Page 4 of The Third Girl

CHAPTER 2

SKYLAR

It’s definitely a Monday. My kindergarten class has been out of it and half asleep the entire morning. In the five years I’ve been teaching, I’ve learned that sometimes the younger crowd needs to take the first-day-of-the-week morning slower.

Hell, who am I kidding? I’m exhausted, too. I’ve had an extra cup of coffee and could still use a couple of toothpicks to hold my eyes open. It’s not even like I did that much this weekend. I’m not currently dating, not since my last disaster of a boyfriend, so it’s not that there’s a ton of important events on my social calendar. I have no desire to date anyone right now.

Friday, I’d gone out with Laney and Jackie for girls’ night fun at Sidewinders, the only establishment in Brookhaven that boasts both a bar and a dance floor. Strictly no dudes were allowed to join us. That’d been easy to manage now that both Jackie and Laney are old married ladies.

Kidding.Jackie’s not even that much older than I am. She’s twenty-seven to my twenty-six, but she and Jud have been married since they were fresh out of school. They’re a seriously adorable couple, but constantly teasing each other. It’s pretty cute.

And our girl Laney, well, she’s in her mid-thirties, and she’s been married twice.To the same guy.Logan and Laney’s story is actually kind of epic, if you ask me. Hell, I’d marry Logan twice for sure.

Anyway, we didn’t get too crazy at the bar because the next afternoon we had another one of our self-defense classes. I’ll admit to not being too sure about attending them at first, but it turns out I’ve learned some valuable tips. As women in today’s society, we’re smart to be prepared. It’s stupid as hell that we have to even think about being ready to defend ourselves, but after a few of the things my friends have been through recently, I have no problems at all being ready to put my knee directly into an attacker’s dick with enough force to drop him. But I’m feisty like that.

Upon entering the cafeteria with my class, I help them get lined up with all the other kids waiting to be served their lunch before I head to the teacher’s lounge area. Some teachers go to their classrooms or one of the communal workrooms to eat, but the kindergarten teachers choose to stay close. Because it’s kindergarten… and you never, ever know what’s going to happen. Every day brings new challenges and novel ways for disaster to strike… but so much joy, too. It’s a good thing because pay for teachers is absolute shit. I wish I was creative like Laney and could do something like she does for extra cash—her side hustle selling the jewelry she makes is awesome.

Jackie and Laney are already seated at the table with their lunches unpacked and have started eating. I don’t blame them for not waiting. The other shit part of the job is the fact that we only get twenty-five minutes to eat.

Laney points her spoon at me before dipping it back into her yogurt. She’s looking at me funny, but I have no idea why.

“What’s up?” I set my stuff down and sit, quickly pulling the hair tie from my wrist so I can secure my unruly mane on top of my head. Noticing how the two of them are exchanging an odd glance, I get an awful feeling of foreboding. “Oh God, are they making me change grade levels or something?”

We’ve been in constant discussion for a couple of weeks now, ever since the principal, Mrs. Montgomery, announced she’d be doing some shuffling of teachers among the grade levels. I’m so comfortable teaching with these girls, it would be my worst nightmare. I’d be incredibly sad if I wasn’t working with these women anymore.

Laney pats my hand. “No, no. Sorry to scare you. I haven’t heard anything since that announcement was made. I’d tell you if I had.” She blows out a breath and glances at Jackie again.

“Oh, ask her. What’s she going to do? Laugh? Say no?” Jackie rolls her eyes with good humor before she pins them on me. “You’re looking for a summer job, right?”

I frown, pulling out my sandwich and taking a bite. I nod. “Mm-hmm.”

Laney takes a quick sip of her bottled water. “Okay, so this could be out of your comfort zone, I have no clue, but I’m going to throw it out there.” She hesitates, licking yogurt from her spoon. “Would you ever consider a job in childcare?”

Well, now I’m completely confused. “You mean like at a day care center? Why would that be out of my comfort zone?”

Laney bites down on her lip as she shakes her head. Cautiously, she elaborates. “No. There’s a single dad who has the cutest little girl. He’s in a bit of a bind for the next few months, as his usual childcare accommodations have fallen through. His mom usually watches his daughter but she’s having surgery in about two and a half weeks.”

My hand slaps the surface of the table as I stare at her. “No. Freaking. Way.” My face flushes. She’s got to be talking about Lucy’s brother Matt. The one I can’t help but pick on at our self-defense classes, trying to get him to laugh. The brooding, quiet cop.

Laney gets this amused smile on her face. “Yeah. It’s Matt. And you’d be caring for Sailor. She’s not quite two.”

Jackie practically melts. “What a cute freaking name.”

Laney waits a few beats before asking, “So, would you consider helping him out?”

“Uh…” I think the synapses in my brain have stopped firing. “Do you know any of the details?”

Laney shrugs. “Claire’s surgery is April 5. I assume he’d want you to start before that, maybe? Not really sure.” She shakes her head. “There’s a catch, though—he works the graveyard shift, which is like midnight to eight.”

“Oh.” My head rears back. “So… I’d get paid to… sleep? Like, there at his house?”

Jackie snorts. “Sounds like it. Until the little miss wakes up. But really, how difficult could it be?”

My brows draw together as it clicks that she said his shift runs until 8 a.m. “But how would I do the mornings while I’m still working?”

“Easy. Lucy could take Sailor, like a drop-off situation so that you could get to school on time. Then in the summer, it wouldn’t matter, and the two of you could discuss arrangements again.”

If this is an all-summer gig it might just be worth it, especially since it sounds like I’d have my days completely free. Actually, I’m liking the sound of this more and more.

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