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“Yes. What do you think about this?” I showed her the text.

“You look amazing in that sweater?” Scarlett whispered, reading the text out loud. “This feels very stalkerish. Plus...won’t he know it’s you? He’ll at least know it’s someone in this class. No, he’ll definitely know it’s you.”

“Right.” I grabbed my phone back and tried again. “Hey, my friend gave me your number. And I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Scarlett nodded. “I like it. Sexy but subtle and mysterious. And actually true.”

I hit send. And then I held my breath. I was going to flip this desk if this number was a house number again or something ridiculous like that.

But then Mr. Halifax’s cell phone buzzed on his desk.

Thank God.

He turned away from the chalkboard and grabbed it. A scowl crossed his face as he responded.

He looked so handsome when he was perplexed. He gave me that same look a lot. I liked that I always kept him on his toes.

My phone lit up and I looked at it under my desk. He’d written: “Who is this?”

Scarlett scooted to the edge of her seat to see his response. She gave me two thumbs up.

I started typing my reply. “Wait, you really don’t know? I was hoping you’ve been thinking about me too after the other night.” I hit send. It was true again. Had he pictured his arms around me at the football game as many times as I had?

“Seriously, who is this?” he texted.

I glanced at him standing at his desk. He looked very perturbed. I had him just where I wanted him. “I guess I’m your secret admirer.”

The ball rang, but he was still staring at his phone.

I definitely had him just where I wanted him. I cleared my throat. “I thought we weren’t allowed to use our phones in class, Mr. Halifax?” I said.

He lifted his gaze to mine. And then he shook his head. “Right, Miss Hunter. Sorry. It was a wrong number. I just blocked them.” He tossed his phone back on his desk.

WHAT?! No he did not! I wrote out another text and hit send. But his phone didn’t buzz. The screen didn’t even light up. Had he seriously blocked his secret admirer?! Why would he do that? Damn it!

I glanced at Scarlett.

She shrugged. “Maybe he didn’t want to talk to a secret admirer because he only wants you.”

Huh. I hadn’t thought about that. Scarlett was a genius. “I should have been a little less secretive. I should have at least called him Mr. Halifax. I need a burner phone ASAP.”

“Miss Hunter and Miss Hunter,” Mr. Halifax said. “Are the two of you planning on speaking during my whole class?”

There was nothing I loved more than this routine. He always scolded both of us. But his eyes were always only on me.

“Sorry, Mr. Halifax.” I put my elbow on my desk and traced my lower lip with my index finger.

His eyes followed the path of my finger.

And then his Adam’s apple rose and then fell.

“It won’t happen again,” I said and licked my lower lip.

He cleared his throat. “Good, good.” He turned back to the board.

Scarlett leaned across the aisle and slapped my thigh. She pointed to his back and then to my lips.

“I know,” I whispered. But I was glad she’d seen it too. Sometimes I was worried it was all in my head. And it was nice to know it wasn’t. Mr. Halifax wanted me. He’d only blocked my number because he thought I was someone else. I wanted to jump on my desk and celebrate, but I forced myself to stay seated.