Chapter 12 Monroe
MONROE
Usually, an early-morning walk on Ardnoch Beach would wash away a dreadful night or shitty morning, but enjoying the golden sands was now relegated to afternoons.
It was too dark in the morning during autumn as it was still twilight when I left for work, so I arrived at school in as rubbish a mood as when I’d awoken.
Not that I woke up exactly, considering I’d barely slept a wink.
The first thing I did was order an electric fireplace from the internet.
Arran had warned me autumn and winter in the caravan would be freezing.
Last night was Baltic, and I’d worn layers before sliding under my duvet.
Come winter, I could see myself wearing a hat and gloves to bloody bed.
I wish I could say it was just the cold that had kept me awake, but my mind wouldn’t shut down either.
In fact, I was currently staring at the cause of my insomnia.
Colm, our young school receptionist, had seconds ago led Brodan into the gymnasium where I waited with Ellen, David, and the children. Ellen and David hurried over to greet Brodan while I held back, feeling like a deer trapped in headlights.
Pain swamped me as I watched him greet my colleagues with the famous smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes.
He had a short beard, the scruff sexy on him.
In a navy peacoat, light gray sweater, fitted dark jeans, and dark shoes, he was effortlessly stylish.
He was beautiful beyond bearing, and his clothes were expensive.
Everything about him screamed unattainable.
Factor in our previous encounter, I was pretty certain I was the last person on earth Brodan Adair would ever save from a burning building, never mind actually find attractive.
I allowed the pain of our history and my feelings to linger for a second, and then I conjured up my own hurt and hatred toward Brodan. I’d been determined to let it go, to put the past behind us, but if he wanted to revel in his disdain for me, then I’d happily return the favor.
Shrugging on those negative feelings like armor, I turned away to survey the children, my gaze moving toward Lewis.
He sat forward from his spot on the gym floor, attention trained on his uncle.
There was no denying the hero worship on Lewis’s face.
I could only hope Brodan was a good uncle and worth it.
But then, he had to be if he’d agreed to this.
Today was Brodan’s first day meeting the kids at the school as acting director for our Christmas musical.
When Lewis told us Brodan had agreed to direct, I’d wanted to vomit.
Why on earth would Brodan agree to this?
Didn’t he have a Hollywood film to run off and make?
Didn’t he realize I was Lewis’s teacher?
Just the thought of having to spend two mornings a week with him for the next six weeks sent me into a downward spiral.
I pulled myself together enough to ask Ellen to be a liaison to Brodan.
If Ellen thought it was strange that I didn’t want to be the liaison, considering Lewis was my pupil, my colleague didn’t say a word.
She was too busy being ecstatic that she got to be Brodan’s go-to person at the school.
Ellen and David had met with Brodan prior to today to discuss the script and songbook.
I’d used my caretaking duties for Mum as my excuse not to be in attendance for the meeting.
Of course, the news overjoyed Anita. She hoped for some social media gold because of Brodan’s presence.
The teachers of the lower school were not so happy.
They grumbled about us using outside help.
However, Anita reminded them they could use someone else to direct as well.
Still, I didn’t think it was our using outside help as much as it was us using a famous Hollywood actor as said outside help.
If it were up to me, it wouldn’t be happening, but apparently, I had very little control over my life at the moment.
At least, that’s the way it felt sometimes.
We’d been given a schedule for when we could use the gymnasium.
The back wall of the gym folded away to reveal our large cafeteria, which would become the seating area for the audience on show night.
The gymnasium was also a stage and backstage area and a great place to rehearse.
Ellen, David, and I had gathered the children there to wait for Brodan.
The kids’ excited chatter had died down at Brodan’s arrival, and I met Lewis’s gaze now.
“Can I go over to say hello, Ms. Sinclair?” he asked quietly.
“You may.” I gestured toward the Hollywood star without looking at him.
Lewis grinned and shot to his feet. My gaze reluctantly followed him as he hurried over to Brodan.
My chest squeezed as Brodan’s entire face lit up at the sight of his nephew.
He pulled Lewis into his side for a hug, bending his head to ask him something I couldn’t hear.
Lewis craned his head back, grinning up at his uncle as he nodded and replied.
Whatever it was made Brodan chuckle and bend down to press a kiss to the top of Lewis’s head.
So easily affectionate. He was the same when we were kids—always taking my hand, hugging me, kissing my temple.
Bringing me to orgasm in the castle turret.
My cheeks flushed at the inappropriate memory, and thankfully, the kids distracted me.
Their chatter rose with their growing impatience, so I hushed them as Ellen and David strolled over with Brodan and Lewis at their backs.
To my horror, I noted the way Lewis’s eyes locked on me, and he tugged on his uncle’s hand, drawing him toward me.
The memory of Brodan ignoring me in William’s flashed through my mind, and I forced myself not to wince. My anger resurged.
“Uncle Brodan, this is my teacher, Ms. Sinclair,” Lewis introduced us as they drew to a stop beside me.
Harnessing all my professionalism, I nodded at Brodan, whose eyes rested anywhere but on me. “Hello, Mr. Adair.”
A muscle flexed in his jaw as he gave me a chin lift in greeting and turned away, drawing Lewis with him.
“Everyone, we’d like to introduce you to our director, Mr. Brodan Adair. Say hello to Mr. Adair.” Ellen beamed from ear to ear. Honestly, I’d never seen her so happy.
“Hello, Mr. Adair!” the children chorused.
Brodan grinned. “Hi, everyone.”
“My mum fancies you,” a boy from Ellen’s class called out. “She told my dad she’d dump him for you if you asked.”
David covered a snort with a cough while Brodan tried not to laugh. Ellen, however, scowled at her pupil. “None of that, Max Kristofferson.” She glanced at Brodan and noted his hands resting on Lewis’s shoulders. “Lewis, return to your seat, please.”
A few seconds later, everyone but the adults were seated, and the children were quietly waiting for direction. Ellen hurried over to the chair where she’d placed the pile of scripts and brought them over to hand out.
“Mr. White plays the piano, so we’re fortunate that we don’t need to wait for the music teacher to join us to rehearse the musical numbers. I thought we could start there,” Ellen offered.
Brodan nodded, but I noted his frown.
“Perhaps,” I offered quietly, “we could choose parts today. See which of the children would like a main part and audition them.”
He didn’t look at me. Instead, he said, as if I hadn’t spoken a word, “I think it would be better if we chose the children’s parts today.” He smiled at the kids. “Raise your hands if you’d like a lead role in the musical.”
Both Ellen and David frowned, their gazes bouncing between me and Brodan.
Several hands shot up, including Lewis’s.
We asked the kids who wanted a lead role to stand up and over to the side. I reluctantly stepped toward Brodan and my colleagues. “We should probably start with the roles of Dorothy, the Wicked Witch, the Tin Man, the Lion, and the Scarecrow.”
Brodan tensed beside me and perused the newly condensed script like I hadn’t spoken.
Ellen’s brows drew together as she noted my lips pinch in frustration and embarrassment. She cleared her throat. “Yes, perhaps we should ask those wishing to play Dorothy to read and sing first?”
Brodan nodded. “Excellent idea.”
I couldn’t meet my colleagues’ gazes.
As David sat down at the piano and Brodan made the children laugh to relax them a bit, Ellen sidled up to me. “Pen mentioned you two have history,” she murmured under her breath.
Pen was a P3 teacher who had been in Lachlan Adair’s class at school. She was also a gossip.
“It’s nothing.”
Ellen sighed heavily. “I’m thinking it’s something. If there’s animosity between you two, you should have said something. This could be a terrible idea.”
“No. The kids love him.” I gestured across the room where he had them laughing at who knows what. “You help him audition the kids. I’ll keep the others quiet.” And stay far, far out of the immature bastard’s way.
brODAN
I knew I was being an immature arsehole.
But every time Monroe got near enough for me to smell her perfume, I wanted to bare my teeth like a savage animal. It didn’t matter if she was an inch from me or thirty feet away. I could feel her in the room. Every bloody second.
I’d spotted her as soon as I strolled into the gym.
She wore a dark green dress with long sleeves and a high neck. The hem came to just above her knees to reveal dark tights on her short but great fucking legs. The green made her hair look like copper as it spilled down her back in natural waves.
None of my primary school teachers had looked like Monroe Sinclair.
Christ, she was thirty-seven and still looked like she’d barely graduated from uni.
I knew women in my line of work who would kill for Monroe’s perpetual youth.
Looking at her made holding back the memories difficult, so I’d stopped.
In fact, I was adamantly not acknowledging her.
Like a prick.
I didn’t know how else to get through this.
Forcing myself to focus on the kids, I zeroed in on my nephew.
I’d noted he’d grabbed a girl’s hand to come join him to audition.
She was a cute wee thing with blond pigtails and big blue eyes.
Callie was her name, and she had an American accent.
It had shocked me and Thane that Lewis wanted to audition for the musical since he was a bit of an introvert compared to his sister.
But Lewis further surprised me by stepping forward with determination to audition for the role of the Scarecrow.
My shock was even greater to discover that my nephew was a wee comic.
He delivered the lines with humorous nervousness and his clumsy physicality had me laughing out loud.
I guessed acting was in the genes, after all.
His American friend, Callie, was clearly shy and probably coerced by Lewis to audition for Dorothy, but she delivered the lines with a cuteness I knew the audience would find adorable. After we’d had all the kids run lines, we asked them to sing any song they wanted a cappella.
Lewis didn’t have a fantastic singing voice, but he didn’t need one. Callie, however, had a soft but sweet voice that, with a bit of work on projection, would do nicely for Dorothy.
As soon as we stopped to discuss quietly, however, my attention drew away from Ellen and David to Monroe. The back of my neck tingled, and I wondered if she was watching me. If she was as hyper fucking aware of me as I was of her.
Giving in, I casually turned to peruse the kids and let my gaze linger on Monroe.
She wasn’t looking at me. She kneeled down by a small girl, listening attentively to whatever she was saying. Her expression was soft and kind as she nodded and then gave the girl a reassuring smile.
I watched her take the girl’s hand, and they stood together. My heart thudded in my chest as Monroe walked across the room, murmuring with the child as she gripped her hand. She said something to Ellen, who nodded, and then I watched as Monroe led her from the room.
My chest ached like I’d been struck.
A throat cleared, and I turned to find Ellen staring at me in curiosity. She’d caught me watching Monroe.
Damn it.
This was torture.
And Walker Ironside would pay for putting me in this position.