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Chapter Twelve
Sawyer
“What are you doing in here?” I glance up and find the questioning eyes of Bryce Lehman watching me.
“I brought AJ a coffee,” I reply, setting the cup and white bag down on her empty desk.
“Huh,” he says, crossing his arms across his chest as he casually leans against the doorjamb to AJ’s classroom. “Didn’t know you two were friends.”
I shrug and step away from her desk, my cup of coffee in hand. “It’s on my way in,” I tell him, not owing him any further explanation.
He continues to stare at me, sizing me up and searching for my motives. I could tell that first time I talked to him in AJ’s presence that he had a crush on her. Not that it bothers me, so long as she’s only going out with me. “Have a good holiday?” I ask, taking a sip of my own coffee.
“Not too bad. A few friends and I hung out and played basketball yesterday and grilled out. I love extended weekends,” Bryce says, referring to yesterday’s Labor Day holiday. “What about you? Big weekend?”
“It wasn’t bad.” I’m not about to tell him what I did or who I may have spent part of it with.
“Me and a few friends get together often. You want to come sometime, just let me know.”
“Maybe,” I reply, not committing to anything.
“AJ, is it true you went out with –” Brandy, the school secretary, says as she rounds the corner and comes face-to-face with Bryce and me. “Oh. Hi!” she exclaims, a wide smile spreading across her pretty face. Her eyes sparkle as she zeros in on me, and something tells me, by the way her eyes light up, if she finished that sentence, it would have been my name she mentioned.
Good.
“Oh, hey, Bryce. Sawyer.” She practically swoons as she draws out my name and starts twirling her hair around her finger.
“Brandy,” I nod as she slips into the room.
“I was just looking for AJ,” she says, heading over to her desk and noticing the coffee cup and paper bag. “What’s this?”
“Breakfast.” I have to fight my smile.
When she glances my way, a Cheshire cat’s grin is plastered on her heavily made up face. “Lucky woman,” she singsongs. Glancing over my shoulder, she studies Bryce’s demeanor. He’s standing totally straight, like someone rammed a rod up his ass, and he’s making a face of annoyance. “Hey, Bryce. Good weekend?”
“It was okay,” he stammers behind me.
“Yeah? I hear AJ had a date. Did you hear that, Sawyer?”
“Nope, didn’t hear that,” I reply to her eager question.
“Huh, too bad. Then I guess you probably haven’t heard who it was with then, hmmmm?” she asks, her eyes shining with mischief.
My armor starts to crack, right along with the threatening smile, because I’m definitely ready to stake my claim. Oh, this woman is evil. I see what she’s doing here, trying to get me to confess that I was the mystery man who took AJ out on a date. And while I’m in no way trying to hide that fact, I’m not about to blab to all of our coworkers without AJ knowing first.
“No clue.” I stand my ground.
“Interesting,” she says, drawing out the word and grinning broadly. “I could have sworn that I heard the guy she was out with was –”
“What are you all doing in here?” AJ asks with a smile, but not missing the questioning look on her beautiful face.
“Breakfast!” Brandy exclaims, holding up the bag I set on her desk.
She glances over at Bryce, who barely moves aside as she slips into her classroom, and then her attention turns to me. Her eyes brighten and she offers me a private, knowing smile. “Hi.”
“Good morning, Miss Summer. I just happened to be at that bakery you recommended and noticed they had those blueberry muffins you mentioned. So I grabbed you one and a latte,” I say casually.
“Oh, well, thank you so much,” she replies, and if I’m not mistaken, blushes a little in the process.
