Bad Teacher

She doesn’t reply. Instead, she sits down with a sour pout on her face as she types away on her keyboard as a keyboard warrior would. I snigger to myself as I watch her rage silently.

“Your appointment is in five minutes from now. You can sit down there,” she says, pointing at a couch in the corner. “Mr. Morrows will come and get you when he’s ready.”

“Thanks,” I say, turning and strutting away.

I sit down and almost drown in the super soft couch, struggling to sit upright. Gillian watches me from her corner, judging me with an evil smirk on her face as if she deliberately made me go here just to see me fall for the trap.

Damn her.

It won’t let this imaginary fight get to me, though. This is just a pissing contest, and I’m too much of an adult to participate. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

I don’t know why she doesn’t like me. Maybe she’s jealous and wants my job. Or maybe she likes TJ a little too much, and she’s protective of him. Or maybe my imagination is running loose again.

I should stop filling things in for people. Whatever is going on with her has nothing to do with me.

A door suddenly opens, and handsome TJ steps out into the hallway, greeting me with that heartthrob smile that I still can’t handle.

“Lesley, come in,” he says, holding his door open.

I pat down my soft orange dress and run my fingers through my hair to make myself look presentable again before I get up and walk toward him.

We shake hands. “So glad you decided to come.”

Come.

Why do I imagine the most inappropriate, scandalous sex when he says that word?

It’s not a dirty word, yet my mind can’t help but go there.

I clear my throat and walk past him into the office, sitting down on the same chair while he closes the door and pushes a button to rolls down the blinds. I frown.

“Yeah, sorry. My employees have a habit of snooping.”

I giggle. “Why is that not surprising?”

“I guess we like things a little out of the ordinary here.”

“I can tell,” I muse, crossing my legs as he sits down behind his desk and settles in. “So… you decided you wanted me after all?”

His eyes suddenly meet mine, and he stammers, “What?”

“You sent me the contract,” I say.

“Oh … right.” He smiles.

“What, did you forget or something? If it was a mistake, I could go again; it’s no problem.” I’m tempted to see how far he’d go now, seeing as he made me leave last time. It’d be nice to watch him beg. Oh, yes. That would definitely do the trick.

I mean, I could still walk out of here and leave him high and dry. His loss, not mine. Maybe I should make him suffer for making me suffer. Or is that taking things a little too far?

Perhaps. But I like being the conniving bitch every once in a while.

“Well, let’s get down to business,” he says, clearing his throat. “I’m glad you decided to accept my offer.”

“Except you said you didn’t want me at first. Why the change of heart?” Honestly, at this point, I don’t really care if this sassy remark means he’ll kick me out again. I want him to feel it the way I felt it.

“Uh, yeah …” He adjusts his tie. “I was rash and indecisive, and I’m sorry about that.” He folds his hands on the table. “But I’d love to give you a chance.”

“A chance, huh?” I cock my head. “Well, all right.”

He smiles. “I was almost worried you’d say no and walk out of here.”

“It did cross my mind,” I reply, smiling back and watching as his smile slides off his face.

“You don’t want the job?” he says, narrowing his eyes.

“Oh, I do.”

“Great.” He grins and closes his jacket then grabs a pen. “Got the contract for me?”

For a moment, I’m flabbergasted. I can’t believe he just stepped over it like that. Determined to just ignore my annoyance with how this went. Maybe he thinks I’m easy. Or maybe he’s right because I do honestly want this job and I never really planned on walking out of here without securing it. Did he see through my bluff all along?

Damn him.

I rummage in my bag and take out the papers, placing them on the table. Without looking, I slide the papers forward while closing my bag, which is when I feel his fingers against mine. An electrical current flows through my hands, and I pull back immediately, feeling the heat rise in my body from the shock that I actually touched him.

Stop it, Lesley. You can’t feel that for him. He’s going to be your damn boss, and you’re going to be the best employee he’s ever had, so act like it.