During the bus ride to the school the next day, I had plenty of time to think about everything that’d happened between Alec and me, as well as time to consider the things Mai had said. Her opinion had pretty much boiled down to ‘hot, consenting adult, bang him,’ but that really hadn’t been a surprise. Even after I’d explained to her the complications that came with Alec being the parent of one of my students, she’d been on the Alec bandwagon.
Knowing that my best friend had no issues with this situation didn’t do anything to ease the nerves that had been tying into knots since yesterday.
I’d expected to have things I’d need to get used to, a learning curve that I’d adjust to. Everyone did in a new job, and it wasn’t any different in teaching. My childhood had given me a bit of an advantage when it came to adapting to new situations, but this situation wasn’t anything I would’ve known to prepare for.
I’d anticipated parents who’d think I was too young, who’d worry about the fact that this was my first year. There’d be some assholes like Cornelius Harvey who’d flirt with me, even with their wives standing right by their sides. Wives who would despise me for being young and pretty. Families who’d treat me like the help if they didn’t ask about where I came from, and who’d look at me as something even less if they knew about my past.
I assumed I’d have to wear a polite mask, not take the bait when people were nasty. That was the sort of professionalism I thought I’d be dealing with. Not with an attraction to a parent, and certainly not an attraction to a parent I’d already slept with. Since we’d parted ways under good circumstances, it shouldn’t be hard to do. He wasn’t pursuing me, and I wasn’t pursuing him. As long as we both stayed of the same mind, we’d be fine.
And that wouldn’t be a problem because I had my focus in the right place. My job. Not sex. And certainly not on sex with Alec.
Shit.
I got off one stop early because walking seemed like a better idea than sitting and thinking. It was drizzling but not cold, and a surprising number of people were out taking advantage of the mostly pleasant weather. With autumn officially beginning in a couple weeks, Seattle natives always knew to take what they could get.
I’d seen Alec here before, I realized. When I’d been walking from the school to the bus stop, he’d been out running. Even as the thought came to me, I found myself scanning the area for him. It was stupid. Beyond stupid. But I couldn’t seem to help myself, not even if the odds were astronomical that we’d happen to see each other again.
Then again, the ways the two of us kept running into each other seemed to defy the odds already.
“Ms. Browne!”
I thought I had to be hearing things, but I looked anyway. Down the sidewalk, I saw a little girl with dark curly hair dressed in blue jeans and sparkling tennis shoes, waving excitedly at me. Beside her was the unmistakable silhouette of her father. As they jogged closer, I could see the awkward expression on Alec’s face, and I was struck by the overwhelming desire to put him at ease.
Which meant addressing the daughter rather than the elephant in the…on the sidewalk.
“Good afternoon, Evanne,” I said when she reached me. I gave Alec a professional smile and inclined my head. “And you, Mr. McCrae. I hope you’re having a good Saturday.”
“Daddy, pause the timer!” Evanne ordered. Alec chuckled and clicked something on his watch. “We’re seeing how fast we can run to school from home,” she explained. “So I can run instead of sitting in the car.”
“Are you going to start showing up to class all sweaty then?” I teased her.
From the way she scrunched her face, it seemed she hadn’t considered that. “Well,” she said, still deep in thought, “I can walk to school and run home.”
“Are you passing off the wee sweaty munchkin to me?” Alec joked, his tone light.
“I suppose I am,” I said, surprised by the comment as much as I was by the smile.
“You look good,” Alec said. His cheeks flushed a moment later, and he must have realized how it sounded because he quickly added, “Are you working this weekend?”
“Just picking some things up,” I said, turning to Evanne to avoid the brilliance of her father’s blue eyes. “Good to see you’re running outside instead of inside for a change.”
“I run everywhere!”
“I’m sure that comes as a shock.” Despite the humor in his voice, he held himself stiffly now, his smile practiced rather than genuine.
I mirrored his expression, reminding myself this was the way it had to be. “It does indeed.”
We hummed laughter together, and I wanted nothing more than the ground to devour me.
Shit. I couldn’t deny how much I liked this, standing here, talking to him and to Evanne. How hot he was.
It was completely inappropriate. I was no less drawn to him now that I knew he was my student’s father. Not even with him slightly sweaty and in casual clothes. Not even after I was determined to forget about him. We’d had our night. We’d had our fun. There was no need for anything else.
“I like gym class a lot,” Evanne said suddenly. “Dodgeball is my favorite because I’m so fast no one can hit me, but I always miss when I try to catch the ball, so instead I just run until there’s only one other player left on the other team and then when they throw the ball they miss me so I can pick it up without having to catch it and then I throw it and sometimes I hit them and win!”
“That sounds exciting,” I said when she finally took a breath.
I loved how enthusiastic she was and hoped she would continue to be that way as the year went on.
