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“The seniors had this all planned by the end of last year, but yeah, I’m still amazed they pulled it off,” Scarlet explains, laying out a picnic mat toward the back of the field. We’re here to keep an eye on the students, but from a distance. Most of the senior teaching staff have been roped into helping for the night, and I’m here because really, what else do I have to do? Most of my girlfriends have moved on with their lives to bigger and better things. So the high school fundraiser with my two new colleagues and my ex it is.
Miles and Brandon follow behind us, and I try to ignore the awkward tension in the air. Miles picked us all up like he said he would. I was hoping to have some time with him before Brandon got in the car, but no, of course the control freak himself was already there sitting in the front seat with a stupid smirk on his pretty face when I got in, so I couldn’t. He kept the whole conversation about our school’s team, so I was out of the conversation until we picked up Scarlet, making me feel even more uncomfortable. But that was probably what he wanted.
Brandon might be making a big effort tonight to act like I’m nothing to him, but he must think I'm blind to have not noticed the way he's been watching me all week. I can feel his eyes on me even now. If he thinks he’s getting away with being a stalker, he’s mistaken. I see him, the fucking creeper. And the next chance I get, I’m calling him out on his bullshit.
“I love your dress. Where did you get it?” Scarlet asks as we both take a seat on the picnic rug she brought with her.
I straighten out the short polka-dot skirt. “My sister Amelia has a fashion label, Artemis. Most of my clothes are from one of her collections. Pretty cool, hey.”
“You lucky bitch. I love your sister’s style. Her stores are popping up everywhere now.”
I didn’t even realize Scarlet would have known her label, but I guess Amelia is getting pretty popular now, with her label trending all over the country after it blew up on social media a few months back.
“I’m heading down to her studio tomorrow if you want to join me,” I ask her, really hoping she will be interested. I need a friend if I’m going to make it through this teaching gig. This week has been tougher than I first thought. It’s not like teaching at the dance studio; there the kids want to dance. Here they want to do anything but. That’s my younger classes, anyway. The cheer girls are just a bunch of spoiled brats with massive attitude, but I guess at least they want to be a part of the team, they’re just entitled. And honestly, that was probably me not all that long ago.
Scarlet gives me a look, her eyes nearly popping out of her head. “Ahh, hell yeah, I’d love to.” She beams.
"You can bring your little girl too, I would love to meet her."
“Amelia always was a trendsetter,” Brandon says from behind us. “The other girls used to follow her around, copying her style like mini-mes.” I’m a little startled because I didn’t realize he was right there, literally listening to our conversation.
I look up at him, still not sure how I’m supposed to be around him and act like a normal human. Especially when he looks as good as he does tonight. His stubble is longer than usual, and he's wearing black jeans and an olive-green T-shirt that makes the color of his eyes pop. He has a casual vibe going on that suits him too well. Assholes shouldn't be so pretty so you can see them coming and know to stay away.
He has me on edge, and that damn pain is in my chest again. I need something to calm it if I’m going to get through tonight. “Oh yeah, that’s right, you two were in the same year at school,” I say dismissively. What, he’s not ignoring me now? I know he won’t be able to stand my attention, not on him, and part of me wants to piss him off for his behavior on Monday. He knows Miles asked me to come tonight as just the two of us, but he had to tag along anyway, so I’m going to make sure he feels as uncomfortable about the night as I do.
“Yes, we’re good friends. I caught up with her just last week,” he says, a smile playing on his face, and a surprising ping of jealousy hits me. He caught up with Amelia? I knew they were in the same friendship group at school, but I didn’t realize they were close enough to meet up after all this time.
I’m not sure why the idea of it bothers me so much, but it does. My older sister might be a mom of two, but she’s beautiful and successful and very single, and when I think about it, they would be a perfect match. Except my dad would definitely kill him, so I guess maybe I don’t need to worry about them having a thing. Maybe they just ran into each other or something and he is trying to make a big deal out of it to push my buttons.
“I’m going to get something to eat. Cassie, you want to join me?” asks Miles, holding out a hand for me. I smile up at him. He’s so sweet. I have really taken a liking to him this week. I was serious about what I told him earlier today. I wasn’t just saying it for nosy Brandon’s big ears. Dating anyone I work with isn’t a good idea, but if he wants to mess around no strings attached, I’m up for a bit of fun.
“Sure, that sounds perfect. I’m starving.” I let him help me to stand. “You want me to grab you something, Scarlet?” I ask my new friend. She has been a godsend this week and is fast becoming my favorite person, with her perky attitude toward life. Even though she is a sleep-deprived single mother, she still manages to arrive at work every day, peppy and ready to educate.
“I’m good. I’ll go have a look at what’s available later.” She smirks. I give her a look in reply that sayswhat?But she just waves us off. “Have fun, you two.” She tells us in her motherly tone, so much more implied. She thinks we would make a cute couple.
“Brandon?” asks Miles, being polite.
He takes a seat next to Scarlet. “Nah, I’m good,” he tells us, and I’m surprised he’s going to let us walk off together. Maybe tonight he has a better grip on his spying habit. Either way, I’m happy to get the hell away from him.
I hook Miles’s arm with mine, and he gives me a sideways smirk. I do it more to piss off Brandon than get Miles’s attention, but I like the way he smiles at me. He really is very attractive. Not in the heartthrob way like Brandon is, where my entire body is on high alert when he’s around, but more of a boy-next-door kind a way, with sandy-blond hair and piercing blue eyes. The bulge of his biceps doesn’t go unnoticed either. The boy works out, and it shows. Maybe I have a type; ex-football players do all sorts of things to me.
We wander down the hill in search of something yummy to eat, trying to avoid the groups of teenagers mingling on the lawn as we go.
“How long have you been at Palm Springs High?” I ask him, mainly because I’m trying to gauge how old he is. Sometimes it’s so hard to tell once everyone is out of school. And he has a baby face.
“Couple of years. I was lucky like you and got a job straight out of college.”
I nod. So that would make him twenty-five-ish I'm guessing. “You from around here originally?”
“Nah, LA, but this came up, and I thought, why not? I like it here now, it’s cushy. You grew up here, didn’t you?”
“Yep. This was my school. I had hoped to get as far away from here as possible, to New York. But you know, life had a different plan, so here I am.” I shrug, not wanting to be any more specific than that.
“You could apply to other schools, get a transfer?” he offers.
I give him a look. “You trying to get rid of me already?” I hit him playfully.
“God, no, I like having you around. Joking around with you this week certainly has made the days go faster. I can already tell you're going to be fun to have around.”
