Page 45 of Enticed

“Don’t talk about her pussy, fucker,” I point a finger in his face before turning and reaching for the door handle to let myself out.

“Ooooo, I think I hit a nerve. Youdoreally like her then, huh?” He teases like a ten-year-old girl.

“Get your ass out of the cruiser, Cash. Let’s go before we’re late.” I shut the passenger door a little too strongly, but I need to let out some of my frustration before I have to go inside and act cool as a cucumber in front of a bunch of teenagers—and my sister.

It’s the middle of May, and today is career day at Emerson Falls High School, which is also where my sister Olivia and her fiancé Kane work. This is her first year at this school since she moved back home in the fall, so she begged me to speak in her classroom this year for the annual event. Usually, one of the other teachers will recruit me or I volunteer. But now I have to spend almost three hours with my sister, hoping that she can’t read me transparently like Cash just did.

Once we’re checked in through the front office and obtain name badges, Cash and I cruise the halls and exit the main building to make our way towards the back of campus, where my sister’s classroom is located.

Cash eyes a blonde walking towards us, headed in the opposite direction. I can see his head turn to follow her as she glides past, giving him a sideways glance and a small grin.

“Damn. I wonder if she’s a teacher here… fuck, I’d hate to be a teenage boy in her class,” he mumbles as he leans closer so only I can hear him.

“You can chase tail later, Williams. We’re here to do a job.”

As soon as we walk through the door, my sister waddles up to me and throws her arms around my shoulders.

“Cooper! Thank you for coming.” She smiles before turning to Cash and greeting him as well. “Cash, nice to see you.”

“Liv. Thanks for having us,” he nods at her, switching to the professional deputy as soon as we were in the presence of teenagers. Cash may be a knucklehead when it’s the just the two of us, but when we’re on the job and representing the department in public, he’s all business.

“I know you’re usually here every year anyway, but it means a lot to have you in my room this year. Kids!” She turns to address her class, whose eyes are bugging out as they eavesdrop on our conversation. “This is Deputy Walsh and Deputy Williams.”

“That’s your brother?” One of the young girls asks, her eyes wide as saucers.

“Yup. My younger brother,” she winks and then directs us to follow her to the front of the classroom.

Olivia explains the schedule for career day to her students while Cash and I hang tight near her desk.

“You should all have your schedules in your hands. Each of you were asked to choose four speakers to see and the room number of each is on that paper. Some of you may not have received your top choices, but still try to keep an open mind so you can learn about other careers that you may have never known about. Each session will last thirty minutes and then you will switch, just like you do between classes every day. Be respectful, polite, and ask questions if you have them because this day is for you.” Olivia finishes answering a few little questions for kids before the first bell rings, signaling the start of the program.

A group of teenage girls whisper and giggle as they walk past us, clearly entranced by the uniform. Cash and I are no strangers to being visually eaten up by women, but when they’re teenage girls, it’s just creepy.

Once the first group settles in to Olivia’s room, Cash and I deliver our speech and use a power point presentation I prepared a few years ago that I save just for this event. We share what it takes to become a deputy in our county, what the responsibilities are, the pros and cons of the job, and then open up the floor for questions.

“What made you want to be a deputy?” One boy asks as he bounces his leg up and down in his seat.

“Honestly, it was this exact event that helped me make that decision. I was in the same seat you are sitting in right now and listening to an older deputy during Career Day. He ignited something inside of me that made me realize that this was the job that I wanted. Up until that day, I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do with my life. So just remember that every day has the possibility to alter your life if you let it. One person can come along and change the course of your future.”

I look over to see my sister, her eyes glistening from the overhead lights. Her hand is up by her face, covering her mouth but I can tell she’s smiling, like she’s proud of me. And fuck if it doesn’t hit me hard in the ticker.

“Thank you Deputy Walsh and Deputy Williams,” she manages to speak and the class breaks out in applause. The bell rings to signal the next session, and we repeat the process three more times.

By the time the fourth session ends, it’s lunch, and the school’s culinary classes have prepared food for all the presenters in the teacher’s lounge. Cash and I follow Olivia across campus and are greeted by Kane and Drew when we walk in.

“Hey, babe,” Kane kisses my sister on the forehead before reaching to shake my hand and then Cash’s. “How’d the presentations go?”

“Really well. There were a couple of teenagers who Liv had to ask to get off of their phones, but mostly, they were extremely respectful,” I reply as we shuffle to get in line for food.

“Cooper and Cash were great. Coop, you looked so at ease and were so professional in there. I’m really proud of you,” Olivia hugs me as we wait in line.

“Thanks, Liv. I love doing this every year. Like I told that boy, this event changed my life.”

“I’ve never seen you in that capacity before. And you just look great, like life is treating you well,” she smiles and then narrows her eyes. “In fact, you seem a little more cheerful than normal, especially since you got shot. Something’s different…” Her suspicion is evident in the crook of her eyebrow and the way she’s staring at me like I’m a math problem she’s trying to solve. My sister teaches math, so she’s always looking at life like an equation with one clear-cut answer.

“The line’s moving babe,” Kane says with a jut of his chin as Olivia stays rooted in place. I can feel the hormones coming off of her as she stands and continues to study me.

“People can go around me,” she fires back at Kane as he takes a step back in defense.

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