She couldn’t flinch at his informality. Him not calling her Ms. Shaw was a victory. “This educational system was designed around what a specific set of parents wanted for their kids—decades ago. I’ve never stopped to ask what the kids thought they needed to prepare for adulthood. They’re the ones associating with other kids who’ve had more exposure to what’s available beyond Preston. Many area public schools have technology labs. We don’t have more than five iPads in the building. Why don’t we consult the kids? They have more ideas than we give them credit for. Wait, I know the answer. Like you pointed out, Coach, it’s because I was one of those kids. No choice. No other interests allowed. Now, I’m an adult, and I’m finding this damn school still dictates what I should and shouldn’t like.” Who she should like. “I’m done with it.”
The epiphany hit her. She hadn’t said that for effect. She was done with it.
Blinking, she looked up at Chris. The whole room was watching her, but she focused on him. “I quit.”
“Ms. Shaw—” Henry said.
“No. I do. I quit. But you know what? I can walk away—finally! Jaycee can’t. She needs her parents and I’ve only seen one take an active interest in her life. Coincidently, he’s the only one here. I wish my father had taken a personal interest in me. Half the time”—ninety-nine percent—“I feel like the only purpose behind my birth was to run these oppressive, misogynistic, dictatorial schools, and I let it ruin all the good things in my life.”
Mr. Richards’s eyebrows dropped over his eyes. “Now listen here—”
Natalia pushed back. “Nope. Not my problem anymore. Henry, I’m cleaning out my office.”
She rose and swept out of the room without looking back at Chris. The sight of him might’ve bolstered her, or dropped her. Because her newfound sense of self had come two months too late.
On her way to her office, the click-click of her heels sounding as desperate for escape as she felt, she texted her parents.
I quit Preston. I refuse to be affiliated with this school. Call you when I have time.
No doubt one of the board members or the Richards was already dialing her father.
They were going to disown her. Her trust fund was hers, but even if they found a way to leave her penniless, she’d make a living. She was a legit teacher, after all. Many schools would be grateful to hire a former principal as a teacher.
Right?
God, she didn’t know. She knew no one in the field. Would she have to move back to Seattle?
Go where the jobs were. No one was tying her here.
Tears pricked the backs of her eyes. No one was waiting for her anywhere.
She stifled a sob and rushed into her office. The sooner she was packed, the sooner she could skim help-wanted ads and call moving companies.
* * *
As Natalia disappeared around the corner, Chris picked up the pace. He wasn’t going to charge after her like a madman. But it was hard to convince himself not to.
He’d just told Cierra’s parents to stay out of his and Cierra’s business and walked out of the meeting. Natalia was right. Preston Academy was designed for one reason, and who was he to say they were wrong?
But as Jaycee’s father, he could say, nope, my daughter is going to school where she chooses. She’d go where she fell in with a group of friends who cared about her and not with a boy who cared about nailing her virginity.
Chris would go down broke and swinging on that account.
Ahead, what sounded like a sob spurred him to go faster. She had stepped into her office and was swinging the door shut behind her.
He rushed inside and closed the door behind him.
She turned with a gasp, her arm drawing back.
Holding up his hands, he leaned against the door. “Easy with the Krav Maga.”
“I’ve only taken a self-defense course.”
He grinned. “Good. Could you teach Jaycee?”
She giggled and they both fell quiet.
“I’m sorry—”
“What a shit show,” he said over her.
“Yeah. It has been for a while. But I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “You were doing your job, even if the mentality here sucks. If it had been the last principal, he’d have let Dresden keep running off with my girl, and she’d have stayed with him because she was miserable. Then there’d be a fourth-generation Preston kid.”
Another laugh burst out of her. “Sounds awful.” Her smile faded. “Is she really doing well?”
He pushed off the door. “No exaggeration. The first day, some kids saw her sketches and now she’s snap-whatevering them all freaking day. She even shows them to me. Do you know how many drawing apps there are?”
A flash of a grin faded. “I’d love to know. I’d love to hear her stories and see her work.”
He drifted closer. Tension vibrated through her like a tuning fork. “Well, I happened to hear you’re not busy later. Want to come over?”
“I’m so not busy now.” The sound she made was a mix of a laugh and a cry. “Why would you want me over?”
“Are you serious? After I witnessed Shaw Shank slap down an entire room of esteemed Preston Academy faculty and donors?”
“I didn’t do anything but quit. And text my parents about it.” She screwed up her face. “My phone is going to vibrate apart, but I told them I’d call them later.”
He whistled low. “Shit’s serious now.”
She considered him, her head tilting to the side, one hand running along his lapel. “I want for it to be serious again. I’ll even send him a selfie of us and hash tag it ‘ownsatoystore.’”
She’d told off the school board, left her job, and notified her parents right away? This Natalia he hadn’t met yet. Or had he? The real Natalia had ripped her mask off.
He lifted her glasses off her face and tossed them in the trash. Her lips twitched.
Cupping her cheek, he said, “You can tell them that they can get the friends and family discount if they shop at Arcadia.”
Her laughter—it’d been too long since he’d heard it. And too soon it was gone. “What are you going to do about Jaycee?”
The corner of his mouth kicked up. “We had a long talk about her future and her authority over it. She’s with her mom now and I fully expect Nana and Papa are going to get an earful.”
“They don’t seem like the type of people who’ll listen.”
“Her mother might. The peace of Cierra’s wedding is at stake.”
“Devious.” He hadn’t moved his hand, and she rubbed her cheek against it.
“We’re preparing for war. You met Ephraim at the party. Our store uses his law firm for all things legal and he has a contact for me if the Richards interfere with custody. I have some assets I can cash in for the retainer. But mostly, Jaycee and I are hoping they don’t call our bluff.”
“I hope you don’t have to do that.” They were chest to chest.
“It’s past due.”
“I know a former principal of a prestigious private school who can vouch for your character.”
“I don’t think it’ll go over well once I tell them just how unprofessional our relationship is.” His lowered his head. This time, after they repeated the desk episode, he would leave with her on his arm.
Chapter 16
Six months later…
Chris wandered the perimeter of the trade show floor. Once again, Arcadia got the primo corner booth and they’d outdone even last year’s showing. Six-foot renditions of popular comics lined the wall behind the tables. They had pull boxes for comic books and action figure displays arranged on the corners.
Twenty minutes and the doors to the Twin Cities Comic Con would open. A line outside had already formed around the building. Even though he was a fanboy and had waited in line for comic cons, it still humbled him that others wanted to come to spend the weekend at an event he had put hours of his energy into.
“Hey, Dad.” Jaycee straightened from behind the bo
oth, where she was helping Mara shuffle boxes of action figures and brochures under the table. “Do you want me to stock the little TARDIS key chains, too?”
“Sure, if there’s room.” A smile tickled his lips as Jaycee eyed the table.
Her cosplay costume was homemade. Every hour Jaycee and Natalia spent hunched over the sewing machine was better than any movie Chris could watch. They laughed and joked and put him to work ironing fabric.
Full custody was a heady prospect. Jaycee still spent one weekend, or at least part of it, with her grandparents. Cierra had invited her over a few times for a sleepover. Best of all, Chris had less to do with all of them than when Jaycee had gone to Preston. They all tolerated each other, having come to an agreement after the Preston debacle last spring. Nana and Papa weren’t willing to run Jaycee out of their lives by fighting for custody, and Cierra had actually listened to Jaycee and not isolated herself to keep the drama from affecting her precious wedding.
The rumble of wheels on the floor sounded behind him.
“Excuse me. I’m in need of a superhero, but I don’t know who you are.”
He spun around, trying not to be self-conscious in his skintight gray superhero suit. Shaw Shank’s hands were on her hips, a wicked grin on her face. A black star was painted over her right eye, but it didn’t prevent her from being recognizable.
“I have a special surprise for attendees who know who I am,” he said, tapping the blue emblem on his chest. Nightwing.
Natalia skated closer and dropped her voice. “What if I were to admit that I know who you really are, I just like to hear you get defensive.”
He held out his hand and pulled her closer. “I’ll have to deal with you later.” He gave her a quick kiss.
“Half my class said they were going to come today.” Excitement vibrated in her voice.
“Extra credit or they didn’t believe you could roller skate?”
She tapped his arm. “You know I don’t give extra credit.”
He laughed. Natalia had embraced her real self, but being a strict teacher with high expectations was a part of her.
After only a couple months as a Family and Consumer Science middle school teacher, Jaycee had heard stories that Natalia was tough but well liked by her students. Part of her relatability in FACS was that she was learning with the students. Her sewing skills had landed her the job, but with her first class, she’d announced that they would all learn how to cook from the students in each class who already had the skills.
It was a win for everybody, especially for him. Jaycee was blossoming into a fun teenager to be around. Natalia had moved in—movie night every weekend. His parents had loved her. Hers… They were trying, and that was more than he and Natalia thought they’d do.
She rolled into him for another kiss. “I’d better get back to the Mean Streaks’ booth.”
“I have it on good authority there’ll be a sexy assassin sneaking around tomorrow.”
Her saucy smile was dangerous to a guy in a superhero suit. He couldn’t wait for the next day. Valaria wasn’t retired. Instead of taking the time to design a new cosplay identity, Natalia had helped a couple of students make their own. He didn’t know who was more excited, Natalia or the kids.
He loved the enthusiastic FACS teacher as much as he loved Ms. Shaw, Valaria, and Shaw Shank. Each identity were all a part of Natalia Shaw and they were no longer secret, or separate, and he was head over heels for every part of her.
___________
If you haven’t read Unmistaken Identity yet, find out how Wes shut down Arcadia.
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About the Author
Marie Johnston writes paranormal and contemporary romance and has collected several awards in both genres. Before she was a writer, she was a microbiologist. Depending on the situation, she can be oddly unconcerned about germs or weirdly phobic. She’s also a licensed medical technician and has worked as a public health microbiologist and as a lab tech in hospital and clinic labs. Marie’s been a volunteer EMT, a college instructor, a security guard, a phlebotomist, a hotel clerk, and a coffee pourer in a bingo hall. All fodder for a writer!! She has four kids, an old cat, and a puppy that’s bigger than half her kids.
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Also by Marie Johnston
Unmistaken Identity
Highest Bidder
Based on Principal
Based on Principal: Fanboys Book 3 Page 16