She glanced between the two of them and frowned. “Where are your costumes?”
Rebecca piped up right away. “I’m obviously dressed as a Phys. Ed. teacher on her night out.” She bumped her hip against his. “And I just happened to come across this other Phys. Ed. teacher. Gosh, we really need to increase our social circles.”
He was so distracted by the flirtatious bump, he stammered out a next-to-useless response. “Uh, yeah . . . we do.”
Margaret chuckled knowingly. “You’re a couple of spoilsports is what you are. I’m about to hit the snack station. Can I get you two anything?”
“I’ll take a water,” Rebecca said.
“Water sounds great,” Will agreed.
Margaret’s warm smile became a scowl. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear the magic word. And remember, if I lose my temper, you lose your heads!”
“Please, your Majesty,” they said in unison.
She nodded. “Very good. As you were.”
They both laughed as she sashayed across the floor. He understood now how Rebecca had been captivated by Margaret so long ago. Her personality shone brighter than the glittering hearts that trailed down the front of her dress.
“Drama people are weird,” she muttered, to Will’s amusement. “She takes any occasion to dress up very seriously.”
Just as she uttered the words, a killer zombie nurse trudged into his peripheral vision. He could tell who was hiding beneath all the makeup and gore even before she flashed him a braces-filled smile.
“Hi, Mr. Whitney!”
“Hey, Magenta! You look . . . creepy.”
She tittered like he’d given her the most perfect compliment. “Thanks. I hope I win best costume!”
“Oh, I think you’re a shoo-in. Or a boo-in,” he teased. “Have fun!”
She waved and ran off with her other ghoulishly dressed girlfriends, and he turned to find Rebecca smirking at him.
“You got a hello. I didn’t even get a hello.”
“Aww, jealous?”
Rebecca shrugged. “Maybe a little.”
“She’s a sweet kid,” he said.
“Who has a big-time crush on you.”
“Yeah?” Will took a step closer, lowered his voice a bit, but made sure she could hear every word. “I’m crushing on someone here, too.”
Rebecca swallowed, whether at his proximity or his comment or both, he couldn’t say for certain. She averted her gaze, then her eyes widened. “Whoa.”
Will followed her point of focus to a couple on the floor taking dirty dancing to a whole new level. “Wow.”
“Yeah. Hang on. I’d better go pry them apart.”
“I’ll be here if you need backup.” And wondering what you might have said if they hadn’t drawn your attention.
The heavy thump, thump, thump of the bass echoed from the speakers into the empty hallway. As soon as the gymnasium door closed behind her, she took a shaky breath, trying to get her heart beating again to a rhythm resembling the popular song. Space. She needed space. Away from him. She couldn’t breathe when he stood so close to her, invading all her senses. How did the man look so frigging good in a polo shirt and jeans?
After last night’s intimate conversation and being thrown together again tonight, her mind and body were working overtime to keep from slipping off the edge of control. It wasn’t supposed to be this hard. She’d laid the ground rules. She’d made things crystal-fricking-clear that there were strict lines that couldn’t be crossed, but those lines were becoming blurrier with each passing day.
Her feet carried her a few steps forward. Maybe she could hide out in the girls’ washroom for a while. The other chaperones could handle things in the gym, but the night was far from over and she couldn’t hide away indefinitely.
The music swelled through the empty hallway as the gym door opened again. She didn’t need to turn around to know it was Will.
“You okay?” he asked to her back.
Rebecca squeezed her eyes shut and counted to five before facing him. Somehow, in that short amount of time, he’d managed to evaporate the distance between them. “One of us needs to be in there, you know,” she said, hoping her voice didn’t sound as breathy to him as it did to her.
“Berg’s got it covered for a few.” He took another step toward her. “Listen—”
“Will . . .” She backed away, hitting her shoulder blade against the corner of the wall and ricocheting like a pinball into the adjacent hallway. Will reached to steady her, but she brushed his hand aside.
He frowned. “Sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
When he moved to walk away, she grabbed his arm to stop him. “I’m sorry, Will. I . . . I’m having a hard time dealing with things.”
“What things?”
“This. You. Us working together. Spending so much time in the same place.”
The anguish reflected in his bright blue eyes sliced her heart in two. “Why?”
“Because it’s too hard being near you and not . . .” She couldn’t finish the thought. Her brain short-circuited when his warm palm grasped her hip and pulled her closer.
“Not what?” he whispered.
The music pulsed in the background, but there was no one there but them. And for one brief moment, she gave in. Gave up control and surrendered. Stopped thinking about the damn consequences and listened only to her heart.
This is a really bad idea, her brain blurted one last protest before she stood on her tiptoes. “Oh, shut up,” she murmured.
“Huh?” Will gasped, but she silenced him with her lips. On his lips. The gentle pressure she applied wasn’t enough—not nearly enough. He must have agreed because her back hit the wall and she moaned as his tongue entered her mouth. Warm, wet, oh-so-welcoming heat flooded her body as they effortlessly fell into a give-and-take that took her breath away.
His hands engulfed her, made her feel small and exposed . . . and wanted. She’d never felt so wanted before. Threading her fingers through his thick blond hair, she held on for dear life. Her knees turned to liquid, but she knew he wouldn’t let her fall. Just like the day they first met, when he came to her rescue in that very same hallway. And stole her heart with a cookie.
His knee wedged between her thighs, pressing her more firmly against the wall as his tongue reached new depths. An ear-piercing shriek split through the air, and she had to wonder if it was the little girl inside her screaming in joy about kissing the cute boy, but the distressed wail that followed jolted them apart. Chest heaving, Rebecca jerked her gaze to the end of the hall where two teenage girls dressed in matching Catwoman costumes appeared, one visibly sobbing.
“I can’t believe that asshole just broke up with me at the Halloween dance in front of everyone!” Releasing another outraged shriek, the teen burst through the washroom door, her whiskered friend right behind her.
Rebecca took a steadying breath, then turned to Will again. His eyes searched her own as if trying to gauge whether she regretted the kiss. They both knew the answer.
Yes.
And no. But the no couldn’t be discussed—not yet.
“I’ve got this covered,” she told him, fighting the urge to smooth out the rumples on his shirt, and the lines of worry on his face. “You’d better check and make sure things are okay in the gym.”
He nodded. Opened his mouth to say something, then snapped it shut again. With a second, more resigned nod, he shuffled his feet in the direction of the gym.
Rebecca watched him walk away, pressing her fingers to her still-tingling lips. That’s when the bastard decided to look back at her. She yanked her hand away a fraction too late, because the smile on his face could have lit up an entire city in a blackout. She rolled her eyes and shooed him away. “Go.”
His smile didn’t dim in the slightest as he saluted her order, then finally rounded the corner.
Rebecca waited a few seconds, partly to make sure he wasn’t going to make a surprise reappearance, but mostly to sha
ke off the lingering effects of that mouth of his. Just so long as his sexy lips didn’t go flapping, they’d be okay. No matter how competitive the guy was, nor how hard she’d made him work for that kiss, she didn’t want this to be front-page news on the next edition of The Daily Dispatch.
Thank God they hadn’t been caught by the girls. And now she had to go and pretend she wasn’t pissed as hell at them for interrupting what had to be the single hottest kiss of her entire life. Well, there was no putting it off any longer. Rebecca, the woman, had to be muzzled because Rebecca, the teacher, had a job to do. With one last cleansing breath, she strode toward the girls’ washroom.
She pushed open the door to find the two teens huddled in front of the mirror, a pile of toilet tissue streaked with makeup and tears at their feet. Even partially masked and made-up, she recognized the girls. Jenna Wade and Ryley Parker, both seniors, and both currently flunking her Phys. Ed. class.
“Miss Ledgerwood!” Jenna, the shrieker, shrieked. “Oh, my God, can’t a person get any privacy? This is the girls’ washroom. Don’t you have some fancy one in the teachers’ lounge?”
“I appreciate the warm welcome,” Rebecca said dryly. “I just came by to check on you after I heard the screaming . . .”
Jenna lowered her gaze. “As you can clearly see, I’m a mess.”
“Jenna,” she began, giving the girl a sympathetic smile, “I’m sure Ryley would agree, you’re a knockout even with raccoon eyes and snot running from your nose.”
Ryley nodded. “It’s actually annoying how hot you still look.”
“I’m a hot mess!” Jenna cried.
Rebecca bent down to gather some of the discarded tissues. “I’m guessing this has something to do with Josh Gilson?” she inquired as she disposed of the tangled clump. Josh and Jenna had been an item since their sophomore year, but apparently the honeymoon phase had ended with a whimper.
“The dickless idiot broke up with her,” Ryley chimed in. “I mean . . .” She paused, perhaps remembering she was speaking to an authority figure and not a contemporary, then grimaced. “Sorry, not sorry.”
Ignoring the vulgarity, Rebecca focused on the matter at hand. “This might be hard for you girls to believe, but I was once your age, too. I’ve experienced my fair share of unexpected breakups, but you know what I’ve learned? No matter how hurt you are or angry . . . or homicidal, you can never, ever let him know it. Don’t you dare let this guy think he’s worth crying over.”
Jenna glanced away from the mirror at Rebecca, biting down on her quivering lower lip. She reached for a fresh cluster of tissues and blew her nose. Face blotchy and eyes swollen, the young girl finally managed a smile. “He was a terrible kisser, anyway.”
“Atta girl,” Rebecca praised her. “I think with a few touch-ups, we can have you back on the dance floor again in no time.” She scanned their immediate surroundings, spotting the girls’ handbags on the floor near the wall. “What do we have to work with here, ladies?”
Both girls sprang into action, grabbing their bags and rifling through the contents. Their combined assortment of cosmetics included a small bottle of liquid foundation, some mascara, blush, and three different shades of lip gloss.
After washing her face, Jenna perched herself on the edge of the sink while Ryley took charge of applying the foundation. Rebecca followed her efforts with two swipes of the mascara wand on Jenna’s eyelashes, then she dotted some blush on the apples of her cheeks. Ryley settled on the ‘If Lips Could Kill’ cherry shade of lip gloss to finish the job.
Jenna hopped down and spun around to view herself in the mirror. She beamed at her reflection, then shared her smile with the two people who made it happen. “It’s perfect,” she whispered.
“Not bad for a ten-minute touch-up job, huh?” Rebecca squeezed Jenna’s shoulders as she admired their handiwork.
Both girls nodded.
“You’re super cool, Miss,” Ryley said. “Makes me feel guilty for skipping so many of your classes.”
“Same,” Jenna agreed.
Rebecca laughed. “Good. I’m glad you feel that way ’cause I expect to see you both in my class Monday morning. Got it?”
“Yes, Miss,” they murmured in sync.
“Alright, well, you two finish doing whatever you need to do. I’ll wait for you in the hall.” She strode confidently from the washroom, proud of a job well done, and certain the teens would hold up their end of the bargain come Monday. Girls, no matter what their age, didn’t forget when you went into battle for them. The biggest teaching wins often happened outside the classroom.
It wasn’t long before the two girls emerged, looking more radiant than when they’d first set foot in the school. The three of them returned to the gym, Jenna and Ryley flanking Rebecca as if they were her personal bodyguards.
“All right, folks, it’s the last dance,” Berg called from his DJ booth. “Find someone special and make it count.”
She caught Will’s gaze from across the room and looked away. They’d kissed. My God, they’d kissed! And she’d made damn sure it counted. Which was a good thing, too, because they wouldn’t be able to do that again for as long as he worked there . . .
No matter how special he was.
17
We kissed.
That was the two-word text she’d sent Hannah the next morning. No more, no less. Eleventy billion questions later, she picked up the phone to talk the old-fashioned way.
Hannah answered on the first ring with a screech so loud, Rebecca had to yank the phone away from her ear. “Oh my God, woman, tell me everything! Who kissed who? How did it happen? When did it happen? Was it everything you dreamed it would be?”
Laughter spilled from her lips. She’d already answered most of these questions via text, but she delighted in her friend’s unrestrained glee. “It just sort of happened unexpectedly. I mean, after Dogspeed the other night, I bumped into him on the walk home and—”
“What! How did I not know this?”
She rolled her eyes. “Because it was literally two days ago, and I’m telling you about it right now. Anyway, he was at Scoops, and he bought me and Pip ice cream and we went to the gazebo and had this weirdly cathartic heart-to-heart which ended in us almost kissing.”
Hannah gasped.
“I said almost.” Kicking the comforter off her legs, she wiggled up higher on the mattress and fell back against the pile of pillows she’d gathered. “So, fast-forward to last night. I think there was some tension still simmering at the surface, for both of us, and at one point I left the gym to get some air, and he came after me.”
Hannah’s panting breaths made her ponder if she’d given Muffy the receiver. “Holy crap, Becks. You’re not even to the good part yet, and I need to stick my head in the freezer.”
“Should I stop?”
“Don’t you dare!”
Rebecca grinned fiendishly. “He asked me if I was okay, and I said I pretty much haven’t been okay since he started working there because it’s too hard to be near him and not, you know, touch him. And then he put his hand on my hip, and I stood on my tiptoes, and we kissed.”
“Tongue or no tongue?”
“A whole lotta tongue.”
Hannah sighed audibly. “A kiss that you initiated, correct?”
“Yes, and he punctuated by pressing me into a wall.”
“Okay, I’m gonna need the freezer. Hang on.”
Giddy laughter burst from her chest. She stretched languidly against the sheets and stared at the ceiling with the serene smile of a girl who’d been freshly kissed. He’d been the only thing on her mind since about ten twenty-six last night, or kissing o’clock, as she’d termed it. Is he thinking about me, too?
“There, that’s better,” Hannah said upon her return. “So, why did you stop kissing again?”
She’d already told her via text, so she summarized. “Catwomen.”
“Right. Cats. They ruin everything. Isn’t that right, Muffykins?”
Rebecca smiled as her friend cooed and gushed in baby talk to her fur baby.
“What happens next, then?” Hannah asked. “When he comes back on Wednesday?”
“Um . . . nothing.”
“What?”
“You said at Gwen’s that I needed to give him a reason to stay. Was kissing him in the school hallway not a good enough reason?” She carried on, not allowing Hannah a chance to argue. “I called you so I could get the giddy out and be calm, cool, and collected when he’s back at school on Wednesday.”
Hannah snorted. “Yeah, good luck with that.”
She pushed off the pillows and sat up straighter. “I can’t do anything more right now. What we did was . . .”
“All kinds of hot.”
“And way past the point of professional behavior. It can’t happen again.”
“Yet, you mean, right? It can’t happen yet, but it can and will happen when his practicum ends, yes?”
Rebecca pressed her lips together and contemplated how to respond. Should it happen? Probably not. But if, in four weeks’ time, Will still wanted to pursue things with her, then . . . maybe? They could try. “We’ll see” is all she finally committed to.
Hannah proved just how unsatisfactory that answer was by huffing out a breath. “Fine, Miss Vague, but I want you to know that you’re making my life a lot harder than it has to be.”
Of course, Hannah would naturally construe this as a personal attack. She decided to turn the tables on her. “How’s your guy? I saw he was at Dogspeed.”
“Ugh!” Hannah growled. “He’s back to being an ass of the first order.”
“Uh-oh.” She flopped against the pillows again and prepared herself for an undoubtedly epic Hannah rant. A ten-minute rant, as it turned out.
“And those were ‘just a few of the issues he has’ with the dog park. I should complain to the town council about him for being a public nuisance! Like I’m ever gonna sleep with that man!”
Rebecca covered her mouth to keep from laughing. “I’m sorry he’s being so difficult. Maybe you two should talk it out and try to come to some sort of compromise. Better than him putting a kibosh on the idea altogether.”
Learning to Love Page 17