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When I reach for my purse, the dad cuts in. “I got it,” he says with a grin. “We parents need to stick together.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” I protest, but he’s already got his card out and is thrusting it at Fiona.
She arches an eyebrow at me, but thankfully says nothing.
Mac’s face when I agreed to come to Four Cups with this guy was nothing short of thunderous, but what was I supposed to do? Not come see my sister? Make some excuse that sounded fake? Linger awkwardly just out of sight until I saw him leave?
Actually—yeah, I probably should have done that.
Sven hands me my usual Americano, his eyes darting to the man beside me as well. No doubt everyone will be questioning me about this little appearance within the hour. Desperate to change the subject, I nod to his fresh pink shirt with the glittery Heart’s Cove Hottie writing across the chest. “New shirt? This one doesn’t have the sleeves ripped off.”
“Fiona told me I needed to be professional,” he answers.
“Oh please,” Fiona quips. “I know how to pick my battles.”
Sven just laughs, which gives me the opportunity to turn to…Rick! His name is Rick. Thank goodness. “Rick, it was lovely to meet you, but I really do need to go speak to my sister. She’s expecting me.”
“Oh, of course. Look, I was hoping I could call—”
“Thank you so much for the coffee. Got to run. Bye!”
I make my escape, feeling foolish and panicked and rude. But honestly, the last thing I need right now is some single dad from my child’s class asking me out to more coffee dates. I can just imagine Mac’s reaction.
Wait—no. I don’t care about Mac’s reaction. Mac is my daughter’s teacher. I shiver. Just the thought of it feels wrong, wrong, wrong.
Coffee sloshing out of its takeaway cup, I make my way to the bright-red door beside the café and climb the steps to the library above. Wes, Simone’s husband, refurbished the space as a gift to her. It’s one of the most romantic things I’ve ever heard. I was in town for their wedding recently, and it was the first time I had actual fun since my separation from Kevin.
Needless to say, the library above the café is a special space. When I push the interior door open, I find Simone tapping away on her laptop near the window and Candice at another desk, frowning at the screen in front of her. She looks up when I enter, relief washing over her. “Thank goodness. If I have to look at this spreadsheet for one more minute, I might explode. I am not a bookkeeper. I don’t know how you did this for Kevin for years, Trina. I’m going cross-eyed.”
Simone snorts. “I told you to leave it for Jen or Fiona. Play to your strengths, Candice.”
My sister lets out a sigh, then nods at me. “What’s up? You look weird.”
I look down at my outfit, frowning. I thought I looked cute this morning. I only agonized over my look for over an hour. There’s not exactly a handbook for the appropriate outfit to go see your daughter’s teacher who happens to be sex on legs who also happens to be the man you had dirty sex with the day before.
“I don’t mean your clothes, Trina. I mean your face. Specifically, the expression on it.” Candice takes a step toward me. “What’s wrong?”
Welp. Here goes nothing. “Mac is Katie’s teacher.”
Simone stops typing and swivels her head toward me. Candice’s face is frozen.
I wipe my sweating palms on my robin’s-egg-blue-colored linen pants, then spread my arms wide. “I kind of, maybe, sort of…hooked up with him on Saturday.”
The rest of Simone’s body swivels to face me. Candice’s eyes widen a fraction.
I clear my throat. “And maybe also slept with him yesterday too.”
Silence answers back.
Now my hands are wringing together in front of my body. I cringe, glancing at Simone. “Say something.”
Without hesitating, Simone answers, “How was it?”
I drop my hands to my sides. “That’s what you want to know?”
Simone’s lips twitch. “Well…yeah?”
Candice clears her throat. “Can we go back to the part about Mac Blair being a school teacher? How did we not know this? Did you not ask each other about work?”
