Page 6 of XOXO, Valentina

I flushed, my chest burning with heat. Of course, it was his fault! How else could it have happened?

I was so torn; I felt like I was being split in two.

I stared at the folder. “I didn’t bring you in here to talk about the Fun Festival.”

“You didn’t?”

Needing to put more distance between us than just the desk, I walked to the window and stared out at the kids in PE class skipping along the tarmac. What would they think about losing their favorite teacher? The teachers would hate me for getting rid of him, but I would never tell them the real reason.

I remembered the day I’d hired Mr. Morales. He’d said he’d run a race in the Blue Ridge Mountains and fallen in love with my hometown of Mossy Oak. The very next day, he’d started packing.

Tension filled the room as I stared out the window. The only sound was the distant noise of children’s voices and the hum of the overhead lights. The longer the silence lasted, the more awkward the moment became.

I swallowed thickly. “You’re in violation of dress code,” I blurted.

His eyebrows rose. “I am?”

“Your hair is too long. Your clothing is too casual, and your jewelry is…” I waved my hand in the air, grasping at straws. “It’s supposed to be kept to a minimum.”

His hand lifted to touch his necklace, then drifted to rub absently over his heart. With a mysterious smile, he rose from his chair and crossed the room to stand next to me at the window. His nearness made every cell in my body sizzle, and when he dropped his gaze over me in a slow perusal, I felt ready to combust.

“I should point out you are violating this dress code as well,” he said in a low voice. “I think you are having… How do you say it? A wardrobe misfunction?” He raised one eyebrow and pointed at my backside.

A sudden blast of heat filled my body as I reached around and felt the frilly hem of my dress tucked partially into the waistband of my panties.

Hello mortification, my name is Gabi.

4

Chapter 3

Gabi

I needed my afternoon run through the park more than ever after surviving flashing the hottest guy on the planet my panties. The four miles at race pace cleared my head and cooled my blood. I worked up a sweat and pushed aside my embarrassment.

Life went on.

It could happen to anyone.

It wasn’t the first time Mr. Morales had seen a woman’s panties.

By the time I finished running, I had convinced myself I deserved a hot slice of greasy pizza for dinner. I stopped by Hawthorne’s and ordered our family’s favorite buffalo chicken pizza with an extra side of ranch dressing.

While at the counter, I spotted my friends Thatcher and Lacey in a corner booth. They were arguing over something, which was not an unusual sight. Lacey and Thatcher were more like brother and sister than boss and employee. They bickered over everything just for the fun of it.

I headed over to their booth to break up their squabble. When I planted my hands on their table, they stopped arguing and turned toward me.

“What’s going on here?” I asked.

Lacey sat back in the booth and folded her arms across her chest. “I’m trying to talk Thatcher into sponsoring an indie author conference. He says he’s too busy, but what he doesn’t understand is how easy it will be. He won’t have to lift a finger. I’ll take care of everything.”

Thatcher glared across the booth at Lacey. “And what Lacey doesn’t understand is that I’m already in over my head.” He rubbed his temples. “I’m so busy, I can’t think straight.”

I pointed at Lacey. “Put the papers away.”

She opened her mouth to argue, then closed it and swept her papers back into a folder. My disappointed stare prompted her to look embarrassed.

“Sorry, Thatcher,” she said. “I know those renovations are a real bitch.”

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