Hating the Boss

by Kristen Granata

  “Who planned it?” Chris asks.

  “No one. Never mind.”

  Becca hands me a water bottle. “Drink this. I’ll take your class back to my room and put on a movie. You should get checked by the nurse.”

  I shake my head. “I’m fine. The costume’s pretty thick.”

  “Are you sure? You didn’t hit your head?”

  “Nothing but a bruised ego.”

  “You’re tough,” Chris says with a smile. “It’s gonna take a lot more than a few third graders to take you down.”

  His comment sparks an idea. A smile spreads across my face. “You know what, Chris? I think you’re right.”

  “Uh-oh,” Becca says. “I don’t like that look.”

  Days Left Until Summer Break: 178

  Jaxon

  I haven’t been able to stop smiling since yesterday.

  All I wanted was for Raegan to wear the mascot costume. Just a few minutes of humiliation and torture was all I’d asked for. But once again, the universe handed me a present.

  The video of Raegan getting pummeled by nine-year olds went viral. Hats off to whichever teacher uploaded it to YouTube. I’ve already watched it thirteen times. My only regret is that I couldn’t see Raegan’s face while she was on the floor inside that ridiculous costume.

  That’s what we call karma, ladies and gentlemen.

  It’s eight-thirty and my second day as principal is about to start. As soon as I settle into my chair, there’s a knock at the door.

  “Come in.”

  Raegan’s smiling face pokes through the doorway. I despise the lying thief, but my dick doesn’t seem to have received the memo. Raegan is wearing a pale blue dress that hugs her curves in all the right spots. Her heels accentuate her toned legs, and it takes all my power to block the image of those legs wrapped around my neck when …

  She stole Nana’s ring. Remember that.

  Eyes on the prize, not on her thighs.

  I clear my throat and adjust my pants under the desk. “Good Morning, Raegan. Glad to see you’re alive and well after yesterday’s fiasco.”

  She strides toward me and places a Starbucks cup on my desk. “Oh, that was nothing.”

  I raise my eyebrows. “Really? Because it looked like you took a few good hits while you were down there on the floor.”

  Her jaw works under her skin and I know I’ve gotten to her. “It’s going to take a lot more than that to take me down.”

  Double entendre much? I gesture to the plastic cup in front of me. “What’s this?”

  “You helped me yesterday, and I helped you. We’re even now. Take this iced coffee as an olive branch.” She lifts her own cup and slips the straw between her bowed lips for a sip.

  Stop looking at her lips, I tell my dick. You’re not helping.

  I shake the ice in the cup and take a swig. “Funny how you think five minutes in a costume and some coffee makes us even.”

  “Still haven’t found your grandmother’s ring?”

  “Still not ready to confess?”

  “If that’s what you’re waiting for, don’t hold your breath.” She pauses, eyes flicking to the ceiling like she’s thinking. “On second thought, maybe you should hold your breath.” Her lips curve into a smirk before she turns and struts out of my office, leaving her scent of coconut and pineapple behind.

  I mash my teeth together, anger bubbling at the surface.

  Then the bell rings.

  “Get your shit together, Waters.” Standing, I swipe the coffee off my desk and gulp it until it’s gone. Gonna need all my energy. The second day is always harder than the first.

  “You came back,” Beth says when I exit my office.

  “Who else is going to give you your sugar fix?” I plop a paper bag onto her desk and watch her tear into it with wide eyes.

  “Donuts? Are you trying to buy my loyalty, Mr. Waters?”

  “Is it working?”

  She takes a mammoth-sized bite of the chocolate donut I bought her and smiles, crumbs falling onto her desk. “It absolutely is.”

  I wink and waltz out into the hallway. Students pile in through the main entrance and greet me on their way to class. Several of them high-five me.

  A stabbing pain shoots through my stomach. I peek my head into the office again. “Beth, what time is my meeting this morning?”

  “Nine o’clock, sir.”

  I turn my wrist and check my watch as I hurry to the men’s bathroom. Twenty minutes is plenty of time.

  By lunchtime, I’ve been to the bathroom a total of eight times.

  Bet you saw that one coming, huh?

  That little witch put something in my coffee.

  Olive branch, my ass.

  When the last wave of explosive diarrhea simmers down, I head to the kindergarten wing. I catch Raegan just as she’s slinging her lunchbox on her shoulder. The kids have left for recess, and her friends are nowhere in sight. I’ve got her cornered.

  She smiles when she sees me. “Enjoy your coffee this morning?”

  “I did. Just came to thank you.”

  She leans closer, looking up at me with false innocence gleaming in her eyes. “Are you feeling okay? You look a little green.”

  I cage her in, pressing my palms against the whiteboard so I don’t wrap them around her neck and strangle her instead. “I feel wonderful. Never better.”

  “Just be careful. Newbies always get sick at the start of school. Their bodies aren’t used to all the germs.” She reaches out and runs her fingers along my tie. “Wouldn’t want to see you catch a bug or anything, sir.”

  “I’m touched at your concern for my health, Ms. Donahue.”

  “Just looking out for our amazing new principal.”

  Her words are laced with venom. My gaze lowers, taking in her heaving chest, her satin skin, her lips less than an inch from mine. The proximity is too much. I need to get away from her. Get her out of my head. I drop my hands and stalk out of the room.

  I’m going to get her back. Two can play at this game. And I’m going to hit back twice as hard.

  Raegan

  “He ran to that bathroom like a bear was chasing him. I wish you could’ve seen him!”

  The girls and I are eating lunch, laughing about my successful laxative prank. Andrea caught Jaxon in a mad dash to the restroom this morning, and she has reenacted it several times. My stomach muscles ache from laughing so hard.

  “I can’t believe he actually drank it,” Sammi says. “That’s one of the oldest tricks in the book.”

  “Guess he’s not as smart as he thinks he is.” I flip my hair over my shoulder and grin.

  Becca shakes her head. “I don’t like this, Rae. This tit-for-tat game is only going to get worse. Who knows what that man is capable of?”

  “She’s not wrong,” Mary says. “I’d hate to see you lose your job over this petty bullshit.”

  “I just wanted to send him a message.” I stab the air with my index finger. “I’ve been pushed around for too long. If I wanted to be mistreated, I would’ve stayed with Andrew. I will not let Jaxon walk all over me.”

  “Atta girl.” Kerry slaps her palm against mine.

  “You’re playing with fire,” Becca warns. “Just be careful.”

  The truth is, I’m just as nervous as Becca. Though I have tenure, which makes firing me a difficult task, Jaxon still holds a lot of power over me. He could send me to another school in our district if he wanted to. I’d lose my friends and the familiarity of a school I’ve worked in for eight years. Things could get a lot worse.

  But ever since my divorce, I’ve had a surge of my own power. I’ve wasted too much time letting a man control me. Too much time being belittled and humiliated. I can’t allow Jaxon to think I’m going to roll over and let him disrespect me. When you give a man an inch, they’ll come for everything else you’ve got until you’re left with nothing.

  I won’t let that happen to me again.

  At the end of the day, I wave
goodbye to my last student. Twisting my hair into a top knot and switching from my heels to my flip-flops, I straighten up the classroom.

  Joshua’s second day was tear-free. He and Hannah were glued to each other’s sides, and Jaxon is to thank for that. I hate to admit it, but I have to give credit where credit is due.

  After I put the chairs up on the desks, I return to my own desk. Teachers never get to enjoy sitting at their desks. It’s the dumping ground for important papers that never get filed away in their respective homes. Mine looks like a tornado blew through the room, but I don’t have the energy to touch it right now.

  On top of the mess, a colorful paper catches my eye. It’s a card addressed to Jaxon from Joshua. His kid spelling is quite good for a kindergartener. I smile as I read it. He’s thanking his principal for helping him on his first day at school.

  For the first time, I wonder what Jaxon’s family said about the missing ring. Did he cry when his grandmother passed? Was he close with her? How must it feel to have lost such an important family heirloom?

  I might’ve made him shit his brains out today, but I still have a heart.

  I could be a jerk and throw out the picture, but I can’t bring myself to do that to Joshua. Instead, I swallow my pride and walk down to Jaxon’s office.

  His door is open and for just a moment, I allow myself to enjoy the sight of him without his nasty attitude ruining the view. His suit jacket is draped over the back of his chair. The sleeves of his grey dress shirt are rolled up, revealing his tan, muscular forearms. His jaw is clenched, and a thick crease sits between his dark brows.

  It’s a shame. He looks beautiful when he’s not being such a jerk.

  “Whatcha lookin’ at, Rae?”

  I jump almost a foot off the ground at the sound of Beth’s voice. “Jesus H. Christ! You scared me!”

  “I’d be scared too if I got caught ogling the new principal.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me.

  I roll my eyes and feign ignorance. “I was not ogling him. I just … didn’t want to disturb him. He looks busy.”

  She flashes me a knowing smile before turning her attention back to the computer. “He’s definitely stressed, but I’m sure a pretty thing like you could cheer him right up.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Why is that ridiculous? You’re divorced now, aren’t ya?”

  “That’s not the point.” I lower my voice. “He’s a jerk.”

  Her eyebrows lift as she turns to face me. “That man? Tall, dark, and Prince Charming?”

  I nod. “Big, fat, jerk.”

  “I can’t even picture it.”

  I cross my arms over my chest. “He’s giving you chocolate, isn’t he?”

  She averts her eyes and starts typing on her keyboard. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I’m so disappointed in you, Beth.”

  I’m only joking, and she knows it. Beth has had my back since my first day of my first year at Roosevelt Elementary. Not everybody in our school treats our secretary with the respect she deserves, and it’s a shame. She’s fiercely loyal and works harder than anyone I’ve ever known. This school would not survive without her.

  I turn toward Jaxon’s office once again. He spots me before I lift my hand to knock.

  Scrubbing his hand over his jaw, he says, “I don’t have time for whatever this is about, Raegan.”

  I wave Joshua’s picture like a white flag as I enter his office. “I didn’t come to argue. I just wanted you to have this.”

  He snatches the paper from my hand, but his expression softens as soon as he realizes what it is.

  Without saying anything else, I turn to leave.

  “Wait.”

  I face him again and hold my breath, ready to absorb whatever he fires at me.

  “Thank you for bringing this to me.” His eyes are sincere as they look into mine.

  My guard lowers, just a little. “I figured you might need something to remind you of why you took this job.”

  We remain in silence, staring into each other’s eyes. For a small moment, it’s like we’re not at odds with each other. For a small moment, I’m reminded why I’d felt attracted to him the first night we met.

  Then his gaze drops and his hard mask returns. The moment is gone. “You can leave now. I have a lot of work to do.”

  For the first time all week, I leave school feeling lighter. The almost-civil exchange between me and Jaxon shifted my thinking. If I can continue to play to his softer side, things might not be so bad.

  Days Left Until Summer Break: 177

  Jaxon

  Mission: Take Raegan Down is under way.

  I might’ve had the Hershey squirts all day yesterday, but today is a new day. The ball’s in my court now. Literally and figuratively speaking.

  I tack the sign-up sheet to the bulletin board in the main office and stand back to admire the next phase of my plan.

  Beth sits on the edge of her desk and raises an eyebrow. “That the sign-up for the game next month?”

  “It is. Are you interested in playing?”

  She shakes her head with force. “That’s a brute sport.”

  “Ah, come on. It’s all in good fun. It’s for charity.”

  “Every year, that’s what the principals say. And every year, someone leaves on a stretcher.”

  I return to my office so she can’t see my smirk. I know exactly what happens at the game each year, and I’m looking forward to it.

  Two minutes later, Raegan and her posse enter the main office right on schedule. I sit back and wait for it.

  Showtime in three …

  Two …

  One.

  Raegan marches into my office without knocking. She’s in another dress today, this one a crimson red—matching the current color of her cheeks.

  “Good Morning, Ms. Donahue.”

  Her hand flies up to stop the pleasantries. “You cannot sign me up for a voluntary sporting event.”

  I rock back in my chair, twirling a pen with my fingers. “As your principal, I can do whatever I want.”

  She balls her fists at her sides. “You can’t treat me this way. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

  I shrug, knowing my calm demeanor is only stoking her anger. “I’m calling on your school spirit.”

  “And I’m calling bullshit.”

  “You can put a stop to this, you know.”

  She steps forward and places her palms on my desk, speaking through gritted teeth. “I didn’t steal that fucking ring.”

  I lean in, resting my weight on my elbows. “Then I guess you’re playing in that fucking game.”

  A strangled noise escapes her throat as she leaves in a fury of blond hair and clacking heels.

  I must be a special brand of fucked up, because I watch Raegan’s ass bounce away until she’s out of sight, totally unfazed by the fact that I just forced a woman into playing dodgeball.

  I’ve been out of my office for most of the day. There must be a full moon coming tonight because the kids in this school are feral. I’ve had to sign off on six conduct reports and three incident reports.

  At one o’clock, I fall into my comfy rolling chair behind my desk. My door is closed, and I’m hoping to catch up on e-mails and make a dent in this paperwork piled high on my desk.

  I place my hand on my mousepad, feeling around for the mouse.

  What the …?

  Where’s the damn mouse?

  I check under my desk and inside the drawers, but it doesn’t take too long for realization to set in.

  “Goddamnit.”

  I tear open the door and stomp down the hallway.

  Raegan’s at the whiteboard in her classroom in the middle of a math lesson. She doesn’t look surprised when I barge into her room and start searching through the drawers in her desk.

  She does, however, look like a cat who’s been caught with a mouthful of bird.

  With a bounce in her step, she waltzes over to
me. “Good Afternoon, Principal Waters. Can I help you? What is it that you’re looking for?”

  Glancing at the class briefly, I give her a hard stare and smile. “You know exactly what I’m looking for.”

  “I can assure you that I don’t.”

  I edge closer to her, lowering my lips to her ear. Her warm, sweet scent wafts into my nostrils, and I fight the urge to run my nose along her neck. Focus, Waters. Jesus. “Give it back, or things are going to get a lot worse for you around here.”

  Her eyes blaze as they lock with mine. She closes the gap between us, her chest almost pressed flush against me, and she whispers, “You don’t scare me.”

  A shiver racks through my body. I can’t decide if I want to strangle her or fuck her right here on her desk. I’m starting to gain a better understanding of people who have a choking fetish.

  “Hi, Principal Waters!” Hannah’s waving at me with Joshua at her side.

  I clear my throat and straighten my tie. “Hi, Hannah. Hello, class. I hope you’re all having a great day full of fun and learning.”

  Raegan chokes back a laugh as she saunters back to the whiteboard.

  Laugh it up now. You won’t be laughing for much longer.

  The rest of September goes on like a tennis match.

  Or more like a fucked up, sabotage-filled, immature version of a tennis match.

  After Raegan’s little stunt, I started locking my office door. Fool me once, lesson learned.

  But she’s found other ways to get back at me.

  During a faculty meeting one afternoon, Raegan “accidentally” spilled her coffee on my crotch. If you’re wondering whether it was hot or iced coffee, you must be a woman. A man would know that either temperature means equally bad news for the prized possession in my pants.

  Iced. It was iced.

  So what did I do to retaliate?

  I tripped her on her way out of the meeting. Legit stuck my foot out in front of her and tripped her.

  It’s a shame our gym teacher, Chris, was there to catch her.