Cosmopolitan: A Happy Hour Series Standalone Read online

  I started giggling and crying all at once. “What would I do without the three of you?”

  Harper shot me a tight-lipped smile. “Thankfully you don’t have to find out.”

  Waylon came back over with a tray of drinks for us. “What’s got all of you so smiley?”

  Annie gripped her fiancé’s tattooed forearm. “We’re doing career day.”

  Waylon’s eyes grew wide as he pointed to himself and then back toward his fiancée.

  “The girls are helping me save the event at my school,” I clarified. “The new principal is trying to shut it down.”

  “And we’re not going to let him.” Annie gave him a toothy grin.

  “Ah, that makes so much more sense.” Waylon breathed out while putting a water glass in front of Sawyer.

  “So boring,” she complained as she turned her nose up at her beverage.

  Annie rubbed Sawyer’s belly. “Only a little while longer.”

  “It feels like forever,” Sawyer whined, rolling her head back.

  “If I can lend a hand at all, Caroline, just let me know,” Waylon offered before retreating again.

  “He’s a good one,” I remarked, pointing over to him as he walked away.

  Annie blushed a little. “He really is.”

  “Speaking of good ones…” Harper raised her eyebrow at Sawyer. “When is Trace going to make an honest woman out of you?”

  Sawyer groaned loudly. “How many times do I have to tell you I am not going to marry the man just because I am pregnant? We’re just now getting used to living together. I don’t want to put any more pressure on this situation than there already is.”

  I raised my glass in the air. “I think that is commendable.”

  Sawyer bowed her head to me. “Thank you, Caroline. Besides, I want to be able to have a drink at my damn wedding.”

  “Amen to that one,” Annabelle added in rapidly. “It’s not like we’re worried Trace is going to go anywhere anyway. He seems more excited about little Alice than anyone else.”

  “If he could be the pregnant one, I think he would be.” Sawyer laughed. “That man is over-the-moon excited while I am just over here confused and terrified I am going to fuck this kid’s life up at every turn.”

  “You’re going to be an amazing mother,” Harper reassured our friend as she bit her lip. We all knew how hard it was for Sawyer to admit to being scared of becoming a mom, and since technically none of us had ever gone down that road yet, we didn’t have more than kind words to offer.

  “We’re in this together,” I interjected as the others nodded.

  “It’s like we’re all having a baby.” Annabelle chortled.

  “Then why doesn’t one of you go through the birthing process for me? Because that shit is going to be awful.” Sawyer sipped on her water, eyeing the three of us.

  I threw my hands in the air. “Not it.”

  Harper and Annie both laughed along with me while Sawyer heaved off of her seat. “If this kid could stop doing the tango on my bladder, that would be awesome.”

  “I’ll go with you,” I offered, starting to follow Sawyer as she waddled away from the table. It was hilarious to watch her try in vain to squeeze her large belly through the crowded bar to the back hallway.

  As she rushed into a washroom, Sawyer hollered, “So, tell me more about this new principal. Other than tightening the purse strings, how does he seem?”

  “Like a pompous ass,” I replied from next stall over.

  “That bad, huh?”

  “I just get a weird feeling about him.” I couldn’t explain it better than that. Some people just rub you the wrong way from the get-go.

  “Maybe he’ll surprise you,” she said, trying to reassure me before flushing the toilet.

  I loved Sawyer’s optimism.

  “Here’s hoping.”

  Chapter 3

  Why Do Jerk-Faces Get Their Way?

  The next few days went on like normal: w

  ork, home, wine, repeat.

  The most exciting thing that happened was having to help little Christina get gum out of her hair after she bragged about being able to blow the biggest bubbles. Thank goodness for peanut butter and a little bit of patience.

  As I started to pack up the papers I needed to grade that night, a light tap sounded on my classroom door.

  “Yes?” I called out without looking up from my desk.

  “Miss Waters, do you have a minute?” The low timber of Mr. Hartigan’s voice made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I hadn’t seen him since the meet and greet on purpose. I wasn’t normally one for confrontation, and avoiding the situation entirely was working out in my favor.

  I greeted him through gritted teeth. “Mr. Hartigan. You caught me as I was just about to leave,” I admitted, forcing the last of the schoolwork into my oversized tote.

  “Please, call me Blake. This whole mister-missus thing seems so sterile to me.”

  “What can I help you with, Blake?” His first name felt bitter in the back of my mouth as I eyed him from across the desk.

  “I need you to help chaperone the chess club’s car wash this Saturday morning,” he spit out quickly, leaning on the edge of fake wood between us in another overpriced pinstriped suit.

  As his cologne started to choke me, I quickly responded, “I can’t.”

  “Mrs. Gilmore is out with the flu, and you’re the last one on my very short list of potential candidates. Mrs. Porter was kind enough to offer, but it doesn’t seem right to have a pregnant woman scrub cars and be out in this oppressive heat. I really need this.” Blake started to give me puppy dog eyes as he pleaded with me.

  That shit didn’t work when my students did it, and he wasn’t going to get away with it either.

  “There seriously is no one else who can do this for you? I mean absolutely no one? My best friend’s baby shower is that day and I am hosting it. I can’t be two places at once.” I crossed my arms over my chest. There was no way I was going to cave on this one. I was usually a very yes type of person, but when it came to something as important as Sawyer’s shower, there was not a snowball’s chance in hell I’d give in.

  “You’re the one who preached about not letting the kids down. I thought you would be jumping all over this one.” Mr. Hartigan shot me a half-smirk as he threw my words right in my face.

  “I told you, I have plans. It’s not like I’m trying to blow off something I previously committed to.”

  What an asshole.

  “I guess I am just going to have to tell the children they won’t be able to go to that regional competition they have been working so hard to get into.”

  His smugness was making me want to punch that ill-advised self-righteous look off his clean-shaven face.

  I continued my protest. “Get someone else to do it. I don’t even know the first thing about chess.”

  “Lucky for you, a car wash has nothing to do with playing chess. I’m only asking you to give up a little bit of time on a Saturday morning to ensure that there are enough adults there to make this work.” Blake crossed his arms, completely unwavering.

  “Why don’t you do it, then?” I bit back.

  “I am,” he answered quickly. “I’m not afraid of getting my hands dirty.”

  Before I could screech out another protest as to why I was saying no, Harper rushed through the door singing out, “Career day is saved! Halleluiah, career day is saved!”

  Blake cocked his head to the side. “Excuse me?” Looking from me to Harper, he added, “And who are you?”

  In her perfectly fitted off-white pantsuit and clicking heels, Harper marched right over to my new boss and grabbed his hand. “I am the woman who got her firm to agree to donate the funds for career day this year so Caroline’s hard work doesn’t go down the drain. And who are you?”

  Blake’s back straightened a little. “I’m Principal Hartigan.”

  “Did they really say yes?” I grinned, completely ignoring the pissi
ng contest that was about to erupt in front of me.

  Harper beamed over at me, turning her back on Mr. Hartigan. “They ate that shit up like expensive caviar, just like I knew they would.”

  I started bouncing in place. “This is so great.”

  “You went ahead and continued the plans for career day after I told you I was going to have to cancel it?” Blake interjected.

  I glared at him. “Someone had to, and now you won’t look like the bad guy.”

  “I feel like you should be saying something along the lines of thank you to Caroline instead of sounding like you’re annoyed with her for doing a job well done.” Harper whipped her long hair to the side as she popped out her hip.

  “Then you’re doing the car wash on Saturday.” Mr. Hartigan had that stupid smirk on his face again as his narrowed his eyes at me.

  “I don’t know how many times I am going to have to say no to this.” I huffed down into my rolling chair.

  Harper’s jaw dropped. “You can’t blackmail her into working when we have a baby shower to put on.”

  Blake smugly looked at one of my best friends while he incessantly flicked his ridiculous watch. “No car wash, no career day. You can do both. I believe in you, Caroline.”

  Hearing my first name roll off his tongue so cavalierly was jarring.

  “You really know how to make friends in new places, don’t you?” I sneered.

  My boss just shrugged. “I like win-wins, and this sounds like one to me.” He got up to leave before adding, “The car wash starts at seven. I’ll see you there bright and early. I’ll be the one holding the donuts.”

  As he walked out of the room, I sank farther down into my chair. “That man is going to be the death of me. How in the world am I going to pull this off?”

  Harper sat on the corner of my desk, leaning over to pat my arm. “Annie and I will be fine setting up the shower, and you will get there as soon as you can. Let him have this teeny-weeny win. He just is trying to swing his dick around a little to establish his authority. It happens all the time when we get a new lawyer at the firm. It’ll pass. All in due time.”

  “He’s still a jerk-face,” I grumbled.

  Harper joined in on my complaining. “The biggest jerk-face of all the jerk-faces in all of the lands.” Harper jumped in to my complaining.

  “He’s the king of the jerk-faces.”

  “Yes, he is. He really, really is.”

  Chapter 4

  Anything for Our Favorite Teacher

  It’s too early.

  Sitting in my car in the parking lot at a quarter to seven, I squinted over to the pop-up tent Blake was struggling to put up by himself.

  I should really go help him.

  Taking the last swig of my coffee, I fought back the urge to drive away. It was hotter than hell outside, and all I wanted to be doing was sleeping for a few more hours then sipping mimosas with my girls as planned.

  “Good morning, sunshine,” Blake called out as I trudged across the pavement over to the staging area.

  He already had buckets, sponges, soap, rags, towels, and hoses set out off the back of what I assumed was his large pickup truck.

  “So early.” I groaned as I realized he was one of those morning people I had heard lore about.

  He clicked in the last leg of the tent before shoving a white pastry box in my face. “Donuts, as promised.”

  I shoved the sweet-smelling treats away from me. “Please tell me you brought coffee.”

  He handed me a thermos and a paper cup. “This isn’t my first rodeo.”

  “Where is everyone?” I asked while filling up my cup to the brim.

  “They won’t be here for another thirty minutes or so,” he admitted with a cheeky grin plastered on his stubble-ridden face.

  I nearly dumped the coffee down his pants. “Excuse me?”

  “We need to get everything set up for the kids, don’t we?” As he continued to smile at me, I grew more aggravated. “We don’t want the parents thinking we’re incompetent—or worse, lazy.”

  “Aren’t the children supposed to learn that they have to help out when it comes to this stuff?”

  In his dark gray shirt, swishy running pants, and tennis shoes that probably cost more than my car, Blake leaned against a folding table holding the cash box. “They’ll still have plenty to do when they get here.”

  “Why aren’t the parents helping out with this too?” I grumbled, clutching the steaming java with both of my hands like it was the only lifeline left on the planet.

  “Volunteers are very scarce. I was hoping you might have some ideas on that front, actually.” Pulling out two folding chairs, Blake motioned for me to take a seat.

  “I don’t think forcing it on them with a mandatory number of hours is the right way to go with this one,” I admitted.

  He took the seat next to mine, looking at me while propping his chin up with his hand. “I am open to suggestions.”

  “We need to find reasons for them to do it. Just telling them it is important isn’t enough.”

  “It should be,” Blake stated as his jaw clenched.

  “I couldn’t agree with you more.” I leaned back in my chair, trying to think of some way to get the parents involved.

  “It’s just so sad to me that more parents don’t feel like it is vital to be a part of their child’s education.”

  It was the first time I saw Blake as a real human and not the annoying, overconfident douche. Maybe I was just too tired to find him as tiresome as usual.

  As the parking lot started to fill with parents dropping off their children, I rallied myself to be the cheery teacher my kids expected me to be.

  “Good morning, Riley,” I cooed as the towheaded child waved at me while walking up and clutching her father’s hand.

  “Morning, Miss Waters.” She flashed me a smile before rushing away to meet her friends, who were struggling to fill the buckets with bubbling water while Blake helped them.

  Only two parents out of the eight stayed to lend a hand—ridiculous. It was the weekend, and they couldn’t all be working. It broke my heart completely.

  Standing on the corner with a glittery, puffy paint sign Riley had made held high in the air, we waved at cars as they rocketed by us.

  As morale dipped, I forced myself to stay positive for the students. It was hard though. Not one car had stopped in a little over an hour. If we could get at least one car to participate, it would be a domino effect.

  Blake ambled over to me, whispering, “Should we call it?”

  Just as I was about to concede defeat, three familiar vehicles drove up to the tent.

  Like white knights, Rhett, Trace, and Waylon exited their cars.

  “Looks like we came at the perfect time,” Waylon hollered as I rushed to my friends’ sides.

  “What are y’all doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be helping the girls get ready for the shower?” I asked as the kids started to sloppily get to work on Rhett’s truck.

  “We just dropped them off at Annabelle’s and they told us what you were doing. Figured the extra business might be helpful,” Trace explained with a kind smile.

  “You guys don’t know what perfect timing you have. We haven’t had a single customer all morning,” I admitted under my breath as they all took money out of their wallets, shoving way too much of a donation into my hands.

  “It’s the least we can do to help support our favorite teacher.” Rhett winked at me.

  “Gentlemen, thank you for coming.” Blake shook their hands quickly.

  “Anything for Miss Waters.” Waylon chuckled, putting his hand on my shoulder.

  The three guys ambled over to the kids, helping them get to the hard-to-reach sections of the cars.

  “You have some impressive friends,” Blake remarked.

  “You have no idea. I didn’t even ask them to come, and here they are.”

  I whisked Riley into the air, putting her on my shoulders so she could use the soft
bristle brush on the roof of Trace’s restored Camaro.

  We laughed and played around with the soapy water while the kids seemed to really get into the spirit of things. The two moms who had stayed were the only ones being Debbie Downers, sitting under the tent with their legs crossed, lost in gossip. I couldn’t believe how apathetic they were about the entire situation, but I wasn’t going to let that spoil the fun.

  Like clockwork, right as the kids were about to finish toweling off Waylon’s truck, the skies opened up. As the heavy, unexpected rain cascaded down on us, we rushed for the tent.

  Rhett, Waylon, and Trace all erupted into laughter as they gaped at their freshly polished vehicles getting pummeled.

  “Murphy’s law.” Trace snickered as he pushed back his soaked hair.

  “Do y’all want your money back?” I asked quickly, pulling the wad of bills out of my back pocket.

  Waylon pushed my hand away. “Don’t you even dare. These kids are fantastic. Tommy told me all about the tournament they qualified for. They deserve to go.”

  “Thanks, guys,” I muttered as they said their goodbyes to me and the kids.

  “Now I really think it’s time to pack it in,” Blake stated, looking up at the dark clouds rolling in.

  The two moms finally got off their lazy asses, helping the children dry off.

  “I’ll start making the calls to have the kids picked up.”

  As I dialed each of the six parents, I watched Blake wrap the children in plush towels he had stashed in his truck. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy after all.

  It didn’t take long for the children to be rescued from the foul weather. As I started to help Blake dump out buckets and retrieve all the gear that was scattered around, he turned to me and asked, “Don’t you have a party to get to?”

  Standing in the rain with soap running down my legs, I shrugged. “They’ve waited this long for me. I might as well do my part to pitch in on cleanup.”