Page 20 of Tempt

“That doesn’t look like a ‘fine’ face.”

Thirty seconds ago, she was asleep. Now, she’s alert and parsing the monosyllabic answers that have gotten me through years of department meetings and personal conversations.

There’s no quick answer to her implied question, but I sense she’s not going to drop it without getting something out of me.

“Sometimes I wonder why I picked this job.”

“Why did you?”

I pull supplies for sandwiches from the fridge. “Because I always loved learning new things. Seeing students make those connections is the best feeling in the world.” I think back to my own time as a student. “History felt like a particular gift. Patterns repeat themselves. We like to think we’re all original, struggling with unique problems, but we mine the past and realize everything has happened before.”

She cocks her head. “So you’re a fan of sequels?”

“Depends on the sequel.”

Kat rests her elbows on the bar, leaning in. “Star Wars?”

“Solid. Five and six, not two and three.”

“Mean Girls.”

“Never saw it.”

“It was bad. The Godfather?”

I snort. “Obviously.”

I slice two pieces off a loaf of bread, putting mustard on one. I add a few pieces of deli turkey, plus some cheddar cheese and lettuce.

“What’s with the art class?” I ask.

“Bea from preschool ghosted him because he broke her flowerpot. So we made a replacement to win her back.”

“You’re getting him a girlfriend.”

“It’s possible to have girls who are friends.”

I close the sandwich and slice it twice along the diagonal, the way Andy likes it.

“I know. The dance moms keep inviting me to book club.”

“That’s not the same thing.”

Her snort makes me glance up. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you’re irresistible to them. Like a Macy’s holiday sale. Good job, smart, handsome.”

She ticks off her fingers and I narrowly avoid slicing off one of my own.

“A lot of women—and men for that matter—would line up to date you.”

The way she says it makes me stare a beat too long.

Coming home to a mess, a happy sleeping kid, and an attractive woman responsible for both can fuck with your head.

The sandwich is finished but I’m not ready for her to stop talking. I grab celery from the fridge and slice some up to serve on the side.

“They’d be wasting their time. I don’t date.”

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