Chapter 3
Why Do Jerk-Faces Get Their Way?
The next few days went on like normal: w
ork, home, wine, repeat.
The most exciting thing that happened was having to help little Christina get gum out of her hair after she bragged about being able to blow the biggest bubbles. Thank goodness for peanut butter and a little bit of patience.
As I started to pack up the papers I needed to grade that night, a light tap sounded on my classroom door.
“Yes?” I called out without looking up from my desk.
“Miss Waters, do you have a minute?” The low timber of Mr. Hartigan’s voice made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I hadn’t seen him since the meet and greet on purpose. I wasn’t normally one for confrontation, and avoiding the situation entirely was working out in my favor.
I greeted him through gritted teeth. “Mr. Hartigan. You caught me as I was just about to leave,” I admitted, forcing the last of the schoolwork into my oversized tote.
“Please, call me Blake. This whole mister-missus thing seems so sterile to me.”
“What can I help you with, Blake?” His first name felt bitter in the back of my mouth as I eyed him from across the desk.
“I need you to help chaperone the chess club’s car wash this Saturday morning,” he spit out quickly, leaning on the edge of fake wood between us in another overpriced pinstriped suit.
As his cologne started to choke me, I quickly responded, “I can’t.”
“Mrs. Gilmore is out with the flu, and you’re the last one on my very short list of potential candidates. Mrs. Porter was kind enough to offer, but it doesn’t seem right to have a pregnant woman scrub cars and be out in this oppressive heat. I really need this.” Blake started to give me puppy dog eyes as he pleaded with me.
That shit didn’t work when my students did it, and he wasn’t going to get away with it either.
“There seriously is no one else who can do this for you? I mean absolutely no one? My best friend’s baby shower is that day and I am hosting it. I can’t be two places at once.” I crossed my arms over my chest. There was no way I was going to cave on this one. I was usually a very yes type of person, but when it came to something as important as Sawyer’s shower, there was not a snowball’s chance in hell I’d give in.
“You’re the one who preached about not letting the kids down. I thought you would be jumping all over this one.” Mr. Hartigan shot me a half-smirk as he threw my words right in my face.
“I told you, I have plans. It’s not like I’m trying to blow off something I previously committed to.”
What an asshole.
“I guess I am just going to have to tell the children they won’t be able to go to that regional competition they have been working so hard to get into.”
His smugness was making me want to punch that ill-advised self-righteous look off his clean-shaven face.
I continued my protest. “Get someone else to do it. I don’t even know the first thing about chess.”
“Lucky for you, a car wash has nothing to do with playing chess. I’m only asking you to give up a little bit of time on a Saturday morning to ensure that there are enough adults there to make this work.” Blake crossed his arms, completely unwavering.
“Why don’t you do it, then?” I bit back.
“I am,” he answered quickly. “I’m not afraid of getting my hands dirty.”
Before I could screech out another protest as to why I was saying no, Harper rushed through the door singing out, “Career day is saved! Halleluiah, career day is saved!”
Blake cocked his head to the side. “Excuse me?” Looking from me to Harper, he added, “And who are you?”
In her perfectly fitted off-white pantsuit and clicking heels, Harper marched right over to my new boss and grabbed his hand. “I am the woman who got her firm to agree to donate the funds for career day this year so Caroline’s hard work doesn’t go down the drain. And who are you?”
Blake’s back straightened a little. “I’m Principal Hartigan.”
“Did they really say yes?” I grinned, completely ignoring the pissing contest that was about to erupt in front of me.
