Page 9 of Scarlett and the Kiss Thief

“Which is so great,” Sophie said. “Jacob will probably even get a little handsy when you sit on his lap today. This plan is so epic I could cry.”

“Soph, I’m not going to lead Jacob on.”

“Well, then fill him in on the plan. He’ll be down, he’s the best. We’re going to make Axel so jealous he explodes.” She put her hands next to her face and made an exploding motion, with the noise and everything.

She’d lost her mind. There was no way in hell I was sitting on Jacob’s lap. Or telling him about my undying love for Axel. But before I got a chance to tell her, Mr. Halifax cleared his throat.

“Miss Hunter and Miss Hunter,” Mr. Halifax said with a disapproving shake of his head. “Are the two of you planning on talking during my whole class?”

“That depends,” Sophie said. “Are you running detention today?”

He frowned. “No.”

She leaned forward slightly, not being subtle at all about showing off her cleavage. “Then I guess we’ll be quiet,sir.”

Oh my God.

She gave him what could only be described as a very sexual smile. She even raised her eyebrow.

Mr. Halifax cleared his throat and turned back to the board. But not before I saw his Adam’s apple rise and fall as he stared at her.

I looked back and forth between Sophie and Mr. Halifax.Damn.Sophie had more chemistry with one of our teachers than I did with Axel.Screw me.

***

“You ready for this?” Soph asked.

We were standing outside the doors to the cafeteria. And I was 100% not ready. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

Sophie laughed. “Come on, you and Jacob are friends. Friends sit on each other’s laps all the time. Just play it cool. And if you are going to be sick…just don’t do it on Jacob’s lap.”

God, that thought hadn’t even occurred to me! But now that she mentioned it, it was all I could think about. “What if he pushes me off?”

“What?That’swhat you’re worried about? You should be worried that he’ll pull you closer.”

“Maybe I should just talk to Axel…”

“What? No. He’s skittish, you don’t want to scare him off.”

“He’s not a horse.”

“Yeah, he’s worse. He’s a boy.”

“No, the new teacher,” a girl said to her friend as she passed us. “He’s droolworthy.”

Sophie laughed and pointed after them. “Have you heard that a million times today?”

“Yeah. Apparently everyone thinks he’sdroolworthy.”

“I can’t wait until our coding class last period so we can finally see for ourselves,” said Sophie. “If I can’t get anywhere with Mr. Halifax maybe I can make him jealous by getting with the new guy.”

“The newteacher? Why don’t you just date a student?”

“Ew. All the guys here are so immature. I like older men.”

“You know how weird that is, right? It doesn’t even make sense. You couldn’t possibly have Daddy issues. Uncle Rob is the best.”

“It’s not a Daddy issues thing. It’s a Mr. Halifax-is-a-grown-ass-man-and-there-is-nothing-hotter-than-that thing.”

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