19. Eleanor
Eleanor
“Okay, Nora. Spill.”
We’re in Tony’s Tiki Bar later that night, sipping cocktails. Those were Juliana’s idea.
I cast my gaze around the place, taking in the kitschy decor: carved totems, fake parrots, plastic palms, and low, pink lighting.
It clashes with the Halloween-themed pumpkins and plastic skeletons, making my head hurt.
It seems unlikely that a place like this would be Juliana’s scene, but given it’s the only bar on Main Street, we didn’t have much of a choice.
“Spill what?” I ask, glancing at a fake tombstone. It sits beside a hula girl statue that lights up and spins in time with the music pumping from the jukebox.
Theo would hate this place.
I surreptitiously pull my phone out for the hundredth time to check if there’s a message from him, but nothing.
I guess it’s only been an hour, but still.
I haven’t been able to focus since I stepped out of that supply closet.
All I can think about is getting his lips back on mine, his hands back on my skin.
See what you do to me, sweetheart?
The memory of his words sends a delicious shiver through me, but I try to focus on my friends.
“That.” Paige motions to the expression on my face, a curious smile on her mouth. “Something’s going on with you.”
“Agreed,” Juliana says around a cocktail straw. “You were being weird in your classroom earlier.”
I inspect my drink, taking a slice of pineapple from the rim and chewing it slowly. I was hoping Tony’s Tiki Bar might serve hot apple cider, but it seems their seasonal efforts don’t extend beyond the garish decor.
“I was being completely normal,” I say at last, and Paige and Juliana share a look, but seem to agree to drop it.
“Well, I needed this.” Paige lifts her drink, clinking the rim against mine, then Juliana’s. “It has been a week.”
Juliana snorts a laugh. “And it’s only Wednesday.”
Paige nods. “It’s dragging on forever. I’ve had one student after another coming into my office. As if that wasn’t enough, Headmaster Wright—sorry, your dad”—she laughs lightly, cheeks coloring—“nearly bit my head off about a student sitting in the hallway with me instead of going to class.”
My stomach pinches at the mention of his name, and I fight the urge to check my phone. Again.
Juliana lifts a carefully sculpted brow. “Speaking of my father…” Her gaze flicks to me, and her grin sharpens as she teases, “Nora has a crush on him.”
Panic flickers in my chest. I don’t want rumors starting about us, especially since it’s no longer as innocent as a little crush.
“Really?” Paige’s brows rise with interest. “I can see that. He’s an attractive man.”
I breathe an awkward laugh. This makes me feel slightly better.
“He’s a grumpy bastard,” Juliana mutters. “He’s been intolerable lately.” Her gaze strays back to me, lingering, and I focus on wiping a spill from the table with a cocktail napkin for far longer than necessary.
Finally, she sighs, sinking back into her seat. “I wish Ayla was here.”
“Ayla?” I ask, grateful for the subject change. “Does she live in Wetherly?”
“No, she’s in the city now. We did senior year together. She’s an artist these days, with galleries fighting over her work. It’s so cool. And”—Juliana leans in, lowering her voice—“she had such a thing for Rowan.”
“Rowan Winslow?” I blink. “The head of art?”
Juliana nods.
“He’s definitely got a vibe,” Paige says.
Juliana raises an eyebrow. “First my dad, and now Rowan?”
“Oh, God—” Paige’s smile vanishes, her cheeks flushing scarlet. She pushes her cocktail away like it’s to blame. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant… you know, artsy guys.”
Juliana laughs and pats her arm. “Relax, I’m teasing. Older men are way better than guys our age.”
Paige doesn’t respond, her expression unreadable as she smooths a hand over her brunette hair, as if trying to regain her composure.
Juliana swirls her straw in her drink, still smiling.
“Anyway, Rowan was Ayla’s senior art advisor, and they spent a lot of time together that year.
She says nothing ever happened, but…” She shrugs.
“I don’t know. I’ve asked him about it, and he swears it was nothing.
Still, every time I talk to her, she brings him up.
Always casually, like she doesn’t want me to realize she’s doing it. ”
My eyebrows lift. “Huh.”
I glance at Paige, who’s suddenly very focused on a spot across the bar.
Juliana shrugs. “People find love in all kinds of places.” Her gaze floats back to me. “It’s not my place to judge.”
I shift my weight as she appraises me for a beat. Does she know? Has her father said something? Or am I that bad at hiding my feelings? But as soon as I’ve had the thought, her gaze slides away, and she motions to the bartender for another round of drinks.
Paige watches her, amused. “I hope this doesn’t offend you, Jules, but you are nothing like I thought you’d be.”
She drains her drink. “How so?”
Paige studies her, swirling the little umbrella in her glass. “I don’t know. The way you dress… and you’re the headmaster’s daughter. Everyone speaks about you with a kind of reverence. I guess I thought you’d be…” She rolls her hand, searching for the word.
“A snob,” I supply helpfully.
Shit, okay, these cocktails are stronger than I realized.
“You’re not,” I hasten to add. “Paige is right. You’re really down to earth.” I motion to the cocktails the bartender sets on the table in front of us. “And fun.”
Juliana laughs, then her pretty face scrunches. “I get sick of being the good girl. Always having to make Daddy proud, keep up appearances, not rock the boat…” She rolls her eyes. “Sometimes I feel like doing something reckless, you know? Something completely unexpected.”
“I get that,” Paige murmurs. “But not at work. Professional boundaries are important.”
Juliana waves a hand, making a “Pshhh” sound. “You just haven’t had a chance to break them yet,” she says with a mischievous gleam in her eye.
“No, but I’ve had plenty of people accuse me of it,” Paige mutters to herself.
Juliana doesn’t seem to hear.
“Not everyone has immunity like you,” Paige adds gently.
Juliana’s brow pinches. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you know.” Paige shifts her weight. “Your father is the headmaster. Your boss. I’m sure he’d forgive you, eventually. I mean… you’re his daughter.” She pauses, considering her words, then adds, “But that probably makes it harder.”
“It does.” Juliana nods, frowning deeply.
I think of Theo in the parking lot, telling me he has “certain expectations” for his daughter, and give her a compassionate smile.
“She’s his only child. I doubt he goes easy on her.”
“Yeah,” Paige concedes. “You’re probably right. I can’t imagine him giving anyone a break.”
Juliana nods. “He’s incredibly hard on me.”
“I think he’s hardest on himself,” I say without thinking, and she slides me a look.
That just popped out. I mean, it’s true, but I probably shouldn’t have said it.
But listening to them talk makes me want to jump in and defend him.
He’s trying his hardest to keep the school running smoothly, to make everyone around him happy, at the expense of his own happiness. Everyone needs to give the guy a break.
Himself, especially.
There’s a twinge in my heart at the thought, and I lose the battle to sneak a peek at my phone. Disappointment presses against my ribs when I see there’s nothing. I sigh, staring morosely into my cocktail, and Paige stands with a yawn.
“I’d better go. I’ve got an early meeting with some parents tomorrow. But thanks, guys. This was great.”
We wave her off, then Juliana trains her shrewd gaze on me. It reminds me of her father, and I study the menu, even though I won’t be ordering anything else. I still have to drive the few blocks home.
“Now will you tell me?”
There’s only so many times a person can read two pages while someone watches them like a hawk, so I set the menu aside, forced to meet Juliana’s gaze.
“Tell you what?” I say innocently.
“Come on. I know my father pretty well, and I think I’ve got a good read on you, too.”
Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.
Heat slaps my cheeks, and I open and close my mouth, grasping for what to say to deflect.
Should I apologize? We haven’t been friends long, but it definitely feels like I’ve done something wrong.
And then there’s the fact that Theo would never want anyone to know, even if there isn’t really that much to know…
“I think it’s great,” Juliana says with a smile. “You’re exactly what he needs.”
My jaw falls open in surprise.
“What I can’t figure out,” she continues, tapping her cocktail straw to her lip, “is why he’s so grumpy suddenly.”
My head spins. Where do I start? Should I simply deny outright that anything has happened at all? I settle on attempting to walk the line of answering her without answering her.
“Your dad cares about the school more than anything,” I say carefully. Then I remember I’m talking to his daughter. Whoops. “I mean, not more than anything, but—”
She snorts. “No, I think that’s probably accurate.”
I cringe. “Well, he could never do something that would damage the school’s reputation or cause a scandal.”
Juliana issues an amused laugh. “Don’t worry, I have no desire to get him into trouble. Or get people whispering about you.”
“Thanks,” I murmur. “I’ve been working hard to get people to take me seriously. That’s important to me.”
“I get it. You’re new to the school.”
“It’s more than that.” I twirl the straw in my drink, realizing I want to share why this matters to me. “I come from a family of lawyers. When I told them I wanted to teach instead, my father actually laughed. Then my parents refused to pay for my tuition.”
She winces. “Seriously?”
I nod. “So I took out loans and did it anyway.” I shrug, though the memory still stings.
“I guess I've been trying to prove them wrong ever since.” I stare down at my drink.
“Wetherly is my chance to make something of myself, you know? To be respected. And making a move on my boss is not the way to do that.”
“Yeah,” Juliana agrees. “I’d probably feel the same in your shoes.” She’s quiet for a moment, thinking. “But… it’s not like you’re doing this to get ahead, right? You have feelings for him.”
I blink, her words settling in my heart. She’s right. I’m not trying to sleep with Theo to further my career. My feelings for him are real.
So real I don’t quite know what to do with them.
“Honestly?” Juliana continues. “I think I’d lose respect for you if you didn’t act on it.” She leans in, putting a hand on my arm. “You both deserve to be happy.”
Unexpected emotion wells inside me, and I let my breath out slowly. I’d never considered how she might feel if things with Theo ever did progress, somehow, but I could never have expected this.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
She regards me with kind eyes. “So, let me guess. You’re both super into each other, but he won’t let anything happen because he’s worried about how it looks.”
I chuff a watery laugh. “Something like that.”
“My father wouldn’t know what was good for him if it hit him over the head.”
I stifle a laugh as I study her, still in disbelief about her reaction to this.
“You really wouldn’t mind if something happened between me and your dad?”
“I said from the start I thought you two would make a good couple.”
I choke on my drink. “I thought you were kidding.”
“I mean, I kind of was.” She laughs. “But also? I could see the change in him once you two started working together. It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out.”
“You’re my friend, though, Jules. I should have told you I was falling for him.”
She shrugs. “I see why you didn’t. It’s against the rules to want the boss.” Her lips form a thin line. “I’m so fucking sick of all the rules. All the… wait.” She turns to me squarely, expression serious. “Did you just say you’re falling for him?”
I nod, feeling suddenly vulnerable. The words slipped out by accident, but they’re true. I’m falling hard for Theo Wright, and would give anything to have him feel the same way.
Even if there’s so much at stake.
Just the thought of him has me itching to check my phone again. I can’t help it, I steal a glance, hoping against hope that he might have texted, but nothing.
I’m pathetic.
“Dad does everything by the book,” Juliana says, watching me. “This will be hard for him.” She laughs humorlessly. “It also explains why he’s storming around in a mood.”
I emit a somber laugh, hoping we can change the subject, but Juliana is already sliding off her stool.
“I should go. I promise your secret is safe with me.”
“Thanks.”
She pulls me in for a hug, then releases me, smiling slyly.
“He’ll sort his shit out soon.”
I laugh, but it rings hollow, and I’m too afraid to let myself hope.
Instead, I go home, make coffee, and throw myself into work.