question came out louder than I intended but I refused to back down. If Ben wanted to play games, then I would make his worst fears come to fruition.
“Excuse me,” His secretary, Mrs. Farnsworth, interrupted. “Maybe you want to close door for this particular conversation?”
“Absolutely not,” I insisted. “He wouldn’t have done what he did if he didn’t want the whole world to know what a big man he is, isn’t that right Mr. Rutherford?”
“Sorry for the bother, Mrs. Farnsworth. We’ll try to keep it down.” Ben flashed a sweet smile which the old woman returned before shuffling back to her desk, probably to set the grapevine on fire. When she was out of earshot, Ben turned a knowing look my way. “I think you might be catching on. Finally.”
“Don’t speak in riddles.”
“I’m not. Maybe you’re being purposely obtuse.”
I folded my arms and shook my head. “You can’t charm me with ten dollar words.”
