Besides, this was the second time she’d kicked me out after sex, and I still had my pride.
“See you tomorrow,” I said and walked out the door.
15
Mercy
PRESCHOOL CHILDREN WERE like werewolves, and Christmas was their full moon. The closer the holiday came, the more feral they grew. By noon on Friday, the children were literally bouncing off the walls. Mother Nature gave us a reprieve from the rain, so I helped the teachers stuff everyone into their coats so they could run out their never-ending energy on the playground. I stood by the swings and watched the wild things roar.
After recess, I went back to my desk to get some work done and had just sat down when my phone pinged with an incoming message.
Julia: I know this is last-minute, but we’re wrapping gifts for the preschools Saturday morning at the club, and you should come.
It was late notice, but it wasn’t like I had anything planned for the weekend except cleaning and trying not to think about Landon. A distraction would be most welcome.
Me: Full disclosure, I suck at wrapping.
I was admittedly more of a gift bag girl.
Julia: You’ll be in good company. So do most of the bikers.
Snickering, I picked up my phone to respond, but another text popped up on my screen, this one from an unknown number.
: You fucking blocked me?
Unease skittered up my spine, but before I could truly freak out about Luke, who this had to be, Adina said, “Landon’s asking if you have a minute.”
Startled, I lowered my phone and nodded. “Yeah.”
Adina’s gaze dipped to my cell. “Everything okay?”
“Oh. Yeah. Go ahead and send him in, and then get out of here. Have fun tonight.”
She eyed me like she wanted to argue, but she had a date to get to, so she left.
Landon stepped through my door. Our gazes collided, and all the oxygen vanished from my lungs. He’d continued to walk me to and from work since the last time we’d had sex, but we’d both avoided eye contact and conversation like they were diseases. He hadn’t even harassed me with innuendo, so our condom-free oopsie must have messed him up, too.
Or that had been all he’d wanted from me.
I ripped my gaze away to stare at my computer screen. “Is there something I can help you with?” I asked.
“Mom said you’re working late. What time are you getting off?”
“No clue. Don’t worry about it. I’ll walk myself home tonight.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so. What time?”
The nerve of this asshole. I kept my eyes on my screen, though I couldn’t see anything on it since I was too busy watching Landon in my periphery. “I don’t know.”
“Okay.” He marched over to my desk, scooped up a pen, and scrawled a phone number on my Post-it pad. “Text me when you’re ready to go home.”
Then he turned around and walked out.
I’m ashamed to admit that I watched his ass until it was out of view. Then, I immediately ripped the note off the pad, wadded it up, and threw it away. There was no way in hell I was calling him.
Preschool rules prohibited anyone from opening or closing alone for safety reasons. I’d stayed late tonight so Adina could go to a work Christmas party with a friend. Geena, one of the teachers, was the unfortunate soul scheduled to stay with me. It was twenty minutes past closing, and only one student was left, a brown-haired boy named Toby, whose clothes were far too thin for winter. Toby’s mom had been fighting her demons all year, and I really wished she wasn’t losing the battle. I’d left three voice messages on her cell phone, and Toby’s emergency contact had basically told me to get fucked and hung up. The second contact’s number had been disconnected.
I didn’t want to discuss any of this in front of Toby, so I was texting with Geena as we sat with Toby in the waiting area by the reception desk.
