Charmed (Contemporary Romance) Read Free Page A

call you Nick, you should call me Jamie.”
    “Okay, Jamie.” He shook his head. “I think it’s safe to say that today hasn’t been a normal day for either of us. I’ve never caught a parent dangling from a tree, and we’ve never had a mix-up with an appointment. I’m usually better prepared. Also, I assure you that my meetings with parents never contain any gloating and, although we do sometimes talk about superheroes, it’s always in relation to the kid’s ambitions, not the parents’. I propose we start over.”
    “Yes! Please, let’s start over.”
    “Okay, then.” Nick leaned forward. “First question: is it true that Viera shaved all his hair off because he realized he was going bald?”
    Jamie laughed. He’d known she would, just like he knew he shouldn’t be trying to make her laugh. He sat back. What was wrong with him? He remained silent a moment too long, wondering how to bring the so-called interview to an end.
    “How old is Emma now?” Jamie asked, pointing to his daughter’s picture.
    “She just turned eighteen.”
    “Really? Will she be starting college this fall?”
    “Yes. She’s going to BU.”
    “I imagine you’re going to miss her terribly. What are you going to do with yourself?” She glanced up at him, her dark eyes thoughtful.
    It occurred to him that he’d been flirting a little with Jamie. He hadn’t meant to. He’d never behaved that way in school before. Never. He took his job seriously.
    “What do you mean, what am I going to do with myself?”
    Jamie’s expression went from friendly to something he couldn’t put his finger on. “Well, just that you’ll feel more alone now. You’ll probably be looking for new ways to fill your new free time, that’s all.”
    Maybe his behavior had given Jamie the wrong impression. He’d been hearing these questions a lot lately, and his knee-jerk reaction to single moms who asked about Emma and how he’d feel and what he’d do and how ever would he fill up his time, took over.
    He didn’t want to offend her, but he had to set things straight. He looked for a balance. “Well, of course I’ll miss her, but I’m also looking forward to the next step. I love children, obviously.” He looked at her steadily then, raising an eyebrow for effect. “But I’m finished, for good , with raising any myself. I have definite plans — I’m actually leaving for a year, come January. I’m not looking to fill up my time here at all.”
    As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he caught Jamie’s confused expression and regretted his tone. It had come out more direct than he’d intended.
    • • •
    Jamie sank back into her chair. Nick’s tone had changed. He was serious and obviously sending her a message.
    It took a moment to sink in, but it didn’t make sense. Had she been sending the wrong signals? Was her meaningless attraction to him obvious? It had been so long since she’d reacted to a man, maybe she’d forgotten how to hide it.
    But, damn it, she hadn’t been flirting! Justin had told her the school had a family-like atmosphere, and Nick had been very friendly and familiar. She’d been following his lead.
    Part of her wanted to call him an egomaniac, but he’d probably think she was offended because he’d rejected her or something. Ugh! No wonder her brother saw a troll with boobs and no hair whenever he looked at Nick.
    “My life revolves around my children right now and I sometimes wonder if I’ll know what to do with myself when they no longer need me as much,” she explained, trying hard not to clench her teeth. “I only asked you about your plans because you’re about to go through that new chapter and I was curious. That was my sole reason for asking, Dr. Grey.”
    Nick seemed to be at a loss for words. When she got up, he handed her a memo detailing the admissions process before offering her a quick and awkward handshake.
    At the gate, Jamie turned back and looked at the school with mixed feelings.