Page 320 of Tease Me


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“I know. Of course, I asked her what in the hell she thought she was doing. The bitch tried to play it off, acting like my phone had been ringing and she was concerned I was getting an emergency phone call or something. Then she left my desk. I knew it was strange, and at first, I really thought nothing about it because, you know, that’s just how Nosy Karen is. But then—” She stopped and faced me, tears overspilling her eyes.

“What? Tell me, Barbie, what is it?”

“A few minutes later, I overheard her making a dinner reservation for the Dean at the same restaurant, the same time and date. Is it just a coincidence or—?”

“What?” I freaked out, jumping off of Teddy’s lap. “This is bad, so bad. If the Dean had shown up seeing us there, she’d know about us. My job would be on the line.”

Teddy growled so deep that I felt the vibration a few feet away. “So that’s how the Dean keeps showing up when we’re together.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Like he didn’t have a doubt in his mind what was actually going on.

“Karen must have been spying on the conversations between Barbie and I then arranging for the dean to show up. But something doesn’t add up. If Karen has some weird thing against me, and information to ruin me and get me fired, why not just tell the dean about Teddy and me herself? Why play these games?”

Barbie shook her head and wrung her hands. “I don’t know. But there’s more. You know the email you sent me with your plans for spring break, jetting off to Miami with Teddy for the week? It was on my screen when Karen was standing there.”

I gasped out loud and grabbed my chest because I knew what Karen surely had to have seen. Plans with dates, times, and places where Teddy and I were going to have the time of our lives for a week filled with romance. Far away from Glendale Falls.

Barbie rushed her words. “But I don’t know if she saw the email, as focused on my phone and our texts as she was. So I can’t be sure she knows your plans.”

“Who is this lady, and why would she have it out for my sister?” Diego asked.

“Great question. Give me a day, and I’ll figure it out.” Teddy said, the clicking of his jaw so loud it almost echoed around the room.

“What do you have in mind?” Diego straightened, his fists tightening on his knees, ready for a fight.

“A little stake out, and some background information gathering. I’ll call Jace, see if he can use his Boston PD connections to look into her.”

My stomach suddenly turned into one massive knot, threatening to make me physically ill. “Shit. I knew this would happen. See. This is my biggest fear coming true. I’m gonna lose everything. My career is over. My life is ruined.”

Teddy launched off the couch. “That’s pretty hurtful, Mia, when you say you’re going to lose everything. Apparently, I’m not included in the word ‘everything’ and what it means to you.”

My back went rigid at the implication that he didn’t matter to me. “Oh no. That’s not what I meant, Teddy.”

Teddy shrugged it off. “Whatever. Diego, we got a little work to do. Let’s go.”

They moved to the door, but my heart stayed on the floor. My words must have cut deep, hurting him, if the scowl he gave me meant anything. “Teddy, I—”

He turned back and brought me into his arms. “I got you. I’m always protecting you, remember? We’ll talk later.” With no kiss, no reassuring smile, his eyes lowered to the ground as he walked out. The slamming of the door shattered my heart to pieces.

“Oh Barbie, everything is so messed up now. What am I going to do?” I collapsed in a heap on the floor and cried. As if that would solve anything, make Karen go away, keep my job, and remove any doubts from Teddy’s heart about us. But I was lost without a clue how to make everything right.

* * *

Teddy and I canceled our plans for the restaurant, of course. And we put our spring break reservations on hold. A week went by, with Teddy being quiet, keeping his distance and short with me on the phone. He assured me he was looking into things though.

Barbie and I kept talking at home, going over and over things to figure them out, until an idea formed about creating our own sting operation.

At the office, my best friend purposely had me on speakerphone, and I told her exactly where Teddy and I would study that night at the gym. We wanted to see if the dean showed up at that time, to see if Karen really was playing games with my career.

Barbie and I met at the basketball gymnasium in the stands, cracking open our laptops as if working. Really, we spied all around us.

Sure enough, the dean showed up with another woman I recognized as one of our math professors. It made no sense. Why would a dean be meeting a math teacher in the gym? Particularly when there wasn’t a basketball game or even a practice going on, and no other event there. Just a bunch of students studying or visiting together.

“I don’t know. It still could be a coincidence,” I lamented as Barbie and I walked out. “The dean is the interim president. She’s a busy woman with a crazy schedule. I’m sure Karen must have to get creative as her assistant trying to keep the workflow and meetings moving along.”

“Hm. But it’s awfully suspicious. Maybe I need to snoop around the office myself, see if I can find any proof that might help us narrow down if Karen is interfering in your life.”

My phone chirped, and my heart beat faster seeing Teddy calling. “Hey,” I answered.

“Jace called me with the information we’ve been waiting for. Are you at home?”

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