Fireball (Cheap Thrills #1)(62)
Taking a look around us, I saw everyone watching us like we were their entertainment. “What’s going on?”
“That’s what we want to know,” Hurst said grimly, coming up behind Dave. “Seems the sheriff here needs to ask you a few questions.”
What the hell?
Lost for words, I couldn’t do anything except stand there and wait. None of the men were smiling, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t started to worry about the future of the panties I was wearing. Thankfully they were blue, so Dave wouldn’t miss them too much.
“Tabitha Newton,” he rumbled in a deep voice filled with authority. “We’ve reason to believe that you’re responsible for some missing property.”
There was a chorus of gasps from the students, and I saw the principal walk up to stand beside me.
“What do you mean? I haven’t taken anything,” I argued, starting to feel a little pissed off. He knew me better than this, and he’d chosen this location in front of my pupils to do it in? I felt betrayed, I was furious, I was going to kick his ass, I was going to take Katy back and get her ovaries and hormones put back in, I was…
Reaching for my hand with both of his, he fiddled for a moment, and when his hands moved away, it left me with a pink diamond sitting on my finger. I was too shocked to say anything, instead lifting it up closer to my face to look more closely at it, my hand shaking as I took in the different angles inside it.
One thing that did hit me was an important question – why the hell couldn’t this man ever do anything normally?
Just then, he fell down to one knee in front of me and raised his voice. “Fireball, will you marry me? Will you spend the rest of your life with me?”
Some women might have jumped up and down and screamed, or even burst into tears, but I wasn’t them. No, I was the fireball Tabitha Newton… And our relationship hadn’t started out with an easy yes, so why would I give him one now?
“No,” I replied loudly, knowing full well he wouldn’t take it as my answer. Maybe he’d call my bluff and say bullshit, maybe he’d say tough shit, maybe he’d even…
Cold metal closing around my wrists had me narrowing my eyes at him as he stood up and shrugged. “Ok, then.”
Two hours and five minutes later…
I hadn’t considered his addiction to arresting me until he got his own way, or at least not in the middle of proposing to me. If I’d thought being accused of theft in front of the school was embarrassing, being thrown over his shoulder while he’d read me my rights had been much worse.
It had been Hurst who’d led me to the cell this time, laughing the whole way. Thankfully, good old Jarrod had joined me an hour ago. Right now, I was listening to him sing Falling in Love (is hard on the knees) by none other than Aerosmith.
Flipping fantastic!
This time I was waiting for Dave though when he opened the window in my door and peered through it at me. “Have you decided what your answer is?”
Giving him a sweet smile and tilting my head, I took a step forward so that I was inches away from the space…and left him with a soaked face when the water from the cup in my hand. It was an immature thing to do, but the guy had arrested me after accusing me of theft in front of the whole school. I will repeat those words even with my last breath, hopefully in seventy years, but they would be my last. He deserved what I’d just done and more.
Not saying a word, but making snorting sounds as he cleared his nose, he closed the window and walked away. He should thank his lucky stars, I’d considered spraying it out of my mouth until Alex had dropped the cup through the opening in the door.
DB
Thirty-seven minutes later…
“Thanks,” I muttered sarcastically as Dad threw a towel at me as I walked past him on my way back to Tabby.
I refused to feel guilty for how I’d proposed to her. I’d planned it out carefully, making sure the other teachers, the principal, and even some of the students knew what was going to happen. Had I expected her to say yes? Well, yeah I’d expected her to burst out laughing, maybe even cry, and then say it. I should’ve known we’d end up back here.
Thankfully Ren hadn’t minded me taking Jarrod for half of the day seeing as how they were up to date on the work that needed done in his garage. He’d also been part of the plan, so he loved the extra turn it had taken. In fact, him and his brothers were still sitting there eating popcorn and drinking beer in the break room while they waited for the next thing to happen.
Why had I involved them again? Oh yeah, I hadn’t. Dad had told Hurst, and he’d invited them along.
“Good luck, DB,” they all yelled at my back.
Giving them the bird over my shoulder, I took a deep breath and opened the door, hearing Jarrod singing yet another Aerosmith song, Crazy. Yeah, no shit! Reaching her door, I counted back from five and then opened the window, bracing myself for a face full of water. When nothing happened, I leaned closer and looked inside, not seeing her anywhere.
Where the hell had she gone?
Pulling out my keys and opening the door, I moved quickly into the room and turned around in a circle trying to find her. There wasn’t anywhere for her to hide in here, and I couldn’t see a damn thing apart from the cot, sink and toilet, so where the fuck was she? Moving over to the bed, I squatted down and checked underneath it. That was when I heard the creaking hinges of the door behind me, followed by it slamming shut and the lock engaging.