Unfinished Ex (Calloway Brothers, #2)(23)

“Fill it a little more,” she says. She walks over and takes hold of the lever, our hands brushing, sending an unexpected bolt of lightning through my body. “There. That ought to do it.”

Leo snickers behind me. I shoot him a deadly glare.

The balloon gets released to the cheers of my students. Nicky talks science stuff in front of the camera and interviews a few more students, then she spends the next twenty minutes explaining the data as it comes in. Half my students are glued to her every word. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of them even decide to go into meteorology after this. Nicky is very convincing. She makes science interesting. She makes it sexy.

Damn it. I walk away, pretending to search the sky for the balloon. But what I’m really searching for is a reason to hate her. A reason to get her out of my fucking head once and for all.

“We got some great footage,” Chris says.

Nicky agrees. “Good job, everyone. Thank you for having me.”

Chris comes over and holds out his hand. I’d rather have my nutsack shaved by an epileptic than shake it. If I were Tag, I might even spit on it. And Cooper, he’d probably pretend he didn’t see it and walk away. But being the ‘good’ brother I am, I suck it up and shake.

Nicky and Chris leave, and the rest of us return to my classroom.

“Two words, Mr. Calloway,” Leo says. “Sexual tension. You could have cut it with my pocketknife. If you could have seen the looks you were giving each other. I mean, it was hard to tell if you wanted to tar and feather her or bend her over a table.”

I guffaw. “Leo, if you put as much effort into your weather balloon research paper as you do my personal life, you might have a chance of passing my class. And please don’t tell me if you actually have a pocketknife on you, because you know that would mean a trip to Principal Thomas’ office.”

He holds up his hands in surrender. “Who said anything about a pocketknife?” The bell rings.

“Catch you later, Mr. Calloway.”

I spend the next two hours of football practice dodging questions from Eric and my players.

News travels fast around here, and I guarantee Nic and I just became today’s headline.





Chapter Ten



Nicky




“It was a disaster,” I tell Paige, covering my face in shame. “I was a nervous wreck. I finally got what could be my huge break, and I totally screwed it up because I had to do a story with Jaxon standing five feet away glaring at me the entire time.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad. Plus, don’t you edit these things? You’ll be able to come up with footage that will show you as the rock star you are.”

“I am so out of my league here, Paige. I could barely keep it together. And my cameraman said he knew I was nervous because I kept fiddling with my pendant. I’ll have to cut out all that footage, or Barry will have a conniption. He’s my producer. He hates me.”

“Calm down, Nicky. Everyone has to pay their dues when taking a new job.”

“Temporary,” I tell her. “Temporary job.”

“Either way, things will get easier over time.”

I refill our wineglasses. “Thanks for hanging out with me on a Wednesday evening. I know you have an early day tomorrow.”

“Not as early as your days start on the weekends. How do you even do it?”

“I go to bed by ten, get five hours of sleep on Friday and Saturday, and catch up the rest of the week.”

Mom walks through the kitchen and gives me a sad look. I know she’s happy to have me home, but she gets how awkward and uncomfortable it is for me. “Can I get you girls anything?”

“We’re twenty-seven, Mom. We’re hardly girls.”

“I don’t care how old you get. To me, you’ll always be the little girls I used to take to get ice cream every Saturday. Remember that?” She touches Paige’s shoulder. Paige and I had been joined at the hip since preschool, and she’s the only friend from Calloway Creek who I still talk to (or who talks to me.) “I sure have missed having you around. How are your parents?”

“They’re doing well.”

“Glad to hear it.” She gets a bottle of water from the fridge. “I’m off to watch that show your father likes so much.”

“Yellowstone?” I ask.

She peeks in the other room. “Don’t tell your father I secretly love it. That Kevin Costner has aged as well as a fine wine. Who knew cowboys could be so sexy?”

Paige and I giggle as she leaves.

I trace the rim of my glass, deep in thought.

“You know what your problem is?” Paige asks.

“There are just so many.”

“Funny. Your problem is you’re keeping yourself trapped here in your parents’ house. You need to get out.”

“I could use a night out. Want to go to the city with me tomorrow?”

“You need a night out here.”

My head shakes vehemently. “Nuh-uh.”

“Come on, Nic. Friday is our tenth reunion. Come with me.”

I tense up. “Oh my gosh, I completely forgot. But you are out of your mind if you think I’m showing up at our reunion. Besides the fact that I wasn’t even invited—”