Chapter 3
CONRAD GOT home just in time to put Lizzie to bed. He sat on the edge of her bed and began reading a story, but Lizzie stopped him. “You have to do the voices.”
“What voices?” he asked.
Lizzie sighed dramatically. “Mr. Scoville does all the voices when he reads stories.” She looked up at him as if he was supposed to suddenly develop that same magic ability.
“You know, I could just go downstairs and you could go to sleep without a story.” He cocked his eyebrows.
“O-kay,” she said, “you can just read the story.” She sighed as though it was a consolation prize.
“I’m glad you approve.” He continued reading and finished the story before kissing Lizzie good night and leaving the room.
He went downstairs to get something to drink.
His mom had already left, and the house was quiet when he grabbed a beer and went out back onto the patio.
He sank into a chair and looked up at the stars, sipping his beer and enjoying the quiet, until his phone rang.
“Hey, Derek,” he said softly. “How’s it going?
” Derek was the executive director of the library downtown.
He and Derek had gone to school together and stayed on the same floor in the dorms. They’d both quickly sussed each other out, and for a while were the two gay guys on the floor.
They watched each other’s backs, and Derek developed a sharp tongue that could cut deep and fast. Conrad was quieter but much more devious.
“Is everything all right at the library?”
“Oh, yes. Look, I volunteer for Carlisle Arts, and there’s a gallery show opening this Friday.
We’re making calls to members and people we thought might be interested, and I saw your name on the list and thought I’d call.
It gives me a chance to see how you’re doing and to ask about the opening.
So a twofer.” Conrad could almost see Derek smiling.
“It’s good to hear from you, and I don’t have any plans, so I should be able to come. And you can see Lizzie. She’s getting big—she just started school.” They wouldn’t have to stay that long, and Lizzie knew how to behave. “So how’s life?”
“It’s really good. Harm is doing really well. The two of us have booked a cruise for January. A week of sun, fun… and absolutely no snow. I think by then I’ll definitely need a vacation. How about you? Anything or anyone special on the horizon?”
“Not really. I mean, my life revolves around work and Lizzie.” He snickered.
“I have to tell you that one of the kids in Lizzie’s class was picking on the girls, pulling their hair and otherwise harassing them.
Lizzie told me about it, and I said it was okay to stand up for herself.
I figured she’d yell at him, but instead she punched him in the nose.
Apparently my kid is going to be a boxer.
Thankfully the teacher saw the instigation.
But I had to sit her down and explain about using your words first. Though the bully has now been avoiding her like the plague. ”
Derek cackled. “Serves him right. Remember what we did to Blake? That guy was a real pain in the ass and smart as a box of rocks. But God, he was mean.”
“He nearly pushed you down the stairs once.” Conrad got angry just thinking about it.
“Yeah, and I bet he’s still trying to figure out how his bed and dresser ended up on the roof without anyone seeing a thing.
” It had been easy and a complete misdirection.
They had gotten an extra dorm bed and dresser and put them on the roof.
Then it was just a matter of hiding dipshit’s furniture, making up the bed, and sliding his drawers into the roof dresser.
They even adorned it with rainbow flags.
The actual switch didn’t take that long.
Then all they needed to do was move the furniture so it could be seen…
by everyone. They even managed to join the crowd of gawkers and made sure dipshit saw them.
It was beautiful. Derek laughed once more, and that familiar sound was like soothing music to Conrad’s nerves.
They had tried dating… for about a week, and realized they were much better as friends.
Conrad sipped his beer and sat back, finally relaxing.
“How is Lizzie liking school?”
“She loves it and thinks her teacher hung the moon.”
Derek didn’t say anything right away. “I sense some hesitancy. You don’t like him?”
“It isn’t that….” He sighed. “The guy scares the crap out of me most of the time. He reminds me of my mother’s boyfriend.”
“Uggggh, Rodney was a douchebag,”
“He was, and so much more. And… this guy is a miracle worker. Lizzie talks to him… like, nonstop. And yet he’s huge. He’s like six three, broad shoulders, and he’s bald. I’ve met him a few times, and he’s….”
Derek snickered. “Okay. What’s the issue? He isn’t Rodney, and Lizzie likes him. He’s her teacher, after all, and you aren’t going to see him all that often.” He paused a second. “Oh, I get it. You think he’s hot.”
“I do not,” Conrad answered way too fast, and he knew he was in trouble.
“You like Lizzie’s teacher.” Derek was cackling again. “You don’t have an issue with Harm.”
“No. He’s great.”
“Right. So yeah, Lizzie’s teacher is big and reminds you of Rodney the douchebag. But you like him.”
“Derek, please stop. Lizzie really likes the guy, and I was at the Y today and he was in the sauna, and….”
“Did you get a peek at his goodies?” Derek asked.
Conrad groaned. “No. We were each wearing shorts. God, sometimes I wonder about you.”
“But you got a look under the teacher clothes and found something yummy.” Maybe it was best he stop this conversation.
Luckily Derek seemed to pick up on his thoughts.
“Okay. I’ll be good. Anyway, I know Rodney was a bully and that your mom dumped him and that he left a bad impression on you.
But you can’t let that stop you from seeing this man for who he really is.
The guy isn’t Rodney, and just because he’s big and shaves his head… .”
“He doesn’t,” Conrad said. “Guys who shave their heads still have stubble or a shadow, but Forrest doesn’t have any of that.”
“You mean he’s bald naturally?”
Conrad cleared his throat. “He doesn’t have eyebrows either. And his skin is really smooth.” He stopped himself from trying to remember if he saw any hair anywhere. “I don’t think the look is by choice.”
“Then you’re afraid of the guy for something he can’t control, just like all the people at the library were afraid of Harm before they realized he couldn’t talk. You remember.”
“I know what you’re saying, but my reaction to him was so visceral that it’s hard to get over it.” He took a deep breath.
“And yet you find him hot as all hell,” Derek supplied. “And there is the real rub.”
“You’re like a dog with a bone. Fine, he’s built and hot as all hell. Are you happy? He’s also Lizzie’s teacher, so he’s off limits, because there is no way I’m dating him. Not that he’s interested in me anyway, and I’m just getting myself spun up over nothing.”
“Whoa… okay. I get that. But this isn’t about dating or anything.
At this point, it’s about dealing with your residual feelings about Rodney the douchebag and wading through those.
You need to deal with them so you can let them go and move on.
Let yourself get past what he did and how you feel about him.
Your mom dumped him and seems to be getting over all that, judging by the fact that she was out to dinner with a silver fox the other day. ”
“You saw my mom when she was on her date? I knew she was seeing someone, but I haven’t met him yet.”
“I didn’t either. I just saw them together, but he seemed nice enough, and I have tell you, he was really quite good-looking and your mom certainly seemed happy. So did he, for that matter.”
“I’m glad Mom seemed happy. She deserved it after spending all that time with Rodney.
I hated the man, but he had her so wrapped in circles that she didn’t know which way to turn.
” The time she saw Rodney backhand him was the wake-up call for her.
Rodney had actually seemed shocked when Mom tossed him out of the house and threw his clothes out to him on the lawn.
“All I can say is that I’m glad she never married the bastard.
” They had talked of it, but Mom resisted.
Conrad always thought it was because she still loved and missed his father.
“Well, he’s gone and has been for a while. It’s been long enough that you need to try to get over all of it. If your mom can, then so can you. So you have to promise me that if hot teacher shows any interest in you, then you’ll at least give him a chance.”
“Oh God. I am not going out with one of Lizzie’s teachers, no matter how hot he may be.”
“Daddy,” Lizzie said, and Conrad groaned before setting his beer on the table next to his chair. She crawled on his lap.
“I need to go. We’ll see you on Friday.” He ended the call and set his phone aside. “What’s going on? Did you have a bad dream?”
She nodded. “There is a monster under my bed. I heard Keenan tell the other kids that’s where monsters live. And I don’t want any monsters to eat me.”
“There is nothing under your bed except dust and the shoes you put under there. Keenan doesn’t know anything, and there’s nothing for you to be scared of.
I’m here, and I’ll always watch over you and keep you safe.
” God, he hated when she got like this. He hummed softly and rocked slowly until Lizzie fell back to sleep.
Then he quietly carried her upstairs and put her in bed with her stuffed penguin next to her.
He covered her up and left the door open.
Downstairs, he went back outside and brought in his phone and beer, trying not to think too much about… well, everything. He knew he shouldn’t get so overwrought over Forrest. Derek was right—he was just Lizzie’s teacher and that was all. He needn’t make anything more out of it.