When the general manager texts you 5 minutes before your shift ends, you know you’ve been royally screwed. It almost certainly means someone called out and the manager in her infinite bitchdom has decreed for it to be your problem. I was supposed to have been off an hour ago but as it happened Billy-Joe-Bob was totally hung over so I was stuck on register.

  At least it was nearly four in the afternoon. I’d already suffered through the lunch rush and the dinner rush wouldn’t be starting for another hour or two. I still dunno why I was bothering to stick around. Was a reference from a ratty old pizza joint something my next employer would care about at all? Would they even bother to investigate it? Probably not. Even if I did, they’d probably forgotten me entirely by the time I made it through college. I just wanted to go home and crawl into bed with my phone for a few hours. It was my last day anyway with school starting back up in a few days.

  It was in a moment of weakness staring into space debating putting my head through the counter when the electronic bell thing on the weathered storefront door sounded and I suddenly snapped to full attention when I caught a glimpse of a familiar older woman walking through.

  I immediately fumbled with my phone using the selfie cam as a mirror to check my hair. Short curly red hair? Check. My heart skipped a beat as I tried to think of something else to check but I didn’t wear makeup so I tried to panic pocket my phone but just ended up dropping it on the floor.

  I smiled widely as the woman of my dreams stepped up to the counter. Ms. Voight was the AP science teacher at my High School, she was also a good four or five inches taller than me, close to six feet tall in total. Thin, even a bit lanky, with medium long lightish brown hair and golden brown eyes. She was wearing a sensible white collared top and comfortable black slacks and looked every bit the soccer mom we get in here all the time, with the exception of that seductive smile of hers every time she saw me.

  When she looked right at me with those bold shimmering almond eyes I knew there was nothing my dumbass lesbian brain wouldn’t do for her. Whatever weariness I’d felt before was simply gone as my heart. Woke. Up.

  “Nichole! It’s so good to see you again!” She called as she walked directly up to the register.

  “Yeah!” I managed to somehow reply without completely losing it. I was always a little nervous about talking with her outside of school. Worried someone might catch on to what was really going on.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  “So… what time do you get off?” She lowered her voice again reaching into her purse to retrieve her wallet.

  “About 15 minutes give or take.” I said as casually as possible with my heart threatening to beat out of my chest. I really should be used to being put this situation by now. We'd had this back and forth multiple times a week for pretty much all summer break.

  She gave me a broad but mischievous smile and handed me her card. “I’ll see you out back in 15 then.”

  “Yes ma’am.” My heart nearly stopped as I took the card.

  “Great!” She said her voice rising back up to something less conspiratorial.

  “Great!” I repeated, then lowered my voice again “Were you actually going to order something or…?”

  She slapped her forehead and we both had a good chuckle about it as I rang her order up.

  15 minutes later I finally hung up my apron for the last time and headed out to find Lauren’s van parked out behind the building.

  45 minutes after that the pizza was stone cold and I was fighting off the urge to fall asleep in Lauren’s arms. I could feel her hands softly kneading my hair as we cuddled together. The van’s old AC unit, still struggling to cool us off after we’d finished really working up a sweat in the back. The old sleeping bag we’d been using wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world but it worked well enough for our brief encounters after we both got off work.

  Lauren leaned down and kissed my forehead causing me to giggle.

  “Are you looking forward to the Club this year?” Lauren asked, pressing her forehead up to mine.

  “Of course!” I replied as enthusiastically as I could manage. The ‘Homework’ Club as it had been dubbed was… well… without dancing around it… It was an after school sapphic BDSM club. One I’d been recruited into during the last school year and would be the sole returning member of when the school year started. It was all WELL and truly off the books for all the reasons you’d expect.

  Honors students who got really good grades and were so inclined were all potential candidates and it would be my responsibility as the new club president to find new members when the school year started. It was honestly a nerve wracking responsibility but I was going to have to put on my big girl pants and get it done if I was going to get them taken off. If it weren’t for knowing Lauren was counting on me I’m not sure I’d have had the strength but I was committed, heart, mind and soul to making this the best year ever, because I knew I wasn't getting a second shot at this.