Spying Under the Mistletoe (Love Undercover #2) - Stina Lindenblatt Page 0,59
when you’re dealing with kindergarteners.
We should’ve begun preparing months ago.
“That’s really good, everyone,” Josephine cheerfully says after Landon’s class and my class finish singing “Jingle Bells.”
Somewhat together.
Josephine shares a few pointers with the kids on how to project their voices, so the hard-of-hearing seniors can hear them.
The door opens, and Tabitha sails into the music room. She barely gives Josephine a glance. Josephine might be a famous former Hollywood and Broadway actress, but that doesn’t seem to be of interest to Tabitha.
Andrew, who’s sitting at the piano, watches her with great interest. But that comes as no surprise. She has that effect on people with the way she enters a room, like a bristling wind bent on leaving a trail of broken twigs in her wake.
“I came to see how things are progressing.” She says it in a tone that implies she has every right to be here. I’m not so sure about that, but I’m hardly arguing with her in front of everyone.
Or at all.
“Things are looking good so far,” I tell her.
Josephine prompts the kids to sing the song for Tabitha.
From the corner of my eye, I catch her wincing at the sound. Fortunately, the seniors they’re performing for are a lot more forgiving than she is. They’re just happy to have the kids visit them.
“I’ve also made arrangements so the kids and residents can make Christmas decorations together,” I tell her once the song’s finished.
I bought the supplies myself with my own money, after seeing an ad online that melted my heart. The cute six-year-old girl in it was helping an elderly woman make an elf face out of a paper plate and bits of colored paper.
One of Tabitha’s perfect eyebrows raises. “The school budget doesn’t allow for frivolous spends like that.”
“Someone donated the supplies.”
Point. Match. Win.
I skip the part about how I’m the one who donated them. Witnessing the seniors having a good time—one that doesn’t involve spiked eggnog and conga lines—will be an early Christmas present to me.
And considering I’m family-less, it’s pretty much one of the few presents I’ll get. So I plan to make the most of it.
“What about the costumes?” she asks.
“We’ve got someone working on them as we speak.”
Translation: I’m looking at some late nights sewing the elf hats.
It means all that delicious sex I’ve been having with Landon will have to take a back seat for a while.
Or permanently, depending on how long it takes his team to locate the individuals who want this to be my last Christmas—if I’m even that lucky.
My gaze slides to him. He’s watching the kids to make sure they pay attention to Josephine. But even then, I can tell he’s listening to my conversation with Tabitha.
I bite my lip, my thoughts drifting to how he’s not into Christmas decorations. That’s more interesting than listening to her.
“So?” Tabitha says, glaring at me.
“So, what?” Why do I get the feeling she asked me a question, and I missed it because I was too busy thinking about Landon?
But at least I wasn’t imagining him naked. In the shower. With beads of water trailing down his body.
Oops.
“Why do you have these strangers working with your students? You’re the teacher.”
Oh, right. Tabitha’s still here.
My gaze darts to Josephine and Andrew to ensure they didn’t hear her little outburst. “Do you even know who they are?”
She frowns. “Seniors from the home where the kids will be doing the show, I imagine.” It’s less a question than a statement of what she believes to be true.
“That’s Josephine Ashworth and Andrew Stanton.” I pause, waiting to see if the names ring a bell. Any bell.
She shakes her head, the frown still there.
So I spend the next several minutes highlighting each of their accomplishments, which makes for quite a lengthy and impressive list.
I finish the last of Andrew’s with a so-take-that grin.
She gives me a brief nod that states: I’m impressed, but I won’t admit that out loud.
My smile widens. “They were nice enough to help us out with the performance. And the kids are getting so much from their expertise.”
From the other side of Tabitha, Landon smiles my favorite cocky grin, confirming what I already suspected. He’s been listening in the entire time.
Tabitha doesn’t see it. She’s too busy glaring at me again.
She returns her attention to Landon. “I’m free for drinks tonight. I thought we could talk about the possibility of a full-time position with the school, once Zoe’s maternity leave is over.”
“Doesn’t the principal typically make that decision?”