Hissy Fit (The Southern Gentleman #1)(48)

I widened my eyes and stared at the grainy video yet again, frowning.

“What is it?” I asked.

Really, you couldn’t see a damn thing. All you could see were two women lying on the mat and hear them laughing. That was it.

Hell, I could make out Ezra’s back better than I could make out my face.

“It’s a video of two teachers at the bar ‘Ride ‘Em Joe’s.’ The one with the electric bull at it,” she explained.

I waited for her to go further into detail, but she didn’t, waiting for me to confess, I assumed.

I wouldn’t be.

She’d have to prove me guilty without me doing her any favors.

“I don’t see the problem,” I said honestly. “What is that video of?”

Oh, God. Could she tell that I was lying? My face felt like it was on fire. Absolutely burning up to a crisp. Any moment she’d call me on my lies. I just knew it.

Plus, without validation from the party in the video, she only had speculation and heresy.

Plus, my cast was entirely different than the woman’s in the photo.

Luckily you couldn’t see Moira’s largely-scrawled name on the cast due to the angle the video had been taken from.

“You should be more careful about what you do when you’re out in public.”

“That’s not me,” I lied. “And, even if it was me, from what I can tell, there’s nothing in that video that’s wrong.”

I hoped there wasn’t any more to the video than what I’d seen, because otherwise I’d just totally lied to the principal!

Mrs. Sherpa pursed her lips and then shook her head before placing the phone down on the desk in front of her. “I can’t prove that it was you, and I do agree. However, some parents have already called and said that they didn’t like how the teachers in this video represented themselves. How they’re supposed to be role models for their students…blah, blah, blah. Just pay attention when you’re…out.”

I nodded.

“And, just to give you an update on the grievance filed against you, we’ve deemed that it was irrelevant, and if you want your class back, you can have it. However, that being said, I’d suggest letting Coach McDuff finish it for you. If you still want the class next year, it’s yours.”

I didn’t know what to say to that.

I wasn’t sure that I wanted it so much as I wanted to finish what I’d started.

“Can I let you know by the end of the day?” I asked hopefully.

She nodded, then stood. “Coach McDuff informed me that you and he are seeing each other.”

I bit my lip, then nodded.

“There’s no policy on dating between teachers, just make sure that you use discretion.” She gave me a wink. “And congrats. I always had a feeling that you and him were going to end up with each other.”

My mouth fell open. “You did?”

She nodded. “It didn’t escape my notice—or anybody’s really—that you had a thing for him. Not in high school, and not now. It’s only escaped his notice, I think.”

I snorted. “Yeah, I agree. Sometimes I want to smack him for how little he noticed me in high school. It’s like this Ezra and that Ezra—the one that he was before he actually ‘saw’ me—are two totally different people.”

She grinned. “Sometimes it happens like that, darling. Now, get to class before you’re late.”

I did get to class, hurrying down the hall to get to my room before the tardy bell rang.

I would’ve made it, too, had I not stopped and stared at the way Coach Casper and Ezra were carrying on in the middle of the hallway outside the gym entrance.

I’d stopped and stared, and then growled when I saw Coach Casper put her hand on Ezra’s arm, smoothing it up and down as if she wanted to do more than just touch.

I suddenly saw red.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I waited for him to notice me.

I don’t know how long it was—possibly an entire minute—before he noticed me, but by the time he did, I was already on plan five of plotting his possible demise.

He suddenly jerked his head up, saw me standing there, and grinned.

Coach Casper turned around to see what he was looking at and scowled.

I would’ve flipped her off had I not just had the discussion with Mrs. Sherpa about my possible behavior.

Instead, I turned on my heels after offering him a solid ‘I’ll kill you’ glare, and then sped off to my class.

I was almost there, pulling the door closed behind me when my belt loop was caught from behind.

I turned and glared over my shoulder.

I knew exactly who it would be, but my heart still gave a little flip at seeing those beautiful eyes and that smug freakin’ bearded face so close to my own.

“What do you want?” I hissed at him.

He grinned. “I wanted to say hi.”

I didn’t believe him.

Not for one second.

“Hey, Coach Duff,” one of the junior varsity players in my class called out. “Is it true that you’re seeing Ms. Crusie?”

Coach ‘Duff’s’ hand went around my waist and he pulled me back against him. “Yep.”

He popped the ‘p’ loudly, exaggerating the syllable loud enough that the students started to snicker.