until Carly performs a hip-thrusting movement.
“Oh my God! I can’t wear a T-shirt in front of my kids that says Tap That.”
She clutches her midriff. “You don’t have a choice.”
“Do you have any spare clothes I can borrow? Surely you’ve got a blouse or a dress stashed in your desk.”
“Nope.”
I let my head fall back against the wall and look to the ceiling. “How is he even here, Carls?”
“Who? Will?”
“Yes. Who else?”
“Because I called him.” She moves in front of the mirror and adjusts her bra, cupping and rearranging her breasts as if they’ve somehow moved out of position. “While I was giving Derek head, he mentioned Will is a plumber.”
I blink all the blinks. “What?”
“While I was sucking Derek’s cock, he said—”
“Jesus! I heard that part loud and clear.”
She pulls a lipstick out of her pocket and pops the top. “Then why are you confused?”
“Never mind.” I really don’t need to understand how that particular conversation materialised while that particular action was being performed, so I let it go. “So Will’s a local plumber?”
“Yep.” She presses her newly pigmented lips together then places the bullet applicator back into her pocket. “His company holds the contract for the schools in the area.”
“Whyyy?” I drawl, softly headbutting the wall.
“Because he must be good at what he does?” she says, as if my question is a legitimate one.
My eyes meet hers, and she smirks.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” I ask.
“Of course I am.”
“It’s as if you somehow arranged it.”
“Maybe I did.” Carly holds her hand out and inspects her nails. “Maybe I came here first thing this morning and broke the tap on purpose.”
I laugh. “You? Get up first thing in the morning? Ha! If I don’t wake you, you’d probably never wake up.”
“True.” She shrugs. “Okay, so I didn’t arrange this. We both know that, which means the universe did.”
“The universe?”
“Yes, the universe wants you and Will to get to know each other.”
“Why?”
“Because he has a penis and you have a vagina.”
“Ugh! I don’t have time for this. I need to go and… teach.”
Stepping around her, I reach for the door, when she clasps my arm and yanks me back. “You can’t go back looking like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like Alice Cooper.” Carly spins me to face the mirror.
“Oh my God! My mascara!” I wipe the black smudged pools under my eyes.
“You just made it worse. You need makeup remover.”
“No shit!” I wipe some more. “It’s not like I have any here at school.”
“I do.”
“What? Why?”
“In case a pipe bursts like a cock and comes all over my face.”
I close my eyes for the smallest of seconds. “How are we even friends?”
“Because you need me.” She pulls a near-empty wet wipes packet from out of her pocket.
“How—?”
“Don’t question my genius. Just do something with that”—Carly lifts her hand toward my face and moves it in a circular motion—“and fix your hair. You look like a Troll Doll.”
I smooth down my frizz. “I do not.”
She purses her lips, eyes wide, and steps backward out of the room to leave me to my devices.
Sighing at my reflection, I agree; I do look like a Troll Doll. But before I can even decipher what the hell I’m going to do to fix it, the door opens once more and Carly pokes her head in, removes the clip from her perfectly styled hairdo, and tosses it to me before blowing me a kiss and leaving.
I smile and gather my hair into a bun.
She’s right; I do need her.
Opening the classroom door, I step into the room, and the children all look up and giggle.
“Your T-shirt looks funny,” Jet says.
Emma scratches her head. “Tap That? What does that mean?”
I plaster on a smile even though I’m annoyed. It’s a crass T-shirt, and I wouldn’t be wearing it if Oliver and Will weren’t idiots.
Stupid men.
Raising my finger to my lips, I make a shush sound then point to Oliver, indicating they should all pay attention to him before I make my way to the back of the room where Will is packing his tools back into his toolbox.
“All done?” I ask, noticing he’s reattached the tap to the sink.
“Not quite.” He glances at my attire and smirks.
I smooth the T-shirt down. “It’s a little big, but… thank you.”
“You’re welcome. And, yes, I will.”
“Will what?”
He gestures toward me. “Tap that.”
A growl emanates in my throat, but I hold it down. “In your dreams.”
“Been there, done that.”
The growl comes out.
He winks. “I have a few more things to check.” Will looks