Page 22 of Bad Teacher

* * *

“Vegas?”Violet repeated, looking at Brit, who had come in to drop off the kids for the weekend. Brit had just told her that she and Damian decided to elope to Vegas instead of making a big deal about their wedding. With Brit’s budding career as a makeup artist, and also as she worked to open her first store with her makeup line in a few months, planning a big wedding would take too much of their time.

Brit twisted her hands together. “Yeah. We’re hoping to make this a fun weekend getaway. You know, with friends and family, whoever can come.”

“You’re coming, right, Mommy?” Amanda asked, her eyes searching for hers.

“Of course,” Violet said. Acid spread through her stomach, but she slapped on a smile. Not only would she have to face her ex getting married, she had to be with the happy couple for a whole weekend. Another ripple of apprehension coursed through her. “Wow. A wedding! You know how weird this is, right?” She winked at Brit.

Brit blushed. “I know. Hey, maybe you can bring a guest.”

Violet leaned closer, giving Brit the long look that hopefully would get her to stay quiet. She’d mentioned the no strings attached affair she started with Theo to the girls when they met the night before, but she didn’t want Amanda to learn about it and get ideas in her head.

Brit gasped. “Oh, right, yes. I meant, you know—”

“I know,” Violet said.

Amanda gave Brit a hug before storming inside and tossing her backpack to the right. Thank goodness she didn’t seem to notice anything.

“You can bring Theo,” Brit whispered when the kid was away. “Lara said he’s hotter than the pictures online.”

“It’s too soon,” Violet said. “Plus, I don’t think he’d want to go.” Accompanying her to a wedding like this would delve into steady boyfriend zone, what he’d been clearly avoiding since the beginning of their affair. What if she lost him by asking? She’d hate to sound needy or clingy.

“Maybe you should ask? There’s no harm in asking.”

“Truth,” she said, to end the subject if nothing else.

She exchanged a couple of pleasantries with Brit, information about the kids then her friend said goodbye and she closed the door behind her. The idea of inviting Theo along stuck in her head like the chorus of a bad pop song on repeat. She’d love anyone to go with her, really. She didn’t know who else would attend this wedding, but she could imagine at least his family and a few close friends she knew from the time they were married.

Sighing, she realized she’d have to play it cool. She’d be on her own, besides the kids. A male presence would prove a great distraction and help dispel the awkwardness. And Theo’s presence… her pulse skyrocketed. His presence definitely would both make her at ease and nervous. Four nights ago, she’d trusted him, and he hadn’t run away. Maybe the temporary nature of their relationship, the lack of rules, had made him not care about the mistakes she’d made in the past.

Still, he’d understood her and supported her. He’d behaved like the man she’d want by her side. One day—and it’d probably be a different man.

* * *

“Today,I want you to write an essay about what you’ve learned as you tried different schools,” Violet said to Marcelle after she sat at the round desk.

Marcelle picked a pencil from her case and played with it, rolling it between her fingers. “I don’t know.”

“Write in French… don’t worry about typos. Just give it your best. Five hundred words.” She glanced at her watch. “Go.”

Violet watched her. Marcelle rolled her eyes and blew her bangs, shuffling in her seat. She’d improved her reading and acquiescence but writing still wasn’t her forte. Inhaling, Violet surged to her feet and walked around the room to give her space to be intimate with the paper.

Maybe writing, even if it wasn’t about her mother, about the hurdles she’d faced hopping from school to school would help Marcelle understand herself better. Either that or she’ll be really mad at me for pushing her.

She glanced at Marcelle, and when the girl began writing, Violet smiled and wandered to the hallway leading to the dining area. Several family pictures adorned the walls, and a couple of them showed a beautiful woman with kind eyes and brown hair. Celine.

Violet had seen her picture before, quickly, trying really hard not to pry. But today, with no one around to watch her, she took her time and studied the pictures including Theo. He’d seemed a lot more carefree and jovial on the pictures with his late wife.

She bit her lower lip. He’s broken.

What if he never let another woman close to his heart? The idea saddened her. She knew their fling had no false hopes, but the idea of spending her entire life without a partner broke her in a different way. One day, she’d find him—and having this affair with Theo helped her get ready. She wasn’t a fool to fall for him. No. She was just—

“Hey,” he said from his office.

She’d heard him on the phone when she walked in, but hadn’t had the chance to say hello yet.

She popped her head in, and he crooked his finger, inviting her in. A quick glance at Marcelle showed her focused on her task, so she entered the office. “Hey.”

---