“I will. Get some sleep, Nate.”
Derek hung up, and as soon as I heard the line go dead, I released a deep breath I was holding and let my arms fall loose. Every muscle in my exhausted body ached. I’d been so stressed, so tense that I hadn’t even realised what I was doing. Rolling my neck from side to side, the loud crick made me nervous. Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, I flicked off the lights before walking through my dark house and collapsing onto my bed, not even bothering to pull back the covers.
I woke with a pounding headache and a hard on that wouldn’t go away. The dream I’d been having was so vivid I didn’t want to even be awake. The image of Josie on her knees, my fingers tangled in her hair, her cheeks flushed and her lips swollen as they wrapped around me filled in my memory. It was a sight I wouldn’t soon forget. I may not ever see it again, so there was no way in hell I was about to let it go. Not now. When I wrapped my hand around my rock hard cock, it was already weeping. Embarrassingly, it only took a few rough strokes before my balls tightened and a I groaned out my release. Puffing and panting, I pulled my sticky hand away, disgusted with myself. My hand, stomach, and the sheets were covered in my mess. Something I hadn’t had to deal with since I was a horny, frustrated teen trying to hide my night time activities away from my nosy mother.
“Shit!”
Cleaning myself up the best I could with the corner of the sheet, I jumped from the bed and headed for the shower. After quickly washing off, I wrapped the towel around my hips and headed for my kitchen. I needed coffee.
After downing my second cup, I tugged on some work boots and worn jeans and got busy. I figured if my hands were busy busting up the walls in the laundry, then I wouldn’t have time to think. Turns out, yet again I was wrong. It seemed no matter what I did, I saw Josie’s face. When I mowed the lawn, when I tossed the plasterboard sheeting that once clung to the laundry walls into the oversized bin, not even when I found myself halfway up a tree cutting away rotten branches could I shake the picture in my head. At least the R-rated images had taken a break, for now. Now I was haunted by the look on her face when she thought I’d taken her into the middle of nowhere. A picture that brought a smile to my face.
***
On Monday, everything sucked. The kids were little shits, more than likely from being kept cooped up inside all weekend. With the wet weather, most of them had played computer games or watched movies, now they were feral, wanting to get outside and play. By two that afternoon they got their wish. I was exhausted and frustrated, and there was no way in hell I could get them to concentrate on handwriting, so I conceded. Not something I did often, and definitely not something I enjoyed.
Marching them across the concrete quadrangle, I spotted a tiny woman up ahead, her hand resting on her cocked hip. There was something intimidating about her posture, something that made me fortify myself. If this obviously angry ball of woman was about to let loose, I could only pray she had enough sense not to do it in front of the kids.
“Come on, guys. Into the hall. Eloise, can you get the balls out of the cupboard? Hayden and Tyson, can you guys grab the bins and set them up?”
“Are we playing bin ball?” Hayden asked hopefully.
All day, he’d been one of the worst behaved kids I’d ever seen. Practically bursting with energy, my choice had been easy. Either give him something to do or slap him. And slapping children was frowned upon in the education system. Unfortunately.
Mia fell in step beside me but remained silent. I was thankful but surprised. I didn’t know her well, although I could read her body language, and she was ready to burst. Maybe I should pit Hayden against Mia and see who came up trumps. At least that way, I’d be safe.
In the hall, I quickly separated the kids into teams and set them in place before stepping out of the way. The moment I stepped to the sideline, my back plastered against the cool metal wall, the lower part of my arm burned. Looking down I soon realised why. Mia was plastered against me, a sad, tortured smile on her face.
“You going to yell at me?” I asked.
“Should I yell at you?”
“Probably.”
“Feeling guilty?”
“Feeling like shit, actually,” I answered honestly. I didn’t want to play games. I didn’t want drama. I’d lived through enough of that and I’d barely survived it the first time. I had no interest in going through that shit again. “I think I’m more scared of you than Derek.”
“You should be,” she deadpanned.
I almost choked on the lump that had taken up residence in my throat. Mia was a tiny little thing, but there was something about the way she carried herself, a confidence she possessed that set me on edge. Squeezing my eyes shut, I willed the headache that was forming behind my eyes to go away.
When I opened my eyes, I spotted Elizabeth sitting on her butt, crying. There was nothing I hated more than tears. I hated them with kids and I hated them with adults. At least with kids, a band-aid and a kind word usually cleared them up. With adults, especially women, they held onto that shit forever.
Blowing the whistle that hung around my neck, the balls rolled to a stop as I crossed the hall in long strides to where Elizabeth sobbed and rubbed her knees. Set on target, I didn’t even notice Mia trailing me.
Crouching down next to her, I asked, keeping my voice soft and steady, “Where did you hurt yourself, Elizabeth?”
“My knees,” she whimpered as she wiped her nose on her sleeve, leaving a sticky, shiny stain.
“Can you show me?” Mia cooed as she nudged me out of the way, instantly taking control of the situation.
I stepped back and turned my attention to the other kids, who were getting restless. I could hear Mia behind me, speaking in hushed tones to Elizabeth. She seemed to know what she was doing. She was so good with her. I guess being a mother would do that to her.
It took a few minutes before the game was back underway and Elizabeth’s tears had dried on her cheeks and she sat on the wooden bench beside Mia chatting animatedly. Feeling relieved that Mia’s attention was diverted elsewhere, I concentrated on what I needed to be doing. When the bell rang, everyone looked at me, stunned. The afternoon had raced by. Quickly the kids dropped the ball and the game officially ended.
“Okay, calm down. We need to go back to the room and grab your bags.”
If I thought for a second having them running and throwing the ball at each other would tire them out, I was delusional. But thankfully, they weren’t my problem a moment longer. Now they could go home and annoy the crap out of their parents while I headed home to collapse with a beer.
