THIN ICE |BOOK I |BWWM|

•ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 11•

•SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA•

Julia's POV

"Liliana you do this every week." I strained to keep my voice below a yell as I searched through the classroom play area for the third time.

"One day I swear we're gonna tear down a wall and find all your stuff hiding behind it."

"Liliana Penning to the car lane." The annoyed intercom announced.

"Come on. I'll walk you out this time-talk to your mommy." I held out my hand for her to grasp.

I knew I should have called out sick today. We just got back from UK yesterday, and Nicolai has a friend coming over tonight. Not to mention I haven't heard from Andres since he left my mom's in the dead of night.

That worries me. I relied on Andres to keep me in the loop about his family, financially supported, and protected.

Without him, I felt... exposed.

I forcefully pushed the door open, leading Lilliana to the pearly white BMW sedan  impatiently waiting in the car lane.

She got in as I explained about yet another lost item.

"Yes, I'm sorry too. We're going to work on finding those items before the year is over."

"You better! I pay a lot of money for my child to attend this academy! Maybe I need to speak to your supervisor or take my money elsewhere!"

"No ma'am we don't want that. We'll see what we can do. See you tomorrow." I gingerly shut the door as they sped off.

One more day until the weekend.

Olivia and I had planned a girl's night for Saturday and the stress from work was making it more and more worth the wait.

I loved this job, but sometimes I got tired of showing up and wishing the building was on fire.

I gave a two-faced wave to the last of the cars in the lot before turning around as I rolled my eyes and trotted back into the building. 

"Maybe one day." I laughed to myself.

~~~~~

•SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA•

Matìas' POV

"I knew he'd forget. I should have reminded him." I scolded myself as I drove through the busy afternoon streets to my son's school.

I smoothly pulled into a parking space as eyes caught a familiar face. I gawked at the dark umber-colored woman waving to the cars.

Sweat slid between my fingers and palms as my arms darted to the forgotten feminine products box hiding in my backseat. I yanked down my mirror, checking my face and hair before hopping out.

As quickly as she came into view, she was gone again. I locked the door, taking in a deep breath and confidently walking inside.

Paying for Daniel to go here cost way more than it needed to and I'm pretty sure most of it went into décor. The entrance corridor stretched with nothing but marble and glass.

Colored waterfalls were on both sides of the front desk where a woman sat, whose eyes were most likely tearing my clothes off.

"Can I help you?" She called me over.

"Yeah" -I tucked the box further under my arm- "I'm looking for a woman that works here. She's about this tall, hair pulled back, black....?"

Her eyebrows jumped up and down the more I described and she sucked her teeth.

"Oh yeah. Her. She's probably still here. You can check her room. Kindergarten is on the first floor, that way." She pointed toward a hallway past another waterfall.

"Thanks." I turned to walk away.

"So, um, why are you looking for her? Is she your girlfriend or something?" Her eyes narrowed in on the box.

"Heh. Uh, something like that." My words flew off my tongue faster than I could catch them.

Her face fell disappointedly, "Oh, well she's in there."

My head bobbed politely as I scurried away to the spacious hallway lined with brightly colored bulletin boards and creatively decorated doorways.

Mostly everyone was gone for the day, and the hallway relatively quiet expect for a buzz of music streaming from the end of the row of doors. I recognized Jazmine Sullivan's voice from my sister's repeated playlist.

I shimmied my shoulders to the music and peeked into one of the open doors with the name LIVINGSTON atop the frame.

In the room, sitting on a green rug by the door and cutting out different colored ducks, was the mystery girl.

"Ms...Livingston?" I hesitated as her working hands froze.

"Oh my god." 

"Hi. I saw you outside I just wanted to return these."

Her pupils wiggled skeptically as she turned the music down and reached for the outstretched box.

"Ah, okay. Um, thank you? You didn't need them did you?"

"No. I don't need heavy flow- o-or any flow for that matter."

"Heh, right, well thanks."

A clipped chuckle passed her moist glossy lips as she turned to place the box in what I assumed was her purse; and my lingering stare clung to her beautiful figure.

She probably came to my shoulder with a slender hourglass shape. Everything about her sung in delicate harmony.

"Hey look, I'm not usually this forward but would you be down for dinner sometime?"

Her sky blue painted fingers smoothed over her hair, gripping her ponytail as her eyes averted to the cubbies across the room.

"Ah, I don't know. I have a lot-"

"Hey Monroe. I'm just gonna give the other ducks to you tomorrow, the printer is down again." Another teacher announced as she came into the room.

Okay that's fine Cydney, I finished most of them today anyway," -she smiled at Cydney, then reluctantly turned back to me- "Look, I'd love to let you hit me with another door but-"

"Wait- your name's Monroe?" I held my hand up and shook my head. 

"Y-yeah?"

I chuckled, "I'm his father..."

"Excuse me?"  

"Me. "'I'm his father.'", I mimicked my voice from the call.

Her jaw gapped as her eyebrows jumped to her hairline, "Oh! So you're the one."

"If I knew you were Nicolai's mom, I would have been a little different on the phone."

"I'm so sure-I'll see you tomorrow Cydney."

She effortlessly swung her purse over her shoulder and started toward the other open door across the hall.

"Hey hey, would it help if I said I was sorry?"

"It'd be a start." She scrunched her face and pointed a finger gun at me.

"When could I finish?" I smirked, following her out and waved politely to Cydney.

"I'm sorry, why are you here?"

"Daniel left his inhaler in my car."

"I'll be sure he gets it."

She held her arm out blocking my path into her classroom and snatched the inhaler from my palm as I smirked and I rubbed my hand against my jaw.

"Thanks. Look, I'll keep my offer on the table for a while. Think about it...Monroe."

I gave a coy but mischievous wink before turning on my heel and back down the hallway.