Page 11 of Her Passionate Hero

“I heard that,” Lottie reached over the table, somehow managing not to plant her right breast into the blackberry yogurt while still grabbing the phone out of her hand.

“How did you do that?” Aliana gasped.

“Who is this?” Lottie asked.

“I’m Ernie Robison. I’m with the L.A.P.D.,” Aliana heard him say.

“How do you do? I’m Aliana’s best friend. She didn’t tell me you would be calling,” Lottie said sweetly. Aliana got up from the chair and went over to the vending machine, coughing the entire way. Her water bottle was empty. She had no choice but to get something to drink to stop this sudden fit. She felt all eyes in the lounge on her, the last thing she wanted.

Scratch that. Her eyes narrowed as she saw Lottie all comfortable with her phone. Sakra, that was the last thing she needed. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she sat back down.

“No, Ernie, she’s not all right. We’re going to the urgent care right after school. I’m worried about her trachea or her larynx.”

There was a pause. Then there it was. She hit him with it. Ernie would be shutting down.

“I’m a psychiatrist. I went to medical school.” The conversation would be over with.

Lottie listened, then burst out laughing. “Yep, that’s me, right down to a tee. If they say her throat is just swollen and nothing is really damaged, do you want to join us for some wedding soup and enchiladas? Girlfriend and I need to eat.”

Again, there was a pause.

“Great. I’ll call you.” Lottie handed back her phone. “Is he as hot as he sounds?”

“Huh?”

“Ernie? He sounds dreamy.”

“Dreamy? Did you just say dreamy? You’ve been spending too much time with the students.” Aliana closed the lid on her yogurt, gathered up her banana and threw them into her paper sack.

“I’ll be in your office at three-thirty. I’ll make an appointment for you at four.”

“That’s too early. I have work to do.” Lottie followed her to the trash can and out the door.

“Don’t make me talk to Roger. He’ll back me up.”

She would too, Lottie would definitely go to the principal.

“Fine,” Aliana sighed. “I’ll go to urgent care. I’ll give you a call when I get home and tell you how it went.”

Lottie smiled and shook her head. Aliana knew that gesture. She wasn’t getting out of having a shadow at her appointment.

“I’ll see you at three-thirty.”

***

Not again. This was the third time she’d been called to the music room, and she was sick of it. This was Breanne Clarke’s first year on the job, and she was going through a trial by fire. She was a gifted music teacher, but unfortunately, there were three senior boys in the class who were taking it for easy credit to graduate. They were unmanageable, and Ms. Clark didn’t have the slightest clue how to discipline them. Today had to take the cake.

Aliana wrenched open one of the double doors, and it swung open and slammed. Holy hell, it had a broken hinge. Well, fine, she figured it didn’t hurt her reputation to make an entrance as all eyes were riveted to her, including the three senior boys.

“You three. Here. Now.” She pointed at Lucky, Carlos, and David and pointed to the floor in front of her.

“Who?” Lucky asked.

“You make me repeat myself, this will escalate from suspension to expulsion.”

David, who was the weak link, stood up and gave a pleading look to his compatriots. Carlos stood up. Lucky put his feet up on the back seat of the girl in front of him. She shoved them off. “Fucker,” Aliana heard her mumble.

“She’s bluffing,” Lucky said to his friends. “Sit your asses down.”