by Kristy Tate
“And this horrible thing happened with Chad, the P.E. teacher?”
Darby didn’t respond for a moment.
“Darby? Are you still there?”
“I’m here, and what happened to Chad?” Darby asked, hating how strained her voice sounded.
“Okay, well, I went to his office to borrow some clothes to wear to play in the teachers versus students’ soccer game tomorrow and Cole walked in on me while I was changing.”
“What clothes?”
“You know, school issue P.E. uniforms.”
Relief whistled through Darby. “And that was horrible because he saw your panties?” Darby fought back laughter and collapsed onto her bed.
“He probably thinks there’s something going on between me and Chad!” Nora forgot to whisper.
“But there’s not, right?” Darby fluffed up her pillow.
“Of course, there’s not!”
“And there’s nothing going on between you and Cole either?”
“But I want there to be…even though I don’t.”
“You need to find out if Irena is actually your birth mom.”
“I know. You are so right. I’m thinking about hiring a private investigator.”
“Or you could just talk to your dad. That would be a lot less expensive.” Darby paused as memories of Nora in their high school P.E. class made her smile. Back then, Nora had seemed like she was made of long wiggly strings of spaghetti. Her parents hadn’t encouraged her in sports, or anything, really, and therefore, Nora had about as much coordination as a baby giraffe. “Do you even know how to play soccer?”
“I’ve spent the last few hours reading the rules and watching soccer games online.” Nora provided a typical Nora-response. “I’ll be okay if I can stay in the back corner. I think that’s called the left-back person.”
Darby laughed and pointed her toes at the distant wall, wishing she had someone to play soccer with. When was the last time she’d played anything? It had to be before she’d started studying for the CPA exam. “Yep. You’ll be great. But I gotta warn you, I don’t think a students’ versus teachers’ game is going to be textbook.” She wanted to see this game. She also wanted an excuse to see Chad. “Is Cole playing?”
“I think so. Maybe we could trip over each other, you know--collide or something.” Nora sighed. “Forget I said that. What am I thinking? I’m out of control. I’m so out of my league! I always had Blake! I never had another boyfriend…and as far as I know, neither did he.”
“But now he does.” Darby’s thoughts wandered to Teddy, Blake’s new boyfriend. Darby had known and been friends with Blake even longer than she’d known Nora. The three of them had been inseparable in middle school and high school. Unlike most teen couples, Nora and Blake didn’t mind being a threesome and they’d never been into PDA. Mr. Klint, their high school sociology teacher, had a theory about public displays of affection. “When a guy kisses a girl in public, it’s exactly like a dog peeing on a plant to mark his territory,” he’d said. It became a joke the three of them shared. If they spotted any couples making out, Blake would heckle them and say, “Hey, get a toilet!”
But looking back, maybe Blake’s lack of sexual interest should have been a red flag. Neither she nor Nora had ever suspected Blake’s homosexuality and that hurt. Darby often wondered how she could have been friends with someone for so long without knowing what they were thinking or going through. She knew her mixed feelings were nothing compared to Nora’s. And Blake’s. Because he’d not only fooled them, for a long time he’d probably also tried to fool himself.
“Hey, I’ve got an idea,” Darby said. “Why don’t I come up and pretend to have a fling with Chad?”
“What? You would do that?”
“Sure, it’ll be fun. And it will prove to Cole that you aren’t into him.”
“Do you want to do that?”
“Absolutely. Chad’s gorgeous.”
“But what’s Chad going to think?”
“I think he’ll be okay with it. Remember, he has a girlfriend, so he’s completely safe.”
Nora dropped her voice back to a whisper. “You don’t want to lead him on just for a gag. That would be mean.”
“It won’t be a gag, and I promise I won’t be mean.” Darby paused, suddenly swamped with misgivings. “But Jessica won’t like it if the staff at the school think he’s fooling around, and he might not like them thinking he’s a cheater, either. I don’t know, is this a bad idea?”
“Just come.”
“Okay. Maybe I could bring up Chelsea with me.”
“I would love that!”
“Great. I’ll check with her.”
“You’re the best,” Nora breathed.
“I know,” Darby said.
#
Darby steered her Camry around the corner and spotted Chelsea sitting on a bench outside of the Quick-Step Studio with an overnight bag at her feet. Unlike most Hollywood hopefuls, Chelsea, with her strawberry blonde hair, blue-eyes, smattered freckles, and sculpted body had an offhanded beauty. Unlikely friends, they’d met when Chelsea’s dad had hired Darby to tutor Chelsea in math. They hadn’t become friends until they’d united against Chelsea’s dad’s plan for Darby to help her cheat on her exams. Shortly after that, Chelsea had dropped out of college to pursue a modeling career. Chelsea’s dad still hated Darby, but the girls had remained close. “Okay,” Chelsea said after she got in the car and slammed the door. “Explain this all to me again. Nora sounded completely bonkers when she talked to me.”
Darby gave her friend a quick hug before she put the car in gear. “Thanks for doing this. You’re the bees-knees.”
Chelsea grinned. “You’re doing me a favor. I’m so glad to get out of here.” She glanced over her shoulder at the dance studio and shuddered. “You think there’s a lot of drama on the stage, but it’s nothing compared to the politics of a children’s theater.”
“Really?” Darby eased the car into the traffic on the Pacific Coast Highway and followed the signs to the freeway.
Chelsea stabbed her finger into the air separating her from Darby. “No dodging the question. Spill! What’s going on?”
Darby sighed. “Okay, you know Nora is convinced that the owner of the school where she’s teaching is her biological mom, right?”
Chelsea nodded. “And that makes the principal, the owner’s son, her brother, or half-brother, or something.”
Darby nodded.
“Because of the vibe,” Chelsea added with air quotes, “between them.”
“She told you that he walked in on her trying on a pair of sweatpants in Chad’s office?”
“And this is the same guy whose grandfather hired you?”
“He’s totally gorgeous. And he owes me a big favor because I just saved his grandfather a bundle of money on his taxes, so I’m going to ask him to go with me to Sloane’s wedding.” Darby sped onto the freeway. It was only after two and therefore a long time until rush-hour, but still when it came to leaving L.A., Friday afternoons were always the worst traffic-wise. Having Chelsea in the car would help because they could use the carpool lane.
“You’re not going to make him pretend to be Benjamin, are you?” Chelsea asked.
“No, but to be honest, I actually thought of that. But then he’d have to fake a British accent, so…no.” She tightened her fingers around the steering wheel and pulled in front of a tiny gray-haired woman driving a Kia sedan. “It’s best to accept the fact that Benjamin is dead to me.”
Chelsea raised her eyebrows but didn’t say anything.
“And keep in mind,” Darby added. “Chad has a girlfriend.”
“And what’s she going to say about your plan? Don’t you think she’ll mind if you make him your date to your sister’s wedding?”
Darby twisted her lips. “She’s very money-driven. If she understands that he’s just repaying me for recouping all that money, she won’t say anything.”
Chelsea didn’t look so sure.
#
The girls had a team of about a hundred and they all gathered around Chad and Melissa, the team captain, while Melissa gave them instructions. The girls seriously outnumbered the faculty and they would definitely also out-perform them on the field. Still, Chad watched the teachers from the corner of his eye and half listened to their desperate whispers because competition was competition.
“Wait! What?” Nora whisper-yelled and pointed at Melissa’s huddle. “We don’t get Chad?”
Cole threw her a dark look. “He’s the soccer coach.”
“Which is exactly why we need him,” Nora whispered.
“We have this discussion every year,” Barry told her, not bothering to lower his voice.
“You might think this is about winning,” Cole said to Barry, “but it’s not. Remember, this is about building and strengthening relationships and goodwill.” Cole shot Chad a warning look. “Back off, George! I know you’re listening.”
Chad held up his hands, trying to claim his innocence while the girls hushed. Chad stepped away, but continued to listen in.
Cole dropped his voice to a growl. “It’s supposed to be fun.” He held up a paper to show them. “Here’s your positions.”
“I can’t be that front person!” Nora squealed.
Cole and the others dropped their voices to low, inaudible murmurs.
Smiling because he smelled a clear and easy victory for the girls, Chad jogged to the middle of the field with a soccer ball tucked beneath his arm and blew a whistle.
Both teams lined up. He loved it that Nora had been placed directly opposite of Melissa, an Amazon of a girl with gorilla long arms and a mass of curly hair, a senior in his fourth period P.E. class.
“Whoop! Go Tommy!” a familiar voice called from the stands.
Chad spun around, completely thrown. When had Darby gotten here? And how had she learned the girls’ nickname for Nora? She and another woman he didn’t recognize stood in the front row of the stands, waving and smiling. His heart skipped, but then he reminded himself Darby wasn’t here for him. She was Nora’s friend.
And he had Jessica.
Although, he intended to change that.
Nora smiled and waved at her friends.
Chad blew the whistle and dropped the ball. Cole ran forward and sent the ball spinning toward Barry. Nora jogged after Cole and tried to keep Melissa away from Cole. Barry toyed with the ball with his toe waiting for the girls to stop crowding around Cole, but the girls were like a swarm of bees. They hovered as close as they could get without actually touching their principal. He tried to weave and break free, but the girls had formed a tight circle. Barry scowled before kicking the ball right at Nora’s chest. Nora caught the ball.
Chad blew the whistle and jogged toward her.
Nora dropped the ball.
“Boo! Get a clue, ref!” Darby called from the stand.
Why did the sound of her voice make his knees weak?
“Sorry,” Nora said to everyone frowning at her. “I forgot I’m not supposed to catch the ball.”
Chad grinned at her, picked up the ball, and loped back to the center line. Cole grimaced and even Barry gave Nora a dirty look. Melissa smiled, and for the first time since Chad had met her, seemed genuinely happy.
Chad tried to keep his mind off Darby, but every chance he could, he stole a glimpse at her. She looked good.
Where Jessica was lean and straight, Darby had rounded, pillowy curves. And that mouth. Full, soft…or so he imagined. He didn’t know, of course, seeing as how he hadn’t kissed her. Yet. He spent the first half of the game convincing himself that he wasn’t going to kiss Darby, and the second half trying to think up ways he could get her alone.
When the game was tied, seconds away from ending and the girls had the ball, it popped up in the air, bounced off Barry’s head and landed at Nora’s feet. She was all alone. Taking aim, she kicked the ball as hard as she could. It whistled past the goalie and she scored.
Darby and her friend screamed with delight. The girls stared at Nora with open mouths and shocked expressions. Melissa sprinted toward her, long arms swinging. Barry ran over, picked Nora up, and placed her on his shoulders, while everyone gathered around her, cheering.
But Chad stood silent and alone in the middle of the field, because he didn’t belong to either team. He couldn’t commiserate with the girls or celebrate with his co-workers, especially since he’d been so sure the faculty would lose. So, he watched Darby in the stands. She jumped and hugged her friend while all of her curves jiggled in all the right ways. How could he get her alone? And if he could, what would it take to get her to hug him like that?
#
Since Rusty’s had closed, the Green Hog bar had become the after-hour hangout for the faculty. Burt McCord, the proprietor, made great pizza, but his idea of décor included mismatching metal chairs, scarred wooden tables in varying heights and sizes and unadorned distressed-brick walls.
Chad leaned back in his chair, watching the door and waiting for Darby. When she and Nora walked in, he brought the front two legs of his chair to the ground with a thump and tightened his grip on his drink. Her dark hair bounced around her shoulders and the light sparkled in her hazel eyes. She looked good. Better, if possible, than he remembered.
“Hey, ref.” Darby strolled toward him, planted herself in front of him, and gazed into his eyes. “I saw you call some bad plays.”
“What do you know about bad plays?” he said, climbing to his feet.
“Dance with me, and I’ll tell you.” Darby put her hands on his shoulders and walked backward toward the dance floor. Chad followed as if pulled by a magnet.
“Where’s Jessica tonight?” She cocked her head at him.
“New York. Did you know she’s a buyer for Beach Mason? If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a boutique shop in Santa Barbara.”
“That’s nice,” Darby murmured.
“That she has a good job, or that she’s not here?”
“Both.”
“You had a friend with you.”
Darby swayed to the music. “Chelsea. She’s here to help Nora with the school play. She’s an actress.”
“I thought you were sworn off theater-people.” Chad matched his moves to hers.
“Just one very awful theater person. Actually, that’s part of the reason I’m here. I’ve come to ask you a favor.”
“That’s fair. Grandpa told me about all the money you saved him.” He grinned. “I guess we owe you.”
“Yes, you do.” Darby leaned in. “So right now, I want you to act like you’re into me.”
He leaned back so he could look into her eyes.
She grinned at him. “Don’t worry. It’s all an act. I have no intention of trying to lure you away from Jessica. I’m not that kind of girl.” She moved closer so she could whisper in his ear and tell him about Nora and Chad’s misunderstanding about the sweatpants. His neck tingled from her breath and a shiver ran down his arms. He tucked his hands in his pockets to keep himself from reaching out and pulling her against him.
“That happened in my office?” Chad said too loudly.
Darby shushed him and Chad glanced over his shoulder at Nora who sat at a table surround by a crowd of laughing and joking teachers. She looked miserable.
“Is that the Sprig whispering sweet nothings in my friend’s ear?” Darby asked.
“The what?”
“Sprig, Carey Sprig?”
Chad smiled. “It’s Barry Sprog. He’s the science teacher.”
Darby nodded. “I’ve heard about him,” she said in a dark voice. “Want to go outside?”
“Is this still a part of your plan?” Chad whispered in her ear.
Darby threw a glance over her shoulder at Nora and Cole. “I think it’s working. But I have another favor to ask you.”
“There’s more?” he asked in a staged whisper. “I’m feeling very used.”
She grinned. “You owe me.”
“And I don’t mind paying out,” he said.
“Oh, what would Jessica say to that?”
He answered with a shrug and let Darby take his hand and lead him off the dance floor, out the door, and into the soft dark night. Outside, she dropped his hand and headed across the deserted street to the town green. The trees cast long dark shadows. A gentle breeze carried a few fallen leaves down the sidewalk. Noise and lights spilled from the Green Hog’s open windows, but outside, they were alone.
Darby sat down on top of a wooden picnic table, blew out a long breath, and rolled her shoulders. “I love September,” she said. “It’s still warm, but the tourists are gone. Not that you have that problem here.”
Chad climbed up beside her an inch away, close enough to feel her warmth and smell her perfume, but not touching. “You do in L.A.?”
“Shell Beach,” she corrected him. “That’s where I live and where I grew up. During the summer, the town is overrun by tourists and beach bums, but they magically clear out in September. October is usually nice, but by then, the days get shorter, and the air is a little colder. September with the big almost-empty beaches is the best.”
Chad stared up at the night sky with low-hanging clouds.
“The stars are closer here,” she told him.
“It’s because we don’t have the bright city lights. I’m glad you came,” he said after a long pause. “I wanted to thank you, and I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again.”
“I’m not hard to find. Your grandfather has my contact information. As does Cecelia.”
He knew that. What he didn’t know was why he felt so drawn to her. “You said you have a favor to ask.”
She paused, making him wonder if she was considering changing her mind. “I do, but I don’t want a lecture. I just want you to say yes. Although, it’s okay if you say no, too.”
He nodded. “Like I said, I owe you.”
“Yes, you do.”
An awkward silence fell between them.
“Well, what is it?” he asked.
She stared straight ahead, not looking at him. “I want you to come with me to my sister’s wedding.”
