Married to the Playboy

Chapter 1

1

“You have got to be joking.” Kristen only barely stopped herself from stomping her foot.

“It is what it is,” Principal Jenkins told her. “The play isn’t going to happen unless we get some people in the community to help and a teacher to coordinate it.”

“I already do a lot. There are other teachers you could ask to help.” She knew she was whining but it seemed every time something needed doing, she was the only one that anyone asked. She also had a hard time saying no and everyone knew it.

“The fifth-grade teachers are busy preparing their graduation, so if we want the annual play to happen, we need someone who knows what needs to be done. You helped Mrs. Kline for two years before she retired, so you know what to do,” he explained.

It was true she knew what needed to happen, but that didn’t change the fact that she had other things to do already and that she wasn’t even the one who volunteered for this in the first place.

“Why can’t Beth do it?” Beth, a third-grade teacher, had volunteered to at the beginning of the school year.

Kristen had ended up with the majority of Beth’s duties since she started there as a teacher last year. Somehow, she had everyone convinced she was too nice and also too weak to do her own work. Beth hated Kristen though and had ever since they’d met. She had no idea why.

Kristen had asked her once, only for Beth to laugh right in her face, instead of giving her an answer. It was one of very few times that, outside of her brother, Kristen had truly wanted to punch someone, preferably in the face, breaking her perfect little nose.

“Well, she’s just really overwhelmed.”

Kristen felt her jaw drop. “She quit on it?”

“I didn’t say that.” He did though, it was written all over his face, if not in his words. “Look, I’m just asking for your help,” He took a deep breath and went in for the kill, sealing Kristen’s fate, “The kids need your help.”

“It’s a month away!” She crossed her arms and huffed. “It’s not going to be the same as when Mrs. Kline did it; it takes a whole year to plan.” A thought crossed her mind, “Beth hasn’t done anything, has she?” She pointed her finger at the principal.

“I’m afraid not.” Principal Jenkins shook his head. To his credit he did at least look disappointed.

“It’ll be different and I don’t know what I can pull off.”

“I’m just asking that you do your best.” He smiled at her before adding, “That’s all the kids ask for.”

“You’ve already got me, so you can stop laying it on so thick.” Not even trying to stop herself, she rolled her eyes. “She’s doing my bus duties for the rest of the year.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Now, I don’t know if I can have her do it for that—”

Kristen cut him off with a look. “I need time to coordinate all of this.” She threw her arms wide.

Nodding, he relented. “Consider it covered.”

She put her hand on the doorknob to leave, but had a thought. “This is the only time. I’m going to stop being the teacher here all day every day after this. You better ask the rest of your staff to step up.”

She didn’t turn around to see his reaction, instead leaving the door open as she walked away. Trying to show power in the conversation that she definitely did not have control over, and also scared that if she turned around he would call her bluff.

It was the end of the school day, so the halls were empty except for a few lingering teachers and staff. Almost always, Kristen was one of the first ones in and definitely one of the last ones out of Springfield Elementary School. Most days she enjoyed the extra things she did, but recently she was growing restless.

It probably had something to do with her brother getting married and having a stepson, with a baby on the way. When she gave herself time to think about it, she realized she was jealous, but she didn’t like that, so she didn’t give herself much time to think about it.

When she got back to her classroom, she pulled out her phone and called Macy, her sister-in-law.

“Hey girl, I’m not going to make it tonight.”

“No, you are not backing out; you need to leave work.”

Kristen smiled, thinking of the quiet girl that she’d originally met. Macy had really found herself since getting with Daniel, Kristen’s brother. Turned out Macy liked to be in charge and was really good at it.

“I have a new project, doing the entire end-of-year show.”

“It can wait until tomorrow. You are coming tonight for dinner.”

“Macy, I appreciate it, but I can’t.”

“Bull. You can and you will; you cancel every time these days.”

“Macy—”

“Please, Kristen? We haven’t seen you in forever. And I want to talk to you too.” She could almost hear Macy’s wheels turning, before she continued, “I’ll come over and help you with whatever it is tomorrow?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I need to figure out what I am doing first.”

“Come on, please?”

“Okay, I will come tonight.”

“Yay! You’ll feel good to step away from work for a bit.”

“I’m not staying long.”

“Sure.” They both knew she wasn’t agreeing to anything though.

Kristen was going to do her best to leave at a decent time to get home and start planning. Sighing as she packed up her work, she knew Macy would convince her to stay, and it wouldn’t take much effort even; she needed to work on saying no and holding her ground.

Glancing down at her outfit, she considered going home to change but then dismissed that idea. That would definitely say she planned on being there for a while. Her black pants and paint-stained blouse would have to do.

Despite Beth and all the other stressful things that went along with being a teacher, she loved her kids. It was great seeing the kids grow for the year, and being a second-grade teacher, she got to see the kids grow until the end of fifth grade.

Her class was lively. It annoyed some parents when they found out she didn’t have strict desk rules or loads of homework, but that was fine. The kids could sit at a desk, or in a bean bag, or lay on the rug, whatever they needed to do to get the work done. She’d made it through college often laid across her bed, and it had worked well for her.

“Kristen?”

She froze at the voice before turning towards her door. Beth was standing there looking as freshly put together as she had at the beginning of the day. Clearly not a stressful Friday for her. Not a platinum-blonde hair out of place, high heels clicking across the hard floor as she walked in, her black pencil skirt and nearly see-through blouse were just this side of respectable.

“Can I help you?” Kristen asked and then mentally kicked herself. She didn’t want to help Beth with anything, definitely the wrong question to ask.

“I’m glad you asked.” The smile was sweet but Beth’s blue eyes held contempt. “I heard you wanted me to take your bus duties, and I just can’t.”

“Excuse me?” That was it? Just can’t? We aren’t even going to make up an excuse anymore?

“Yeah, you’ll need to keep doing them.” She started walking away.

“Why not?” Kristen asked.

“I have personal reasons.” Beth gave a little smile, but it wasn’t friendly.

“You expect me to do all of your work?”

Beth laughed her sweet, fake, feminine laugh and didn’t answer as she walked away. Kristen wanted to yell out in frustration but didn’t. She opened her top desk drawer and pulled out a self-help book about learning to say no and added it to her bag.

“This weekend I will read you,” she thought out loud as she picked her bag up and left the school.

She was all the way to her car before she wondered why dinner was so important tonight. The car was in gear and she was on her way there before she allowed herself to admit there was only one reason why Macy would push so hard.

“Mike,” she said before groaning. Not one to curse normally, there was only one word to sum up the situation: “Shit.”

It was definitely going to be a long night and Macy better have thought to grab some wine, because that was the only way Kristen was going to get through it.