Hot for the Younger Man

“What do you think he’s going to be like?” my cousin Raina asked me as she pulled into a parking spot of the elementary school. Our other two cousins, Gabrielle and Danica, were in the backseat.

“I honestly think anybody is going to be better than the fuckwad we had before,” I said, opening the front passenger door and stepping out. “Ding dong, the ding dong’s gone. Off the island and out of our lives for good.”

“All thanks to our badass cousin doing her super lawyering,” Danica said, rubbing Gabrielle on the back. The four of us fell into a two-by-two formations as we, and a bunch of other parents, made our way toward the front door of the school.

The new principal had arrived after the old one, a horrible human being in every single way, finally retired—after Gabrielle essentially forced him to.

And, this new principal, by the name of Lennox Paul, had politely emailed all the parents and invited them to an informal meet-and-greet with him the night before his first day at the school.

So of course, we were all eager beavers to get a glimpse of the new administrator and see what kind of principal our kiddos would be getting.

Several vehicle doors closed behind us, followed by a “Hey!”.

Raina instantly spun around, her face lighting up when her boyfriend, Jagger McEvoy, made his way to catch up to us. He still had a slight limp after an incident earlier this year that caused his knee to shatter, but he was moving faster and didn’t have a grimace on his bearded face anymore.

He looped an arm around my redheaded cousin and kissed the side of her head.

“You don’t have any kids,” Gabrielle said to him. “Why are you here?”

He jerked his head back and made a face of mild indignation. “I have six nieces and nephews, and Marco is basically my stepson, and all your kids are basically my step nieces and nephews. I’m heavily invested in who is going to help shape the great minds of tomorrow.” He smirked. “I’m also hella curious.”

His brothers were right behind us, and we all funneled into the school and made our way toward the gymnasium together.

The island was so small that I knew every face in the crowd. I waved at Julianne Millican, who was one of the women that co-owned Twisted Sister Cider. She sat with a couple of other single moms; she owned the orchard and cidery with.

Danica waved at Cameron Arendelle, who co-owned Hardwood Distillery with three other single dads. His daughter Francesca was good friends with Danica’s daughter Sam, after bonding over their love of animals, particularly horses.

We managed to find four seats altogether, but Jagger had to sit behind us with his brothers.

The last time all the parents congregated in the gym like this, Gabrielle’s daughter, Laurel was one of several students reading an essay about someone they admired. Obviously, Laurel wrote about her mother. But then she went further to tell her mother that she needed to stop being stubborn and go to Maverick—since at that time she and Maverick had broken up.

I glanced across Danica at Gabrielle. “This bringing back memories, Gabs?”

My cousin rolled her eyes. “You mean when my child, and my cousins all announced to over half the island that I needed to go chase down the man, fifteen years younger than me, who I was in love with, because I was stupid and let him go?”

Raina, Danica, all the McEvoys and I said, “Yes,” at the exact same time.

Gabrielle smirked, and a gentleness entered her amber eyes. “Yeah, it is.”

The gym echoed with the sound of a hundred different conversations all at once. It was overstimulating, but when I glanced at my smartwatch, it said that the meeting with the new principal was going to start in two minutes.

A wave out of the corner of my eye pulled my attention.

“What the hell is she doing here?” Raina murmured beside me. “She doesn’t have any kids at this school.”

As if she heard Raina speak out of the side of her mouth, Jolene Dandy, also known as The Island Mouth, and a woman well into her seventies, stopped in front of us, even though we were three rows back from the front.

“Hi Jolene,” Gabrielle said in her sweetest voice. “What brings you here?”

The old bird puffed her chest up a little in her green and blue patchwork jacket. Her coppery brown eyes were sharp, and while not unkind, held a level of arrogance—not confidence—that tended to rub a lot of people the wrong way. “While I may not have children at the school any longer, I am a member of the Island Elders Council, as well as a concerned citizen. I would very much like to know who we have joining the island, the school, and therefore in charge of the children’s education.”

“A pinecone for a principal would be better than the yellow-mustached waste of skin we had before,” Jagger murmured behind us.

Jolene’s eyes went wide. “Well, let’s hope the new administrator is a bit more animated than a pinecone.”

She nodded to all of us, then went off to find a seat.

“That woman is …” I shook my head. “She’s something special, isn’t she?”

My daughter Honor’s teacher waved at me, and I waved back. She took a seat in a chair next to my son Austin’s teacher. The front row was obviously reserved for instructors.

Without anything in the gymnasium changing, an odd hush fell over everyone, and the clunking sound of the big gym door from the vestibule echoed like a gong. Heads all swiveled at the same time as a tall man in dark-wash jeans, a sky-blue polo and two full sleeves of tattoos came confidently marching across the gym to stand in front of us. His hand was dark, short and nicely trimmed, and he had a scar extending up from his lip, which meant he was probably born with a cleft palate that was repaired as an infant.

But it was the gentleness and warmth in his brown eyes that really got me.

He smiled warmly at all of us as he took his place in front of a sea of curious parents.

“Welcome, everyone,” he boomed, his voice deep, but not raspy. It was more like he was speaking all the way from his toes, and using every molecule of oxygen in his lungs.

My chest clenched.

“Thank you so much for indulging me in this meeting. My name is Lennox Paul, and I will be the new principal at San Camanez Elementary. While I understand the circumstances of my predecessor’s departure are somewhat controversial, I’d rather not discuss or dwell on them at all. I am here to facilitate the smoothest transition possible for you and your children.”

Raina elbowed me. “He’s cute. On the young side, but cute.” She glanced past me and Danica toward Gabrielle. “You can give Nay pointers on how to bag a younger guy.”

Gabrielle simply flipped Raina the bird, then sat back in her seat.

“While I may look young to all of you, I want you to know that I am qualified not only to teach, but be your children’s principal. I have a bachelor’s degree in education from Florida State, as well as a master’s degree in special education from Georgia State. I am also a father myself. I love children and learning the different ways that they learn. No two children learn the same way, and it is up to us as administrators and educators to help each individual child reach their full potential by figuring out what makes them tick and absorb the information best. I have taught in both Florida and Georgia in elementary schools, and while this is my first role as a principal, I am very much ready and excited to take on this new challenge.”

“Do you think he’s married?” Raina asked.

“Shhh,” Danica scolded, glaring at our redheaded cousin.

Raina rolled her eyes.

I was barely paying attention to them; I was too … mesmerized by the handsome, articulate, educated man in front of us.

His gaze fell directly on me, and my cheeks grew warm. His smile only made them get hotter because it felt like he was smiling right at me. And only at me.

“I believe in full transparency and an open-door policy,” he went on. “My door will always be open to you and your children. If I have to deal with certain behaviors, I will always bring in an impartial party to act as a witness—like an office administrator, or another teacher. Your child will never be singled out, brought into a room without another adult present.”

“What a weird thing to say,” one of the McEvoys murmured. “I mean … that’s … good, I guess. But it’s also weird.”

A hand shot up in the crowd. “Why are you making that part of your campaign promise?” a parent I recognized asked. I think she and her husband owned a bed-and-breakfast on the north side of the island.

Lennox simply smiled. “I was made aware that my predecessor had a tendency to bring children into rooms without another adult present, shut the door, and threaten them.”

My cousins and I all exchanged knowing looks. Otto Pickford—the old principal—had done that to our children.

“And I just want to let you all know that your children’s safety and well-being will always be my absolute number one priority. They shouldn’t dread coming to school. They shouldn’t fear their principal.” He snorted in a cute way. “My daughter when she was younger actually said that, ‘A principal is a prince who is your pal.’.” Several parents chuckled. “And while I have no royal blood, I do want your children to see me as a friend. As a safe adult they can trust. We will be implementing a soft start in the mornings as well. The bell may ring at eight-thirty, but as long as you get here, that’s what matters. I know from personal experience how difficult it can be to get out the door on time sometimes. Kids are … wonderfully, and annoyingly unpredictable. Even if they thrive on routine.”

More chuckles in the gym.

“So just get here when you get here. I’m not going to stand at the front door staring at my watch and tapping my foot. But I will welcome your child inside with a smile and thank them for coming to learn and play.”

Another hand shot up. “What about discipline?”

He smiled again, and this time, there was a flutter in my lower belly that quickly made its way between my legs. I crossed them and squeezed.

“As I’m sure we can all agree, children need boundaries. They thrive in environments with clearly set rules and parameters. And while it is human nature—especially for children—to test those boundaries, we will also make sure they understand that certain behaviors have consequences. Tomorrow morning, I will hold an assembly similar to this, and together, the students, teachers and I will come up with a School Code of Conduct. Then, every child will be given the opportunity to sign it. I’m a big advocate of second chances, and making every available opportunity a learning one, but for those kids who need a bit more guidance when it comes to emotional regulation, impulse control and adhering to our code of conduct, I may request a meeting with their parents where we can all get on the same page. But as far as discipline goes …” Something strange flickered in his eyes for just a brief second. Unless you were studying him the way I was, you would have missed it. But it was almost like a … flinch. He cleared his throat. “I don’t teach with a basis of fear. I teach with a basis of care, and I have found that children who feel safe, cared for and have a clear set of boundaries, do best and don’t require discipline. Like I said, if there are some students requiring more support, I will work with the parents to provide that.”

“Thank god Clyde isn’t here anymore, hmm?” Raina muttered to Danica.

Danica simply nodded.

Clyde had been Principal Pickford’s grandson, and the terror of all terrors. He tormented Danica’s daughter relentlessly, and Pickford did jack shit to stop it.

The new principal continued. “I want your children to thrive here. I want them to come home and tell you about all the cool things they learned at school, and be jazzed to come the next day. I know I only have a couple of months with them before summer break, but I am determined to make those couple of months count. I want them to be excited to return in September because they know their learning environment is a safe one.” He smiled and scanned the room, then his eyes found mine again—or at least it felt like they did—and I sucked in a sharp breath.

“You okay?” Danica asked.

I nodded and swallowed. “Just choked on some air.”

Gabrielle leaned forward, her dark, chucky curls falling in front of her face. “You choked on air?” she whispered.

“It happens. I’ve done it,” Raina said, backing me up.

“Anyway,” the principal started again, “thank you all so much for coming tonight. I appreciate your time, and I hope to get to know all the San Camanez Elementary families more as the weeks go by. Like I said, my door is always open, and I’m happy to chat about whatever concerns or questions you might have. Are there any questions now?”

A few hands shot up, but I didn’t hear the questions. I was too focused on the two full sleeves of tattoos and his muscular arms. The tattoos were full of color and, from what I could tell, beautifully done. A funky-looking number thirteen was on the back of his forearm near his elbow in red, and there was a weird skull with a green snake curling through an eye socket on his right wrist.

Chuckles drifted around the gymnasium again, and even the principal laughed, his gentle brown eyes lighting up. He also had perfectly straight white teeth. I’d always been embarrassed and self-conscious about my teeth, so a few years ago, I got Invisalign and now I love my smile. My daughter, however, had inherited my crooked chompers and was probably going to need braces soon. I wouldn’t make her wait until she was an adult though.

I tuned back into the questions and answers just in time to hear the new principal say he was looking forward to working with the PTA to fundraise more than ever for a new playground and he couldn’t wait to attend our fabulous, famous funfair at the end of June.

Then the meeting was over, and everyone stood up.

We knew from previous gymnasium events that you didn’t just dick off. The chairs needed to be folded and put away in the storage cupboard. So like trained little elves, every single parent folded their chair and headed for the already opened storage cupboard.

“Well, I’m excited to hear what the kids say tomorrow after school and how the assembly and code of conduct thing does,” Gabrielle said as we slowly shuffled our way forward. “I think it’s a great idea.”

My cousins and I all nodded.

We continued to move closer to the cupboard, shoes squeaking on the wood gym floor, conversations mixing together to create an indecipherable din. I picked up on snippets of conversations. Mostly about kids, the weather, the upcoming tourist season. A few people made mention of Principal Pickford and how grateful they were for his departure from the school.

I glanced over at Gabrielle, who wore a small, cheeky smile on her face. She’d had a very big hand in making that happen. After everything that happened with Danica, Sam, Clyde, Clyde’s mother, Otto Pickford, and Danica’s new boyfriend, Otto and his family really didn’t have any other choice but to leave the island, lest they be run off, or thrown into the ocean by an angry mob of islanders.

An elbow bumped mine, and on instinct, I stepped closer to my cousin while murmuring an apology. “Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I bumped into you,” came the deep, dreamy voice.

My whole body went up several degrees in temperature as I turned to face the very handsome new principal with the soft brown eyes, muscular tattooed arms—holding two chairs each—and sexy lip scar.

He grinned at me. “Who are your kids?” he asked as we mindlessly moved along with the queue. “So that when I meet them this week, I can say I already met their mom.”

I swallowed. “Uh … Honor Geuer and Austin Geuer. Grades four and six.”

He bobbed his head once, still smiling. “Honor and Austin. Grades four and six. I’ll remember that. And you are?” He set down two chairs and leaned them against his thigh, then held out his hand toward me.

“My hand’s really sweaty,” I said, cringing on the inside.

He chuckled. “Mine too. It’s all good. It’s hot in here.”

I took his hand—which was not sweaty—and damn it felt good holding mine. “I’m Naomi Geuer.”

“Naomi,” he repeated. “Nice to meet you. Please call me Lennox when we meet again. Or Len. Or Ox. That was my nickname in high school.”

“You’re not big like an ox,” Raina said behind me.

“No, but it just works with my name. I was also a bit of a bulldozer on the basketball court, so they decided to call me Ox. We don’t really get to choose our nicknames, right?”

My cousin nodded.

That’s when I realized Lennox, and I were still holding hands. I cleared my throat and quickly pulled my hand free, cringing again at just how sweaty my palm was.

We reached the storage cupboard where two dads were taking the chairs from the rest of us and properly stacking them. Everyone handed over their chairs, then we were free. And I also lost sight of Lennox.

My heart deflated a little, and my temperature dropped.

“Ready to go?” Gabrielle asked, finding me in the crowd.

I nodded, and like penguins in a rookery finding their chicks, Danica and Raina managed to locate us in the buzzing hive of involved parents.

The McEvoy brothers were right behind us, and the nine of us crossed the parking lot, chatting about our joint project.

Last year, a beloved island elder passed away. He had no family, no heir. So he left his land—a beautiful chunk right on the water—to the council to determine who would receive it. So the council asked for proposals to be submitted. There were a lot of interested parties—us included. And after several months, it was narrowed down to five.

Then, Raina and Jagger went from hating each other to fucking each other, and we all decided that since our interests in Bonn Remmen’s land aligned, we should combine our proposals and make a pitch for the land together.

So we did.

And we won.

Now, we were in the planning phase, and getting ready to level some ground and map out just where we’d put the cabins, the event pavilion and the garden for the hops the McEvoys wanted to grow for their brewery.

Now that the weather was better, warmer and the nights were getting longer, we could really start getting under way with everything.

“I’ll come over with Marco after I drop these gals off,” Raina said to Jagger before lifting up onto her tiptoes to press a kiss to his hairy cheek.

He squeezed her butt, then flashed us all a big smile.

We climbed into Raina’s SUV, and as soon as the doors all closed, all three of my cousins hit me with the same questions. “How old do you think the principal is? Do you think he’s married? And was I ready to be the next Vino Vixen to find my happily ever after?”