“Only because she’s a mean, selfish whore,” Leah said.
Tomás jerked back and blinked at Leah. The sweet, shy Asian woman—with her narrow frame, pink sweater set, and smart black-rimmed glasses—didn’t seem the type to call others names.
“Who could make my life miserable,” Amanda added.
Leah leaned closer and laid a hand on her shoulder. “If he’s not worth it, then you should back out now.”
Tomás nodded his agreement, as if he had suddenly earned a degree in relationship counseling.
“But he is worth it. He’s so worth it.” Amanda dropped her head back down into her crossed arms. “Argh! I’m so conflicted,” she said to the floor.
Her cellphone, which was sitting on the table, dinged as a text message arrived.
“Not for long,” Leah said and giggled.
Amanda lifted her head to find Leah eying her cellphone screen and part of the message that was openly displayed for a few seconds before the screen went dark.
“Snoop,” Amanda accused before lifting her phone and typing in her password so that she could read the message Leah had already seen.
“Is it from the guy?” Tomás asked, standing on tiptoe to try to read over her shoulder.
“Don’t you have work to do?” Amanda asked, tilting her phone so he wouldn’t be able to see the screen, and elbowing him in the chest to get him to back off.
“Probably,” Tomás said, “but it will wait.”
As Amanda read her message from Jacob, a smile spread across her face and her heart fluttered in her chest.
I hope I find you waiting in my bed when I get home. Nothing would make me happier than holding the most beautiful woman in the world while I sleep.
She couldn’t resist teasing him in her reply. Are you sure your bed is big enough for you, me, AND Pamela Anderson?
It was a running joke between them. When she’d surprised him backstage in San Antonio, he’d pretended to think it was Pamela Anderson who’d come up behind him and put her hands over his eyes.
Probably. He texted back. But I want you. Only you.
Leah was right—as usual. Amanda was no longer conflicted in the slightest. If Tina couldn’t handle the thought of her big sister making the moves on her ex-husband, well, tough titty,kitty. And what Tina didn’t know couldn’t hurt her.
“So you’re going, right?” Leah said.
“Could you say no to him?” The man was even more gorgeous than he was a master of smooth talking.
Leah chuckled. “It wouldn’t even cross my mind.”
“Living dangerously,” Tomás said before he left them to eat their nachos in peace.
Are you sure you want to see me tonight? I figured you’d be tired. She sent that text to give him an out if he wanted one.
An instant later her phone buzzed. Can’t you take a hint?
She chuckled. Another running joke between them. Hint taken. I’ll see you when you get home. Though sleeping is not my favorite thing to do in your bed. ;-)
He replied, Hint taken.
She set her phone aside and glanced at Leah, who was slurping her strawberry margarita through a straw.
“How’s summer school going?” Amanda asked as she scooped cheese and chicken onto a chip.
Leah searched their plate of shared nachos for a chip with minimal cheese. “You know those kids that you privately celebrate when they’re absent?”
All teachers had them. Whether the student in question was a troublemaker, a mouthy brat, or the teacher just had a plain old personality clash with a kid, every teacher had a few students on her roster that drove her absolutely nuts. One mark of a good teacher was never letting the student know you’d like to strangle them.
“Yep,” Amanda said.
“That’s my entire class this summer.”
“You always find a diamond in the rough and make a personal connection. Change a life forever,” Amanda said. She knew that was what excited Leah about teaching.
“At this point, it isn’t looking promising. Maybe it’s time I took summers off. It’s only two weeks into summer term and I’m already drained.”
“I highly recommend summers off,” Amanda said, lifting her nearly empty margarita glass in toast.
“And maybe I’ll start taking Christmas breaks too.”
Which reminded Amanda of something she’d meant to ask Leah but kept forgetting. “Are you doing your GED prep class this December?”
Leah sighed. “Yeah. I already signed up to do it. But next year . . . Next year I’m going to take some time off for me before I completely burn out.”
“Is the class already full?” Amanda asked, setting her drink down and reaching for another nacho.
“Isn’t it always full?”
“That’s because you work miracles.” Yep, Amanda was buttering her up and for a very good reason. A reason she’d be seeing in a few hours.
Leah flushed with pleasure at Amanda’s compliment and took a sip from her bright red cocktail.
“Any chance you could squeeze one more into the class?” Amanda asked, biting into her chip and using her free hand to tip escaping crumbs into her mouth.
“I’m already stretched to my limit.”
“Please? It was nearly impossible to get him to agree to it in the first place.”
Leah scowled. “Who are you talking about?”
“Jacob.”
Leah jerked her hand back from the plate of nachos, hit her drink with her elbow, and barely rescued the tottering glass before it dropped from the table.
“What?” Leah sputtered, mopping up a few escaped drops with a napkin. “He didn’t graduate from high school?”
Amanda shook her head. “We were talking about regrets, and he said his only regret was not finishing high school. So I mentioned getting his GED and taking your prep class. He was against it at first, but I told him how great you are and he eventually came around to the idea. But I don’t think he’ll go through with it if you can’t work him into your roster this winter.”
“So basically you’re saying that if I don’t let him into my class, I’m crushing his dreams and will be responsible for turning him into a shell of a man. Is that what you’re implying?”
“Pretty much.”
Leah shook her head at Amanda. “Why don’t you teach him?”
Amanda chuckled, imagining that the only studying he’d get done around her was the study of her anatomy. And she was more than okay with that.
“You’re the miracle worker. I just teach biology.”
“You’re a great teacher,” Leah insisted.
“I’m a good teacher,” Amanda admitted. “You’re a great teacher.” A little extra butter never hurt.
“Fine,” Leah said, using both hands to flip her long straight hair behind her ears. “I wouldn’t do this for just anyone, you know?”
Leah was lying. She was always burdening herself to help others, but Amanda appreciated her friend’s giving nature far more than she would ever realize.
“You’re the best!” Amanda leaned from her stool to give Leah a hug.
“You can make it up to me,” Leah said.
Amanda released her and scooted back onto her stool. “Anything. Name it.” She reached for her margarita and sucked down the melting dregs of her growing-tastier-by-the-minute drink.
“Does the hot cowboy at three o’clock look a little lonely to you?”