can’t, godda-..um. I just can’t.”
“Why not?”
Gentle kisses on her ear were distracting, and she
couldn’t help but relax in his arms.
“I have to do things on my own. I don’t want to be
dependent.”
“Have you ever been dependent as an adult?”
She shook her head slightly. “Not really. I wouldn’t know
how. I’ve been on my own since I started college.”
“Sometimes, Kiki, a person needs a little help from a
friend.”
Kiki straightened and stepped away. Her jaw tightened
as she faced him. “Not me. I can do it on my own. I don’t need any help. If I
fail, I’ll only have myself to blame.”
A wrinkle formed between his eyebrows. “You agreed to
the job interview.”
She nodded. “Yeah. I’ll do it too. And give it my best
shot. A deal’s a deal, even if I don’t like how it came about.”
He nodded, seemingly satisfied. “Good. Unfortunately,
I have to be in Los Angeles for some meetings on Monday. I’ll be leaving
tomorrow because my first meeting is at eight a.m.”
“Fine.”
Jim took her arm gently. “I’ll call you between
meetings, Kiki. I want things to go well for you. Just be yourself.”
“Can I fu- frig-” She sighed. “Flippin’ be anyone
else?”
He smiled. “No, and I wouldn’t want you to be. I like
you the way you are.”
She snorted. “Except for the way I swear.”
Jim rubbed her arm then got his suit coat and slipped
it on. “Well, there is that. No one’s perfect.” He bent and gave her a sweet kiss as she opened the door for
him. It was a meeting of lips and light tongue caresses, nothing demanding,
just a coaxing tenderness. “I’ll call you on Monday. We’ll do that date on Monday
night.”
Kiki sighed and nodded. “Okay. Have a good trip.”
* * *
The late spring morning was warm, and Kiki was
regretting wearing her red wool suit. But it was her best business attire.
Combined with a white satin blouse and black mid-heel pumps, she felt confident
that she looked ready for work. She was nervous about the interview. The
private school’s headmaster wasn’t a direct friend of Jim’s. He was, in fact,
doing a favor for the parent of one of his students, and that parent was a
close friend of Jim’s. She didn’t know what kind of job she could do at a school.
Maybe an administrative position. Secretary, maybe, or file clerk. Beggars
couldn’t be choosers. Damn but that statement fit her.
There was a plinth on the sprawling lawn in front of
the brick-fronted school. It said, “Wildwood Academy,” in perfectly etched
letters. Kiki had looked them up on the internet. It was a day school with a
boarding option. According to their website, they worked with children in
grades seven through twelve. Basically, it was a college-prep school for rich
kids; the kind of place a girl who grew up on pancakes rather than steak could
never even aspire to belong in. But here she was, walking up to the
administrative offices like she had a right to be there.
She squared her shoulders as she approached the
administrative assistant outside a wooden door with a nameplate saying, “John
Heath, PhD, Headmaster.”
It took only a moment to introduce herself to the
young woman admin. About five minutes later, after Kiki took a seat on a
leather chair outside the door, a man came out of the office. He had a genial
smile on his face—a very attractive face. “Hello, Ms. Mackenzie. I’m John
Heath.”
Kiki smiled and offered her hand. “It’s a pleasure to
meet you, Doctor Heath.”
“Call me John, please.” He held her hand a moment
longer than she would have expected.
“Only if you’ll call me Kiki.”
“It’s a deal. Please come in. Let’s talk.”
His office wasn’t the wood-paneled, old fashioned,
scholar’s space she was expecting. It had forest green walls with white crown
molding, and blonde woods complementing the beige leather sofa and club chairs.
Kiki took a comfortable chair across the desk from him.
John seemed to
“Why not?”
Gentle kisses on her ear were distracting, and she
couldn’t help but relax in his arms.
“I have to do things on my own. I don’t want to be
dependent.”
“Have you ever been dependent as an adult?”
She shook her head slightly. “Not really. I wouldn’t know
how. I’ve been on my own since I started college.”
“Sometimes, Kiki, a person needs a little help from a
friend.”
Kiki straightened and stepped away. Her jaw tightened
as she faced him. “Not me. I can do it on my own. I don’t need any help. If I
fail, I’ll only have myself to blame.”
A wrinkle formed between his eyebrows. “You agreed to
the job interview.”
She nodded. “Yeah. I’ll do it too. And give it my best
shot. A deal’s a deal, even if I don’t like how it came about.”
He nodded, seemingly satisfied. “Good. Unfortunately,
I have to be in Los Angeles for some meetings on Monday. I’ll be leaving
tomorrow because my first meeting is at eight a.m.”
“Fine.”
Jim took her arm gently. “I’ll call you between
meetings, Kiki. I want things to go well for you. Just be yourself.”
“Can I fu- frig-” She sighed. “Flippin’ be anyone
else?”
He smiled. “No, and I wouldn’t want you to be. I like
you the way you are.”
She snorted. “Except for the way I swear.”
Jim rubbed her arm then got his suit coat and slipped
it on. “Well, there is that. No one’s perfect.” He bent and gave her a sweet kiss as she opened the door for
him. It was a meeting of lips and light tongue caresses, nothing demanding,
just a coaxing tenderness. “I’ll call you on Monday. We’ll do that date on Monday
night.”
Kiki sighed and nodded. “Okay. Have a good trip.”
* * *
The late spring morning was warm, and Kiki was
regretting wearing her red wool suit. But it was her best business attire.
Combined with a white satin blouse and black mid-heel pumps, she felt confident
that she looked ready for work. She was nervous about the interview. The
private school’s headmaster wasn’t a direct friend of Jim’s. He was, in fact,
doing a favor for the parent of one of his students, and that parent was a
close friend of Jim’s. She didn’t know what kind of job she could do at a school.
Maybe an administrative position. Secretary, maybe, or file clerk. Beggars
couldn’t be choosers. Damn but that statement fit her.
There was a plinth on the sprawling lawn in front of
the brick-fronted school. It said, “Wildwood Academy,” in perfectly etched
letters. Kiki had looked them up on the internet. It was a day school with a
boarding option. According to their website, they worked with children in
grades seven through twelve. Basically, it was a college-prep school for rich
kids; the kind of place a girl who grew up on pancakes rather than steak could
never even aspire to belong in. But here she was, walking up to the
administrative offices like she had a right to be there.
She squared her shoulders as she approached the
administrative assistant outside a wooden door with a nameplate saying, “John
Heath, PhD, Headmaster.”
It took only a moment to introduce herself to the
young woman admin. About five minutes later, after Kiki took a seat on a
leather chair outside the door, a man came out of the office. He had a genial
smile on his face—a very attractive face. “Hello, Ms. Mackenzie. I’m John
Heath.”
Kiki smiled and offered her hand. “It’s a pleasure to
meet you, Doctor Heath.”
“Call me John, please.” He held her hand a moment
longer than she would have expected.
“Only if you’ll call me Kiki.”
“It’s a deal. Please come in. Let’s talk.”
His office wasn’t the wood-paneled, old fashioned,
scholar’s space she was expecting. It had forest green walls with white crown
molding, and blonde woods complementing the beige leather sofa and club chairs.
Kiki took a comfortable chair across the desk from him.
John seemed to
Similar Books
