Adult Shit
Keelie
I hear nothing on the other end of the phone. Silencing my sister is a feat in and of itself.
It’s Friday, and the week has been so busy, I haven’t had a chance to fill her in on the Hollingsworths—in particular, their leader, Asa.
I just got done telling her how he broke up with me even though we weren’t even together, just for him to change his mind again, how he kissed me in my pantry, bought me a wine membership that comes with a barrel, is totally into his kids, and how he knows all about my past with David. And she knows what a tough subject that is for me.
“Oh, yeah.” I break the silence, assuming she’s still there to listen. “When they came over last night, he even got Saylor to sit and read. She didn’t even throw a fit.”
“How the hell did he do that?” I hear the shock in Stephie’s voice. No one is immune to Saylor Lockhart’s strong will.
“He came in with a huge bag of books for the kids. At first, I balked, but Knox was over the moon and even Saylor showed an interest. Asa noticed how Knox asked all kinds of questions about their trip to the Olympics, so he bought him these enormous books of facts and world records. Saylor ended up with a stack of first readers about farm animals— predominantly goats. But he also bought The Black Stallion and told Saylor if he read to her, she’d have to read to him. It just happened last night and even now, I can’t get over it.” Letting my head fall to my desk, my voice is muffled as I go on. “He wasn’t even sugary sweet with her. He was all matter of fact, like ‘I’ll read to you, but you have to read to me and you can’t do it cryin’ or mopin’. If so, deal’s off and I take ‘em all back.’” I do my best Asa impersonation.
“And she was agreeable?” Steph, like me, is in awe.
I lift my head and swipe the hair out of my face. “Yes. It was a Christmas Miracle in March.”
“Wow. If he manages that again, you’d better lock him up in your creepy basement and not let him get away.”
“I thought for sure Saylor would be the one to scare him off, but I should’ve known better. It’ll be me.”
Stephie’s voice becomes harsh. “You’d better not. Not before I get the chance to vet him. It’s your turn to host Sunday Brunch. If he’s not there, I’ll let Aunt Lillian Rose kick your ass with her cane and I’ll finish you off. I need to meet this man.”
“No!” I exclaim. “I’m not ready to bring anyone to Sunday Brunch. Mom and Dad are worried enough about us as it is. I can’t introduce them to a man—they’ll start looking for wedding venues and Lillian Rose will try to get his phone number. You know how she is about calling people. No way. That is not going to happen.”
She sighs. “I guess that’s true. Aunt Lillian Rose is like a teenager from the 90’s with a private line. But I need to meet him soon. Tell me when he’ll be there and I’ll just happen to stop by.”
“You live thirty minutes from me. No one just happens to stop by my farm.”
“He doesn’t need to know that,” she sing-songs, like I’m an idiot.
What I don’t tell her is he seems to know everything from reading my background through his so-called CIA clearance. This is something I’m still coming to terms with, but since he said not many people know about his work, I’d better not tell Steph. She doesn’t know many secrets.
I look at the clock and realize time has gotten away from me. I need to get off the phone and back to work so I’m not late for my department meeting with the administration.
“Fine,” I lie. “I’ll let you know when he’s coming next. I gotta go. I have a meeting.”
“Are you just saying that to get rid of me?” she demands.
“Why would I do that?” I smile. “Seriously, gotta go.”
She ignores me. “The kids have soccer practice tonight, but I can surprise-stop by tomorrow—”
“Bye.” I ignore her this time and hang up. I know my sister, so I silence my phone since she’s not one to give up.
I grab my things and head for the conference room. I can’t wait for this day to be over.
The meeting sails along and we go over the details of graduation, college prep testing, and the list goes on. The end of the school year is hectic at its best and a massive headache at its worst.
When the topic of the memorial arises, the meeting becomes heavy. Brett goes over all the ways the school will remember Brandon Sutherby and Kyler Jakes.
When Brett wraps up, Tom Logan leans back in his chair and shakes his head. “Maybe it’s just better to let the students move on, get over it, rather than keep dredging it up and throwing it in their faces at every possible moment.”
My eyes go big, but Marcia snaps before I have the chance. “Two of our students who would be graduating in two months were killed in a tragic accident. You want to sweep that under the rug?”
Tom’s face turns sympathetic. “All I’m saying is when it’s brought up, the students have to deal with it all over again. I’m not saying forget about them, but maybe we can lay off the waterworks at every school event.”
“We have two months of school left. Next year we’ll start fresh, but they need to be remembered. It doesn’t matter if they had their fair share of trouble,” I point out. Kyler and Brandon might not have hung in the best crowds and both knew detention well, but that doesn’t change anything.
Brett rubs his face in a way I can tell he can’t wait for the school year to end. “Sorry, Tom. They’re right and the last thing I need is blowback from the parents for not doing our part. You three are here to guide them through the end of the year and that’s what we’ll focus on.”
We go through the rest of the agenda and now I have more on my list of things to get done than I want to think about. I, too, cannot wait for this year to end.
When I walk back to the counseling center to wrap up my day, I stop in my tracks. My … I’m not sure what to call him. My pantry kissing partner? The man who makes my days fly by? He’s definitely the one capable of lighting my fireworks by simply walking into a room. Whatever he is, he’s standing outside my office leaning into the wall with a sexy smirk on his face. I find myself wishing we were in my pantry.
“You’re early,” I note.
With no other clues as to what’s bothering Emma and her still being closed off, Asa decided to set up a conference with her teachers. It’s scheduled right after school.
Hitching a shoulder, his tone says all kinds of sexy things besides, “Thought I’d stop by.”
I bite the inside of my lip as my eyes slide to Tom and Marcia. Tom is eyeing me wondering what’s up. Marcia is eyeing me in a whole different way, also wondering what’s up.
I ignore them both and look up at Asa as I enter my office. After I brush by him, I hear the door shut and before I can set my things down, I feel the soft stubble of his beard on my neck and his strong arm wraps around my waist. I tip my head to give him access, while at the same time contradict myself. “Asa, we’re at school.”
His other hand comes up to my chin and he tilts my face to kiss me. “The door’s closed.”
I don’t make a move to stop him, but still argue, “This isn’t a good idea. You didn’t look like an official appointment when you walked in here—not the way you were looking at me.”
“How was I looking at you?” he murmurs under my ear and winds my loose hair around his hand. I feel a pull at my scalp and he turns me.
The green in his dark hazel eyes glint as he smirks, almost daring me to explain how he was looking at me. I swallow hard, not having the courage to take his dare, but if I did, I’d guess he was either stripping me naked to have his way with me nice and slow or ripping my panties off to have his way with me quick-like.
Either way, he was definitely having his way with me. Now my panties are damp and I’m at school.
I was about to change the subject, but he steps into me and the next thing I know, the backs of my thighs are pressed into my desk and he’s really kissing me.
Even though I’m not only at work, but at an educational institution for young people, I don’t stop him. I should stop him. I can’t afford to lose my job, or suffer some type of disciplinary actions, or public embarrassment.
I should care about all these things, but I don’t.
Because just like every other time in the last few days when Asa finds moments to steal away—possessing me like this—I feel different. When he has his lips on mine, his hand up my shirt, teasing my breasts with feather touches just to leave me hanging, and his large muscled body pressed against mine—I don’t feel like a mom. I don’t feel like a goat owner, or like a woman who regularly has paint in her hair, or even someone who shovels donkey shit.
And I do not feel like a victim of lies and dishonesty, or worse, a widow.
It all melts away.
Standing here in my office, where it’s neither appropriate nor safe for him to have me pinned up against anything, I don’t give a shit and let him have his way.
I find myself breathless when he says, “The only places I can touch you are your pantry and your office. I’m getting tired of that.”
“We could add my garage,” I offer.
He shakes his head. “Find someone to watch Knox and Saylor tomorrow night. Emma doesn’t need a sitter, but I don’t want her by herself so I talked Levi into staying home with her. We’re going to go do adult shit.”
“What … kind of adult shit?”
He presses his groin into my stomach and lowers his voice, “I’m sure I can think of something.”
Just when I was about to make another excuse so I wouldn’t agree to any adult plans he could think up, the bell rings. Literally and figuratively—I’m saved by the bell.
I fist his shirt before giving him a little push. “You don’t want to be late for your conference. Doesn’t Levi have practice? Do you want me to take Emma home for you? I mean, if she doesn’t mind, that is. She might not want to sit around while you’re talking about her.”
By the look on his face, I wonder if I stepped over the line, but then he closes the small gap I managed to create and kisses me again. “Yeah. I’m sure she’ll like that. We’ve been at your place for dinner three times this week. I want to spend some time with Emma at home. You get that sitter and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“What should I wear to do ‘adult shit’?”
He shakes his head. “You could wear a potato sack and I’d be okay with it. As long as I’ve got you alone and can focus on you, I’m good.”
I smile and go to close down my computer and pack up my things. We head to the commons and stand to the side of the swarm of kids ready for the weekend. There’s an extra buzz in the air after school on Fridays.
When we find Emma, Asa calls her over to us and she’s less than happy to see him. If her sour face says anything about her mood, she’s not happy about her dad being here and less happy about him meeting her teachers.
“Hey.” I offer her a smile. “Do you want me to give you a ride home so you don’t have to wait around for your dad?”
I’ve spent more time with Emma outside of school as the woman who’s secretly being groped and getting out-of-this-world kisses by her father in the pantry than as her counselor. Even as withdrawn as she’s been, she does seem to be a bit more comfortable with me than the first time Asa showed up at my house unannounced for dinner, and I’ve been going out of my way to check up on her at school this week.
I shouldn’t be surprised when she rolls her eyes and shrugs, but what seems to be the norm with Emma, even as petulant as she’s proven to be, she still gives in. “Anything to get out of here sooner.”
Asa leans down and plants a kiss on his daughter’s dark head of hair, while murmuring, “A ‘thank you’ would be appropriate, Em.”
Emma looks agitated and ready to get out of here. “Sorry and thanks. Can we go now?”
I hitch my bags up my shoulder. “Yeah, let’s get the weekend started, shall we?”
Asa’s hand sneaks around in back of his daughter, catching mine for a squeeze. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I smile and hope that Stephie can get away on a Saturday night to watch the kids. If not, I may have to call my parents and that will be a headache. My mother, in particular, hates all the animals and doesn’t understand why I stay. Driving out to the country requires an act of congress and my kids don’t like overnighters, even with their grandparents or favorite aunt.
This is all I can think about as I try to make small talk with Emma on our way out of the school. I have an hour before Knox and Saylor get home and I’m going to use every minute of it to try and get her to open up.