Anderson is confused. Clearly. I can see it in his eyes.
“Get me out of here,” I grumble.
“Anderson Harper, we are soooo talking about this later,” Kasha says.
He ignores her, and my breath leaves in a rush when he scoops me up suddenly, cradling me to him. I’m too grateful to be embarrassed, because my legs are really quite done for the day. He carries me out, never once fazed by the curious onlookers, and I sigh against his chest.
“You’re going to be a problem for me,” he says under his breath.
“Why?” I mumble.
He lets his gaze rake over my face and mutters something about bro code and not being stupid. No clue.
After he deposits me on his front seat and buckles me in, he puts his phone to his ear. I hear him talking as he walks around to the front and then slides in on the driver’s side.
“Cancel the meeting for today. I need to beef up the presentation. We’ll go over it tomorrow instead. And I’ll be working from home for the rest of the day.”
I sigh, leaning over to put my head on his arm, since it’s gotten too heavy to hold up by myself. Anderson cranks the car, and then his arm goes around me, pulling me into his side, even though the small console between us is irritating.
“Why’d you get drunk?” he asks, driving us toward…somewhere. No clue where.
“I’m going to be fifty, alone with my nine cats, making cupcakes for women whose period dates I shouldn’t know, and groping younger guys under the table, all because I watched porn with my father and got terrible at sex,” I groan on one long breath.
I’m not sure if he laughs or strangles. Hard to tell. He doesn’t say much else, until we’re pulling up at a massive home. I barely take in the huge columns before the door swings open, but my eyes fall shut the second Anderson lifts me out of the car, and that’s the last thing I remember.
CHAPTER 6
LYDIA
After my thoroughly entertaining lunch where I learned way too much about my new roommate, the rest of the day crawls by. I find myself watching the clock as much if not more than the students do.
“Seven o’clock?” Ava asks, reminding me we’re meeting for drinks tonight.
We’re cleaning up the arts and crafts table while waiting for the last of the parents to show up. It’s a rainy day, so the kids in the afterschool program couldn’t go outside. After being penned up all day, they were bouncing off the walls. I can’t wait to get home and soak in a hot bath.
“Sounds good.”
“Ms. Childers!” Toby runs up to us, accompanied by Harry, a fourth grader with the attitude of a teenager. “Tell Harry you did too go to Chuck E. Cheese with me!”
Harry crosses his arms, a smug look on his face. I swear this boy goes through life with his chin stuck out a mile.
“Yes, Harry. Toby’s uncle and I are friends.”
Harry quickly turns his doubt into an opportunity to give Toby shi—sheet over his teacher knowing his guardian. “Ha! Your uncle is dating Ms. Childers! She’s going to be your stepmom!”
I’m not sure what hillbilly source this kid gets his information from. The argument doesn’t get very far because Simon walks in, his hair wet from the rain. “Sorry, I’m late, buddy.”
Ava discreetly steers Harry away from us and toward his waiting mother.
I see this man almost every day, yet I’m still caught off guard by that boyish smile. His dark suit is fitted perfectly, and butterflies erupt in my stomach when I realize I’m going to see him out of it tonight. Those shapely lips will be on mine, those large hands will roam my body—
“Why is Ms. Childers staring at you?” Toby asks Simon in a near whisper, and Simon laughs aloud.
“Just go grab your stuff, kid.” Toby looks back and forth between us before obeying.
Simon’s lips curl up in a little half smile. “I assume we’re still on for tonight?”
Untie your tongue and get it together Lydia! “I’m having drinks with Ava first.”
“I’m a booty call, huh? Are you going to show up drunk and drag me to bed?”
I can’t resist returning his teasing smile. “Unless you have some objection.”
He sighs. “I suppose I can bear the burden of being treated like a piece of meat.”
“I’ll text you later, okay?” I ask as Toby runs toward us again.
“Looking forward to it.”
The house is empty as usual when I get home. I turn on some music and run a hot bath, throwing in my favorite vanilla bath oil. I have a few hours before I have to meet Ava. Plenty of time to shave, get cleaned up, and grab something quick for dinner. I’ve learned the hard way about not eating before drinking alcohol.