Chapter Thirteen
I pulled into the school’s small parking lot, next to the front door. There were two kids out on the steps banging erasers together, puffing chalk dust into the air. I smiled. When was the last time I saw something like that? Most schools didn’t even have blackboards anymore.
They said hello as I walked past, and I went through the small lobby and into the main hallway. I felt strange bursting in, as if I were coming into a home uninvited. Maybe I should have made arrangements first? I had a bag hanging from my hand with the box inside. The bright purple color could never be considered inconspicuous, and I didn’t want to draw any undue attention.
There were a few people and kids milling about, but overall, it was just as deserted as the last time I was there. I wondered if Cassie was lurking in the shadows. Having a run-in with her wasn’t on my to-do list for the day.
I walked past the seemingly unoccupied office when that tiny peanut of a woman popped up like a frickin’ jack-in-the-box. I clutched my chest and yelped. She really should wear a bell around her neck.
“Sorry, hon. Jillian, right?” I nodded. Wow, good memory. “You here for Mr. Nolan again?”
“Yes, but I don’t want to disturb his class. I just have something for him. I can also leave it with you if I have to?”
She looked behind her at the clock. “Great timing. Just head on down, hon. Same room as before. The kids have snack break in five minutes.”
“Oh, okay. Thank you… I’m sorry, I never got your name.”
“Call me, Sue, hon.”
“Thank you, Sue.”
I took a few more steps when I noticed a familiar little girl coming toward me. “Hello, Hazel. I’m Jillian. Do you remember me? I met you during your guitar lesson.”
She smiled. “I remember you. You’re Mr. N’s girlfriend.”
“Ah, no, sweetie. We’re just—”
“I hafta go to the doctor. My grandma’s waiting for me outside.”
I looked her over. I hoped everything was fine. Her cheeks did look a lot less rosy than before, but that could have been the mother in me being overly worrisome.
“Are you feeling okay?” I asked as I walked with her toward the main doors.
She shrugged. “Just a check.”
“That’s good. Say, I heard you found my phone by the swings after practice. Thank you so, so much. That phone was super important to me, and I’m really happy to have it back.”
Her grin covered her entire face. “You’re welcome.” She hugged me before taking off to her grandmother’s car. What a sweet girl. I waved, then focused back to the mission on hand.
I enjoyed the artwork posted on the walls as I strolled down to the end of the hall. I wondered if any of the artists were Chase’s kids, which made me laugh softly. It was amusing to think of Chase having kids when he was barely an adult himself.
The door to his room was open, and I crept up silently. I didn’t want to interrupt, but I was curious to hear what he was teaching. I peeked in then darted back before he could see me. He was standing at the board, a handful of kids sitting in desks in front of him.
“A quarter note?” one of the girls said, doubtfully.
“Excellent. Keep it up, Lily, and you could be the next Bach.” She giggled, and I chuckled along. “Now, what about this one?” Chase asked. The class was silent. “Nobody? Come on, guys…. You’re killing me here.”
I heard movement, and the room burst into peals of laughter. I wished I could see what Chase was doing up there to make those kids smile.
“What about you, Ms. Hudson? Can you tell me what this is?”
Huh? I poked my head in. I guess my moves hadn’t been as stealthy as I thought. He was pointing at the board with a piece of blue chalk. “Uh, that’s a treble clef,” I said.
“Very good.” Chase aimed in on me, lips curved high. “You get a star.”
His voice was warm honey, dripping into my mouth. I quivered, then wanted to slap myself. No kid wanted to see me get all melty over their teacher.
The clickety-clack of heels directed my attention back to the hallway where I saw the shock of blonde hair first. She sauntered toward me, face stiff, smile painted on, just like a plastic Barbie doll head.
“Another visit to our school, and so soon? What a treat.”
What a fucking bitch. “Yes, it is, Cassie.”
“Anything I can help you with?”
“How kind of you, but I’m here to see Chase. I can wait.”
“Unfortunately, Mr. Nolan is—”
“Miss Randall,” Chase said from the doorway. I was having such a delightful conversation, I hadn’t noticed him come over. “May I ask a favor?”
She straightened, sticking out her chest. “Of course!”
My eyes were rolling so hard in my head I felt like a giant snowball flying down the hill.
“Could you please watch the class for a few minutes while I speak with Ms. Hudson alone?”
“Oooo,” all the kids said in unison. We had an audience.
“Oh. Sure.” Her shoulders slumped a bit.
Did Chase realize what he was doing to this woman? Bitch or not, I almost felt sorry for her. She slunk into the room, and he stepped out, shutting the door.
“She likes you, you know,” I said.
“Yeah, she passed me a note the other day in gym class.”
I slugged him on the arm. “I’m serious. She’s got it bad.”
He smiled. “You jealous?”
What? “No, Chase. I don’t get jealous. I’m just pointing it out, you know, in case you felt the same way.”
His eyes narrowed. “I don’t.”
“Okay.”
He took a step closer, and I took a step back. “Just a wild guess here, but I don’t think you made the drive over to come and talk about Cassie.”
“No, of course not.” I had to collect my thoughts, get my shit together. His jaw was freshly shaven, smooth skin that wouldn’t make my lips raw. Although, raw was nice too.
“Jillian?”
“Right.” I opened the bag, flashing him the purple box. “This is why I’m here. To give this back.”
He smiled. “I have enough purple boxes. I don’t need it back. You can keep it.”
“You know very well I’m talking about the dress.”
“I don’t want that either. It’s not my size.”
Argh. “Can you please be serious, Chase?” I had a whole bunch of ground work I’d planned to lay out—I went over it the entire way there—but now I couldn’t remember any of it.
“Do you think I can’t be serious when I need to be, Jillian?” He lightly skimmed my face with his fingertip, and I flinched. It was unexpected, and it sizzled.
I stepped back again. We were playing a game of cat and mouse. “I can’t accept the dress. Please, just take it.” I thrust the bag toward him.
He looked down without grabbing it, then back up at me. “But the sauce was acceptable?” I nodded. “Why is that?”
“Because….”
“Because it’s practical?”
“Exactly.”
“Don’t you like the dress?”
“The issue’s not whether I like it.” I felt like he was playing with me, watching me squirm a little before he pounced. “Yes, I like it. Enough that I wanted to buy it.” I paused, another question mark forming. “Wait, how did you know I wanted it?”
He touched his lips, and I licked mine without meaning to. “After the show, I saw you holding it up against you, large smile on your face. I recognized you from the audience and… and I won’t repeat the thoughts that were going through my mind at that time.” He leaned over and whispered, “Not here.”
The burn from his initial touch was spreading like wildfire. “And then you met me on the rooftop.” With your green, green eyes flecked with gold. My pussy clenched.
“And then I met you on the rooftop.”
The door swung open, and I jumped back, my heart jackhammering my ribs. Caught with my mouth on the cookie jar, shoveling in every last buttery crumb.
“Er, Mr. Nolan? I believe it’s been more than a few minutes.”
“Are the kids still eating their snack?” She nodded. “Then I’d appreciate if you could sit with them just a few minutes more. I’m wrapping it up.”
Chase shut the door when she left it ajar. I took a deep breath. Cassie was the distraction I’d needed. “So, you went back there and bought me the dress right after we…?” That actually sounded a little stalkerish.
He leaned against the wall. “No, I bought it later. I know the shop; it’s near my house. I was going to tell you about it, but the plans changed when you needed something to wear. I decided to pick up the dress myself.”
“Okay, well, I appreciate the gesture”—I tried handing over the bag again, but he paid no attention—“but we don’t have that kind of… arrangement. It’s not appropriate for you to buy me things like this.”
“Would it make you feel better to pay me back?”
Oh. I hadn’t thought of that option. “Yes, it would actually.” I swiveled my purse in front of me and unzipped it. I could keep the dress and my principles. Win-win.
He rested his hand on mine. “Not with money, Jillian. By letting me take you to dinner. Saturday. Seven o’clock.”
God, we were back to this? “What is it about you and dinner?”
“I like to eat.”
I closed my eyes, steeling myself. Damn, Chase. What are you doing to me and my head and my… everything?
“Look, bottom line,” he said. “You needed something to wear, and now you have it. You like the dress, and I’m going to like it on the floor. Don’t forget that promise I made.”
He grasped my chin lightly, and I looked at him. I knew he wouldn’t kiss me there in the hallway, but the look alone was enough. He wanted to badly, and that made me hotter than any broken-down air conditioner could ever do.
“I cannot wait to get you alone again, Jillian, but we’re going to try it my way first.”
Fuck it. I nodded. Then gulped. Then gulped again. I had a flood in my mouth. I had a flood everywhere. My body responded to him like it’d been in a severe drought and was overcompensating.
Chase went back to the classroom, and I went back to my car, bag in hand, purple box in bag, lavender dress in box. If it was that freaking important to him, I’d keep the dress. If this dinner out was that freaking important to him, I’d muscle through it. I could bend the rules this one time.
But after that? No more compromising.
After this dinner, the only place I’d show my flexibility would be in the bedroom, and the only bending I’d be doing for him was over with legs spread.