The Arrogant Jerk

CHAPTER 43

‘She rubbed her thumb over Claire’s pebbled nipple, then used her index finger to pinch and twist the sensitive nub until a needy whimper escaped from Claire’s throat.’

I sigh and put my tablet away. Fuck, these lesbian books have a way of corrupting you and making you wish to experience, even if it’s for one night. It’s temptation and I am actually thinking of deleting the e-book but something tells me not to. The best way to resist a temptation is to be strong against it and face it but not succumb to it.

“Don’t you ever rest?” a teasing voice snaps me out of my dreamland. I chuckle when I see Lindikhaya at the door.
“I do rest. Reading is part of resting.” He rolls his eyes and leans on the door frame.

“Resting is relaxing, closing your eyes and breathing slowly while trying to hard not to think about anything and not to sleep. Well the latter usually happens with me but that’s how I relax. You should try it too.”
“You should’ve just said meditation.” He cracks up.

“Whatever, genius. Let’s go. You never want to be late when Mncube calls a meeting.”
“Ohh, that. What should I bring? A notebook maybe?”

He shakes his head. “He probably wants to talk about the upcoming tournaments that are going to be held here at school.” I nod and put on my heels before standing up. I take my phone and head to the door. He closes it behind me and together we walk to the main staffroom. “So, you’re dating his nephew?”

I huff, rolling my eyes. “Something like that and no, I didn’t get this job because of Makho.”
“Even if you did, love, I wouldn’t say anything because you deserve to be here. You’re one observant teacher and after the Mesuli thing, many teachers are paying close attention to their students. You are some kind of a hero.”

I smile. “Thanks. Where is Kwezi?”
He laughs. “It’s Khwezi and she is already at the staffroom.”
“Do you guys have kids?”
“Yeah, three. Two boys and one girl. My princess is 4 years old but she is my wife’s mirror image. Even the attitude. Well she does have respect but she is stubborn as hell.” I chuckle.

“Sounds like so much work.”
“She is, but I love her like that.” we enter the staffroom and Lindikhaya quickly locates his wife who has saved two chairs on either sides of her. We head to her and she smiles when she sees me. We shake hands and I settle on her right side.

“You are quite the celebrity around here. Everybody is talking about what you did for the mayor’s kid and how you actually gave away the flowers he bought for you.” my eyes pop out.
“Who told you about the flowers?” I ask.

“The mayor, himself. Malindi says he came to the principal’s office and told Mncube everything he did to you and how you treated him. He told Mncube about the money issue, about his extravagant apology and the last time you guys saw each other.” she answers and I frown. I don’t mind Makhulu coming out and speaking the truth but now everyone knows about it and I don’t know how I feel about that. Already I am the talk of the school because of the stunt Monica pulled on weekend, and now people know about the mayor’s shenanigans. Ow I hope this doesn’t affect my work or reputation.

“Have you seen Reno?” Khwezi asks.
“No. she said something about calling in sick.” I respond.

“That child is so kind hearted. I remember how her fiancé left her hanging at the alter last year. She was so broken but she didn’t stay away from her job. She allowed it to be her anchor.” Say what? Reno was nearly married and she didn’t tell me? But she doesn’t owe me anything. Just because we have known each other a few weeks doesn’t mean I am entitled to her secrets or her past life.

“Timothy still deserves a beating, even now.” Lindikhaya chirps in. I swear these two are gossip buddies and they don’t even care about lowering their voices. I give him a confused look. “Ohh, Timothy is the ex-fiancé. Apparently, he had slept with his ex on his bachelor party and come morning, he didn’t feel like continuing with the wedding.”

“He just waited for Reno to walk down the aisle. He didn’t even admire how beautiful she looked. He was just like ‘I can’t do this anymore. I love someone else and it’s not fair to continue with this if my heart is with that person’. And then the boy left.”- Khwezi. 

“That’s evil. How did Reno recover from that though?”

“Mncube gave her a month leave and when she tried to turn it down, he threatened to fire him. He had her booked into this rehabilitation centre for people with mental health issues. When she came back, she was back to her old self, smiling genuinely and doing goodwill. That child has been through a lot. I would kill my fiancé if he made fun of me like that in front of my family, loved ones and colleagues, even haters.”- Khwezi. Yoh, after God, fear men. I was wondering how they got the detailed scoop of what happened on the day in question. Turns out they were really there. I should go check up on Reno after work. Maybe her sickness is emotional rather than physical.

“Good day everyone, I am so glad you all could join me today.” Mncube’s voice beams throughout the whole staffroom, commanding respect followed by utter silence. “Before moving on to what I called you here for, I would officially like to address the rumours that have been going around about our newest addition to the Thubelihle family. Miss Gwendaline was not hired here because of her relationship with my nephew which I know nothing about, if I may add. She got this job because she qualified for it and her interview impressed the panel. If some of you want to see the interview, then that’s no problem. I can forward the tape on your emails. She is a young lady who is very dedicated in her work. You saw how she dealt with a dyslexic student and how she opened eyes to most educators here. If she really got this job because of someone she is sleeping with, do you think she would’ve been excelling in her job without expecting any additional payments? Now I hope that this is the last time I address this issue. I don’t want a young lady walking uncomfortably in these corridors because someone people are talking badly behind her back. Understood?” a firm ‘Yes’ comes from all the educators.

“On to the next issue. It has come to my attention here that there are male teachers who are actually sleeping with the female students. And don’t worry about going out to threaten them or shut them up. We already have enough proof to lock you up and throw away the key.” He sighs and shakes his head. “A basic principle which one has been taught and has known since at a young age. These students are our kids. When their parents bring them here, they not only trust us to teach them academic stuff only, but they entrust their mental health and physical health to us, even though we are not therapists or doctors. Imagine taking your kid to school and finding out that she or he has been violated by a teacher. I am a civil and understanding man, but if someone would do something like that to my child, I would kill them with my bare hands.”

Fuck. Shit is real here. I wonder who did it. I have my suspicions on someone but uttering one’s name is kind of illegal, especially with no valid proof. I am also just glad that he has addressed my rumour. I did get the job because Zoe recommended me to her brother, but I am pretty sure if I hadn’t aced that interview on my own, I wouldn’t have gotten the job.

“Moving on to the real reason for the meeting, the upcoming tournament…”

…

I park my car and turn off the engine. I hope this neighbourhood is safe, according to Makho’s safety guidelines. I walk to the door and knock. I hear some shuffling before the door is opened, revealing an emotionally drained Reno.

“Chichi, you’re here, in my doorstep.” She says hurriedly, running her hands through the mess which is her hair.
“I was worried about you. That’s why I came straight here after work.”

She sniffs. “I am fine. Just flue.” I tilt my head to the side. I am finding that hard to believe. I step closer to her and just wrap my arms around her. She stiffens for a second before letting loose and breaking down in my arms.

“It’s okay, babe. I am here now. Everything is going to be okay.” I wait for her to calm down and when she is finally calm, she detaches from my arms.
“You have to excuse me. I have no manners today. Please come in.” she opens the door wide and I step inside. She closes it and leads me to the lounge. “Please excuse the mess.”

I chuckle. I don’t mean to, but I do. Her house is spotless clean and very tidy. Nothing is out of place, well except those few used tissues on the floor near the coffee table which I suspect she recently used. “You sound like a rich person right now.”

She snorts. “You can sit down. Let me get you something to drink.” she hurries to the kitchen before I can utter a single word.