“And there’s no way to get it any sooner? Your attorney has no associate or secretary who can forward it to you?”
His threadbare temper snapped a bit. “What’s brought this on? Lillie hasn’t been any trouble.” He cursed himself and bit his tongue.
“We don’t like people telling us how to teach, Mr. Reiss. We are here to educate children, not to get involved in social problems.”
Thoroughly confused, Tyler rubbed his palms on his thighs, warming himself, his desire to flee at odds with the need to discover what the hell she was talking about. He inhaled deeply, struggling to keep his composure.
“I’m not sure what you’re saying.”
Her upper lip curled in a sneer. “I suggest you talk to your friend who picked her up from school.”
Marcus? Impossible. They’d talked about the need to remain circumspect and not involve themselves in any way that might draw attention to the fact that Tyler had zero legal rights to Lillie. He needed to get out of here right now and go home and talk to Marcus.
He mumbled a paltry excuse that probably made no sense and ran out of the office, his heart pounding so hard and loud he was certain everyone he passed could hear. Once he pushed open the front door and reached outside, he bent his head between his knees, bracing his hands on his thighs, hoping to take in enough air for his suddenly constricted lungs to prevent him from fainting.
“Tyler, what’s wrong?”
Josh rushed over to him and took him by the arm to lead him over to the line of parked cars by the street.
He shook his head, waving off Josh’s questions for the moment. Even though this day had to come eventually, Tyler thought he’d have more time to prepare and not be completely blindsided.
Staring at Josh’s concerned face, Tyler hoped he wasn’t making another mistake by talking to someone who, though kind, was a virtual stranger to him.
Beggars can’t be choosers, idiot. Time to put aside your pride and do whatever it takes to keep Lillie.
“It’s the school. Technically I have no legal rights to Lillie.” He quickly sketched the problem. When he finished, Josh’s face looked uncharacteristically grim.
“Shit, Tyler. Whatever made you think you could keep this up?”
“I don’t know, I don’t know.” He ran his hand through his hair, wincing painfully as he dragged his fingers through the tangled waves. “I wasn’t thinking. I only wanted to keep Lillie with me. I can’t have her taken away.” Frantic, he pulled out his cell phone. “I have to cancel my lessons for the day and find a lawyer. Then I’m going to hunt Marcus down and ream him out for what he said. I can’t believe he was so fucking stupid.”
To his surprise, Josh plucked the phone from his nervous fingers and pulled him farther down the block, away from the parents and students still milling about.
“No. First thing you’re going to do is calm down. One thing I’ve learned is to never say things in the heat of anger, because for some reason that’s what people never forget.”
“But Marcus—”
“You have plenty of time to find out what he said, but right now that isn’t the most important thing, is it?” Josh glared at him.
“No, of course not.”
“Okay. Now in case you’ve forgotten, I happen to be an attorney, and I’ll be glad to help you out. Let’s go back to your apartment, and we can sort through this mess.”
Tyler took back his phone and barely paid any attention to what happened after that. They were in a cab, inching down Broadway, and he wanted to scream, cry, and tear his hair out. But first he had to call Marcus and let him know what he’d done.
He pressed the Speed Dial and in a few seconds Marcus’s deep voice greeted him.
“Miss me already? I thought you’d had enough of me after last night and this morning.”
Normally he’d join in the sexual banter, even revving Marcus up. Even now his body hummed with the pleasurable ache from their lovemaking. But he squelched his desire for Marcus and instead thought about how angry he was and all the damage Marcus had caused.
“I’m in trouble. You said something to someone at the school they took the wrong way, and now they’re making me prove I have legal rights to Lillie which we know I don’t have.”
Dead silence on the other side of the phone.
“Marcus, are you there? Do you realize what you’ve done? This isn’t something you can get out of with a wink and a charming smile. If I can’t get this fixed, I stand to lose Lillie to foster care.”
A brief pause. “Where are you now?” said Marcus.
