Page 43 of Kiss Me Again

I keep giggling at her. “I did, I did.”

“Oh, the nerve of that guy!”

“So, you were talking about work?”

She sighs. “Right. Well, Jenna, she teaches third grade. Some of the other teachers have been talking about how she had been all over this single dad at parent-teacher night, and it’s been a whole thing all week. I feel so bad for her.”

“Was she all over him?”

“He spilled grape juice on his shirt and she handed him some paper towels and a Tide pen she keeps in her drawer for just such an emergency. According to her, that’s all that happened. But if the wrong person thinks they saw something, that is all that matters.”

Good thing no one saw me and Cormac kiss the other night. Or nearly holding hands on the beach. Abigail would fire me in a second, I’m sure of it. “People can be really terrible when they want to be.”

She nods. “I mean, I get it—sometimes you have to make your own fun when you have nothing going on in your own life, but they’re acting like she went down on him in the classroom or something.”

I laugh. “Well, we all know how sexy third grade classrooms can be. Especially with spilled grape juice on the floor.”

She giggles. “So, you mention the kids. But what about Cormac? With Abigail still being gone, I figure you haven’t had time to interact with her much yet.”

“Actually, she did my interview, and it was just me and her. She seems great.”

She waits for a beat, and when I don’t say anything, she asks, “And Cormac?”

“I really like Abigail.”

Her brows drop. “Why won’t you talk about him? He seems perfectly nice. Is he not?”

“No, no. He’s great.” Too great.

“Lily, you can tell me. I’m not going to say anything to anyone. You know that.”

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Another dude comes up to her. “Hey there.”

“I am a single mom, and so help me God, if you call me ma’am when you leave, I will throw my bellini on you.”

He laughs. “I wouldn’t dare. And single moms are great.”

“Okay, you’re not a jerk. But I’m here with my friend tonight. Thanks anyway.”

He smiles and nods. “Have a good night.” Then he leaves.

“Why can’t more guys be like him?” I ask as I drain my drink and flag the bartender over. “Another, please.”

“What happened with Cormac?”

I’m almost buzzed enough to tell her. “Like I said—

“Like I said,” she says firmly, using her teacher’s voice on me, “I am here with my friend tonight. Not my acquaintance. You can talk to me, Lily. Did he try something on you?”

“Oh yeah,” I said, nodding my thanks to the bartender as he passes my drink.

“Oh, my god. I’ll kill him. I will fucking—

“No, no. Not like that.”

“He’s a dead man.”

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