Avery slumped into her chair, relieved that the last student had finally left. It was Friday, and she was more than ready for the drink that was waiting for her at the bar. She wasn’t entirely sure about hanging out with the other staff, but Lily had been insistent.
When Avery tried to back out last night, Lily wouldn’t hear of it. After seeing Lily’s determination, Avery gave up trying to wriggle out of it.
She grabbed her bag and headed to the small bathroom in her classroom to change. She slipped into the black jeans and sheer floral shirt she’d brought along.
She removed the clips from her hair, letting it fall naturally, touched up her minimal makeup, and went to find Lily.
Lily was in her room, chatting with a few other staff members who were also waiting. Among them was the orchestra/band teacher, who had been nothing but friendly since Avery’s arrival at the school.
They figured out the carpool situation and headed to the bar they’d chosen.
The Devil’s Watering Hole was bustling for a Friday night. Avery was relieved to hear that one of the other teachers had reserved a table for them.
She draped her sweater over the back of her chair and took a look around. It was a typical bar, but surprisingly clean.
As she scanned the room, she noticed a large group of people towards the back. In the center was Justin Mariner.
He looked incredibly handsome and enticing as he laughed and chatted with the people around him.
All the men were wearing leather vests with patches, and those with short sleeves were covered in tattoos.
There were women around them, all vying for his attention—or the attention of any of the men in leather—and dressed provocatively.
Avery felt a twinge of discomfort when she caught his eye and he smirked at her, continuing his conversation with the others.
She noticed that Will, the music teacher, had taken the seat next to her and was sitting a little too close for her comfort.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the waitress came by to take their orders. After some thought, she decided on vodka and cranberry and ordered a plate of nachos to go with it.
“You like cranberry juice?” Will asked.
She nodded. “I love it. It’s really good for you and I’ve loved it for as long as I can remember. Do you?”
Will shook his head. “Too sour for me. So, what are some things you like to do, Avery?”
Avery sighed inwardly. She wasn’t in the mood for this, even though she thought Will seemed like a nice guy. She just wanted to enjoy her evening and settle into her new job before diving back into the dating pool.
Luckily, before she could respond, some of the other teachers started sharing stories that involved the whole table.
From his spot, Justin was observing the table of staff from his daughter’s school. The redhead caught his eye.
She looked like she was trying to relax, but he could tell from his vantage point that the guy sitting too close to her was making her uncomfortable.
He finished his beer, excused himself from his club brothers, and got up, telling them he’d be back.
He’d barely left the area the club always reserved when Heather stopped him.
She sidled up to him, placed her hands on his chest, and practically purred, “I’ve arranged everything with Kelly. Tomorrow night at Pauly’s party, we’re going to have a blast.
“Just us, no clothes, and lots of sex!”
The thought of a threesome with the two sweet butts suddenly turned Justin off. He pushed her hands off him.
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s happening. You and Kelly can have fun with anyone else, but I’m gonna pass.”
Heather was taken aback. He’d never turned down any sexual act with her before, and he was always up for some group action.
She was determined to earn that ‘old lady’ patch from him and wasn’t ready to give up just yet. She decided to keep an eye on him and see what she could do to further her cause.
Relieved to be rid of her, Justin walked over to the table of teachers and greeted them. “Welcome to the fine teachers of Middleton Academy. I hope you’re all having a good time.”
Joe Walters, a fifth-grade teacher and a friend of Justin’s father, stood up and shook his hand.
“Hey Justin, we’re having a great time as usual. We had to take our new teacher out and show her the town.”
He pointed to Avery and Justin grinned at her, moving to her side of the table and shaking her hand.
“Ah, you must be the new teacher my daughter can’t stop talking about. Welcome, Miss Harper, to Middleton and The Devil’s Watering Hole. The next round is on me.”
“Thanks, but you don’t have to do that, Mr. Mariner. I—” Avery began.
“Nonsense. What’s the point of owning a business if you can’t make up the rules as you go?” he interrupted, winking at her.
She felt a flutter in her stomach and her heart skipped a beat when his hand met hers, “Um, okay. Thank you then. And it’s Avery.”
Justin’s hand was still wrapped around hers, warm and large, completely enveloping her smaller one.
“Nice to meet you, Avery,” he said, his voice heavy with suggestion.
A blush crept up her cheeks as she finally managed to gather her thoughts. She gently withdrew her hand from his, immediately missing the warmth. “You too…”
With a smirk, he announced that the next round was on him before heading towards the main bar, chatting with the staff.
“He thinks he’s so slick, but he’s just a player,” Will muttered under his breath.
“He seems nice enough to me,” Avery retorted, matching his tone. “He didn’t have to buy us drinks, but he did.”
“He’s just trying to butter us up so when his little terror gets to our classes and starts causing trouble, we won’t do anything,” Will countered.
Avery felt a surge of anger at his words about Alexis. “Do you even know Alexis?”
Will shook his head dismissively. “No, and I don’t plan to. She’s in choir as a kindergartener, she won’t be in my class unless she decides to play an instrument in second grade—which I hope she doesn’t.
“I can’t believe the board lets those kids into our school!”
“Maybe if you weren’t so narrow-minded, you’d realize that Alexis is a sweet, intelligent girl,” Avery shot back.
“You can’t judge a child based on their parents’ actions!” She stood up abruptly, her anger flaring. “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.”
She followed the sign pointing towards the bathrooms, stomped in, and quickly took care of her needs. She washed her hands, then used a damp paper towel to cool her flushed face.
Looking in the mirror, she saw her flushed cheeks and rolled her eyes, annoyed at herself for letting her temper get the best of her.
She took a moment to compose herself, taking a few deep breaths before stepping back out into the bar.
