“Oh, fuck-nuggets,” she said to herself as she stood up and shrugged into her jacket careful not to jar her newly stitched hand.
David’s office seemed empty without him in it. She thought about leaving him a note explaining that he didn’t have to call her about Friday, but she decided against it. Overexplaining was one of her failures as a professional and a person. She had a way of mincing words that often led to trouble.
Like when she was in middle school and she told the teacher that she didn’t have her assignment because she’d eaten Indian food for the first time the night before and, while she’d enjoyed the variety of spicy dishes, her stomach did not.
Then, Cassie had gone on to explain in detail her sleepless night of alternating between painful belches and vomit. She’d been told to leave class until the next day.
She threw her pocketbook over her shoulder and turned to leave when the office door swung open forcefully. The beautiful nurse with the bad attitude stood in the entryway. Her nametag read Madison Rothschild. Yikes, sounds important, Cassie thought.
“What are you still doing in here?” The woman spat the question at Cassie with more venom than she thought was appropriate.
“I was just leaving,” Cassie said.
“Well then leave. You don’t belong here.”
Doubt flash through her mind, but Cassie shook it off. David said he didn’t have a girlfriend. Whoever this woman was, she was clearly overstepping.
Still, Cassie had no desire to argue with the woman, no, make that Werewolf, who was obviously intent on marking her territory. Maybe she’d planned on peeing on the floor when no one was here?
Cassie snickered at the thought, but quickly frowned when the lithe nurse advanced on her. She flinched when thin, yet strong fingers grasped her wrist and squeezed.
“Listen you, David is mine! I didn’t work so hard to get transferred here for nothing! You stay away from him!”
“Really? And does he know you are in here talking about him like he’s the last piece of candy in the bowl and here you are calling dibs? Grow up.” Cassie managed to free her hand as she spoke.
She knew better than to argue with the woman. She was a Wolf and could tear Cassie to pieces, but right then she didn’t care. The bitch was way off! She had no right to talk to Cassie like that.
“You have no idea who you’re messing with,” Madison snarled and for a moment her green eyes glowed with the power of her Wolf.
Cassie shivered, but refused to be swallowed by her fear. That sixth sense of hers was flashing red warning lights in her mind’s eye, but Cassie had learned to mask the knowledge that there were special people out there. She kept her face carefully blank as she responded to the other woman’s cattiness.
“Yeah, well, I think I’ve heard enough. I’ll just be leaving Dr. Evangelos’ office now. Don’t you have some place else to be, nurse? Bye-bye now,” Cassie turned and walked straight ahead.
Cassie moved past her with a confidence she didn’t feel. Walking as quickly as her feet would allow, she ignored the low growl coming from the nurse. Oh damn!
She kept on going, down the corridor without turning back to see the pair of glowing eyes that she knew were trying to burn holes in her back. That was stupid, she berated herself silently.
She waited until she turned a corner before she stopped and leaned against the wall. She exhaled deeply in the near empty hallway, closing her eyes and finally, allowing herself to shiver in the aftermath of the tense confrontation.
“Excuse me,” a dark-haired woman dressed in scrubs smiled and moved past her.
“Sorry,” Cassie smiled her embarrassment away and moved to the side.
“Are you alright, miss?” The woman asked.
“Who, me? Yeah, I’m fine, I was, uh, just leaving,” she mumbled.
“No worries, dear, the nurses’ station is just around the corner if you need anything.”
She smiled and left Cassie alone to pull herself together. Get a grip! She straightened her shoulders and noticed a plastic stand of flyers mounted to one side of the wall. Hmm.
A bright yellow sheet of paper with bold black letters caught her eye immediately. Wanted: Music and Drama Teachers for The Macconwood-Nighthawk Teen Outreach Program!
Cassie reached for the advertisement. She looked down at the paper, reading the flyer over twice on her way out the door. Music teacher? Hmm.
She’d often questioned why she’d bothered with an education minor. Maybe this was it? After five years of trying and failing to make it big, maybe it was time she set her sights on helping others achieve their goals? Who knew, she might do some good!
In her youth, she’d hated the idea of being stuck in school all day and had no desire to work in one, but still her ever-practical stepmother told her she should choose a minor just in case theatre didn’t work out.
Cassie always hated when Stephanie was right! No matter how much she loved the woman who raised her! Besides this wasn’t a school. It was a community-based outreach program. She could teach what she loved in a relaxed environment. Score!
She didn’t hesitate. Cassie reached for her cell phone and dialed the number.
“Hello! Are you still looking for a music teacher?”