Free Bad Girlfriend (First & Last #4) by Kirsten DeMuzio

parent is just as beneficial as having two.  I spoke with Caitlyn's teachers and reviewed her records.  She doesn't seem to be having any outwa rd difficulties, Miss Morris."
    As the reason for her meeting was becoming clear, I attempted to keep it professional.
    "I just think having regular contact with a responsible, educated man would be good for Caitlyn," Miss Morris said with a slight pout of her painted lips.
    I was getting the feeling that it was the mother, not the daughter, who would benefit from regular contact with a responsible, educated man.  That was not a line I was willing to cross.  Ever.  Besides, Miss Morris' half dressed state did nothing for me.  Knowing the age of her daughter, I guessed she couldn’t be much older than me.  But she looked like she’d been around the block a few times.
    "If you think it would help, I can recommend some programs that will pair Caitlyn with a mentor.  You also might consider having her see a child psychologist to determine if this really is an issue we need to worry about.   The school would be more than happy to work with a psychologist’s recommendations."
    Miss Morris looked less than pleased that I was pushing her in another direction.  She leaned even closer, and I worried she was about to fall out of her seat.
    "Adam," she said, trailing her sharp red fingernail over my knee.  "Can I make you dinner to thank you for taking time to talk to me?"  Her smile suggested she would be serving me much more than food.
    I stood up and waited for her to do the same.  "It's my job to be here for my students and their parents, Miss Morris.  You don't need to thank me," I said, keeping my expression neutral.
    "You know my number if you change your mind."  Now it was my chest she trailed her nails over as she passed.
    I was still standing in the middle of my office, slightly shocked, when Louise came in.  She smirked at me, which was as close to a smile as I ever got from her.
    "You've been here for less than two weeks.  I'm surprised it took this long for the vultures to start circling."
    "What?"
    Louise rolled her eyes as she set a thick file on my desk.  She spoke slowly like I was hard of hearing or English wasn’t my first language.  "You're new in town, Mr. Branigan.  You're well educated, gainfully employed, single and you like children.  The single mothers in this town will claw each others' eyes out to land you."
    Land me?  The parents at my old school were absent and neglectful.  I wasn't sure which was worse.
    "You didn't think all those cookies were just because you're new here, did you?"
    Yeah, actually I did.  I guess Louise can add gullible to the top of my list of attributes.
    "Do you want me to order dinner for you be fore the PTO meeting at 6:30?" Louise asked, while I was still trying to wrap my head around being wooed with cookies.
    The first PTO meeting of the school year was this evening, and I had planned on staying at school to attend.  As the new principal, I wanted to introduce myself and see what the committee had planned for the year.  Now I was a little bit afraid to voluntarily put myself in a room with thirty moms.
    "Uh, yeah.  That would be great.  Thanks, Louise."
    She ordered me a sandwich from the deli down the street, and I ate it at my desk.  As I polished off the delicious Italian club and a bag of chips, an e-mail popped up reminding everyone in the school district that the high school's first home football game was on Friday.  I should probably go, as an employee of the district.  And I always enjoyed a good football game.
    I wondered if Brooke would be there.  She seemed close to Poppy, more than the other two girls, and Poppy was Ford's girlfriend.  It was no surprise I found myself thinking about Brooke.  She had dominated my thoughts since last Friday night.  Each night when I came home from work, it was harder and harder to go straight to my apartment.  I hadn't seen her since Saturday night after