Let's Play A Dirty Ass Game, Mr. CEO

Chapter 14: A SLIP MOMENT

LAURA

I was at work the next day, deeply pondering Tristan’s offer which had sprung upon me without warning, when I got a call from Eli’s school.

"Ms. Hayes, we would need you to come over right away. Your son was just in a fight."

I dumped everything and sped over and like a mad woman, my heart racing with fear and trepidation the whole ride.

Eli. My world. He had to be safe. He should be safe.

He ricocheted about in my mind, until I swerved into the parking lot and dashed into the school building, my heels going click-clack against the marble floors in a crazy, chaotic rhythm, my hair flying behind me, dress shirt flying out of my pants.

The headmaster’s office. The school had sent me a text to head straight there.

A mahogany door with a shiny plaque above the lintel reading ’Headmaster’ soon came into view, and I flung it open without stopping to think for a moment.

"Oh, hell no!" A woman shrieked the moment she saw me. "Like mother like son, of course! A freaking disaster brandishing gutter behavior!" A little boy was clutching tightly to her thigh, looking pitiful with a slightly bruised face.

I ignored the dramatic woman, my eyes darting around the room. I did not breathe fine until I spotted my son, sitting on a little bench, next to a small group of adults.

The woman who just cursed at me was on the other side of the bench, and from the way things looked from my perspective, they seemed to be shielding her from my son. The protective instinct kicked in with a vicious adrenaline, and I rushed forward.

A tall man stood, blocking me off with a stern expression. "I will advise you to stay back, Ms. Hayes. And be on your best behavior. Or this goes very bad."

"My son!" I screamed without a care in the world if the roof came down. "I need to see my son!"

"Mama!" Eli’s gentle voice drifted across the space, twisting something deep in my chest. Without thinking, I shoved past the tall man and grabbed my son.

"I’m here, Eli," I hushed, hugging him so tight I feared I’d break his little, healthy body. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, mama. Are you?"

The empathy in the voice of my five-year old son moved me to tears. I had to squeeze my eyes shut for a good minute to get myself together and stop the tears from spilling.

Relief flooded my chest as his familiar scent filled my nostrils. Warm. Sweaty. Shampoo. He was safe. I had him in my arms. I wasn’t losing him.

"What the fuck is going on in this school?" The woman shrieked, jolting me from the emotional moment. "Does she get to play theatrics with her crazy son after he ruined my son’s face?!"

"Language, please, ma’am," the tall man warned in a stern voice. "This is a school environment."

"I don’t care! Get them out of here! They’re animals! I won’t have my son in the same environment with a rabid dog like him!" she jammed a perfectly manicured finger at Eli.

The gesture, and the language, converted the fear that burned in my chest to a consuming rage. "Hey, you better watch your tone!"

"Hey?!" she snarled. "You think we’re age mates?"

The tall man slammed his hand down on the desk. "Ladies, enough!"

Eli jumped in my arm, and I held him close.

After a moment, the tall man took a deep breath and began to speak in a more controlled voice. "Ms. Hayes, you’ve been called here today because Eli threw his fist in his classmate’s face, over a little controversy."

"Controversy, you say?" Another man spoke. He did not look very happy with me as his gaze strayed to my direction. "What controversy could five-year olds possibly share, Mr. Connor?"

The tall man, who I presumed to be the Headmaster by his commanding gait and demeanor, looked uncomfortable, hearing the other man speak. "I’m sorry, sir. I believe it’s a little misunderstanding between—"

The man lifted a hand, stopping him. Then he rose to his full height. Towering at 6ft, with a visage attributable to thugs’, he was a sight to behold.

I swallowed a lump down my throat and stood my ground.

But I did not expect his next question, which hit me like a sledgehammer in my gut.

"Where is the father of your kid?"

I blinked, wondering if I was actually supposed to answer that.

"Excuse me?" I finally managed. "What does that have to do with anything?"

The man shoved his fingers deep into his pockets and chuckled. Then he glanced back at the woman and the little boy. And I understood he was the father.

"Now it makes some kind of sense, why your son behaves like a rabid dog. There’s no father figure around to control him, correct?"

My eyes stung painfully and it took everything in me to keep the tears in. I could not believe my ears.

How dare he? How dare they repeatedly refer to my precious son as a rabid dog? What gave them the right?

The headmaster seemed to notice I was bubbling with anger and stepped forward. "You should apologize, Ms. Hayes."

"For what?!"

"Your son is in the wrong here. He hit that boy."

"My son is a gentle kid," I explained with a bitter chuckle. "I raised him right. He wouldn’t do something like that unless he was provoked."

"Mama, he snatched my toy and wouldn’t give it back," Eli murmured, like he could tell my dilemma just by looking at my face.

"I know, I know," I shushed him, patting his hair. "There’s no way we’re apologizing to them."

The father scoffed in disbelief and drew forward like he was about to attack. The headmaster stepped between us.

"Listen to me," the father roared. "If that boy is not expelled from here, I’ll make sure this school is sanctioned for endorsing violence amongst little kids!"

"Please calm down, Mr—"

"Don’t try me!"

Exasperated, the headmaster turned to me. "You have two options, Ms. Hayes." His eyes held a different fear this time as he addressed me. "Apologize to them, or leave with your son and never return."

"What..."

Do it, he implored silently.

But there was no way in hell I was doing that.

Heck, I was proud of my son. Even though this was one of the toughest moments to handle in my journey of motherhood.

Moments later, I was storming across the driveway, fighting back a tank of tears, when I heard a familiar voice that froze me to my bones.

"Laura!"

Hell no.

Thankfully, Jose materialized out of nowhere and I thrust Eli into his arms with a roughness that betrayed the love I had for my son. "Take him to the car. Now!"