More Than Just A Name

by Jaxon, Lynn

  Chapter 5

  ~Meredith~

  “I love you, too, Mom. Listen, I need to go. I have Gage’s kindergarten orientation tonight and don’t want to be late.”

  “But I want to know about this guy you’ve been texting. Gage says that he makes you smile…a lot.”

  “I’ve already told you how wonderful he is.” I grin. “He always wants to know how Gage is doing, and is truly interested in what I have to say. He doesn’t try to make every conversation about him.”

  “Baby, do you even know what he does for a living?”

  “No, Mom. I haven’t even asked.”

  “Just be careful, honey. I don’t want you to get hurt again.”

  “I know you don’t, but I have a good feeling about Nash. I just can’t explain it. I guess we’ll know more on Wednesday. Now, I really have to get going. Give Dad a kiss for me.”

  I look at the clock as I hang up. Ugh, now I have to rush if I want to be ready in time. I’m still covered in sweat from the gym. My mom always picks the worst time to call. I love talking to her, but I can’t seem to get her off the phone. She usually wants to tell me all the local gossip. It’s not like we don’t live in the same area. The sad thing is, I’ve been the major source of that local gossip for the past year.

  I’m so glad Frankie moved into the apartment in Biloxi, which he thought I didn’t know about, when I kicked him out of the house. That way, I don’t have to see him every time I go into town. He has no clue how much I know about what he does. My family is connected to almost everyone in this part of Mississippi. My great-great-grandfather’s casino, which was built in 1929, was one of the few that survived Hurricane Camille in 1969. My family made a fortune with it and invested well. They made sure neither my parents nor I ever have to work a day in our lives. My parents decided to sell twenty years ago so they could travel and relax, but that doesn’t mean the Maddison name isn’t still big.

  Ping.

  Heart hammering, I look at my phone to see if it’s a text from Nash. Sadly, it’s from my neighbor, letting me know she will have Gage home in thirty minutes. It’s her night to pick up the kids from karate. It gives me just enough time to jump into the shower.

  After the fastest shower in the world, I throw on a cute sundress, pull my hair up into a messy bun, then put on a little powder, blush, mascara, and lip gloss. I chuckle as I look at myself in the mirror. Who cares what I look like? It’s kindergarten orientation. Although word on the street is that the new assistant principal is hot.

  I pick up my phone to look at the time, my heart rate soaring when I see a text message from Nash.

  Just two more days until I can see your beautiful face. I wanted to let you know I’ve got to work tonight, so if I don’t respond, I’m not ghosting you ;)

  I’m looking forward to seeing you, too. Gage and I have plans tonight, so I can’t talk, either. See you on Wednesday.

  This man is going to be my undoing. Who gets all gooey from a winky face emoji?

  “Momma, you home?” Gage yells as he runs into the house.

  “I’ll be right there.”

  My neighbor, Lisa, stands in the foyer when I come downstairs. “Gage was a sweetheart. He’s always so well behaved. I sometimes wish Josh acted like he does.”

  “Thanks, Lisa. It’s a constant battle getting him to remember his manners.”

  Lisa drops her voice. “Did you hear about the new assistant principal? I hear he is one fine specimen. He’s also single.” She winks.

  “I’ve heard. That’s all anyone is talkin’ about. The poor guy will probably get mobbed and covered in baked goods from all the welcoming women tonight.”

  She laughs. “Isn’t that the truth!”

  I walk Lisa to the door. Once she leaves, I tell Gage to go get into the shower.

  “But, Momma. Do I have to? I’m not dirty. Just a little sweaty.”

  “Now, mister. You don’t want your teacher to think you are a smelly boy.”

  He sighs. “Okay. I’ll take a really super-duper quick shower.”

  A few minutes later, the cutest little bundle of energy comes bounding down the stairs wearing his favorite PJ Masks t-shirt and some athletic shorts.

  “Why didn’t you put on the jeans and nice shirt I laid out on your bed?”

  “Aw, Mom. That shirt’s itchy and the jeans are too hot. Can I please wear this?” He gives me the puppy-dog eyes and lip pout that work for him every time.

  “I guess, since we need to leave.”

  He jumps up, throwing his fist into the air, then rushes out the door before I can change my mind.

  We pull up and park at the school just before six, seeing a crowd walking through the door. As we get out and walk closer, a tingle runs down my spine when I see a man greeting each parent and student as they walk through the door. That must be the new assistant principal.

  When he reaches out to shake my hand, he has a moment of hesitation, his eyes furrowed. A zap of electricity passes between us. There’s something so familiar about his emerald green eyes.

  “Welcome. I’m Mr. Brooks. Please, proceed to the cafeteria.”

  Chapter 6

  ~Nash~

  Holy shit! It’s Blue Eyes. What do I do? How in the hell am I going to handle this?

  I could see a spark of recognition in her eyes, but she hasn’t ever seen my face. Only my half-naked body and my eyes. Now’s not the time to say, Hey, do you recognize me? It’s Nash. Of course she doesn’t recognize me. I have clothes on. Having her this close and not being able to say anything is going to be pure torture.

  I lean down and give Gage’s hand a shake. “Glad to have you here with us.”

  He’s such a cute kid, and looks exactly like his mother, big blue eyes and all. I pray there isn’t a rule in the handbook that says I can’t date a student’s mother.

  All these women batting their eyelashes and offering to volunteer is going to drive me crazy. Some of them blatantly flirt right in front of their husbands, too. How pathetic.

  Meredith talks with a group of women. She occasionally glances my way, but not the same way some of the others do. She screams class, even if we did see each other in a bar.

  Ms. Bailey, the principal, splits the students and their parents into two groups—one going with her, the other going with me. I smile to myself that Meredith and Gage are in my group. We give everybody a tour of the school, introducing each of the four kindergarten teachers. I go over the expectations and procedures for the upcoming year, then the students break off to their assigned classrooms to talk with their teacher and pick up their school supply list.

  Meredith is right. Gage is quite the talker. During one of our text conversations, she said that once he met me, he’d probably talk nonstop. He doesn’t appear to be shy. He’s going to do just fine in school. Some of the kids hide behind their mothers, but not Gage. He is taking everything in. While Meredith talks to Ms. Ryan, Gage’s teacher, I take this opportunity to go up to him.

  I stick my hand out to him. “Hi, young man. What do you think about school so far? I’m the assistant principal. If you ever need anything, you be sure to let me know.”

  “Hi, Mr. Assistant Principal. My name is Gage and I love PJ Masks. Do you love PJ Masks? My momma wanted me to wear a stuffy, itchy shirt tonight, but I wanted to wear this one. It’s my favorite.”

  “Nice to meet you, Gage. You can call me Mr. Brooks. I love your shirt. I sure wish I had one like that.”

  “My momma can buy you one. Did your momma make you wear that scratchy shirt?”

  I smile. “No…” I lower my voice and lean closer, as if to tell him a secret. “Ms. Bailey did.”

  Gage’s eyes widen, and he lets out the cutest little chuckle. “Wow, she really is the boss.”

  I know Meredith stands behind me when I feel a hum of electricity. I haven’t really had a chance to hear her voice yet. I don’t count the times in the club or when I was sick. All our interactions have been by text message.
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  Almost shyly, she says, “Sorry to interrupt, but I’d better be getting Gage home. Looks like we are the last ones still here.” Meredith smiles down at Gage and lovingly runs her fingers through his hair. “I hope he didn’t wear your ears out. He sure loves to talk.”

  Hypnotized by her soft, seductive voice, I almost don’t answer. “Um… Your son is perfect. I loved getting to know him. If he already knows somebody, it will make it much easier for him to transition in a couple of weeks when he has to be here without you.”

  What I want to say is, I want to know everything there is to know about your son. He is a part of you, which makes him one lucky little boy. But now is not the time. It would be too confusing for Gage, probably embarrassing for Meredith. It will have to wait until Wednesday. I just hope she isn’t mad that I didn’t say anything tonight.

  * * *

  This was one long, yet exhilarating night getting to meet all the students and their parents, but especially seeing Meredith and meeting her son. Seeing them interact makes her even more appealing. I wasn’t lying when I said I love children. If you don’t, you have no business working at a school. I hope to eventually have several children of my own. As Sean reminds me on an almost weekly basis, I’m not getting any younger. At least I can still “shake my groove thing” like I did in college. Score one for the fraternity fundraiser when we did Ladies’ Night for the sororities and all danced like Magic Mike to raise money for Autism Awareness. That definitely came in handy last week.

  Twisting the lid off my beer, I pick up my phone and text Meredith. I have to know if she suspects it was me at school tonight.

  How was your night?

  When she doesn’t respond as quickly as usual, I start to think she figured out it was me and is pissed. Lately, she responds almost immediately. I don’t know how I will react if she decides she doesn’t want to have anything to do with me because I wasn’t upfront with her. Maybe she’s afraid how it would look if we dated. I could give two fucks about that. I need to get to know this woman, and I need to figure out just what it is about her that makes me so crazy.

  When my phone dings, I let out a relieved breath.

  It was great. I took Gage to his kindergarten orientation. He absolutely loved it. I had the hardest time getting him to go to bed. That’s why I’m just now responding. He just talked and talked about how cool his school is, especially Mr. Brooks, the assistant principal. He made quite the impression.

  Fuck, should I say something now? If I don’t, will it blow up in my face later? Part of me wants to, but the other part needs to see what she thinks.

  Well, having a good relationship with the assistant principal is a good thing. He needs to feel like he has someone there he can trust, since this is all new to him.

  You sure seem to have a lot of insight into the mind of a five-year-old :)

  I’m a man. We all think alike ;) So, we know your son liked the school, but how does his mommy feel about it?

  I loved it. I’m so glad I decided to put him in public school, not the stuffy private school his father wanted me to send him to.

  You made the right decision. Most public schools are great.

  It’s getting late. I’d better stop blowing up your phone so you can go to sleep. I know you have work tomorrow. Being my own boss and working from home has its perks. Sometimes I forget that not everyone keeps the same late-night hours I do.

  I could go back and forth with you like this all night long, but you’re right. I have a staff meeting bright and early, so I’d better go to bed. Neither one of us has talked about what it is we do for a living. You’ll have to tell me all about it on our date. It’s after midnight, so technically, our date is tomorrow. I’ll see you then, Blue Eyes!

  I’m a graphic designer. Nothing exciting, but I love it. It allows me to work from home and be with Gage. Oops, I have to go. I hear him calling me. You can tell me all about what you do tomorrow night. Good night, Nash. I’m looking forward to seeing you.

  Me, too. Good night, Meredith.

  Just thinking about her makes me hard as steel. She looked so beautiful tonight, but seeing her with her son made her even more so.

  I climb into the shower and allow myself to think about her blue eyes, golden locks, and perfect curves. Stroking my painfully hard cock while imagining her has me reaching pure ecstasy in seconds. I feel like a hormonal teenage boy again. Wednesday night can’t get here soon enough.

  Chapter 7

  ~Meredith~

  I’m thankful Amy, Katy, and Jill volunteered to help me get ready. Of course, Frankie was late picking up Gage, as usual, so now I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I still can’t believe I’m doing this. It’s so unlike me to be bold when it comes to a man. Hell, I can count on one hand the number of men I’ve been with. There was my college freshman year “drunken, rip the Band-Aid off, I need to lose my virginity” fuck, which was awkward and awful, then there was Frankie. He was good at first, then he just stopped caring. He just wanted to get his rocks off. Who cared if I did? Hence my long-standing relationship with B.O.B. He never lets me down.

  “Earth to Meredith,” says Katy, grasping my arm. “Where have you been? I’ve been trying to get your attention for the last few minutes.”

  “Sorry. I was just thinking about how pathetic my love life has been. How inexperienced I am. Am I crazy for even thinking about dating?”

  “Hold up, Mer.” Katy smiles. “You don’t have to dive into the deep end. Just dip your big toe into the water and see if you like how it feels. If it feels right, dive the fuck in and don’t look back!” Jill and Katy high five. I just sit here, mouth open, looking at them, then Amy, who has a huge smile on her face. This is so easy for them to say. They always dive in head first.

  “Well, since you girls made me wax my lady bits, which now feel like they’re on fire, I won’t be diving into anything for a few days. Why in the hell did I listen to you three?”

  Now I remember why I promised myself to never go along with their foolish ideas. They usually included pain. I still have the scar on my belly button from when they talked me into getting it pierced. Of course, it got infected, so all I have to show for it is an ugly scar.

  Jill gives me a wink. “Because we’re your number one bitches who only want the best for you.”

  “Well, right now, you are my number one bitches who have me in a world of pain, and not in the good way!”

  “You’ll hopefully be thanking us later tonight. Just rub on the lotion. I promise, it will ease the pain,” Katy says in a playful voice.

  “Seems like I remember you saying almost the same exact thing after you talked me into getting my belly button pierced, and we all know how that turned out.”

  “That was years ago. Damn, girl, you don’t forget anything.” Katy laughs. “I forgot all about that.”

  “Well, I sure haven’t.”

  Suddenly, I’m hit in the face with what looks like pieces of scrap material with a few strings attached. I look at Jill, brows furrowed, holding it up. “What the hell is this supposed to be? If you think I’m wearing that, you are crazier than I think you are. We are going to Leo’s, not some strip club.”

  “Lighten up, Mer. It’s sexy as fuck. You will have not only Nash, but all the men in the restaurant drooling over you.”

  “I don’t want drool! I want respect. Please, tell me you brought something else.”

  “Chill out,” says Amy. “I brought you a blue wrap dress that will make your eyes pop. Get your ass up and go look in your closet. It’s hanging on the back of the door.”

  Thank goodness for Amy, the sensible one. The other two crazies… Not so much. The blue dress is sexy, yet still classy. I pull it over my head, the soft fabric hugging my skin.

  I look at myself in the floor-length mirror and spin around. “This is perfect.”

  “Fifty bucks on clearance at Dillard’s. If you get lucky because of that dress, I want it back. But if things fall fla
t…” She smirks, “you can keep it.”

  “Geez, thanks a lot. You were my favorite for a few minutes there, then you had to ruin it.” I wrinkle my nose and we all burst out laughing. I love these girls.

  I finish getting ready with thirty minutes to spare, so we head downstairs to drink a glass of liquid courage. I had decided to call an Uber, just in case I drink too much at dinner or, if I’m lucky, Nash wants to bring me home.

  Katy raises her wine glass. “To Mer and her burning privates. May tonight be ever in your favor.”

  I almost spit wine out of my nose, the heat of embarrassment rising in my cheeks. As crude as she is, though, she does make a good point. I can’t help but chuckle, even though I’m mortified.

  “Here, here!” Amy and Jill say as they raise their glasses and we clink them together, just like we did in college.

  My phone pings, alerting me of my Uber’s arrival. We all squeal and hug, surrounding me with the love you can only get from your best friends. I promise to call them tomorrow and let them know how things go.

  * * *

  My stomach roils as I arrive at Leo’s Wood-Fired Pizza. I wonder if he’s already waiting. I’m only ten minutes early, so there’s a good chance of that. I should have thought this out better and arrived thirty minutes early. That way, I could see him coming in, instead of the other way around.

  When I open the door, I’m pleasantly surprised to see Mr. Brooks, Gage’s assistant principal, sitting in the waiting area. I smile at him and he smiles back brightly. Almost too brightly.

  He stands and walks to me. “You look stunning, Blue Eyes.”

  I’m speechless, my heart thudding in my chest. “Wh… What did you call me?” I sway on my feet. He grasps my arm, steadying me. That familiar zap of electricity hits me like a lightning bolt. “Oh, my god. Nash,” I whisper. How is this even possible?