“And what if Jess is what made me happy?” She wasn’t, but he wanted to know what his son truly thought.
“I wouldn’t have to live with her, so if she makes you happy, then go for it. You certainly don’t need my approval.”
“Maybe not, but she’d still be a significant part of your life. I wouldn’t bring someone into it that was distasteful to you, no matter how much I might like her.”
“I appreciate that. Most parents wouldn’t give a sh—a darn whether their kid liked their significant other.”
“I know it’s easy to say, kiddo, but don’t worry about me, okay? Yes, when you leave, it’s going to be an adjustment. No doubt about it. But I’m not going to date someone just to date someone. There isn’t anyone I’m interested in taking out right now, which is probably a good thing because the new job is going to suck up a lot of my time. I want to do it right, and that means total focus right now.”
Puzzled, Ezra asked, “Why couldn’t you date and have a new job? Lots of people do that.”
“Being the principal of a school is an enormous job. The responsibilities are immense, and right now, I’m still trying to get a handle on things. There aren’t even any kids in the building. Well… other than for registration and sports. But in a few days, the staff return in full force, and then a week later, all the students return. It’s going to be chaos for a bit. Juggling that and still having time to spend with you will be challenging enough.
“And besides that, as the principal, people are going to watch me very closely, probably for a while. People might see me dating as being a bad influence or something.”
Ezra scowled. “Well, that’s a load of horseshit.”
Lucas bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. The kid was so incensed for him that he swore and didn’t even realize it.
“You’re a human being like everyone else. If someone else can date casually, you should be able to also. It’s none of their business.”
And again, he wasn’t wrong.
“You’re absolutely right. It’s hypocritical. However, certain professions carry much more weight with the public, and while it might not be fair, it’s the reality of the situation.”
“So stupid,” Ezra muttered. “So rather than find someone who makes you happy, you’re just going to grow old and moldy? Alone? That’s no way to live.”
“Old and moldy? Seriously?” He laughed. “You’re killing me, kid. I don’t know, Ez. Maybe. Maybe someday I’ll feel like I could make a go of it with someone, but right now, things are too complicated with work. I wouldn’t be able to give her the time she deserves, the same as with your mom. When there’s another person in your life like that, they deserve to have someone who can put all of their attention on them, and that’s just not me right now.”
“Your happiness matters too, Dad. We had this conversation not too long ago when we talked about college, remember? You told me that when it was time to make my final choice on what school to attend, I had to make the decision for myself. What was going to make me the happiest. Not what you wanted, necessarily, but where I could see myself thriving. Growing. Making a path for myself. If I did what was expected of me by other people, I might end up miserable in the end and resent my choice.”
Lucas wondered if he hadn’t done too good a job parenting his child. He shouldn’t be worrying about things like this just yet.
“Yes, I remember.”
Earlier this summer, Ezra had filled out numerous applications. When clicking on the schools he wanted to allow access to his application, the very last one he hovered over on the computer was Lucas’ alma mater. When Lucas asked him why he was hesitating, there was a lot of hemming and hawing through the explanation. It took a while, but eventually Ezra told him that it wasn’t really a place he saw himself at, but he didn’t want to disappoint his dad. The speech he just gave him was howLucas had explained and reassured him that there would be no disappointment.
“Isn’t this kind of the same thing?” Ezra pointed out.
“Hmm.”
What else could he say? The boy wasn’t wrong.
SCHOOL DAZE
ELYXANDRE
Putting her car in park,Elyxandre looked around the mostly empty lot. She noted the time. It was six a.m., so only a few cars dotted the faculty and staff lot over to her right. The eager ones had arrived early for their first official day back in the classroom, but most would float in closer to the all-district breakfast at seven fifteen.
Before exiting her vehicle, she took another glance at her personal email. Its newest delivery was not something she wanted to deal with. It irritated her even more than when she read it this morning.
Heardyou’ve left New Mexico and run back home. I wonder how your new job will react when they learn about your bad track record in New Orleans. I wouldn’t get too comfortable if I were you. Especially when they learn they’ve hired a complete deviant to work with a bunch of minors. Good luck, sweet cheeks.
Fucking Knox.Even from over five hundred miles away and two years after their divorce, he was still trying to insert himself into her life. Deviant? Because she’d done a boudoir photo shoot for him for their first anniversary, some of which was police-themed? Whatever. He truly was “a piece of fuck,” as Tripoli had called him.
It concerned her slightly that he might share the photos with her employers. Who knew how they’d react, but while the pictures were suggestive, none of them were over the top, and she was covered in all the important places. If he released them over social media, that was slightly more concerning because the students could get ahold of them. But the general public? She snorted. She looked damn good in those photos and was proud of them. They’d been a huge boost of confidence, and at the time, Knox had certainly been appreciative.
Tossing her phone into her bag, and with a final survey that she had all her belongings, she stepped out of her SUV and headed toward the building. As she entered the office, she was greeted by a thirty-something woman with a huge smile. “Good morning! You must be Officer Hookstead. It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’m Juliette, Dr. Vaughn’s personal assistant.”
