Page 22 of Troublemaker: The Big Picture Edition

She almost laughs. “It was white. Hopefully I haven’t ruined the remote control. So can you come in for a quick meeting? It would be best if we could all talk face-to-face. The three of us.”

“Was thatCinema ParadisoI heard in the background?”

A brief pause. “Yes.”

“Are you watching it?”

After another brief pause, she answers. “I was about to start it. Orfinishit. Sometimes I just like to watch the ending. With all the kisses.”

So do I.

Miss Stiles is a romantic.

“Would you be able to come in this week?”

Miss Stiles is impatient.

“Could you maybe elaborate on how exactly my son’s talking is disruptive?”

A sigh.

Miss Stiles is annoyed.

“Like I said in the email, it’s mildly disruptive behavior so far. And he is a very bright student. But he talks a lot in class. About topics that are not directly related to what I’m teaching, and he doesn’t raise his hand or wait for me to call on him. He gets the other kids at his table worked-up about things, and it can take me a while to get everyone back on track.”

“What topics, exactly, does he bring up?”

Another brief pause. “That’s not necessarily the issue. The issue is that we discussed the classroom rules about talking on the first day, and he continues to disregard them.”

“This hasn’t been an issue for him before, you know?”

“I’m aware of that, yes.”

“My kid is not a troublemaker. Maybe you just didn’t explain the class rules in a way that he understands.”

“At no point did I refer to Ryder as a troublemaker,sir.”

Sir?

Why does my cock like it so much when she calls me sir like a sassy little teenager?

She clears her throat. “I didn’t mean to imply that your son is a troublemaker, Mr. Vega.”

Why does my cock like it so much when she calls me Mr. Vega?

“I don’t want to take up too much of your time. I’d just appreciate your involvement in helping me to convey the classroom rules to Ryder, for the benefit of his education and that of the entire class.” She exhales loudly—and not in a way that sounds even remotely sexy.

Is she reading from some teacher’s handbook on how to talk to parents right now?

I really want to point out that it’s a pretty basic part of her job to explain something to a student who’s been raising his hand before talking in class for two years now—but I don’t want to be a dick. And she probably needs to go put another shirt on.

“I can come in tomorrow.”

“Great! If you’re coming to pick him up after school, you can just come to Room Fifteen.”

“Great.”

She waits for me to continue, but I don’t.