Sleeping With The Enemy

by Parker, Ali

  She rolled her eyes. “Because I’m so cool. If anything, you might make me a little cooler.”

  We got out of the car and went against the tide of students and faculty members exiting the building. We made our way to the office, and fortunately, the principal was free. No students misbehaved and were held after. That had to be some kind of miracle.

  “Good afternoon,” the middle-aged man with a very wide bald spot on top of his head greeted us. “Please have a seat.” He looked at Hayden, trying to place her.

  “My name is Mae Kendell, and this is Hayden Kendell.”

  He looked at me with obvious confusion. He was probably trying to figure out how she could be my daughter. Technically, it was possible. “What can I do for the two of you today?”

  “I got the notice about ideas for field trips,” I started. “I own a museum with a heavy focus on the Roman Empire. I would like to offer my museum as a destination. I have another museum owner who is willing to offer his business as well.”

  “Which museum is that?” he asked.

  “Historical Estates operates it,” I answered.

  “The one with the Egyptian stuff?”

  “Yes.”

  He sucked in a breath through his teeth. “I thought the museum you own didn’t like the big machine? I spoke with the owner a few years back at a convention and he didn’t have a lot of nice things to say. Are you his daughter?”

  “No. I’m the new owner.”

  “I’m sorry. It is a nice offer, but our school cannot afford the admission to both museums. I’m not sure we could pay for one. It’s too much to ask parents to pay. The bulk of our student body hovers just above the poverty line.”

  “No! It would be free. We are offering a tour of both museums at no cost.”

  “Oh,” he said, leaning forward. “That changes things.”

  “We propose splitting the class in two, with one group going to the larger museum and the other to mine. This will make it more manageable and give the kids the best experience possible.”

  He slowly nodded. “Completely free?”

  “Yes. Absolutely. We will not charge a penny.” I probably should have made sure Tyson was on board with the idea before I committed him to it. I was sure he would do it, but I didn’t have his spoken approval.

  “Then I don’t see why not. We have had several offers but none quite as appealing or intriguing as yours. I will need to run it by the eighth-grade teachers, but I think the idea of mixing history with a little fun is the perfect choice. I’m sure some of the students will complain we aren’t going to a waterpark, but the liabilities are just too great. Not to mention, young teens in skimpy bathing suits is a nightmare to deal with.”

  I laughed. “I can only imagine.”

  “I’ll be in touch to arrange a date.”

  I got to my feet and handed him one of my new business cards. “Just give me a call.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Kendell,” he said. I didn’t correct him on my name.

  Hayden and I walked out of the school. I was excited about the upcoming field trip and I couldn’t really explain why. It wasn’t like I was going on the field trip.

  “Are you sure you are okay with this?” I asked Hayden as we climbed into the car.

  “I am. Why are you so excited about this?”

  I shrugged. “Because I want the next generation to see the history. I want them to smell it and touch it. I know history isn’t the coolest thing when you are thirteen, fourteen, or even sixteen. There are more exciting things like cars, makeup, and boys.”

  She laughed. “When you were my age, did you like history?”

  “I did. I was a nerd. I will admit I kind of put history on a backburner when I turned fourteen or so, but it has always appealed to me. I hope to inspire just one kid to go into the field.”

  “And you think that will happen with a visit to your museum?”

  “It could. Let’s go get some ice cream. I want to celebrate.”

  “Before dinner?”

  I started the car as I laughed. “I am not your mother. I’m your sister. As your big sister, I get to spoil your appetite. Plus, I want ice cream and it would be rude to eat in front of you.”

  “Works for me.”

  I ordered Rocky Road and Hayden got a dish of bubble gum. We sat down in the hard chairs and dug into our ice cream.

  “How is school?” I asked her, remembering how great I felt when my parents acknowledged I was even in the room after a day at school.

  “It is good. There’s a guy I like. He’s really cute but I’m not sure he likes me.”

  It was easy for me to be dismissive of what was a trivial matter in the grand scheme of things but in her world, it was a big deal. “What does he look like?”

  “He has dark hair and dark eyes. He plays basketball and is taller than almost all the other boys at school.”

  “Have you talked to him?”

  She smiled. “He’s in three of my classes. We talk sometimes.”

  “Is he nice?”

  “Nicer than the other boys,” she answered. “He doesn’t throw stuff at the girls or cuss a lot.”

  It was sad that was the bar that was set. I wouldn’t tell her she could do better. That was not what she wanted to hear. She wanted me to encourage and support her. “That does sound nice. Do you guys talk on the phone?”

  She gave me a look. “Nobody talks on the phone. We text.”

  I didn’t dare ask if the texts were appropriate. I was almost afraid to know the answer. “Do you know what high school he will be going to?”

  “Mine,” she answered with a huge smile.

  I laughed. “I see. I guess that means you have talked about the future.”

  She blushed. “We aren’t serious. We are not even officially dating. We are just talking.”

  “You will have to point him out to me. I would love to see what this young man looks like. What is his name?”

  “Jared,” she answered. A pretty blush spread over her cheeks. I was glad she was happy. I just hoped Jared didn’t turn out to be a little punk. I wanted to know what he looked like so I could find him and threaten him if he dared fuck with my sister.

  “That’s a good name. Nice and strong. Did you watch him play basketball this season?”

  She looked down at her ice cream. “No. I couldn’t go to the games. I did try to go to one, but I was too afraid to take the bus home by myself.”

  I knew what she was saying without actually saying the words. She didn’t ask for a ride home from any friends for fear our parents would embarrass her. They couldn’t be bothered to pick her up from a game or give her money to take a cab. “Will he be playing in high school?”

  “I don’t know. He’s really good. I hope he makes the team.”

  “If he does, I will make sure you are at every game to support him if you want.”

  Her face lit up. “Really?”

  “Absolutely. I wouldn’t mind going with you if you aren’t too embarrassed to be hanging out with an old lady like me.”

  “I would love that! You would really go sit at a boring game?”

  I nodded. “I would. I used to like watching basketball when I was in high school.”

  “I cannot wait for high school. I think it is going to be a lot of fun. Maybe a little harder but I can’t wait.”

  “Is Jared going to be on the field trip?” I questioned.

  “Yes, but you cannot say anything to him.”

  “How can I? I don’t know what he looks like. I suppose I could just stand at the front of the line and shout his name.”

  “No!”

  I giggled. I enjoyed teasing her. I probably wouldn’t have dared tease her even a few weeks ago. Things were different now. I could be her big sister at times while offering her the guidance she needed to get through the next few years. She didn’t know it yet, but they were going to be challenging and send her into crying fits more than once. I would be there for her. “All right, let’
s make a deal. You very quietly point him out to me and I won’t say anything. I just want to see what this guy looks like.”

  “Fine, but you have to promise you won’t say a word.”

  I made a cross over my chest. “I promise. Now, we should be getting home. I probably should feed you something better than ice cream.”

  “Anything but mac and cheese. I swear if I have to eat mac and cheese again in this lifetime, I will die.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “Mom’s specialty.”

  “Then mine. I swear when she did go grocery shopping, it was straight to the mac and cheese aisle and out after she loaded up her cart with every brand of the nasty crap.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, hating that the perfect day was ending with thoughts of them.

  Chapter 36

  Tyson

  I checked the time and realized it was still early but there was nothing more that demanded my attention at the office. I was looking forward to going home and enjoying a quiet night. Not that it was anything different from how I spent every other night. But tonight, I had a date with a new documentary about an archeological dig a hundred years ago. I was a nerd and I didn’t care.

  I turned off my computer and got to my feet. “Hello?” I heard Mae’s voice call out. A second later, she appeared in the doorway.

  “Hi,” I said.

  “Leaving?” she asked.

  “I was thinking about cutting out for the day. What brings you by?”

  “I just wanted to finalize the plans for Monday,” she said.

  “Ah, the big field trip. Have a seat.”

  She sat down, dropping her purse on the floor and crossing one leg over the other. In the skirt she was wearing, I could see a long expanse of leg. She was wearing red pumps that were sexy and daring and extremely enticing.

  “Did you work out the details with your director?” she asked.

  I nodded. “I did. I’ve decided it is in the best interest of the museum and the students to close the museum for the duration of their visit.”

  “Really? Isn’t that going to cost you a lot of money?”

  I shrugged. “It’s only a few hours. Like you said, we are shaping the young minds of the future. I want to make sure I am doing my part to make sure future civilizations remember us and our ancestors.”

  “Are you claiming the Egyptians as your ancestors?” she said with a laugh.

  I shrugged. “It could be true. We all had to come from somewhere. Our parents and their parents and you get the idea.”

  Her pretty laugh warmed my heart. “I think I’ll claim Cleopatra from my great to the hundredth power grandmother.”

  I threw my head back and laughed. “Of course, you would.”

  “Thank you for doing this,” she said. “I know it isn’t really your thing. And you certainly don’t owe me anything.”

  “I want to do this.”

  “Even if it’s a favor to me?” she questioned.

  “Yes. I don’t see it as a favor to you. It’s for the school.”

  She slowly nodded. “I know you are mad at me. You have every right to be. Kind of.”

  “Why would I be mad at you?”

  “Because I bought that statue. I know you wanted it and I bought it.”

  I smirked. “Because you were mad at me.”

  She pulled a face. “I was.”

  “As in past tense? Are you not mad at me anymore?”

  “Oh no, I’m still pissed, but maybe not as pissed.”

  I laughed. “Got it. But that is a good step forward. I’ll take it. And I’ll work hard to make sure I never make you mad again.”

  She let out a very unladylike snort. “I don’t think you should say things you can’t promise.”

  “I’ll try not to make you angry,” I corrected.

  “I look forward to seeing that. I think you should also try to sell me an oceanfront property in Arizona.”

  I laughed. “Are you saying I’m destined to make you angry?”

  “You always have. Why should there be a change now?”

  “Because I want to make a real effort this time,” I told her. “I will admit I didn’t think too much on it before, but I will now.”

  She smirked. “I guess we shall see.”

  “How is the museum business coming along?” I asked. I wanted to keep her talking. I didn’t want her to leave. The only thing waiting for me was an empty house and a nuked dinner.

  “It’s good. I’ve been working on cleaning things up and doing some rearranging. I hope to add on to the museum one day. The shop next door is vacant. I want to knock out the wall and expand the museum.”

  She was beaming. “You have found your true calling.”

  She shrugged. “I guess I have. This is one of those situations where I had to lose everything to gain what I really wanted.”

  “You didn’t lose everything,” I pointed out and immediately knew I should not have opened my mouth.

  “I lost what truly mattered to me. At least, I thought it mattered. I think I was more connected to the idea of what I wanted it to be. It wasn’t real. I suppose it was a little foolish, childish, and completely stupid to think it could ever be what I thought it was.”

  That was a huge step forward. “Does that mean you have forgiven Patrick?”

  She scoffed, uncrossing her legs and then crossing them again. “Not a chance in hell. Not yet. I want to make him squirm a bit. I’m still pissed that he did what he did, and I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon.”

  “What other plans do you have for the museum?” I questioned, wanting to keep her in that chair.

  The bit of darkness that had crowded into the room evaporated. “I want to get new lights. You’ll think I’m a copycat, but I want the kind of lights you have.”

  “My lights?”

  “Yes. They are bright but they don’t damage the artifacts. I hate to admit it, but the museum is a little dark and drab. I want it to be bright and inviting. I only wish I had time to do it before the school tour.”

  “I can put you in touch with the company that did my lighting,” I offered.

  “Thank you. I would appreciate that.”

  “Do you know your eyes get bright and you become very animated when you talk about your museum?” I asked her.

  She laughed. “Like you do when you talk about one of your artifacts.”

  “I guess we have a lot more in common than we realized.”

  “Maybe,” she said. “Maybe not.”

  “I know we do.”

  “I was wondering if you would like to be at my museum for the tour. And then I would go over for the second tour at your museum. As you know, they decided not to split the class to different times. They could only get one bus.”

  “I did speak with the activities director or something like that. It’s fine.”

  “Good. Thank you again for being so amenable. The kids will one day appreciate it.”

  “Are you giving the tour at your museum?” I asked.

  “I think so, yes. The director wants to do it, but I’m not sure she has quite what the kids need. I don’t even like talking to her. I want the museum to be interesting and fun. If they have to listen to that old crone drone on, they will tune out. They won’t hear a damn thing. They will never want to come back.”

  “Ah, I see,” I said with a grin.

  “What do you see?”

  “You are securing your business by ensuring you have paying customers down the road.”

  She giggled. “That isn’t necessarily my goal, but it would be nice to increase revenue a bit.”

  “I would love to be a part of your tour.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. Why does that surprise you?”

  She shook her head. “Because you are the expert. You have the degree. I’m just me, a fledgling business owner trying to make it work.”

  “Mae you are not a fledgling at anything. I’m a little worried about the competition you will bring to the fiel
d. I never met the previous owner, but I have been in that museum. I will confess, I never thought of the museum as competition. It seemed more like a hobby than an actual business.”

  “Hey!” she protested.

  “I mean that as a compliment. You have already made obvious changes and I know you. You are going to make it great. You’ve already got grand plans.”

  “I do have plans and it will be great. I think I’m going to have a big grand opening and invite you, Patrick, and even my parents. I’m going to rub my success into your noses.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “I think if you tell me about it, it won’t be nearly as satisfying.”

  “It will be very satisfying. Of that, I’m sure.”

  “I will be front and center while you rub my nose in your success. I wouldn’t mind rubbing my nose in other places.”

  She blushed and waved a hand. “I should get going. I need to figure out what to make for dinner. It’s so strange to think about taking care of someone. I can’t just decide I’ll drink a glass of wine and munch on popcorn.”

  “I’m sure she appreciates your effort.”

  “I am learning to cook, and she is my poor guinea pig. She eats anything I put in front of her. Except macaroni and cheese. She has an aversion to that one, which sucks, because it’s about the only thing I can make well.”

  I laughed. “I would love to offer to help but I suck at cooking anything more complicated than scrambling an egg.”

  “I hope we never get snowed in together. We’ll starve.”

  I looked at her, not hiding my desire. “I wouldn’t mind getting snowed in with you. I can live off popcorn and wine.”

  She looked at me, her eyes flashing with heat. “Thank goodness it’s spring and we don’t have to worry about that ever happening.”

  If money could buy a snowstorm focused on just my house, I would pay millions. I would give just about anything to be locked in a house with her with no interruptions from the outside world. It would be just me and her, much like it had been during our trip abroad. I was selfish. I wanted her all to myself.

  “You never know,” I said with a grin. “We could always get a late snowstorm.”