Chapter 32 - CEO in the Classroom: Part Two

A/N- Jay is now officially an ELA teacher because I refuse to think about sceince ever again thanks to my Bio teacher 😭💀. So please just cooperate with me while I protect my peace 😭🙏✨

JAY JAY POV 

I was in the middle of explaining the themes of The Great Gatsby, trying my best to ignore the billionaire sitting in my chair, when Scarlett raised her hand. But she wasn't looking at me. Her eyes were glued to the guest at my desk.

"Sir?" Scarlett asked, her voice suddenly dropping into a breathy tone she definitely doesn't use when asking about homework.

Keifer didn't even look up from his laptop at first. "Yes?" he answered, his voice deep and indifferent.

"Don't you find ELA a bit... boring?" she continued, twirling a strand of hair and leaning against her desk. "A man like you must prefer something more exciting."

I froze, my chalk hovering over the word Symbolism.

Gago. Is she really flirting with my husband right in front of my face? In my own classroom?!

I glanced at Keifer. Instead of shutting it down immediately, he actually leaned back in my chair. He closed his laptop halfway and tilted his head, a small, amused smirk playing on his lips. He was enjoying this. He liked seeing me ripple with irritation.

"Excitement is subjective," Keifer said, his dark eyes flickering toward me for a split second before landing back on Scarlett. "But I suppose a little distraction doesn't hurt."

Scarlett giggled—a high-pitched sound that made my teeth ache. "Exactly! Maybe you could give us a guest lecture? On something you're an expert in? I'd be a very attentive student."

My grip on the chalk tightened until it snapped in half. Crak!

My jealousy suddenly roared to life. I felt like a volcano about to erupt, and the lava was made of pure annoyance. I turned around, the broken chalk still in my hand. I didn't look at Keifer—I looked straight at Scarlett.

"Scarlett," I said, my voice dropping into that dangerously calm tone that makes the whole class go silent.

"Yes, Ma'am Jay?" she asked, looking startled.

"Since you find the themes of Gatsby so boring and prefer excitement, how about this?" I walked slowly toward her desk, ignoring the slight limp in my leg. "If I hear one more word out of your mouth that isn't a direct analysis of the text, you will be spending your exciting afternoon in Saturday detention. With me. And I promise you, I will make you diagram every single sentence in a five-hundred-page novel."

The classroom went so quiet you could hear the clock ticking. Scarlett's face went pale, and she immediately sat up straight.

"Sorry, Ma'am," she whispered.

I turned my gaze to Keifer. He was watching me with an expression that was pure smugness. He looked like he'd just won the lottery.

"And you," I hissed, leaning over the desk so only he could hear me. "If you don't stop enjoying the distraction, you can walk home. And there will be no heart-shaped pancakes. Ever."

Keifer's smirk widened. He reached out and caught the hem of my cardigan, tugging me just an inch closer.

"I told you," he whispered, his eyes glowing with that dark, possessive light. "I'm only here for my wife. But God, Jay... you're sexy when you're jealous."

Gago!

"Open your books to page 112!" I yelled at the class, my face redder than a fire engine. "Now! Or everybody gets an essay!"

I sat back down on my stool, my heart hammering.

 This man is going to be the death of me. Truly.

That's how the rest of our day went. I thought having Keifer in my classroom would be helpful for my recovery, but it was basically like having a giant, handsome, overprotective guard dog sitting in the front row.

Between periods, he would lean over while I was grading papers and make side remarks just loud enough for only me to hear.

"That sweater makes your eyes look incredible, Teacher," he'd mutter, or, "If you keep biting your lip while you read that essay, I'm going to have to end this class early."

Gago! My face was a permanent shade of crimson all afternoon.

But the worst part—well, the most Keifer part—was how he handled my male students. If any boy so much as stepped within a two-foot radius of my desk to ask about their grades, Keifer would stop typing on his laptop and just... stare.

When Jake came up to hand in his homework, he accidentally brushed against my desk. Keifer's head snapped up, his eyes turning into ice.

"Back up," Keifer said, his voice dropping into that low, terrifying CEO growl. "You're crowding her."

"S-sorry, sir!" Jake squeaked, practically jumping backward and nearly tripping over a chair.

"Keifer!" I hissed, hitting his arm. "He's just a student!"

"He's a male with eyes, Jay," Keifer countered, going back to his laptop like he hadn't just traumatized a teenager. "That's close enough."

By the time the final bell rang, I was exhausted. Not from teaching literature, but from managing my husband's ego and the constant stares of a hundred teenage girls.

As the students filed out, whispering and looking back at the man still sitting in my chair, I let out a long breath and slumped against the chalkboard.

"Finally," I groaned. "Can we go home now, Mr. Bodyguard?"

Keifer stood up, stretching his arms over his head. The way his shirt pulled against his chest made me look away quickly. Even after all day, he still looked like he just stepped out of a photoshoot, while I probably had chalk dust in my hair.

"Home," Keifer agreed. He walked over to me, ignoring the few lingering students at the door, and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into him. "But since I was such a good assistant today, I think I deserve a reward."

"A reward?" I asked, my heart doing that annoying skip again. "You barked at half my class and stole my seat!"

"Exactly," he whispered, his lips grazing my forehead. "It's hard work being the most hated man this school.I want those heart-shaped pancakes for dinner. And you're wearing my hoodie for the rest of the night." 

He's so bossy.

"Fine," I mumbled into his chest, secretly loving the way he smelled like expensive cologne and safety. "But only if you carry my bag. My leg is tired."

Keifer didn't even argue. He grabbed my heavy bag with one hand and kept the other firmly around my waist as we walked out.

"Anything for my wife," he said.

After we finally made it to the parking lot, Keiran scrambled into the back seat and didn't even wait for the doors to close before he started glaring at the back of Keifer's head. If looks could kill, Keifer's expensive haircut would be in serious trouble.

"What is it?" Keifer asked as he started the engine, sounding completely unbothered.

"You are never allowed to be in my school again," Keiran said, pointing a finger at Keifer through the reflection in the rearview mirror.

"It was mine first," Keifer argued, pulling out of the parking space with one hand on the wheel.

"I don't care! You are never coming on the school grounds again!" Keiran's voice went up an octave. "A girl actually asked me, 'Can I date your brother?' or—wait, this one is worst. I don't even want to tell Ate. She will kill me for hearing it."

I felt my ears perk up. Gago. What did these teenagers say about my husband? I chose to keep my eyes on the road, trying to act like a dignified teacher, but inside I was already planning which student to give extra homework to.

"Seriously, Kuya," Keiran groaned, sinking into his seat and covering his face with his hands. "Before you got married... I honestly thought you were gay."

The car went silent for a split second.

I bit my lip so hard I thought it might bleed. I tried not to laugh, I really did. I looked out the window, watching the trees pass by, but my shoulders were shaking. The great, masculine, overprotective Mark Keifer Watson... thought to be gay by his own brother because he never looked at anyone else.

Keifer's grip on the steering wheel tightened, and his jaw did that little tic it does when he's annoyed.

"I am not gay, Keiran," Keifer said, his voice flat and dangerous.

"Well, how was I supposed to know?" Keiran shot back, gaining confidence. "You never brought girls home! You just worked and looked grumpy! Then suddenly you're following Ate around like a puppy and barking at my classmates. It's confusing for everyone!"

I couldn't hold it in anymore. A snort escaped me, followed by a full-on giggle.

"Ate, seriously! When he was in high school, he only ever invited boys from Section E to the house!" Keiran continued, leaning forward between the front seats to make sure I was listening. "He never once brought a girl home. Not even for a group project! What do you expect me to think?"

I turned my head slowly toward Keifer, my eyes wide and full of mischief. "Is that true, Watson? Only Section E boys? No girls for group projects? Not even a study date?"

Keifer didn't look at me. His jaw was set tight. "Section E was... efficient. Girls were a distraction."

"Excuses!" Keiran shouted from the back. "Before Ate came along, I was already looking for a nice guy to introduce to the family just so Kuya Keigan wouldn't have a heart attack about you being alone forever."

I burst out laughing, hitting my hand against my leg—then immediately winced because I forgot it was still healing. "Keiran! You really thought that?"

"Yes!" Keiran exclaimed. "I mean, look at him! He's obsessed with his hair, he's picky about his coffee, and he ignored every cheerleader who tried to talk to him. It was a logical conclusion!"

KEIFER POV

I am going to kill him. I am going to ship Keiran to a boarding school in the middle of a desert where they don't have internet or girls.

"I was focused," I said, my voice dangerously low. I glanced at Jay-Jay. She was doubled over, her laughter filling the car, and even though she was making fun of me, the sound made the irritation in my chest soften.

"Focus is one thing, Kuya," Keiran muttered, settling back into his seat. "But you were basically a monk. A very grumpy, rich monk."

I took a deep breath and pulled the car into the driveway of the mansion. As soon as I parked, I turned the engine off and looked at Jay-Jay. She was still wiping a tear from her eye, her face flushed and beautiful.

"Are you done?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"No," she giggled, leaning over to poke my cheek. "I'm just imagining you in high school, ignoring all those cheerleaders just so you could hang out with your Section E boys. Gago. You really were a mystery, weren't you?"

"The mystery is solved," I muttered, grabbing my laptop bag. I leaned over, closing the distance between us until our noses were almost touching. Keiran let out a loud 'Eww!' from the back, but I ignored him. "I was just waiting for a clumsy, food-obsessed teacher to fall into my life and ruin my reputation."

I kissed her quickly, a firm, possessive move that silenced her laughter for a heartbeat.

"Keiran, get out of the car," I ordered without looking back. "And if I hear another word about my high school social life, you're eating leaves for dinner."

"Fine, fine! I'm going!" Keiran scrambled out, muttering about how I was finally acting like a straight man now that I was obsessed with my wife.

I looked back at Jay-Jay, who was smiling at me with so much warmth it felt like a physical weight.

"Section E, huh?" she teased softly.

"Shut up, Jay," I said, but I couldn't stop the small smile from finally breaking through. "Let's go inside." 

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