His lips twitch. Ah, that’s his amused tic. “Haven’t I?”
“What do you mean?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.
“Nothing.” He takes a step closer to me, until I can smell his cologne, something with hints of wood and leather. “Here’s a quote for you: ‘In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.’ Sun Tzu. Keep that in mind.”
“Okay.” My shoulders straighten. Here comes the strengths-and-weaknesses interview . . .
“First, here are the facts. You just saw Andrew, and based on your reaction, it’s going to be hard for you, yes? You’ll have to see him at faculty meetings, in the hallway, at lunch . . .”
I wince.
He nods. “My proposal is . . . since we’ll be spending time together, we help each other out. I want Melinda to ease off, and you want to show Andrew you aren’t pining—”
“Not pining,” I mutter.
“Regardless, he is here,” he says gently. “He and I don’t have the best relationship. We’re polite on the surface, but he was slated to get the head football job; then I came along and took it. He was offered an assistant’s job but declined and went back to basketball.”
“Oh.”
“My proposal is . . .” He bites his bottom lip with his top teeth, pulling at it slowly, and the gesture is somehow vulnerable yet sexy. “We pretend to date.”
My chest takes a deep breath. “Oh.”
“You can say no. I don’t want you to feel as if you have to say yes. The job is yours regardless. I mean that.”
“Okay.”
He lets out an exhale. “The booster club keeps throwing women at me; you saw my birthday party. The whole town is involved. Melinda works with me. Hell, she came to my house in lingerie. I need to date someone as a buffer. Plus, she’s already seen us kiss, so it wouldn’t be a big surprise.”
“I see.” My mind races. Who on earth pretend dates? It’s silly and ridiculous.
“They picked you for a reason, and once they think we’re together, everyone will back off, especially Melinda. Plus, you aren’t interested in me like that . . .” He arches a brow, as if waiting for me to reply.
“Hmm, right,” I say.
“HR allows teachers to date, and if you say yes, I can let them know, make it official, and get the ball rolling. Once they know, word will get around fast, and there’s not much we’d have to do.”
My eyes thin. “You know the HR rules for romantic relationships?”
“I’ve looked into it.”
“Interesting. Have you considered dating anyone here, ever?”
He frowns. “Of course not. I don’t plan on being here long. I don’t do relationships.”
So why was he looking into dating someone he worked with?
“You’ll break their hearts when you leave.” I saw those faces in the hall, those looks of admiration and hope. “They want you to stay.”
A frown furrows his forehead. “I’m not a bad person, Nova. The administration knows my plan.”
Right, but that high enrollment for next year would mean a job for me and probably more people. Sabine told me that the last coach here hadn’t gotten us to state in five years—and now we have Ronan Smith, a winner. Those athletic scholarships mean everything to these kids. To the community.
A bell rings, signaling class has started.
He whips off his hat and rakes a hand through his hair. “Well? What do you think?”
“What does fake dating involve?”
“A date to a function. A kiss after a game. Whatever you want. I would never do anything you didn’t want to . . .” He trails off, heat flashing in his eyes. “We have chemistry, Nova.”
The air in the room thins. “We don’t.”
He stares at me for at least five seconds, and with each moment that ticks by, my body becomes more aware of his. My nipples pebble under my bra.
As if he knows, he laughs under his breath. “Right. Come by the house tomorrow, and let me know your decision. Later, Princess.” He opens the door and leaves.
The halls are silent as I exit the school. Fake dating dances in my head. It would make things easier for him, and it would provide me with a Hey, look who I’m with whenever I see Andrew. Plus, it’s not like I’m interested in dating anyone else. I have a career to think about now, and being his arm candy would help my street cred with the whole town.
The issue is . . .
What if I like spending time with him?