by Kate Davies
He winced again as he turned onto the main road through town. He was such a damn hypocrite. All that time spent convincing himself that he would stay away from Jessica, and at the first opportunity he’d thrown his convictions right out the window.
Way to damage her reputation and put her hopes of a permanent teaching position at risk, Cameron.
He should have left last night instead of falling into an exhausted sleep in the early morning hours. Who cared if her bed was warm and inviting, or that he’d slept better than he had in years with her sweet body curled up next to his?
Hell, he should have resisted the temptation to invite her to Seattle and avoided the whole damn situation altogether.
There was nothing to do about it now. With staff expected to be on site within the next ten minutes, the best he could hope for was that the back parking lot would be clear when they arrived.
“What are you thinking?” Jessica crumpled up the wrapper of her breakfast sandwich and tossed it in the bag.
“Nothing.”
“Tom.”
He glanced over at her. She was sitting half-turned toward him, a little crinkle between her eyebrows.
“This isn’t your fault, Tom.”
“I never said it was.” He’d thought it, but he hadn’t said it.
She wasn’t fooled, of course. “You know what I mean. We’re both adults. We both knew the consequences.”
He shrugged. “What’s done is done.” And until any potential harm to Jessica’s career was mitigated, they were done too.
Her expression was dubious. “Okay.”
He flipped on the turn signal. “When we get to the school, I’ll park next to your car if possible. If no one is around, you can get in, wait a few minutes, and then come into the school after I’ve left the parking lot.”
Jessica rolled her eyes. “Why do I feel like I’m in a James Bond movie?”
“More like Austin Powers,” he muttered, and then tensed as the high school came into view.
There were already a few cars in the front lot, but no people were visible. With luck, they’d get away with it. Of course, there was always the matter of his clothing, but since he wore variations on the same theme pretty much every day, it was unlikely anyone would notice unless they were suspicious.
“Go,” he said, as he pulled into the parking space next to her car. “I’ll wait until you’re in your car, and then head inside.”
“Sure.” She glanced at him once again, shook her head slightly, and grabbed her bag. “I’ll see you later.”
Not if he could help it. She didn’t need any more trouble from him. He waited while she scooted over to her car, unlocked the driver’s side door and slid into the seat. Then he headed into the school without a backward glance.
“Hi, Tom.”
He looked up from his after-school paperwork and stifled a groan. Of all the rotten luck. “Hi, Gabriella.”
She sauntered on into his office and sat down across from his desk, a satisfied smirk on her face. His Spidey-sense went on full alert.
“What can I do for you?”
“Oh, nothing.” Her expression said the exact opposite.
He waited, tension spiraling. What was she up to?
“I just wondered when you started providing curbside service to work in the morning.”
Damn. He kept his expression blank. “Excuse me?”
She toyed with her bracelet, eyelashes fluttering. “Because if you’re free tomorrow, I’d love a ride.”
“I see.” He did, far more than he wanted to. Of all the people to catch him showing up with Jessica today, why did it have to be her? “I’m afraid you’ve misinterpreted the situation.”
“I have?” Her voice was disbelieving.
“Ms. Martin’s car wouldn’t start last night, so I gave her a ride home. She had no way of getting to work today, so I offered to pick her up as well.”
“And you had to come into the school separately?” She arched one brow. “Seems a bit…unnecessary, for an innocent situation like that.”
“She’d left some paperwork in the car last night,” he lied smoothly. “And speaking of paperwork, I really do have some work to do. So unless you have any other questions?”
She took the hint and stood, smoothing the front of her skirt as she did so. “No, of course not. It’s nice to know that Summit has its own knight in shining armor. Just in case I ever need one.”
Tom resisted the urge to bang his head on his desktop as she left. He knew she would use the information to her advantage, unless he stayed as far away from Jessica as possible. If they weren’t seen together, any rumors might die down. And his explanation was plausible, though people would be more inclined to believe a more salacious version.
So he had to do everything he could to minimize the damage to Jessica. He had no right to get her mixed up in something like this, whatever this was.
She was a new teacher, working her tail off to get a contract for the next school year. With every moment they spent together they risked being found out. And though there wasn’t a strict policy against employees dating, Tom knew there were those in positions of power who frowned on it. It was hard enough getting hired. She didn’t need questions about propriety and respectability mucking up the process.
And he had no illusions that, given a choice, she wouldn’t hesitate to pick her career over any relationship with him.
He really didn’t blame her. She’d made it perfectly clear from the beginning that she was focused almost entirely on her goal of a full-time contract. And he refused to be a liability to another woman.
Better that he cut off any budding relationship before it fully took root.
He just hadn’t expected it to hurt quite so much.
The first order of business was to stop spending time with her, no matter how innocent the activity.
He checked his watch. It was almost time for rehearsal to be over. With a heavy sigh, he headed down the hallway to the theater.
She was alone, sitting in the back row marking up a script. Her face lit up with a smile as he sat down beside her. “Hey,” she said softly.
Tom bit back a groan. “Look, Jessica, we need to talk about last night,” he began, only to be drowned out by her heartfelt groan.
“Not this again, Tom. God, if you apologize every time we spend time together, it’s really going to get old.”
“There isn’t going to be a next time,” he said quietly. Next to him, she stiffened and drew away, leaving him with just the memory of body heat and the way her curves fit his angles so effectively.
Tom sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “The hard truth is that we work together, and if you want that to continue beyond your substitute contract, going any further with this is not a good idea.”
“I see.” Her voice was low and flat. “I was under the impression that we’d gone pretty far with it already.”
He winced. “I know. It’s just that people are starting to notice.”
Her head whipped around and she stared at him, her eyes narrowing. “Who?”
“Gabriella.”
“Damn.” She looked away, lost in thought. “That doesn’t have to change anything.”
He almost laughed. “Are you kidding? It changes everything. We can’t risk it. You can’t risk it. We can’t be together, Jessica.”
“For how long?”
He was silent.
She shook her head and stood. “Message received. It’s been nice knowing you, Mr. Cameron.”
“Jessica.” He placed a hand on her arm, but she shook it off.
“Goodbye.”
And with that final nail in the coffin, she gathered her things and stalked out the door.
Chapter Ten
Tom stood in the outside doorway to the cafeteria, scanning the parking lot. Behind him, a small but enthusiastic dance committee placed finishing touches on the decorations.
By day, the cafeteria was a functional room, filled with
long white tables and stark fluorescent lighting. A row of windows overlooked a tangle of blackberries in the neighboring empty lot. But tonight, the room had been transformed.
The folding cafeteria tables were gone, replaced by several round tables around the perimeter of the room, leaving space for a dance floor. Green and silver tablecloths alternated, topped by a mirrored tile in the center of each table, a grouping of votive candles anchoring the look. Green and silver balloons were tied to the backs of each chair.
Huge swaths of netting wrapped around the support poles, interspersed with greenery. The bank of windows had been covered with dark paper to increase the sensation of an intimate gathering. And to top it off, glittery stars dangled from the ceiling, tied to varying lengths of fishing line that disappeared in the darkness.
At the far end of the room, replacing the usual salad bar, a table covered with sound equipment projected multicolored lights. The DJ ran through his sound check as the dance committee rushed about.
“Fifteen minutes, people!” A petite blonde waved her clipboard in the air to grab the group’s attention. “Everything looks great. Go freshen up and take your places.”
Tom smiled as the all-female troupe hurried off to the restroom, hitching up their long dresses in order to walk more quickly. A group of boys, somewhat less comfortable in their rented tuxedos, lounged against the back wall, talking quietly. Already a bit disgruntled about being dragged to the dance early so their dates could sprinkle confetti on the tables, they’d stood in the background watching instead of offering to help. Tom shook his head. Evidently, chivalry only went so far.
He looked out the door again, then mentally kicked himself for being so predictable. She probably wasn’t even going to show up tonight. Not that he’d blame her for staying away.
The click-click of heels drew his attention. He turned in time to see Celeste take up position at the opposite door. As they’d done at every dance so far this year, the two of them would greet the entering students.
“How’s everything going?” she asked, surveying the decorated room. In deference to the dance’s dress code, Celeste was wearing a long, pastel blue dress with a tasteful row of seed pearls decorating the modest neckline. Tom recognized it from Homecoming, but a high school principal probably didn’t need a closet full of formal wear.
“The kids have everything under control,” he replied, adjusting his cummerbund. Another glance outside verified that cars were starting to arrive. He straightened his cuffs, thankful that he’d held on to his tuxedo, even when he’d been certain that he’d never wear it again.
Celeste squinted at the parking lot. “The last tickets sold this afternoon. We’ve got a full house tonight. Are you sure there will be enough chaperones?”
“Plenty. I told everyone they could wait until the dance started before they got here—no point in all of us standing around in an empty room.” Of course, if he’d asked everyone to show up early, he wouldn’t still be craning his neck every fifteen seconds, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jessica.
Celeste nodded. “Have any trouble getting volunteers?”
“No.” Well, not much. Once he’d locked his pride in a box and actually started approaching people, the list had filled rapidly. Of course, there had been a few suspicious looks that flew his direction as he tried to start those conversations. Most staffers had recovered quickly, and, thank God, they’d been more than gracious to him. A lucky thing, considering how often he’d shut down attempts to be friendly since he’d started this job.
He knew now what his lone-wolf attitude had cost him over the past few months. The people he’d invited to chaperone had been nice and outgoing. If he hadn’t clung so tenaciously to his solitude when he first began working at Summit, he probably could have developed some decent friendships by now. And, if he was totally honest with himself, his insistence on keeping that wall up between himself and the rest of the staff had probably impacted his work with the students.
Even this token interaction had netted some good information about the kids. A couple of staffers had mentioned concerns they had about this or that student, and the follow-ups had been fruitful. A seriously depressed girl had been referred to the counseling office, and a plan to egg the staff parking lot had been averted. All in all, a very successful experience.
A spark of silver caught his eye, and he looked out into the parking lot. Tom winced inwardly as he recognized one of the less-than-successful interactions sashaying towards the main door. He definitely hadn’t approached Gabriella, but that hadn’t stopped her from signing up to chaperone once she’d discovered who was in charge.
“Gabriella,” Celeste exclaimed, a polite smile on her face. “How nice of you to join us tonight.”
Gabriella sidled up to Tom and stood by his side, a manicured hand squeezing his upper arm. “Well, when Tom mentioned he needed chaperones, I couldn’t say no. Anything to help out,” she murmured, leaning across Tom to smile at Celeste. He froze, surreptitiously trying to pull away from her chest, which was currently rubbing against his biceps. She dug her fingers in more tightly and swayed in towards him.
“And I see you’ve—umm—dressed for the occasion,” Celeste noted. Gabriella stepped back and spun in a slow circle, tossing her pale curls over one shoulder. She wore a silver lamé gown, with double side slits to mid-thigh. It was strapless, the better to show off her impressive cleavage. A clutch of teenage boys stood in the shadows just beyond the door, elbowing each other as they gaped at their teacher’s obvious curves.
“Don’t you love it?” Gabriella replied to the principal, though Tom noted she never shifted her gaze away from him. He felt like a field mouse caught in a hawk’s sightline. “It’s a designer original.”
Tom glanced away, wondering what the hell he should say to that. Fortunately, he was saved from answering by the arrival of three more chaperones. Tom took the opportunity to assign chaperoning duties, taking care to place Gabriella in the far corner of the cafeteria.
“Be sure to save a dance for me,” she tossed over her shoulder as she swayed across the floor.
Tom looked at Celeste, who was watching the exchange with a knowing look on her face. He grimaced, muttering, “I know, I know. Someone needs to talk to her about appropriate dress for school functions. Just, please, don’t make it be me.”
Celeste grinned. “Coward.”
“Self-preservation,” he replied.
He turned his gaze back to the parking lot, watching the incoming students. They approached the cafeteria in pairs or groups, dodging the puddles that spread over the ground. Their laughter echoed off the sides of the building and the cars that filled the parking lot.
The girls seemed older, more sophisticated in their formal gowns, although some teetered a bit in their high heels. Some held purses over their heads, trying to shield their fancy hairdos from the drizzling rain. One or two carried umbrellas, to be added to the dripping pile next to the main doors.
The boys pulled awkwardly at the collars of their starched dress shirts, trying to loosen the bow ties probably knotted by Mom before leaving the house. They shuffled and elbowed each other, projecting to anyone who bothered to look that they were still macho, regardless of the monkey suits their girlfriends may have forced them into for tonight.
The arriving students jostled their way into the narrow entry, dropping wet umbrellas and rummaging in purses and pockets for their tickets. Their voices mingled with the music pulsating from the DJ stand behind him.
Tom glanced back at the dance floor. The room was starting to fill. Without turning around, he said, “I’m going to wander, Celeste. Can you hold down the fort for a minute or two?”
“Sure,” she replied. “Jessica can keep me company.”
Tom turned back, his pulse suddenly accelerating. There, framed in the open doorway, was Jessica.
Since the ferry ride—and its aftermath—two weeks earlier, he had gone out of his way to avoid her. Fewer complications, he’d told h
imself, even though he thought about her almost constantly. He’d even caught himself eavesdropping on students just to hear about play rehearsals and her homework assignments.
He hadn’t known if she still planned to chaperone, after the way their pseudo-date had ended.
But here she was. He had to clench his jaw to keep from blurting out how glad he was about that.
She was in the process of removing her wrap and folding it over one arm. The satin floral fabric shimmered against her pale skin.
Her dress was formal, like the other chaperones’, but it was as elegant as Gabriella’s was trashy. Wide satin straps skimmed her shoulders and crossed in the back. The bodice was trimmed in crystal beading along the neckline and waist. The deep blue velvet hugged her curves gently, then draped to the floor in a slim column skirt.
Droplets of rain sparkled in her hair, which was twisted up onto the top of her head in a complicated knot. Tendrils curled around her face. It looked stylish but not fussy, a perfect complement to her classic gown.
No one could ever mistake her for a student tonight.
She glanced up at Tom, a calm smile curving her berry-kissed lips. “Sorry I’m late.”
A moment passed, then two, and Celeste stepped in to cover his slack-jawed response to her arrival.
“Not at all,” she replied briskly. “Perfect timing. Tom was just going to walk the perimeter of the room, so I could use a partner here at the door.”
Tom avoided Celeste’s pointed stare and kept his attention on Jessica. God, he couldn’t stop looking at her. “Yes,” he said finally, “you can help Celeste here until I get back. Then I’ll give you your assignment.”
With what he hoped was a calm, professional nod, he beat a hasty retreat.
The music grew louder as he left the entryway and stepped into the cafeteria. Bright lights pulsated across the dance floor, where groups of teens bounced up and down to the beat. Like most dances, the students tended to pair off only during the slow songs.
Tom waved at students as he passed, receiving shouts of hello in return. Some tried to pull him into their dance circles, but he declined, promising to return when the DJ played something from his era. He smiled inwardly, wondering just what era these students thought of as his. He’d lay odds they were resigning themselves to a disco tune.
