Page 19 of More, Daddy
I fold my arms over my chest, and settle deeper into the chair. “You were eating very annoyingly just now.”
She smiles, crooked and patronizing, the only smile of hers that I know. “Don’t forget the way I was drinking.”
“That, too.” I unfold my arms and scrub my hands down my face. “I am sorry though.”
Leah sinks her teeth into another bite of the pastry, letting the silence hang heavy as she chews with deliberate slowness, crumbs dusting her desk. Finally, she swallows and fixes me with a knowing look. “You know your attitude’s safe with me, West,” she says, her voice low, almost conspiratorial.
I nod my head and pull at the back of my neck before sliding my palms over my knees, gripping my blue jeans.
Leah takes a quiet sip of coffee to wash down the last of her pastry. “Why are you all, you know,” she begins mimicking me by fidgeting with her hands and legs before bringing her hands back to her mug. “Like that. What is your deal today, Bestie Westie?”
I roll my eyes. “I hate that.”
Her smile is eerily big. “That’s why I love it so much. Because it really irritates you.”
I glare at her. “You’re like the older sister I never had.”
She roots around in her desk before passing me a manila folder covered in sticky notes. “Here. The file on the petition for new guardrails on the bleachers—well, it’s a little broader than that, but essentially, the packet for funding. Another meeting next week. You will be attending on behalf of Bluebell High as well as district staff.” She makes a show of dusting her empty hands together after tossing the file in my lap. “Giving you my grunt work. You really are like a little brother.”
What I failed to mention before, about coming to Bluebell and being the athletic director of the district, is that Leah was instrumental in making that happen. The position didn’t exist, but she pulled all my prior work records, every review, every peer statement, and she rallied for the position to exist and to hire me for it. She promised the district and all the towns in it that I would improve youth sports.
She believed in me, and we’ve been bonded as a result ever since.
Tipping back in her chair, she stacks her shiny aquamarine heels onto the edge of her desk, then levels her thick lashes in my direction. “What’s up your butt today, West?”
I let out a heavy sigh carrying the weight of my confession as I spill the truth. “There’s this woman I’m talking to online, and I’m…”falling hard for her,but because that’s far too intense for this moment, instead I say, “…catching feelings. Things are getting serious, but… we made a pact to keep our personal lives off the table for now. Wanted to test if the spark’s real before we even know what each other looks like.”
Leah’s brows do a playful little jig, her eyes glinting with amusement. “How veryYou’ve Got Mail.”
I scrunch my face in disgust, leaning back. “Hardly. And, by the way, you might want to update your rom-com references. Tom Hanks’ character in that? Total capitalist, narcissistic, lying prick.”
Her grin widens, and she bolts upright, practically bouncing. “Wait, you finally watched it?”
I roll my eyes, dragging a hand down my face with a groan. “It was on cable the other day, okay?”
She wrinkles her nose like what I’ve said stinks. “The version they play on TV isn’t as good.”
“Doesn’t change his character,” I argue, then veer back to the topic we’re supposed to have at hand. Me. “Anyway, the more I talk to this woman, my feelings get… more serious. Like last night, I went out on this stupid blind date?—”
“Goode’s?” she asks, guessing where we ate.
I shake my head. “King Dum. She lives in Oakcreek.”
Leah nods, and as I continue, two junior coaches—Maven and Briar pass by. The girls look into the office, spotting me first, then Leah next. They each lift their hands in a passive wave, and Leah waves back. Cadence Caine, the JV cheer coach, all blonde and leggy, appears behind them. The three of them exchange words, and Leah nods to Cadence as if to tell her she needs another minute with me. The girls leave Cadence, walking past Leah’s office toward the exit doors. Leah smiles at them as they pass, adding, “I love King Dum.”
“Anyway, here I am sitting face to face with this beautiful, intelligent woman, and I can’t stop thinking about the woman online. The one who, for all intents and purposes, could be a total fucking troll.”
Leah drapes her hands over her chest, batting her eyes. “But it’s what’s inside that counts.”
I groan. “You know what I’m saying. I’m starting to feel like I need to know who she is and what she looks like. You can try and paint me as shallow but you know as good as I do that the physical attraction needs to be there.”
Leah tousles her hair while looking in a compact mirror she pulled from her top desk drawer. After deciding her hair is adequate, she snaps the mirror shut. “I know, I know. I just like making you, in particular, feel bad about it for some reason.”
“Abuse of your authority,” I deadpan.
She eyes the folder for the upcoming meeting. “Now that’s an abuse of authority,” she says of the file. “So the date wasn’t great?”
I shrug. “It was fine but I didn’t give a shit about it because the whole time I kept thinking about the woman online.” I drop my voice a bit. “She’s into everything I’m into.”
