Page 129 of Rock Bottom Girl

I let out a strangled laugh.

“Now, your students are starting to enjoy the effort you’re putting forth. You’ve really turned things around. Imagine where you’ll be at the end of the semester.”

I chewed and imagined. I wouldn’t be here anymore. At least, I shouldn’t be. I hadn’t given much thought to “after Christmas” or “after the semester.” I’d been distracted by a certain tall, sexy, tattooed, naked cross-country coach. And his derpy dog. And reacquainting myself with my childhood best friend. And spending quality time with my parents.

None of those things werebad. But I needed to refocus on what was important: The Future. My wounds were healing here in Culpepper. But I wanted more than this dusty little town had to offer. I wanted a corner office and stock options and people who said things like “Thank God you’re here,” when I walked in the door. I wanted to wear heels every day and buy a round of drinks for my team to celebrate a victory.

“You look like I just punched a puppy in the face,” Andrea observed.

“Do you help students with their resumes?” I asked, changing the subject.

She nodded and inhaled another bite of sandwich. “Yeah. Sure.”

“Think you could help me polish mine?” I asked.

“If you’re sure that’s what you want,” she said in that way adults spoke to kids who were being dumbasses.

I rolled my eyes. “Stop trying to guide me. Spit it out.”

“I’m just wondering why staying here and continuing what you’re doing isn’t on the table?”

“I spent my entire life trying to get out of this town. I’m not going to let a stop-over suck me back in,” I said lightly.

She wiped her mouth delicately with a paper napkin. “All right. But I think you’re making a mistake not considering it as a possibility. Especially since that possibility involves seeing Jake Weston naked all the time.”

“Yeah, well. This is fun for now. But it’s not what I want long-term.” I wanted Zinnia’s life. A sense of importance to what I was doing. I wanted to matter. To be irreplaceable. I wanted a husband or sexy life partner type to share a glass of crazy expensive wine or liquor and chortle over something super smart in front of the fire.

Jake wouldn’t leave Culpepper for me. And I wouldn’t stay here for him. That was the bottom line. The only thing that had remained constant in my life was The Plan. I couldn’t veer off course now.

“Then I’d be happy to take a look at your resume,” she said.

“It’s kind of a mess,” I warned.

“I love a challenge. Also this sandwich. I love this sandwich.”

Her desk phone rang. “This is Andrea,” she said perkily into the receiver. Her gaze slid to my face, and she pursed her lips together. “Sure. I’ll send her right over.”

She hung up. “Principle Eccles would like a moment of your time. It seems a certain Home Ec teacher was very upset about her poor, delicate sons being taught to play beer pong on school grounds.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

55

Marley

“Heard you got called to the principal’s office,” Vicky said, cranking Bon Jovi on her minivan radio. The windows were up in deference to the cold rain that pattered outside. I adjusted my air vent. There was an unidentifiable, disgusting smell permeating the interior of the vehicle that I couldn’t put my finger on.

“For the love of…is the school bugged?” I demanded.

“No. It’s just full of a few hundred loudmouths with ears and Wi-Fi.”

“Amie Jo called the principal to complain about the gym class Floyd and I taught.”

“I heard you taught the kids how to make bongs out of fruit,” she said chipperly. She chewed her gum as if it were in danger of escaping her mouth.

“Ha. Actually I taught them how to pass a field sobriety test.”

“Life skills, my friend. Life skills,” she said, steering us out of Culpepper.