Page 69 of Indiscretion

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Hours later, I was getting ready to leave for the day. I planned to stop and visit my sister before going home to the kids. Dawson was still in the conference room with the Webbers and Emily. Raised voices had echoed down the hall earlier, but it had been pretty quiet the last hour. I shut down my laptop and straightened my desk, then headed to the ladies’ room. I had to pass the conference room to get there. Dawson’s back was to the glass, but it didn’t look like they’d be finishing up anytime soon. Papers were scattered all over the table. I’d probably have to write him a note before I left.

In the bathroom, I locked myself in a stall and emptied my bladder. Stepping out, I was still tucking my shirt in when I found Emily leaning against the vanity examining her nails. She didn’t look up as she spoke. That seemed to be a thing with her.

“I’m here as a public service, woman to woman,” she said.

I raised a brow, intrigued, though I suspected she was going more for intimidation than intrigue. “Oh?”

“He’s a great lay. But don’t fall in love.”

I chuckled. “I appreciate your concern, but I assure you that’s not a problem.”

She pushed off the vanity and stood tall. This woman was so calculating. She now tried to use her size to make me feel small when her words didn’t cut it.

“He can’t commit. The woman who damaged him ruined him for the rest of us. It’s a shame, really.”

I folded my arms over my chest. “And who exactly damaged him?”

A smile slid across her face. “Oh, my. You haven’t slept with him, yet you have it bad.”

“I don’t even know why I’m entertaining this conversation, but how would you know if I’ve slept with Dawson or not?”

Emily turned around. She leaned toward the mirror and used her pointer to fix her lipstick before flashing an evil grin at my reflection. “Because you’d know her name if he ever stayed the night.”

Chapter 19

DAWSON

15 years ago

“Reed, you coming or what?”

I glanced into the classroom again and tried to get my feet to move, but somehow I was stuck in place.

“Reed, let’s go already!” Ben yelled. “Or I’m the captain today and picking our team.”

I waved him off. “Go ahead. I’ll meet up with you in a few.”

He shook his head but disappeared into the gymnasium. Twice a month on Thursdays the eighth graders got afreeperiod. It wasn’t actually free, because we couldn’t leave school or anything, but we got to pick the activity we wanted to do. My buddies and I had played basketball in the gym last time, but the school also offered a bunch of classes they tried to make fun, like music appreciation where the students were on teams and guessed the names of songs and the year they came out.

I wasn’t sure what activity was inside the room I was currently looking at, but there weren’t any guys participating. Mrs. Kline walked up while I was still standing at the door. I’d had her for home economics last year.

“Dawson? Are you joining us today?”

“Uhhh…” I looked down the hallway to the set of double doors that led to the gym and then back to the classroom. A dozen girls sat on one side of the room, smiling and laughing, while Bailey sat alone on the other. I wanted to play basketball with my buddies, yet I somehow found myself nodding. “Yeah, my knee is bothering me, so I’m not going to play with the guys today.”

Mrs. Kline held her hand out for me to enter the room before her. “Wonderful. Come on in.”

All heads turned to face me as I stepped in, including Allie Papadopoulos, whom I somehow hadn’t noticed was there. Her pretty eyes lit up. “Dawson?You’redoing this class?”

I shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

The girls giggled. “I didn’t think you were the friendship-bracelet type,” Allie said. “Or I would’ve given you one already.”

“Friendship bracelet?”

Mrs. Kline handed me a plastic box. “This is a jewelry-making class. Didn’t you know that?”

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