nothing more than mildly interested. Then she’d come home after Ms. Shaw’s first day complaining about what an iron maiden she was. I’d asked Jaycee if she’d say the same thing about a male principal. An eye roll had been my only answer.
The last principal hadn’t impressed me. During orientation, the guy had worked the parental crowd like a life-insurance salesman. He was everyone’s friend and the more you spent, the more privileges your kid got. I had hardly spoken to the guy.
“Perhaps it’s time to bring Jaycee in.” Ms. Shaw rose, and I reclined in my chair, trying not to feel like I was relaxing for the show.
That tight ass rounded the desk as she walked to the door to call in Jaycee. I jerked my gaze away. The short beige heels she wore were enough to make her butt wiggle and incite all kinds of fantasies. I hadn’t seen an ass that great since… Well, since Saturday.
She returned to her desk and thankfully I was distracted by my daughter slumping into the seat next to me. We were a matching pair.
I looked at her with what I hoped was fatherly disappointment, but Jaycee only jerked her gaze to Ms. Shaw like, am I right?
And, yeah, I kinda wanted to fist-bump my daughter and say dude, spot on.
I directed my gaze back to the principal. She was coolly studying Jaycee. Dammit. But if Jaycee insisted on a lack of tact, she’d have to pay the consequences.
Which was why I was here.
Ms. Shaw shuffled the same stack of papers. Was that their only function? Instead of a stress ball, she had papers? “With detention, we offer two choices. All at once after school—I’m here until then and can supervise. Or one hour on two consecutive days. It’d start tomorrow.”
Jaycee only had her permit, and the private school couldn’t use a public school service bus. I usually left work to pick her up and she came to the store with me. She used to love it. Until this semester started.
“She’ll do two hours tomorrow.” I absolutely didn’t make that decision to see Ms. Shaw again. I was confident lasting relationships didn’t start with picking a kid up from detention.
Ms. Shaw lifted a brow at Jaycee. My daughter shrugged and avoided looking at me.
“About the name-calling—”
Jaycee cut Ms. Shaw off. “Oh my god. Mr. Budinsky’s an adult, and he’s getting snippy about a kid messing up his name?”
“Jaycee…” I hadn’t intended to say more, but Ms. Shaw was gazing at me like she was waiting for me to finish. I scrambled to find an acceptable reproach. “It’s about respect.”
“Then he can respect what I want to be called. Yet he refuses to use Richards.” She crossed one leg over the other and folded her arms. I knew that mutinous look, the one she wore when she refused to listen. A spear of dread went through me when she pinned Ms. Shaw with that look. “I mean what if people called you Mrs. Shaw and knew perfectly well you’re not married?” I cringed at the way she stressed not married. It wasn’t a death sentence to be single. “Or what if they called you Natalie instead of Natalia?”
I jerked my head to face Ms. Shaw. Natalia Shaw. What were the odds her name was the same as—
What were the odds her ass was as spectacular in a skirt as in a Valaria costume?
What were the odds I’d feel like we’d met before?
The odds were pretty damn good. She couldn’t hide that mouth, just like she couldn’t hide the poleaxed expression in her widened eyes. My daughter’s principal, the woman I couldn’t quit fantasizing about, was the same woman I’d held in my arms just days ago.
Natalia
Ah, hell. How had I thought I was going to get away with that? If my first name was more common, Chris might’ve still doubted whether we knew each other or not. But the moment recognition hit him was obvious, as his soft brown eyes and he sat back like he’d hit a force field. But invisible forces were for comic books, along with the thought that a mask or thick-rimmed glasses were an adequate disguise.
I forced myself to focus on the topic at hand. “I understand why you’re upset, but the issue of your last name is between you and your father. It is Preston Academy’s policy to address each student by their legal name. We don’t use nicknames, nor will we accommodate a last name that