Page 84 of Of Pucking Course

I quietly pull my phone from the pocket of my jacket, which is hanging on the back of my desk chair.

I make sure my phone is on silent and pull up my text chat with Sam.

I bite back a smile as a giddy feeling swoops through me.

Me: Hey, bedroom coach. I have a sexy question to ask you.

I go to put my phone away, but he replies instantly.

Sam: Fire away. Also, I love that you’re calling me bedroom coach. Makes me feel important.

I hold in a chuckle and quietly tap my screen.

Me: So…remember when we were playing that drinking game last week? It was mentioned that you’re into using cuffs in the bedroom.

Sam: I do enjoy that.

Me: I’d like to do that with you, if you’d like to do that with me.

Sam: Oh, I’d definitely like to do that with you, beautiful.

My face splits into a wide grin as I stare down at my phone.

Me: How about tonight? Are you busy?

Sam: I’m never too busy to cuff you and make you come over and over.

Heat flashes up my cheeks, and a faint pulse lands between my legs just reading Sam’s text.

I take a breath and check the time. It’s almost time to get the kids up and finish the day out before their parents pick them up.

I slide back into work mode and focus on my students for the last hour of class. When the bell rings, signaling the end of the school day, the kids head over to their cubbies to grab their backpacks. I help a few of them zip up their bags and tie their shoes. Then I line them up and lead themoutside to the front entrance of the school, where their parents wait to pick them up every day.

Once we’re outside, the kids whose parents are standing at the front run over to them.

“Bye, Miss Richards!” Matilda waves at me as she runs over to her mom.

“Bye, Matilda.”

“See you tomorrow, Miss Richards,” Eli says when he walks past me over to his dad.

“Bye, Eli. Can’t wait to see what you bring for Show and Tell tomorrow.”

“I’m glad you said something because I totally would have forgotten,” his dad says to me.

I laugh. Abby walks out with her class a minute later. We chat while watching our students walk off with their parents. One of the kids runs up to us and says two kids are splashing each other by the water fountain. We both sigh.

She pats my arm. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks, Abby.”

She walks off. A moment later, I feel a tug on the hem of my dress. When I glance down, Henry is standing next to me, holding up what looks like a plastic wrapper.

“Miss Richards, I saw this on the ground, and I picked it up. I’m gonna throw it away in the trash like you told us to.”

I smile at how happy and proud he sounds. “That’s right, Henry. Good job!”

I walk with him over to the nearby trash can. When he throws it away, I high-five him. My heart swells at how happy he looks in this moment. He gets into trouble sometimes, but he’s a good kid at heart. Every kid is.

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