My So-Called Perfect Life

by K. A. Berg

  I step back to give myself some breathing room. Mostly because I don’t want to lose my job for having sex on my desk. “There’s no need to be cocky.”

  Ryan’s laugh booms throughout the room, echoing off the walls. “It can’t be counted as being cocky if it’s true.”

  Sexual energy fills the room. A tension crackles in the air around us. I don’t have to be a science teacher to identify the chemistry going on in this room.

  A knock at my door severs the connection that was slowly pulling my body to Ryan’s despite my best efforts, and I praise the Lord for the distraction because, for whatever reason, my reserve and willpower cease to exist around this man. His presence lures me in like the tides to the moon.

  “Hello, hello,” Brooke, one of the other kindergarten teachers, says as she enters the room. “It looks great in here, Danielle. I stepped up my game after your theme last year, but you’ve outdone me again.”

  Brooke and I have a healthy competition going on as to who has the more fun kindergarten room.

  “What’d you do last year?” Ryan asks as Brooke takes a walk around the room.

  “Dr. Seuss.”

  “It was unbelievable,” Brooke adds as she comes to a stop next to us. “Each of her centers was based on a different book. She even had a class goldfish in The Cat in the Hat reading area.”

  I really was so proud of my classroom last year. “Thank you.”

  “Who’s this?” she asks, looking Ryan up and down. Not that I can blame her. He is a fine specimen of a man.

  Ryan offers his hand. “I’m Ryan, a friend of Danielle’s.”

  She takes his hand and smiles. “Nice to meet you.”

  Ryan grabs the empty boxes. “I’m going to take all these boxes out to the dumpster.”

  I watch shamelessly as he exits my room.

  “I was going to say I’m sorry about you and Scott, but clearly, you’ve upgraded.”

  I nod. “I certainly have.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Ryan

  “I can’t just head out for the weekend, Ryan,” Danielle protests. “I don’t have anything ready. I need to sit down and make a list of everything I need. Go to the store for anything I don’t have. Do laundry.”

  Her reaction doesn’t surprise me. In all honesty, I was expecting this the moment the idea started working itself out in my mind. Danielle doesn’t do well without the ability to plan.

  “Danielle,” I say, running my hand down her arm to her fingers, entangling them with mine, “just grab some clothes, toss ’em in a bag, and let’s go. We’re not going to the middle of nowhere. If we forget something or you need anything, we can grab it when we get there.”

  She places her hands on her hips and glares at me as if she’s testing me. “And what’s the plan when we get there?”

  “Plan?”

  She acts as if I just told her I wanted to take her to Guantánamo rather than the beach.

  “Yes, plan, Ryan.” She nods with gusto. “You just show up here and tell me you’re taking me away for the weekend. I want to know what’s going on.”

  “The plan is to get out of the city for a weekend. It’s the last weekend of summer, and I thought it would be a nice surprise to take you away before school starts on Wednesday. That’s all. I’m not trying to kidnap you. No ulterior motive.” I smirk and add, “Well, maybe except to spend some time inside you.”

  Her annoyance lessens slightly as her hands drop. “It’s Labor Day weekend, Ryan. Where are you going to find an open place on the beach? Where are we going to sleep? In the bed of your truck?”

  I admire her need for structure and orderliness, but it makes trying to have a romantic weekend a little hard.

  “I promise you, we have a place to stay. It’s clean and free of roaches. It has an amazing balcony that is perfect for watching the sunset. We can make it to see tonight’s if you stop fighting me and embrace being spontaneous.”

  My parents live on the coast. It was their retirement dream. They are currently visiting my aunt Nancy in Florida, so the house is empty this weekend, leaving me with the perfect location for my idea.

  “Last time I was spontaneous, you got chlamydia.”

  I smile and pull her into me, kissing the tip of her nose. “No, the last time you were spontaneous, we spent a nice afternoon on my bike, and you had an orgasm that left you wet the whole ride home. It all worked out. Give it a try, Dani Girl. Planning and making lists haven’t always worked out for you either. Let me take you away. Let’s enjoy a nice weekend without our lives interfering.”

  “How can you leave the bar for the weekend?” she asks, always thinking of everything.

  “I’m leaving Roxy in charge.” I’ve actually put a lot of thought into this part. “I’ve been tossing around the idea of opening a second bar and giving Roxy part of the current Cohen’s. This is a good trial run for the two of us.”

  Her eyes widen. “Really?”

  “Yes. Any more questions, or can you go throw together a few things, so we can hit the road?”

  Four hours later, the sun is setting, beautifully filling the sky with pink and orange waves. Danielle is wrapped in my arms as we lounge on the chaise on the balcony, me with a beer and her with a glass of red wine.

  “Cake or pie?”

  We’ve been playing This or That since dinner.

  “Neither,” I answer. “I prefer cheesecake. It’s the best of it all.”

  She looks back at me. “It is really good. I like Oreo the most.”

  She turns forward and nestles back under my chin. Everything about this moment feels right.

  “Sunrise or sunset?”

  “Either or. I think what matters more is who you spend them with. They’re a thing of beauty when you enjoy them with the right person.”

  The game is put on hold as we watch the orange in the sky fade to dark as the sun sets.

  Danielle runs the tips of her fingers up and down my arm, tracing the outline of my tattoos. “Tell me about opening a new bar. Are you going to sell Cohen’s?”

  “No.” I watch her fingers dance over my skin. “Cohen’s is my baby. I could never sell it. I’m going to expand providing I can find a good location and the numbers line up in my favor. Roxy has been a huge part of making Cohen’s a success though. She deserves to have a stake in it. I don’t have any doubt she can handle it. She does most of the management stuff alongside me anyway, but this weekend will be a good chance for her to do it on her own.”

  The location Evan showed me last month is about to officially come on the market. I’m hoping everything will come together, and I can score it.

  A smile ghosts her lips. “That’s exciting. I’m so happy for you. You must feel so much pride as you watch it all succeed.”

  “Look who’s talking.” I run my finger under the hem of her sweatshirt. “I watched you transform an empty beige room into a child’s wonderland. You put so much dedication into your craft. Your students are lucky to have you.”

  “Thank you,” she says and takes a sip of her wine. “I don’t think anyone has ever noticed it the way you do. Mercy is a high school teacher—”

  “What?” I interrupt her, shocked. “Your friend Mercy, the scary brunette, is a high school teacher?”

  She nods. “Yep, she teaches science.”

  “They didn’t have science teachers like her when I was in high school.” I laugh.

  Danielle giggles. “You haven’t met teacher Mercy yet. When she’s in school, she dresses like a librarian in her button-ups and long skirts. Truthfully, I think it makes the boys want her more. Doesn’t every guy have a sexy librarian fantasy?”

  My cock twitches in my pants. “I do now. What are the chances you have some button-up shirts and a pencil skirt in your bag?”

  She sits up, and the wind blows through her hair, making her look so damn beautiful. Her eyes twinkle as she smiles. “No idea. I didn’t get a chance to make a list, so who knows what I have in there?”<
br />
  “We could always save that for next weekend,” I say, pulling her into my lap, wrapping her back in my arms. “But it’s totally happening. Or maybe I should be the librarian since I always have to shush you because you’re so loud.”

  “It’s not my fault. You’re the one who makes it happen. I’m not complaining.”

  My cock has reached the point of throbbing. Picturing her in glasses and a sexy bun was one thing but thinking about the way she cries out my name takes it to another level of turned on. I love the sounds I can pull from her while making her lose her mind. I love seeing her so free and enjoying the moment.

  “I think we should go see if I can make the neighbors hear you.”

  She looks out into the night. “They’re a good distance away. You’re going to have to work really hard to make that happen. We aren’t at my apartment with thin walls and old neighbors.”

  I slip my hand down to her hip and squeeze. She tastes like wine as I press my lips to hers.

  “Challenge accepted,” I tell her before devouring her mouth.

  The air is cool and crisp as the breeze blows in off the ocean. Danielle wanted to walk on the beach this morning before we headed home.

  The water washes in and out around our feet in quiet waves as we stand, staring out in the vastness that is the ocean.

  “It’s beautiful,” she says reverently.

  “It is,” I agree, only we’re talking about different things.

  While Danielle is admiring the sea, I admire her. She looks breathtaking with her bare feet, white shorts, and tan sweater. Her hair is down and blowing in the breeze.

  This weekend has been more than I thought it could be. My original intention was to have a nice, quiet weekend with Danielle before she went back to school. The universities in the city start back up this week, which means an influx of college students at the bar. I thought a getaway just a few days before life gets a little more hectic for us would be the perfect thing.

  And it was. A little too perfect.

  I’ve really enjoyed every moment of these last two days. Going to sleep with Danielle, waking up with her in my arms. Nothing to do but spend time together. It’s all been enlightening for me, and it’s what I want in my life.

  Danielle’s arm wraps around mine, which are banded around her waist. “I’m really glad you forced me to be spontaneous with you.”

  “You make it sound like I tossed a bag over your head, tied you up with duct tape, and tossed you into the back of my truck.”

  She looks up at me over her shoulder. “That was awfully specific. Are you trying to tell me about another one of your fantasies?”

  I laugh and tickle her side. “And if I am, are you game?”

  A mischievous look glitters in her eyes. “Well, I mean, you would have to catch me first, right?”

  She takes off running down the beach, her laugh filling the air as I take off after her. It’s not hard to catch up to her, and when I do, I grab her, toss her over my shoulder, and spin in a circle.

  “I think someone wanted to get caught. Does the idea of duct tape turn you on, Dani Girl?”

  Her laugh is music to my ears. “Now, you know my deepest, darkest secret.”

  I place her down on her feet and thread my hands through her hair, pulling her face to mine. I softly press my lips to hers. One. Two. Three times before we sit in the sand.

  “This really was a great idea, Ryan,” she says. “Thank you. And please thank your parents for letting us use their home.”

  “You’re welcome, and I will.”

  We sit in silence for a moment until Danielle asks, “Can I ask you something?”

  “I don’t think we have any duct tape around. But we can add that to the list of fantasies to play out when we get back into the city. I still haven’t forgotten about your boy-band fantasy.”

  She smacks my arm. “That wasn’t what I wanted to know.”

  “Okay, what’s your question then?”

  She looks at me with sincerity in her eyes. “I know I asked before, but … you’re amazing, romantic, funny, understanding, smart, and super sexy. Why are you still single? Finding a great man like you is rare. Your job gives you access to beautiful women all the time. How has one of them not scooped you up?”

  Taking a deep breath, I run my hand through my hair before answering, “Honestly, I’ve never really been into dating. After college, I was focused on getting Cohen’s up and running. That was my main focus. Plus, most women just look at me like I’m a fun time. The tattooed bad boy who works behind the bar that they can enjoy for a good night before going back to their lives. Not many have come back, looking to start a relationship. I’ve always wanted to settle down and have a family but when the time’s right. I figure that when I meet the one, I’ll know.”

  She nods. “That makes sense. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry that you’ve only been looked at as the fun for a night guy. You’re a better man than most I’ve met.”

  Her words ignite something in my chest. I’m not sure really what it is, but something bursts inside it, filling me with warmth.

  “Thank you.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Danielle

  Holy-freaking-tired!

  School has been back in session for a week, and I already feel like a zombie. Class sizes are slightly larger than usual this year. I’m used to having twenty-two to twenty-four kids a year, but I’m at twenty-nine this year, which I didn’t think would be too much of an adjustment, but it is. Plus, with the third kindergarten teacher being out on maternity leave, Brooke and I have been spending our lunch and planning period working with the sub, Luke, going over our lessons and school procedures. Luke is cool and nice and very appreciative of our time, but I’m still drained.

  This year has been the hardest summer-to-school transition for me. I’ve barely seen Ryan. Or Mercy. Or my sister.

  On top of all that, Ryan’s birthday is next week, and I’ve been trying to find something to do that doesn’t scream I’m doodling our names in my notebook but is also thoughtful enough to show him I care.

  I don’t even know what we are. Not that I need a label or anything, but things between us started out all ass backward. Or are we just friends with benefits? Does he even want a relationship? He said it wasn’t really on his radar, but yet things between us just work. He introduced himself to Brooke as my friend, so I know he isn’t assuming we’re in a serious relationship.

  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? I’m just trying to keep things cool and light, so I don’t wind up with another broken heart when this is all said and done.

  I had an idea for his birthday as I was sitting on the subway on the way home from school tonight, but I’m not sure if it’s genius or dumb.

  Grabbing my MacBook, I take a seat on the couch and group FaceTime Mercy and Amelia.

  “God, I swear, this year is going to be the death of me,” Mercy says as soon as the call connects. “Teaching in prison might be easier than my first and last period classes. I start off the day in a bad mood and end it in a worse one.”

  “It’s only the first week,” I say. “It’ll get better.”

  “I’m not too sure of that,” she counters, hanging her head. “It’s like they had a summer meeting and decided they were going to do everything in their power to destroy me. Today, a kid in my last period class turned on the Bunsen burner and pulled out a lighter. I had to have security escort him from my class.”

  “Jesus Christ,” Amelia huffs. “What is wrong with these kids?”

  Mercy sighs. “I’m pretty sure it was a ploy for attention. He spent the rest of class in the office. I’m not sure what his punishment was yet, but I’m going to have a talk with him and see if I can figure out what’s going on. But I can’t have that behavior in my class. Monkey see, monkey do. Last thing I need is a chain reaction of negative behavior.”

  “I don’t know how you do it,” I praise her. “I don’t think I’d last a day in a h
igh school classroom.”

  “What’s going on with you?” she asks.

  “I actually wanted to run an idea I had for Ryan’s birthday by you guys.”

  “Ooh, birthday presents,” Amelia coos. “Things are getting serious.”

  I shake my head. “We’re not going there. Things are undefined at the moment, and we’re leaving it at that, which is okay. But his birthday is coming up next week, and I’ve been trying to decide what to do. I need to acknowledge it, but I don’t want to buy some gift. I’m not sure I know him well enough for that.”

  “You’ve been seeing each other for close to three months,” Mercy interrupts. “What do you mean, you don’t know him well enough?”

  It’s my turn to sigh. “I mean, I know him. I know what’s going on in his life, I know some of the things he likes, but I don’t feel like I know him well enough to pick out a gift for him.”

  “Then, what are you thinking about doing?” Amelia asks.

  “When we were at the beach last weekend, he mentioned a fantasy of his.” I feel the blush creeping onto my chest and into my neck and ears.

  “Ooh, this sounds like it’s going to be good.” Mercy laughs. “Let’s hear it.”

  “He mentioned a slutty librarian fantasy.” I glance at Mercy. “You know, tight button-up shirt, pencil skirt, heels. Basically, how you look every day for work.”

  “Fuck off.” She flips me off. “I do not look like a slutty librarian.”

  “You do look like a walking pinup girl,” Amelia agrees with me.

  “Keep it up, and I’ll hang up,” she snaps before looking pointedly at me. “Before helping you with your plan.”

  “Touchy, touchy.” I laugh.

  She glares so hard that I can feel it through the phone. “Get on with it, Dani.”

  “I was thinking about playing out that fantasy.”

  Amelia has a devilish smile. “I need more details. How far are you thinking about taking this?”