Page 24 of Whiskey and Regret

“Um, can you just wait a little while? Should I pull out of line or…”

“Next!” She stepped away from my car and left me sitting there looking like a damn fool. I pulled over to the parking lot and called Frankie’s phone.

“Hey, I saw you in line then you got out. What’s going on?”

“The fucking nun won’t let me pick you up. She said I was cleared for yesterday but not today. I offered to call your dad but she cut me off.”

“Yikes. That’s Sister Agnes. She’s annoying, to say the least. Let me talk to one of the sisters in the front office.”

“No, I got this.” I ended the call, got out of my car, and went inside. “Hi, I need to speak to the principal or whoever is in charge.” I walked into the front office with my arms folded and my attitude on high.

“You need to have a seat. Someone will be right with you.” I hated how stiff and stern everyone was. I had no problem following protocol but I hated the sour way they spoke to me.

“Wow. Short on manners? I need the principal. Now. Or else I call Senator Freeman and let him know you won’t release his daughter to her new nanny. I’m sure he sent over the information.” Eyes darted around, trying to avoid me but I latched on to every stare that came my way. There was no way in hell Mr. Freeman hadn’t let Frankie’s school know I was her nanny or at least that I’d be picking her up for the foreseeable future.

“Miss Lucas, you need to lower your voice and…”

“I don’t need to lower anything,” I snapped, frowning at the nun behind the desk. I walked over and pressed my palm to the desktop. Leaning over, I said, “How did you know my name and what I look like if no information was sent over?”

“We’ll need Mr. Freeman to pick Francesca up today because you’re not on the approved list. You were approved for a visitor pick up yesterday. Visitor pickups do not continue for consecutive days. For you to be on the permanent list, both of her parents have to sign off on the change. Her mother has refused. We reached out to her this morning.”

I scoffed, “Her mother. Of course. I’ll be right back.” When I left the office, I ran into Frankie wearing a concerned expression on her pretty face.

“What’s up?” She asked.

“I’m calling your dad.” I bit my tongue when it came to her mother because it wasn’t my place to call her a petty bitch. Especially not in front of Frankie.

Luckily, Mr. Freeman answered right away. “Miss Lucas, what’s wrong?”

“The lovely sisters at Frankie’s school refuse to let me pick her up because I haven’t been approved.”

“What? I sent them the updated approved pick up list last night. I signed off on it.”

“Well seems like you’re not the only one who needs to sign off on it, Mr. Freeman.” There was a pause on the other end then he groaned.

“Alexis,” he said with a heavy sigh.

“Yeah. Her. They need you to come up here to get Frankie because evidently, I’m a kidnapping pedophile.” I said loud enough for everyone within earshot to hear. The barrage of uncomfortable stares tickled the hell out of me.

“Okay, Miss Lucas. Calm down. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” He ended the call and I looked at Frankie, exasperation painting my features.

“He’s on his way.”

“Wow. I can’t believe they won’t let me leave with you when you were just here yesterday to pick me up with no problems.”

“I’m going to go speak to that nun outside now.”

“Wait, Xari!” Frankie squeaked and rushed after me, grabbing my arm. “She’s mean.”

“And? I’m grown. She doesn’t scare me, Frank.” I removed her grip from my bicep and marched over to the woman in charge of the car line. “Sister Agnes,” I called. She looked up at me, rolled her eyes, and continued doling out children to waiting parents.

I walked over to her and blocked her way so that she had to talk to me. Yes, I could have waited until she was done with car line for the day but Mr. Freeman would have been there to pick Frankie up by then. I had to get my feelings off my chest immediately.

“If you knew why I couldn’t pick Frankie up, you should have said something instead of being rude and nasty.” My words struggled out from between clenched teeth.

“You need to move. You’re not authorized to be here.”

“Oh well, I’m here now. You’re supposed to be a leader in this school and so far, your attitude has shown that you’re in the wrong profession.”