“Missed you at Ryder’s big night.”Let’s turn the screws early, why don’t we?
“Yeah, a meeting ran late. I hated missing it.”
“The busy life of a CEO, I’m sure,” he says with a pat little smirk. I’m really beginning to dislike this guy. And my full-on Dad Guilt is back, thanks. “Did Quinn speak to you about my offer?”
“Offer?”And since when are you on a first name basis with her?
“For the teaching position. She’d be great at it and she’d still be off in time to take your children home in the afternoons. It’s just the rest of the semester but I feel like she might be a good fit here longer term. I know she’s expressed some worries over our larger class sizes but we’re not as large as the public schools and any accommodations she needed to adjust, anything at all, I’d be more than happy to help her with.” Mr. Happy-to-Help gives his surfer boy hair a practiced toss.
I’ll bet you would. “A teaching position?” She’d not mentioned any of this last night. Of course, we didn’t discuss much after the argument. We’d been too busy readying to tear each other’s clothes off before Ryder’s interruption.
So, this guy offered her a job. Does she want it? I pay her well but I’m also the man she’s sleeping with. Hadn’t she thrown that in my face last night when she was angry? I know she loves the kids but she’d still see them here if she was a teacher. She didn’t get an education degree to be some rich man’s nanny.
“Look, I know she’s great with your kids, Mr. Wolfe, but it seems a shame for her to stall on her career too long, you know? It’s not ruling the world of media but, in the humble opinion of this educator, shaping bright young minds has value, too.”
“Of course, it does,” I agree because I never once thought otherwise but something like desperation fills me. Does Quinnwantto leave her position with us? Does she want to leave me? Why hadn’t she mentioned this? “Whatever Ms. Batista wishes to do regarding her career, I support, but we’ve not had an opportunity to discuss it yet.”
“Right. I’ll let you get on with your Friday, Mr. Wolfe. Have a good one.”
I’m still standing here rattled as he strides away and someone else slides up to me. Nadine. Could this day start off any worse?
She makes a show of watching Alex heading back into the school. “It’s a pity such a fine looking man only has a teacher’s salary to offer a girl,” she murmurs under her breath.
Disgusted, I spin away, stalking towards my car. She follows. “I’m sure a woman who truly loved Mr. Carter wouldn’t let dollars and cents deter her,” I toss over my shoulder. A man doesn’t want to be loved for his money. He doesn’t want to be spurned for not having enough of it either.
“Oh sure. Some sweet little miss who doesn’t care about the finer things…yet. Missed you last night at the school program.”
I’m not in the mood for this. “What do you want, Nadine?”
“Me? Nothing other than to say I hope your father’s doing better.”
Chagrined, I pause. “He is, thank you. I heard Park got
FourthPlace last night. Congrats to him.”
She nods and smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Cabo looked like fun.” Seeing my incredulous look, she laughs. “Sara Newhouse and her thong adventures. Sounds like the kids told her a thing or two. Is she an oldfriendof yours, Theo?” Her question is loaded with innuendo.
I roll my eyes. “She’s the ex-fiancee of someone I know. And, she shouldn’t be posting about our family trip online.” I’ll have the lawyers call her today to make sure any mention of us gets removed at once. Even if it’s a little late at this point, they’ll give her a good scare so maybe she won’t do that again.
“Well, it sounded like a cozy little family trip to me who was stuck here in Chicago over the holidays while Park was off with his father.”
I’d almost feel sorry for her until Nadine steps closer, a calculating look in her eye, the same one I’d glimpsed the night I’d caught her with my condoms and a safety pin in hand. “I told Quinn last night I’d underestimated her. I hope she makes you happy, Theo. I’m sureshe’sthrilled. All she has to do now is get knocked up and she’s set for life, right?”
What a bitter woman you are. “Nadine…” I growl.
“Yes, Theo?”
“I won’t tell my son he can’t be friends with yours at school but stay away from me and stay away from Quinn. We’re not friends and we’ll never be friends again. Or to put it succinctly for you, fuck off.”
She gasps as if I struck her but no worries. I wouldn’t touch her with a ten-foot pole.
I climb into the Town Car, ignoring Dan’s chuckles and tell him to take me to work. I’ve got shit to do there today. And then, I’ve got loved ones to go home to.
36-Theo
It’s noon on a busy Friday when Grayson pops his head in asking about lunch. I tell Claire we’ll be back in an hour and the two of us bundle up against the cold to head to XOCO’s. Grayson can’t resist their churros.
The walk doesn’t take long – we may be native Chicagoans but neither of us want to tarry in the biting January winds – yet somehow I still manage to spill my guts to my youngest brother on the way there. “Didn’t mean to dump all that on you,” I say as we’re seated.