Page 6 of Atticus
“Well, yes, but—”
“Oh, just wait until you see him. He’s so handsome. Every single lady in St. Morgan is absolutely crazy about him. Some of the married ones too, probably. He coaches all the football teams including high school, you know. High school sports are like the Olympics, around here.”
Sullivan double-takes at me as Renee and I walk through the hallway, and instantly I know I’m going to have more trouble on my hands than classes full of wise-ass preteens. Mr. Sullivan’s ice-blue eyes light up beneath bushy blond brows, and he strides toward us with what I can only describe asswagger.A little too much of it.
He extends a hand to me and flashes a winning, pearly white smile. “I don’t think we’ve met.”
I take his hand and shake it firmly. “Lucy Warren.”
“Philip Sullivan. But please, call me Phil. You’re the new history teacher?”
“Ancient and World History, that’s right.”
Renee can barely contain her excitement. “Lucy’s going to have the android in her classroom.”
Phil looks at me in surprise. “Really? You’re braver than I am. I think I’d rather shoot myself in the foot than allow some walking, talking garbage can do my work for me.”
Another back-handed compliment. It’s my first day on the premises, and I’m beginning to catch on. Back in New Carnegie, people would say what they meant to my face, even if it was rude. Here, everything sharp hides beneath a veil of politeness.
“It’s not going to do my workforme. It’s going to help me broaden the children’s minds,” I reply. I hate playing games like this, but I remind myself again, I probably shouldn’t be picking fights on day one. “I’m looking forward to seeing what it can do, actually.”
“Ah, that’s right,” Phil says. “Big city girl. I suppose you’re used to the tin cans.”
“I am.”
“Can I give you some advice?”
He would probably give it to me anyway. “Sure.”
“Don’t get used to having it around. Some parents are really up in arms about it. It’ll get sent back to BioNex before long, maybe in pieces. You’ll see.”
His tone of voice tells me he isn’t joking—and that makes me entirely uncomfortable. I just want to get away from this conversation.
“I should probably eat and get back to my classroom.”
“You want to grab lunch?” Phil offers, and I can practically hear Renee’s beady little eyes widening to the utmost degree. “My treat. I could tell you everything I’ve learned these past couple years, show you the ropes.”
The receptionist isn’t wrong. Phil Sullivan cuts a handsome figure. He’s tall and blond with a pasty white line where his farmer’s tan ends and his normal color begins, with burly arms and a broad chest. But there’s something in his smile I already don’t like. I appreciate confidence, but it’s arrogance and entitlement I can’t stand. The way he looks at me, like I should be honored he’s taken the time to speak to me, is something I can definitely do without.
“I brought lunch from home,” I reply. “But thanks.”
Instantly, I can tell this is a man who isn’t accustomed to being turned down. He squints with a slight frown and takes a moment to recover.
“Oh. Sure! Well, I should get back to it. Let me know if you change your mind.”
I walk down the hallway. Renee has to jog to catch up to me.
“What was that about?” she hisses. “Do you even know how lucky you are?”
“He’s not my type.” I dismiss her with a shrug, scaling the stairs to the second floor where my classroom is.
“What do you mean?” Renee is utterly perplexed. “Sexy muscular blonds aren’t your type?”
“Nope,” I quip quickly before I get pulled further into this awkward conversation. “Not interested in the slightest. Thanks for the tour. I’m going to go eat at my desk.”
* * *
When the BioNex delivery finally arrives, it’s a half hour before Back-to-School Night. The door to my classroom opens, and a tall rectangular box designed with sleek cerulean, gray, and white BioNex colors, is wheeled into the room, pushed along by a young woman wearing a similar uniform.
