“Yeah, yeah. My bad. How’s that coffee coming along?” I ask, grabbing my phone and clicking the side button.
“Same as when you asked the first time. It’s waiting for you to pour it,” she says, making my shoulders quake when I chuckle. As suspected, the name lit up across the screen shows there are five messages from Kami.
“To read or not to read, that is the million-dollar question.” I grab the back of my neck, and can feel the tension building. I decide it’s better to rip the Band-Aid off now and deal with my indiscretions via text, rather than risk having a Hellcat showing up here in person, ready for war. I swipe, opening my thread with Kam.
Hellcat: Keaton Hatfield!!! You better tell me you didn’t know!
Hellcat: Holy shit, Keat, your sister is going to kill you!!!
Hellcat: OMG, I can’t even warn her, you asshole! YOU KNEW!
…are the first three messages that come through, one after the other.
I can feel my phone vibrating as I read the next two, indicating there are more to follow.
Hellcat: OMG she’s not here, and he’s talking! He’s taking fucking attendance!
Hellcat: Finally! She’s here. Oh God, it’s so bad. Her face, Keat. She’s a literal tomato.
Hell, this is working out better than I expected. It’s almost as good as being there. It takes me everything not to text back. I can’t risk interrupting this incredible play-by-play by saying something stupid, or she’ll subject me to complete radio silence.
Hellcat: Holy shit, he just called her out on being late! What an asshole!!!
Hellcat: Fuck me, she just tripped over the projector cord!!!
I let out a loud snort at the image of Eastlyn all flustered and tripping in front of everyone. I want so badly to ask if she landed gracefully, but I stay quiet.
“What the hell’s so funny?” Becks comes in, placing a mug of steaming black coffee beside me at my desk.
“My sister,” I laugh. “She just found out my buddy McCoy is now her and Kam’s new principal,” I say, as my phone vibrates a few more times. “Kam’s giving me the play-by-play. This shit’s gold,” I share, thanking her for the coffee. I turn my phone as she settles in next to me, so she can read along as I dare to check the next messages.
Hellcat: I’m really mad at you, but also I’m trying so hard not to laugh. It was like she was Paige Ginn!
Becks and I both howl at the comparison of Eastlyn with the famed YouTuber known for her epic falls. “Damn, I can just imagine your sister, all arms and legs and flailing on the ground,” Becks says, looking like she’s about to piss herself with glee, making us both laugh harder.
“I’m in sooo much trouble,” I admit, as my phone vibrates a few more times. We still have a few to read. This is so much better than I had anticipated.
Hellcat: He referred to her as “the entertainment”. Asked if he can begin now that the show’s over. Jesus, Keat, how could you???
Hellcat: Keaton!!! He called her “Sprinkles”!!! He whispered it in her ear for only her to hear, thank god. Still. THIS IS SO, SO BAD!!!
“Why would he call her Sprinkles?” Becks asks.
“It’s McCoy’s pet name for Eastlyn. She hates it. So, of course, he uses it whenever possible. He’s been calling her that for ages,” I chuckle, imagining all the things running through my sister’s head right now.
Hellcat: Fuck, I just got in shit 4 texting. U R in so much trouble, Keat. Can’t believe U didn’t tell us that McCoy Graves was not only back in town, but was also our new boss!!!
“You didn’t warn them?”
“Nope.”
“Keat, that is so bad,” Becks chides, shaking her head and trying to hide her smile.
“But so fucking entertaining,” I grin. I know I’m a bastard. “Besides, my sister had it coming.”
My phone vibrates again, and we both look down.
Hellcat: Is it wrong that I’m kind of excited to see this play out? I wish you luck, U R so going to need it. Ur sister has literal flames coming out her ears *praying for you*
“I see why you like that girl so much.”
“Yeah, she’s awesome.” I pause, realizing what I’ve just admitted. “As a friend,” I add.
“Oh, of course. Exactly how I meant it,” Becks says, deadpan, and I just shake my head. Same old shit.
Ping!
“Shit, that’s from my sister. I am not touching that one. Not yet,” I cringe, making Becks snicker dryly.
“I suggest you leave town, boss.”
“You might be right,” I laugh, tucking my phone into the front pocket of my jeans as the bell above the shop door goes off and Finn, my first appointment, walks in.
20
Don’t Quit Your Day Job
Kami
“The rest of the afternoon is yours. I’ll be around until two-thirty, if anyone needs me. Feel free to stay until three o’clock, but if you do decide to sneak out early, all I ask is that you not be seen at the mall. It’s my first day here as principal, and I don’t want to be seen as a pushover by any parents if I let you go too early. The last thing I need is an upset community, and it’s still a working day,” McCoy Graves—my new boss, and my best friend’s arch nemesis—says, finally dismissing us.
“Let’s go,” I whisper to the silently-seething Eastlyn beside me. “I have a ton to clean up in my classroom before we can leave, and I definitely want to get out of here before three. Hell, my goal is one o’clock.”
“Yeah, let’s go. I want to get out of here as soon as possible, too.” I bet she does. I can tell that my bestie is rattled. It’s not every day your lifelong crush becomes your new boss without warning. We grab our stuff and hightail it out of the library where McCoy had held our meeting.
“I can’t believe it,” she shouts, storming towards her classroom. She starts pacing back and forth, and I know she’s about to blow. Discreetly, I pull my phone out, looking for a response from Keaton, surprised to see only one.
Keaton: Wow, sounds like it was an interesting morning.
That shit.
He’s so going to get it.
“What the actual hell? How did…how does…who let…?” East squeals, cutting herself off, then starting up again. “How is this going to work? Kami, tell me it’s all a bad joke.”
She looks to me for answers, and I slip my phone down to my side. The last thing I want is to make things worse by getting caught looking at my phone when I should be listening to her. I shrug my shoulders in defeat. I don’t know what to say to make this any better. There’s no escaping the obvious: Coy is here to stay, and he’s our new principal.
She spins away from me, pacing laps up and down the length of her empty classroom, muttering and going off. While she’s turned, I take my phone out and tap a quick text.
Me: I think u better look into leaving country. East is going 2 maim u when she clues in u knew.
Then, as if, she could decipher my typing from all the way across the room, East snaps her fingers. And it clicks. She utters, breathless with disbelief: “Tell me Keaton didn’t lie to me?”
Her steps pick up speed, coming back towards me, and I toss my phone on the desk, knowing I’d better give her my full attention if I know what’s good for me. I have to start working to defuse the ticking bomb that is Eastlyn Hatfield before she does something stupid, like quit, or something evil, like seriously disfiguring McCoy before setting fire to Inkredible. Okay, hopefully she won’t get that extreme, but I know this is going to be bad.
I try to tease her, but I can tell my attempts are falling flat. I apologize for having been insensitive earlier when I told her how watching this turn of events playing out between she and McCoy might be fun to watch. Seeing her face, I know I’m not helping, even if I am still secretly curious to see how this will go. Bad Kami, I’m supposed to be defusing. I couldn’t imagine if the roles were reversed. I’d die.
I try the sympathetic route instead. “I almost screamed when I walked into the libra
ry and saw him this morning. When he introduced himself as our new principal, I was calling and texting you.” And your brother, I decide not to say, trying to keep him out of it for now, since she seems to have dropped it. “He gave me a ‘Get off your phone, now!’ look. Said he’d give us enough breaks, so he’d prefer we not use our personal devices while he reviewed the new ground rules for the way he likes to run his staff meetings. He said he had a lot to go over and wanted our full attention this morning, then carried on about being disrespectful and some shit.”
“He’s insane,” Eastlyn says. My best friend shakes her head, her hands down by her sides, balled into fists. My phone vibrates against the desk; Keaton’s name appears across the screen. Thankfully, Eastlyn’s back is turned, and she’s muttering about what if someone had an emergency and how Coy’s a tyrant.
I pick my phone up, and swipe the screen.
Keaton: Why should I leave? I’m an innocent man. And if I left, who would be there to make sure you were dressed appropriately for running? ;)
I almost giggle. What a liar, and a pain in the ass.
I’m about to message back when Eastlyn slams her classroom door, harder than I think she intended. Voice raised, she wails, “I can’t believe Keaton and my parents never told me. There’s no way Mom and Dad didn’t know that the prodigal son and brother-from-another-mother was moving back here!”
There’s no question in my mind that Mr. Innocent was in on this. It reeks of Bromance. “Okay, so what are we going to do about it?” I ask. Because, really, we’re kind of limited in our choices here. There isn’t much we can do to change the fact that McCoy is our new admin unless we quit, and Eastlyn knows it, so I keep that thought to myself.
“No clue. But first, I’m going to kill Keaton. You might want to pay him a visit at Inkredible after work, because it’ll be the last time you see your boyfriend alive.”
“He’s not my boyfriend, but let’s agree not to hurt him just yet. He’s such nice eye candy to run with,” I can’t help grinning, even though I know if I keep it up, it will be my name that appears next on her hit list. “I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for why he kept the news from you.”
She simply rolls her eyes, then glares at me. I have a horrible habit of giving Keaton the benefit of the doubt, even when I’m sure he’s guilty, like now.
“Whatever, you Keaton lover,” Eastlyn scolds, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. I almost think she says shit like that just to hear me defend her brother, so she can reaffirm in her mind that I’m loyal to both Hatfield siblings.
“You know I’m right. Keaton wouldn’t do that to you. And if he did, he had a reason. He knows how you feel about McCoy. I’ll talk to him.” I lie through my teeth as I try to placate her.
There’s no way Keat can justify this. And he’d better be ready to share his grand master plan with me, because after I give him a slap, I want to know why he’d ever keep this from Eastlyn when he knows how she feels. It’s then that the light bulb goes off. He’s trying to push them together. Oh my God, what a little shit.
I grab my cell as Eastlyn continues to talk, “…I’ve denied it forever. I know my family thinks I still have a thing for him…”, and tap out my reply to Keaton while she’s busy angrily tearing down a few old posters and classwork samples.
Me: Innocent, my ass. You totally planned this. You wanted this.
I hit send and go back to listening.
“…I’m not even creeping his social media as much as I had been. I’ve only looked a few times in the last six months; he hasn’t posted in forever…”
My phone vibrates in my hand.
Keaton: I want a lot of things…
Me too, buddy, me too, I think, in response to his once again cryptic text. How do I always set myself up for this shit? Unfortunately, I don’t have time to analyze or begin to respond to that crap right now. I need to be a good friend. Keaton can wait.
With that, I tuck my phone in the back pocket of my twill capris, and listen to Eastlyn, who’s still going on about McCoy. She hasn’t paused for my input just yet, so I have time to listen and catch up, and be the friend she needs right now.
“It’s taken me years, but I’ve been doing so much better. This is going to set me back, Kam.” She waves her hand in the air. “I promised myself I wouldn’t dwell on him anymore, that I was finally going to move on. That I was going to look for real love. You know, give someone else a real chance,” East huffs, resuming her pacing now that she’s torn down all the charts. “I promised I wouldn’t let him affect me anymore. And it was going fine, kinda, sorta, with him not around. Now I’m sure to fall off the wagon. I mean…shit, did you see him in that suit? He’s fucking hot. Like a live version of Jeffrey Dean Morgan in Grey’s Anatomy hot. And he’s right here,” she stomps, pointing to the floor immediately below us where the main office is located. “There’s no way my brain, heart, and libido can just ignore that,” Eastlyn says stopping in front of me, resting her hands on her hips and looking defeated.
“You about done? Breathe, friend, breathe,” I laugh, because she’s going to pass out at this rate, she’s so amped up.
“No,” she says, “I’m not done. I’m frustrated, and I don’t know what to do.” She groans.
“Well, you know what they say?” I singsong, giving her my most mischievous-looking smirk.
“Oh Jesus, here we go,” she says, exasperated. “You know how I love hearing about what They have to say. Although, I’m desperate enough to consider something drastic at this point.” I know she’s going to give me a hard time about my suggestion, but it’s what I think she needs. Heck, maybe I do, too.
“It’s time to date. No better cure for getting over it like getting under it,” I say, smiling triumphantly.
“Are you kidding me? There’s no way you’re a virgin. Virgins don’t think like that.”
I bark out a laugh. “Please. I’m a virgin, not a nun. Plus, I have sisters, remember? And they’re getting enough for all of us.” Well, maybe not Jane right now, but no doubt my baby sister Faith is. “I think you should consider it.”
“I was thinking of sick leave, or a transfer. I could beg, claim I need medical accommodations…”
“You know you won’t leave. That would mean that he won, and that would kill you,” I say, knowing that will stop this train of thought right in its tracks. My best friend is way too competitive to simply walk away without giving it her best. No way will any man chase her away from a job and school she loves.
“So,” I start, having the perfect man in mind, “I know a really nice guy, his na—”
“Oh no you don’t,” she cuts me off. “You, missy,”—she points her index finger at me—“are forever banned from hooking me up with anyone. Remember?” She pauses, like she’s waiting for me to think about what I’m saying.
Whatever, there were some good ones. I’m not entirely horrible at this. I know some awesome guys. “Come on, they weren’t all that bad, East. Besides, this one is very handsome,” I tell her, because I really think she needs this. I can’t remember the last time East dated a guy for more than a date or two.
“Then why don’t you date him?” she challenges.
“He’s not really my type. But you guys have a lot in common. He loves computers and graphic novels, and I swear he carries the same Geek Gene you do,” I tease her, because Eastlyn definitely is an original. She’s kind of a Glambot.
“I do not have a Geek Gene! I happen to enjoy things of a left-brained nature, sure, but so do many people.” She sticks her tongue out at me.
“Oh, East, I think he’d be a perfect distraction from Coy.”
“No. And I’ve got four reasons for you.” She raises her index finger, to represent the number one. “First, there was Richard. Sure, he was cute, but he picked his nose and flicked it, even when he was in my house. I swear, I was cleaning up boogers after every visit.”
I just laugh. Yeah, he was a special one.
/> “Oh, I’m not nearly done refreshing your memory.”
“Come on, they weren’t all that bad.” I roll my eyes, and try to tune her out as she reminds me of Bill, whom she claims gave her a concussion as a result of his snoring, and Seamus, the over-the-top Princess Leia lover.
“Put it this way, don’t quit your day job. They were all so, so bad.” She shakes her head, looking off into the distance for effect.
“Whatever. What about Jesse?” I counter, when he pops to mind. I did good, there. “You dated him for a few months. I helped hook you guys up,” I smile wide, knowing I’ve just proved my point.
“Do you mean Number Four, ‘Jesse the Dutchman’? Please tell me you didn’t forget? He was the worst one of them all! Kam: ‘Jesse, the Dutch Oven Giver?’ I mean, hello? Who gives their girlfriend of less than three months a Dutch oven, especially right after sex? Talk about making my post-orgasm bliss shrivel up and die!”
I laugh when she shakes her head and shudders, reliving it. Oh god, how did I forget that! He’d shoved her head under the blankets and held it there, thinking it was hilarious. Eastlyn swore she could smell his less-than-noble gasses every time she thought about it for the longest time after she ended that relationship at warp speed.
We go back and forth, her listing all the reasons why I’m a horrible matchmaker and me defending my mad skills.
Then I get the best idea.
“Fine. It’s settled. You and I are going speed dating next month when I’m back from Prince Edward Island. That gives you a month without me to get under someone, or else I get my way—and my wing woman,” I say, extending my hand for us to seal the deal.
“Whatever,” she agrees. “I’ll go, but when I’m ready, and only as long as you agree never to try and set me up again.” She takes my hand.
“Deal.” We shake, and I walk towards the classroom door.
“Kam,” she calls.
“Yeah?” I turn back to face her.
“I’m not going to miss your face at all while you’re in PEI. You know that, right?”
“Sure do.” I reply making us both laugh.
First Love (Winning at Love Book 2) Page 14
