Page 20 of Off the Clock

“Hey, Scotty, you need a part-time job?” Angel strode over, brown eyes lighting up like they had with her earlier brainstorm.

“No,” Scotty said at the same time I said, “Yes.”

“Well, Cosmo’s dad runs a landscaping company.” Angel didn’t seem particularly deterred by Scotty’s no. “John’s been helping some too. It’s not glamorous, but it would pay for more pizza.”

“I’ll think about it,” Scotty allowed, which was as close to enthusiasm for work as I’d seen from him yet.

“Thanks,” I said to Angel as the kids headed out.

“No problem. Your brother seems like a good kid. He just needs a purpose.”

“Here’s hoping you’re right.”

“She generally is.” Tony chuckled warmly as Angel hugged him before joining the rush of parents and kids toward the exit doors. But Tony seemed in no such hurry, leaning against the table where we’d been sitting.

“Did you walk over?” he asked.

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure what the parking situation would be.”

“Same.” He strolled toward the doors at a leisurely pace that suggested I was supposed to follow. Walking home together was hardly a dinner date, but it still felt like a slippery slope to more kissing. Which I desperately wanted and couldn’t have.

“Guess this school building brings back a lot of memories,” I said to distract myself from more sexy thoughts as we passed by a bank of lockers.

“I suppose so.” Stopping, he rubbed his stubbly chin. “Certain classrooms. The football field, obviously. Bleachers.”

I snorted at that. “Let me guess? Your first time was with a cheerleader under the bleachers?”

“She was a flutist, not a cheerleader, but yeah, I got up to some trouble around here for sure.” Tony winked, and heat gathered low in my belly. I could bet he’d been a heartbreaker in school. Bad-boy quarterback type with a heart of gold, what with taking care of his sisters and all. I wished like hell I’d been the one under the bleachers with him. “With no privacy at home, I knew all the sneaky spots around the school.”

“Show me.” The husky demand flew out before I could stop myself.

“Bad idea.” Tony’s voice was equally raspy. We were alone in the hallway, a reckless energy gathering between us. Our hookup on the Fourth of July would have been hot regardless, but that moment when we’d almost been discovered had added a spark of danger, the element of discovery an unexpected turn-on.

“I’m not asking for a demo. Just a tour,” I lied. We both knew I wanted more than a walk around the school, but pretending otherwise made this slow slide toward doom easier. “Nothing exciting ever happened to me in high school. Let me live vicariously.”

“Okay.” Tony’s tone matched his solemn eyes as if he were agreeing to more than a tour. Continuing down the hallway, he came to a stop by a darkened door. “This is the chemistry lab. Underrated hideout spot.”

“All those Bunsen burners,” I teased. What was truly dangerous, though, was our mutual chemistry.

“Gotta love the sciences. And poor Mrs. Kerns, who undoubtedly knew the real appeal of the lab.” Tony laughed. “What was your favorite class? Or was everything about school terrible?”

“Nah, it wasn’t all unbearable. I dug geometry and trigonometry. I was good at math, and the teacher was cool.She was the Pride club adviser. First adult I told, other than my mom.”

“Huh.” Tony made a thoughtful noise. “I told my sister the other night. First time I said the word bi aloud.”

“For real?” I nearly choked. “You told her about us hooking up?”

“Not that.” Tony waved a hand like our hookup was a minor detail. “But it felt…good to tell someone I’m not straight.Right.Like loosening a pair of cuffs I wasn’t aware of wearing.”

“I can see that.” I met his too-serious gaze, holding it the way I wished I could hold him. I hoped Angel had hugged him and reacted the way Tony deserved. “I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks.” The tips of Tony’s ears went pink. “It wasn’t that big of a deal. Angel was super cool?—”

“Hey.” I stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, turning him more toward me when he would have looked away. “It was a big deal to you. That matters.”

“Yeah.” Tony inhaled sharply, but I wasn’t sure whether it was from the contact or the truth of my words. He gave me a searching look before finally walking away, continuing his tour to lead me to a narrow passageway behind the gym, near the path toward the athletic fields. The spot was almost entirely hidden, some sort of service hallway. “Everyone always thinks the bleachers are the best spot, but this is where I got my first kiss.”

He could have simply pointed at the passageway, but he turned down it, stepping toward the brick wall at the end. No one could see us now. My pulse surged like a marathon runner and sweat gathered at the small of my back as I followed him.

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