“Fine.” Then, after a pause, “I’ll be in my office all day working. Please don’t interrupt or bother me at all. And if possible, Ms. Kind, try to remain professional… at all times.”

I roll my eyes and slowly nod as we size up one another one last time, me in my Plain-Jane teacher attire and him in his tee and pajama pants. He looked so demure and handsome Saturday night, but this morning, he looks so casually irresistible.

Nevertheless, he’s still the same asshole I can barely stand to be around. How the hell am I going to get through this day? How in the hell am I going to stop thinking about him? How the hell am I not going to fall for this insufferable man?

Chapter 6

Blurring Lines – Vic

I’m losing my damn mind. I can’t stop lusting after the most addictively annoying woman I’ve ever met, who also happens to be a potential employee. This certainly wasn’t a part of my summer plans.

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

Why am I so drawn to her? Following my family’s advice, I put on my most pseudo charming act at that insipid event, only to fall head over heels for a captivating townie. This is the price I pay for trying to have a bit of fun.

But damn. She’s beautiful. Quirky. Slightly goofy but clearly sharp. But she’s unpredictable. Yet, I’m drawn to her. Even when she’s driving me up the wall, she’s impossible to ignore.

And that’s exactly the problem.

I can’t afford a distraction, not when my daughters are involved. I’ve worked too hard to build a stable, structured life for them.

Mixing business with pleasure is a bad idea, and the last thing I want is to bring a woman into our lives only for my daughters to get attached to then eventually watch her leave our lives forever.

I need to suppress this want. I need to behave professionally. Most of all, I need my daughters not to like her. If they don’t click, I have the perfect excuse to send her packing, sparing myself the daily torment of having her so close yet off-limits. Problem solved. If they do like her, though, I’m in real trouble because I don’t think I could handle seeing her in my home every day and being unable to control my thoughts… and other things too.

I’m at my wit’s end, quietly agonizing over the prospect of Kerry becoming my daughters’ nanny. It’s a twisted kind of torture, wanting someone you shouldn’t even be thinking about in that way. She’s like a beautiful storm, stirring up everything in her path or my mind rather.

“Uh, Son? You okay, over there?” My mom’s voice interrupts my spiraling thoughts.