Schooled (27 page)

“I can be, if that’s your thing.” He kissed me again, taking my shirt and shorts off with our lips only breaking apart for a second. Our tongues danced around inside our mouths; you couldn’t tell where one stopped and one started. Briggs’ hands explored my chest, reaching under my shirt to touch my breasts, rubbing my nipples. He tugged lightly, making me realize how much I really wanted him. I was so hot, so wet and ready for him. He hadn’t touched Char! I couldn’t be happier or more aroused.

Finally breaking the kiss, lying in his arms, wearing only a bra and underwear, he humbly asked, “So, you decided then?”

“Decided what?” I didn’t know what he meant.

“You’re not seeing Cling anymore, are ya?” He looked so hopeful, so alive.

I couldn’t answer him. He just looked at me, waiting, confused and pained. “Briggs, I just…I don’t…” I didn’t know what to say to him; I knew I wasn’t going to lie to him anymore. Or to Leo. It wasn’t fair.

It felt like an eternity with him staring at me, hurt and disappointed. Gaining strength, he sat up, straightened out his back, and choking on the words, he said, “I think…I think you better go, Miss Garrity.” Goddamn. Every time he used “Miss Garrity,” it felt like a knife stabbed me in the back. I used to love the sound of a student saying, ‘Miss Garrity.’ It made me feel so important, but now, it only made me feel worthless.

I knew there was nothing left to say to him; nothing could be said anymore. I threw on my shirt and shorts, grabbed my keys, and left. I sat in my car for a while, hoping he’d come down, take me back upstairs, not make me choose. It didn’t happen.

In the car on the drive home from Briggs’ apartment, I broke down, cried for my broken marriage, cried for my tainted reputation, and cried mostly for losing Briggs, causing him such pain. Pulling into my drive, I saw Leo sitting on the porch, waiting for me. When I got close to him, he looked upset. “Leo, what’s wrong?” I asked.

“I came back tonight to check on you; you seemed so distracted.” He explained. “I wanted to make sure you were okay, since you wanted to be alone tonight.” He stared at me, waiting for me to finish, to answer his unanswered questions. “Where’d ya go, Janelle?” I didn’t respond; I just stared at him. Could this be happening right now with him, too? “You said you were gonna go to bed early, so where’d ya go?”

“I went…” I started, terrified of the truth, scared to lie to him again.

“Wait! Don’t answer that. I don’t wanna know.” He stood up and started walking to his car.

“Leo! What’re you doing?” I asked, running back to him.

“What I always do,” he explained, “Walking away.”

Trying to stop him, I said, “But Leo, you don’t understand…”

He cut me off, “You don’t understand. I can’t do this; I can’t share you.” But he wasn’t sharing me; Briggs just kicked me out. I needed to tell him, to explain. I wanted to tell him that it was over with Briggs. Briggs didn’t want me, didn’t want to share me. Would Leo still want me if he knew Briggs no longer did? I stood there, frozen, not knowing what to do, what to say. I said nothing. He walked away, shoulders slumped, head down. I hurt him again. I watched Leo get in his car and drive off, finally realizing that it was probably for the best. A teacher had no business crossing those lines with her students, current students or former students. It was unethical; it was wrong. I was back to knowing the truth.

I sat down on my porch and bawled my eyes out, crying for all that I lost, for the pain I caused. When I could barely keep my eyes open and my head up, I went into the poolhouse, walked back to my bed, and went to sleep. I pretty much slept the entire next day. I stayed holed up in my room, sleeping, crying and barely eating for the next week. Maybe Romeo and I were more alike than I thought. It was comforting to hide away in my room, trying to forget my pain. So much had changed. So much had hurt.

It had been over a week since I heard from Leo or Briggs; they’d just completely cut me out of their lives. I knew it was for the best, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. Char, Sarah, and Jocelyn tried to cheer me up, convince me to meet them for lunches, dinners, or drinks. I just couldn’t bear it. Char thought that I should call Briggs and convince him that I’d made my choice. Jocelyn wanted me to get Leo back and forget about Briggs. Sarah wanted me to date them both and have a Hell of time doing so. I was learning that Sarah was more “Char” than Char was. They all had their opinions, but their opinions didn’t matter. Leo and Briggs were done with me, as they should’ve been a long time ago.

I agreed to meet Char for a liquid lunch at a Mexican Tequilaria for her Golden Birthday; she was 30 on June 30
^th
. It took everything in my power to actually get up, get showered, and look presentable for a lunch out. Finally, when I thought that I had covered my puffy eyes and dark circles well enough, I locked the pool house and started down the path to my car. I stopped in my tracks, stunned, as Leo and Briggs both pulled into my driveway simultaneously. Leo got out first and waited for Briggs. Leo was waiting for Briggs? That didn’t make any sense.

I stood motionless, catching my breath and wondering why they were there. They approached me at the same time. Leo gave me a quick hug; then Briggs followed his lead. I eyed them quizzically, trying to figure out what was going on.

Leo broke the silence, “Janelle, I can’t stop thinking about you,” he confessed. “Every minute of every day, you’re on mind.” He stopped, glancing at Briggs.

“I’ve tried to forget you, hook up with other chicks, but it just doesn’t work,” he explained. “Everything I do, I wanna do with you.” Briggs’ voice was raspy; his blue eyes sparkling.

Looking from one to the other, not understanding, I said, “I don’t get it. What? What’s this all about?”

Apparently, Leo had gone over to Briggs’ apartment, asking him to step aside, give me up. Leo gave Briggs a list of reasons why he believed he was better for me than Briggs was. I couldn’t fathom how he mustered up enough courage to do such a thing and plead his case to Briggs. To Leo’s surprise, Briggs explained that not only had it been a week since he’d seen me that he hadn’t even talked to me. Leo admitted that he hadn’t either. Neither man could believe that they both dumped me on the same night and that neither of them really wanted to in the first place. Immediately, both Briggs and Leo wanted to call me, set everything straight. But Leo convinced Briggs that if they did that, then that would bring them right back to the same place they were a week ago, fighting like Hell over me. Briggs admitted that fighting with Leo over me was better than not having me at all. They finally came to a truce, an agreement.

“So, if you’ll agree, then we’d both like to start seeing you again,” Leo said, “Under your terms, your conditions.”

“No strings attached, if that’s what you want,” Briggs added. “We won’t bug you, bitch about which one of us you want.” They looked at each and nodded, trying to convince me, and maybe even themselves.

“But the deal is: you have to make a decision on July 31
^st
.” Leo stated. “We both get this month to prove to you that we’re the one for you. Well, I am anyway.” He laughed, his dimpled grin making me melt.

“They Hell you are,” Briggs shoved him with his shoulder. They both laughed, looking at me for approval. Briggs and Leo were being funny and cute, funny and cute together. Now, that was new.

“Is this a joke?” I asked. “You’re telling me that you two, you both, won’t be at each other’s throats all month trying to kill the other?” There was no way this could work.

“I know it sounds crazy,” Briggs said, “but sharing you is better than not being with you at all.”

“I think I could make you happy, but to be honest…” He paused, taking a deep breath, “I think Alexander could too,” Leo said. “It’s ultimately your decision to make.” Wow, that statement took courage, maturation. Leo understood that Briggs had qualities that would satisfy me and make me blissful, just as much as he possessed those same qualities. Leo could see the truth and the tough decision that I was facing.

I stood there in disbelief. Was there any way that these two guys could agree to something like this? Could I agree to this? There was no mistaking it; I missed them. I missed them both, terribly. I had been thinking about one or the other nonstop for the past week, never one more than the other.

“But Janelle, we get to do our magic, pull out all the stops to win you over,” Briggs explained. “That means we get to take you out, date you, in public. You have to be okay with that.” Leo nodded in agreement.

Finally, after standing there looking at the two most gorgeous men on Earth, propositioning me into dating both of them for a month, I agreed. They smiled, high-fived each other, while I shook my head, staring at them incredulously.

“Leo’s gonna make a schedule,” Briggs added. “We have to follow certain boundaries, not try to kill the other’s mojo.” A schedule. They were making a schedule of when they could and couldn’t see me? Was this the most bizarre setup in history? Either way, I didn’t care. I’d take it. I missed them. There was no denying it any longer, I had real, true feelings for Briggs Alexander AND Leo Cling. Maybe the next month would help me decide, because everyone was right. Sooner or later, I was gonna have to decide. I was thankful that it was later. I wasn’t ready yet.

Leo said that they had to get going, because neither of them were scheduled for June 30
^th
. Shit. I needed to meet Char for her birthday lunch. As they were starting to leave, Leo stopped, winked at me and said, “May the odds be ever in my favor.” I laughed, my heart melting a little more.

Pissed, Briggs said, “That shit’s not right; inside jokes? That’s not fair.” I laughed and kissed him quickly, while Leo looked away. “Damn that’s right,” Briggs boasted. “I can do inside jokes too, Cling. Hey Janelle, what time is it?” he asked.

Confused, I looked at my phone, and said, “1:25.”

Smiling broadly, Briggs said, “…and Michigan still sucks! Bam!” Briggs was laughing. I laughed with him; Leo just looked at us and shook his head. I kissed Leo quickly too.

Watching us with envious and angry eyes, “That sucks more,” Briggs whined.

At that moment, three local news vans pulled into my driveway. Reporters came at us with full force. A blond, overly made-up woman in an ugly olive-colored suit, stuck a microphone in my face and said, “Mrs. Flowers? Mrs. Flowers, what do you say to the accusations made against you?”

Leo and Briggs stood protectively on either side of me. Confused and terrified, I said, “What accusations?” Could this be about Vince and his posts? Would the local news team get involved, because I had slept with former students?

The reporter sighed, rolled her eyes and said, “Mrs. Flowers, your ex-husband, Marcus Flowers, claims that he left you, because you’ve been sleeping with your underage students for years.” My jaw dropped; my knees weakened. Leo and Briggs held me up. My only thought before I fainted was, “It’s going to be a long summer.”

Keep reading for a sneak peek into:

Crossing his arms obstinately, he said, “Sorry, not my problem.” Briggs was not being agreeable at all, not giving in.

“Janelle, can you help me here?” Leo asked, desperate to continue with the contract.

“Uh…no, y’all are on your own,” I said, throwing my hands back, rocking on two legs of the chair. “I don’t even know why you guys wanted me here.” They wanted me here as a mediator, referee, hell , as a witness when one finally killed the other. They’d argued over every last point and detail in this so-called amicable contract they wanted to draft. The bottom line: these two were never going to get along or make it easy for the other.

“Briggs, now listen,” Leo spoke to him like he was a toddler, and everyone knows you can’t reason with a toddler. “You have to give me all day Saturday and all day Sunday, it’s only fair…”

Briggs cut him off, “The Hell I do,” he stood up, yelling in Leo’s face. “It’s not my problem you work when we don’t.” Briggs wanted Saturdays, willing to give Leo Fridays and Sundays; Leo wanted both weekend days since Briggs and I were home, not working all day long throughout the summer. He wanted long, lazy afternoons with me too.

“Guys, can we just get this done? I feel like I’m a 10-year-old little girl witnessing her parents’ custody battle,” I whined, standing up. Leo grabbed me by the waist, and pulled me over to his lap. I giggled, missing his touch, his playfulness. He nuzzled into my neck; I giggled again. I hadn’t touched either of these gorgeous men in nearly ten days. I missed them. Every inch of my body missed them.

“Oh I seriously don’t fucking think so,” Briggs gritted through his teeth. “Nobody touches her until this contract is done. You said so yourself Cling.” I sighed, getting up and going into the kitchen. These two were killing me, frustrating the Hell out of me.

Leo told Briggs to go fuck himself and went to the bathroom. Through these “negotiations,” I kept seeing such a strong, masculine side to Leo. It was hot. The second Leo left the room, Briggs was all over me. His mouth was on mine, his tongue exploring my mouth. I wanted him. I needed him. I pulled him tighter, pressing our bodies closer together, relishing the heat, the tension, the want.