Page 19 of The Teacher

“You’re a bastard.”

“Maybe I am, but I remember you really liking that when we were eighteen,” he says. He gestures at my low-cut dress. “By the way, you’re looking very nice tonight. Stylish and sexy, that sums you up.”

I roll my eyes again. God, he is very charming when he wants to be. “Thanks.”

He very nearly makes me think of him as a normal, decent person.

“My room is only upstairs if you want to jump back into things.”

And there he goes again, right back to being a bastard.

“Skipper, what you did to me was so wrong. I told you last week I never want to see you again, why can’t you get that through your thick skull?”

“Well, that’s going to be difficult.”

“How so?”

“Your principal has invited me to stay in New Water and inspect the school before I make a decision whether or not to invest.”

“What?”

“See what’s going on.”

“You’re going to stay here?”

“Oh, yes.”

“You can’t.”

“I am.”

“You’re going to be in the school, checking out the classes?”

Skipper continues like he hasn’t just dropped a bombshell. “I really do hope the past can be the past between us, Miss Finn. I wouldn’t want it to come between our professional… relationship.”

Relationship? Professional? What is he talking about?

He’s here to inspect the school? Inspect my workplace?

“Let’s get one thing straight here, Skipper. I’m never ever going to allow you to inspect my classroom.” My voice shakes as I come to terms with what he’s saying here.

He’s here for one thing, to screw me over for a second time. I know it.

I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me so shocked.

I turn around and storm away from him, heading back to the white wine table. I grab a new glass and head over to chat to a group of parents I already know, all the time wary of the man. Skipper doesn’t follow me. Good.

I need to get away from him, just like I did at the wedding.

He wants to invest in the school?

He wants to inspect the school?

Inspect me? Judge the job I’m doing?

No. Freaking. Way.

I’m not going to let him.