Chapter 4

Chase

I 've been avoiding her for two days. Granted, I've been busy as fuck with learning staff and student names as well as routines. I wander around the tables at lunch, talk to the students, and make small talk with the principal who oversees lunch. I've also been avoiding her hallway like the plague. If Principal Dick Bag has noticed I don't go down that hallway and always spend time in the math and science department, he hasn't said anything.

I've only had one close call with running into her. I was walking through the shelves in the library and thinking about picking up a book to read for the weekend. They have a great selection of comic books for some reason. The librarian, an older woman who looks me from top to bottom every time I come in, said I could borrow school library books on my employee ID the school issued me. I was in the comic section when I heard her voice practically singing a hello to the librarian. They made small talk for a couple of minutes about a fellow staff member's birthday party.

I watched her every move as she went to the small cookbook section, thumbed through a few books until she found what she needed, and left as fast as she arrived. At least I didn't have to duck behind a bunch of shelves like I would have if she was looking for a comic book.

Walking into the cafeteria, I stop short, looking around the area and squinting. The place is usually buzzing with student voices and the clatter of trays. Now, only the janitor pushes a broom along the tile floor, cleaning up wrappers and used sandwich bags. I look at my watch and check the time. This is normally lunch. Where is everyone?

A science teacher walks by, and I stop her. "Excuse me. This is lunchtime, right?"

The science teacher, a middle-aged woman who licks her lips whenever I speak to her, wets her lips like usual and looks at her own watch. "It's early release Wednesday, Officer Barnett. We get out an hour early on Wednesdays. It's to give department teachers time to collaborate. The times for lunch change on those days. They didn't tell you that?"

Shit. I was hoping to grab a burger from the lunch ladies, but a peek inside the kitchen doorway shows them putting things inside the industrial fridge and washing dishes. "They didn't, but thank you," I say to the teacher. "I guess it's the teacher's lounge vending machine today."

She smiles as I walk past her, and my neck feels hot the entire way down the hall like it does when I feel eyes on me. I know the teacher watches my ass cheeks as I walk away, but I don't dare turn around and encourage her.

I push the door open to the teacher's lounge and freeze. My eyes widen when I find Kailee sitting at the table with a spoonful of soup frozen halfway to her mouth. She stares at me with eyes the size of quarters. We're mirror images as we study at each other in numbing silence. Her mouth is open because it was already open for her food. Mine is open because I want to say something but can't form words.

Should I back out? Greet her like everything is fine?

She's wearing a Metallica t-shirt today with a black blazer thrown over it and buttoned. Her hair is pulled back in a messy bun, and she looks like she went out last night. She almost looks hungover. Did she go out with another man? Lorelei? Another friend I don't know?

I run my hand down my dress shirt and adjust the badge attached to my belt. Hopefully, I can smooth out any wrinkles. I shaved today, but I didn't spend much time with my hair. Why didn't I spend time on my appearance? Fuck. Of all days.

"Ch-Chase?" she stammers, shaking her head like she's not sure if I'm real. A piece of hair falls in front of her face with the movement, and my fingers itch to push it behind her ear. "What the hell are you doing here?"

I clear my throat and twist my lips into a smile for her. "I work here for a few weeks. I'm sure you know what happened to Liam."

"Yeah," she drawls.

"Well, there are procedures for after we use our service weapon." She stares at me like I have two heads. "I used my piece." I grimace as soon as the words leave my mouth. This is a woman who knows I can use my piece. I cough into my fist. "I mean, I used my service weapon. There's counseling and…shit we have to do. Paperwork. I'm cleared to fill in where needed until Liam and I can resume our cases."

I'm rambling.

"I walk around," I say, putting my hands on my hips and nodding while I look around the room. I can't look at her and speak correctly. My dick throbs in my pants, and I wish she'd shut her mouth because I want to stick my cock right into the wet hole. "I talk to teachers and kids. You know…making sure you're all safe."

That's it! I'll make her believe I'm heroic and here to make sure she doesn't get hurt. Will she like me then?

Crickets.

I clap my hands. "What are you doing here?" I ask, already knowing the answer .

"I'm teaching pastry and baking while the regular teacher has knee surgery." She blinks and shakes her head again like she's still unsure if I'm real and standing in front of her. When she opens her eyes wide again, a blush crawls up her face.

I know what she's going to say, but I beat her to it. "It's no big deal."

She pauses, closes her mouth, and swallows. "What's no big deal?"

I look past her, making sure no other teachers are around. "We fucked. It was fun. You left the next morning without even leaving a lipstick note on the bathroom mirror. I get it. It's cool. We're fine," I say, swiping my hand like I'm flicking away a spiderweb.

It's definitely not fine. She grips the round table with both hands, her soup forgotten. "I'm sorry about that, Chase. I guess I woke up and panicked about what to say the next day. I'm sure you understand it's awkward."

"Yeah, but we work together now. We also have mutual friends, so I'm sure we can't avoid each other forever. I mean, if Lorelei and Liam ever get married, we'll have to deal with each other at the wedding and during the process before the wedding – bachelor and bachelorette parties, showers, and rehearsals."

I'm rambling, but it's true. We'll be around each other constantly if shit gets serious with Liam and Lorelei. Not just for weddings, either. Brunches, Christmas, promotion parties if Liam ever ranks up, and ski vacations come to mind. I'll see her at every event, and I'll have to deal with my balls throbbing for her warm mouth at every turn.

She chews on the inside of her cheek and nods. "You're right. If you need this table, I can leave."

I look at the open seats around the table. "Um, there's plenty of room."

She blows out a sigh. "I don't want you to feel awkward."

"I'm not awkward." I've seen this woman's bare pussy and sucked on her tits while she rode my dick. I've moaned this woman's name – loudly – and will now attempt to eat a bag of chips and a candy bar next to her while trying not to do anything stupid. Nothing awkward about that. "I can be an adult if you can."

She shrugs and looks down at her soup. Cream of potato, from the looks of it. There's also a tuna salad sandwich on white with lettuce and a sliced tomato next to the soup. An oatmeal cookie is partially wrapped in a napkin, and an apple core sits on the edge of her plate. I walk to the vending machine, suddenly aware of every move my body makes.

She jolts a little when I sit down across from her in the furthest seat I can get, and I busy myself with opening the Snickers bar from the machine. After chewing and swallowing, I look at her. "What have you been up to?"

"Stuff."

I take another bite. "What kind of stuff?" I ask.

"Stuff kind of stuff. "

I finish my candy bar in a few more bites and start on my Doritos. "Did I do something wrong?"

She finally looks up. "I beg your pardon?"

"That night. Did I do something to make you leave so fast, not say goodbye, and now we can't have a civil conversation? Like…was it bad? You can tell me if it was. I'm open to improvement. I've never thought to send out a survey afterward, but now that I think about it, that may be a good thing for men to do. Was I such a bad fuck that you'll never speak to me again and I should hold my head in shame?"

She reddens and looks back down before picking up her sandwich and biting into it. Once she's done chewing, she furrows her brow and looks at me with a wounded look. Fuck. I missed the clit that night. She faked it. I'm about to hear how I'm the worst lay she's ever had. I make an effort to not squeeze the bag of chips until every chip in the bag is mush.

She sniffs. "It was good. That's why I panicked. It was…too good, Chase."

I tilt my head. "You ran away because I fucked you right? Jesus Christ, I've never heard of that. You usually hear of the opposite problem."

"Look, I'm not used to guys knowing what to do and actually being…." She trails off and waves her hand at me. "I'm not used to guys being all hot and having jobs that have benefits with 401ks and being able to find the G spot. You know…stuff? "

"I didn't realize that my taxpayer-funded dental plan was that big of a turnoff. What kind of douche canoes do you date?"

"I don't date guys like you!" she yells. My eyes flick to the side entrance of the lounge, hoping the office secretaries can't hear us.

"Guys like me? You mean guys that can show a girl what she's missing and not even get a kiss goodbye?" I have no idea why I'm so grouchy. Those words came out harsher than I wanted. What is it with her? Why does she get me riled up more than other women? I've had numerous one-night stands, and I couldn't care less what they thought of me. With her, it's like I'm playing in the sex Olympics, and I'm desperately trying to impress the Russian judge on the dismount.

"I date punk band drummers and guys that have hot air balloon businesses that last a month. There was one graphic designer, which is a respectable gig, but he was freelance and still lived with his mother. You have a house, a car that doesn't smell like vomit, and you're…well, you're you."

"I didn't ask you to marry me. I just thought we could make toast together the next morning. Maybe some herbal tea or some flavored coffee. You didn't even let me wow you with my creamer collection."

Kailee stands and wads up her half-eaten sandwich. "I can see that we just need to remain professional while we're here. And don't worry about Lorelei and Liam. If we're at their house or at dinner, I'll be nothing but sweet to you. I'm just not comfortable with doing more than that."

"Because I'm too good of a catch?" I let out a low whistle. "Wow. Someone has a self-esteem problem, and it's not me."

She ignores my comment, tosses her lunch trash in the bin, and walks out of the teacher's lounge, shutting the door a little harder than necessary.