Page 19 of Apparently, I’m Torture

Mia found her way next to me, her shoulder bumping into mine. “That asshole,” she whispered. “I’ve never been so embarrassed.”

I grimaced. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your bloody fault, Lilly,” she spat. “It’s his.”

She looked over her instruction sheet. Each of them had our names written on them, and Mia’s instructions were different to mine. Shawn had individualized his plan to suit each of us. I almost wanted to roll my eyes because of course he did.

It looked like I was in charge of merchandising for the event, which suited me just fine. It used to be my wheelhouse, back when I was a young and eager Kappa Delta. Maybe stepping into these duties would be like pulling on a silky house robe. Soft, comfy, easy.

Mia clucked her tongue. “He’s got me looking after the entertainment. Looks like I’ll be spending the next six weeks grabbing coffee for a group of men with a celebrity complex.”

Shawn spoke with such authority; it snapped our focus back to him.

“Each of you have separate duties ranging from catering, invitations, marketing, entertainment and merchandising, and each task is important. Your individual skills are what will make the difference between getting the job done, and getting it done well.”

He shifted on his feet, and his lips lifted into a small, depreciative smile. My heart shuffled as I caught sight of a dimple. I hadn’t seen one of those in so long, it was difficult not to stare.

“Thank you all for coming out here and volunteering your summer break like this. Each and every one of you is going above the call of duty here, and it won’t go unnoticed.”

A small applause rippled through the teachers, with Stacey clapping loudest of all. I cocked my head at her. Was she… working with him? Assisting him? Or was it more than that? I bit my lower lip and hugged my paper to my chest. Were they… together?

“If you’ll follow me, our office is on the upper floor.”

With that, Shawn turned and walked toward an inconspicuous elevator that was half-hidden behind a stack of chairs. He didn’t look over his shoulder to make sure we were coming. He knew his admirers would follow.

What I would’ve given to have confidence like that. Maybe I would’ve done more with my career if… ugh I was not here for a pity party. I was here to prove I could be the teacher my students deserved.

A small group of us crammed into the elevator, somehow managing to give Shawn a bit of distance. It wasn’t until the carriage jostled that someone burst his personal space bubble. Guess who that person was? Little old me.

“Uh, sorry.” Geez. Bumping into Shawn was like faceplanting into a brick wall. Or an electric fence. Sparks skittered across my skin as I steadied myself. It wasn’t until I looked up at him that I realized I still had my hand on his chest, and I jerked back like I’d been touching a hot plate. Every bit of me was covered in sweat; I could feel it weighing down my bangs, sliding down my spine, settling in my armpits.

I muttered my apologies again, and his brows softened as he looked down at me. A strange development. His slight smile was stranger still. My lower belly jolted, like hundreds of tiny bubbles decided to pop all at once.

“It’s fine, Miss Fares.”

But then he had to use my damn teacher name again.

“Are you… still mad at me?” I asked, voice low.

His brows shot up, and he wrenched his glance toward the elevator doors. “We’re here for work, Miss Fares.”

“But I just want to know–”

The elevator doors opened as my soft words caught the attention of a few teachers. Their squints moved from me to Shawn until he gestured for them to step out.

We shuffled into a room filled with soft beige carpet, large windows and wooden cubicles lined with desks, chairs and computers. It was freezing in here. I gripped my arms tight and followed as Shawn led everyone inside.

The elevator disappeared and reappeared, bringing more teachers in.

“There’s a workstation for each of you, and to avoid confusion, your desks have been labelled. For now, I want each of you to find your place, boot up your computer and get comfortable. If there are any technical issues, I’m your point of contact.”

Could he sound anymore robotic? Where was the fun, carefree, goofy Shawn I knew and loved? I completely understood the professional tone when he was up on a podium, delivering a speech to hundreds of teachers. But did he ever just relax around his colleagues?

If Mia and I couldn’t tease one another–Mia. I looked around the small crowd and found her grumbling under her breath as she shot Shawn daggers.

I gripped her elbow as the crowd dissipated, and assumed everyone was looking for their desks. “Come on, let’s find ours.”

“I bet that bastard sat us as far away from each other as possible,” she muttered.