by Anna Archer
“I’ve led an exciting life. It’s just strange.”
“And if you hadn’t been tipped off about the press interest?”
Manny smiled widely. “We’d be in here kissing right now.”
“We would not!”
“We would.”
Eve looked away. “I’m not… I don’t…”
“Relax! I’m teasing you.”
“Is that what you like?”
Manny laughed. “I’m not giving you a point for that as it’s what you’d like.”
“Trust me I wouldn’t.”
“Trust me you would.” Manny laughed again. “Dammit, where’s Jasmine, we could tell her our energy transfer’s back.”
Eve fanned the neck of her costume. “Wouldn’t you rather we just keep things as they are? I teach. You learn. The press stays away.”
Manny stared at the glimpse of cleavage on offer with each fan of the costume. “I’m teaching you, you’re learning from me, the press won’t have a clue. It’ll be fun.”
“You continue to behave in school?”
“Of course.”
“So what changes?”
“We have moments like this. Snatched times where we can have fun.”
“This isn’t fun.”
Manny laughed. “It is.” She spoke seriously. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but it’s all worked out okay. You’ve proved that you’re not a bad teacher who makes plays for her students. I’ve proved all of my doubters wrong and stuck at this school thing, and the press have lost interest.” She paused. “But we still shouldn’t be seen together, just in case.”
“So what happens?”
Manny smiled. “You’ll see.”
****
Pulling his car into the swimming pool carpark, David spotted the Ridgecrest uniforms, albeit rather dishevelled. Beeping his horn, he buzzed down his window. “Ladies!” he shouted. “Is Miss Eden with you?”
“We don’t talk to strangers,” said Ava.
Jasmine batted her classmate. “How old are you, Ava?” Walking over to the large Range Rover, she squeezed the drips of water from her ponytail as she nodded in approval at the sports alloys. “She’s still in the pool, why, who are you? Her boyfriend?”
David relaxed into his seat. “Might be.”
Ava joined them at the car window. “She’s with Manny.”
“In the pool?”
Ava nodded.
“They’re in the pool in their costumes?”
“Err, yeah, we’ve just had swimming.”
David unbuckled his seatbelt. “Does the pool have a viewing gallery?”
“Gross,” said Ava.
“Don’t let Miss Eden catch you perving at Manny,” added Jasmine.
“As if I’d want to look at that lesbian!” said David, barrelling his way out of the car.
“Hey! You can’t say that!” shouted Jasmine, marching after him.
“What’s going on here?” said Eve, exiting the building and stopping them all in their tracks. “Have you girls only just got changed? Honestly you’ve been clogging up those cubicles for far too long. And what are you doing here, David?”
“Where’s Manny?”
Eve frowned. “Continuing her swim. Why? What is this?”
David straightened his tie and addressed the school girls. “Nothing to see here. Could you please give us adults some space?”
“Miss Eden, he called Manny a—”
“Enough!” barked David. “I need to speak to my girlfriend.”
“Nice one!” whistled Jasmine. “The motor would sell him to me as well, Miss.”
“This man isn’t my boyfriend, but would you please leave us now, girls.”
“Lovers tiff,” whispered David.
“You’re better than this, Miss Eden,” said Ava before walking away.
“Money lasts, looks fade, good choice, Miss Eden,” said Jasmine, following after her classmate.
Eve folded her arms and waited for the girls to be out of earshot. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to apologise.”
“For what?”
“For…”
Realisation suddenly dawned on Eve.
“I was rude on our date. I apologise.”
“Anything else?”
“I…” David paused. “No, that’s it.”
“Right, thank you and goodbye.”
“Wait. I don’t get a second chance?”
Eve turned to leave. “People rarely get a first chance with me, count yourself lucky.”
Chapter Eighteen
“I know who it was,” whispered Eve into Manny’s ear as she crouched at the side of her desk at form time the next morning.
Manny glanced around at her classmates who were all head down and reading. “It’s not even been a day and you’re already whispering in my ear?”
“What do you want me to do? Write you a note?”
“No! That would be worse.” Manny smiled and whispered even quieter. “You’ve never had an affair, have you?”
“Of course not.”
“No paper trail, no online trail.”
“Shush!” snapped Ava from the front.
“No physical trail,” continued Manny, signalling her teacher away with a tilt of her head.
Eve returned to her desk and sat down. She had wondered whether Manny might pop into the sports hall before the start of school to plan out their secret rendezvous, but she hadn’t. Just like she’d started form in exactly the same way as she’d done for the past six weeks. A polite greeting, before starting whatever work had been set. This morning it was a DEAR morning and as such Manny had dropped her school bag and read.
Pulling the book of Demi Moore quotes out from under her desk, Eve did a quick flick and point. I want to play many different characters. Relaxing back into her seat she thought carefully. Did she want to play a different character? Did she want to act out? Her high mood since her chat with Manny in the sauna yesterday certainly suggested that, as did the extra glass of wine she’d allowed herself to indulge in last night, something that rarely happened on a Thursday evening after the gym, but the knowledge that it was just a spiteful David who’d tipped off the press had made the whole ‘investigation’ easier to stomach. She looked to her student at the back of the classroom. Manny was right though. They’d still have to be careful.
Eve turned at the knock on her door before smiling as Bonnie popped her head into the classroom.
“Sorry to disturb you, Miss Eden, could I have a quick word please?”
Eve rose from her seat and followed her colleague into the corridor. The girls didn’t need a reminder to read quietly, their behaviour could now be counted on in all situations. Even so she did glance back to check before turning her attention to Bonnie.
“You’re avoiding me,” whispered Bonnie. “And you don’t have any frees on a Friday and I’m worried I’m not going to see you until after half term and we can’t go on like this.”
Eve smiled at the genuine concern. “You could pop down and help me with netball club at lunchtime if you like?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Bonnie handed over the warm cupcake she’d been holding. “I’m sorry about David.”
“Did you know?” she asked, staring straight at her colleague.
“That he was inappropriate? Yes, and I didn’t take it seriously enough and for that I’m sorry. I should have said it sooner, but you know what the first term’s like, it goes by in a flash and we’ve both been so busy but I’ve noticed your absence in the staffroom and I miss you.”
“That he went to the press?”
Bonnie’s cheeks flared with colour.
Eve handed back the cupcake. “You should have warned me.”
“I’d only have warned you if I thought something was going on. If I thought there was something you had to hide from.”
“I’m having to hide from him! He accosted me at the swimming pool yesterday. Telling the girls he was my b
oyfriend and all sorts.”
“Oh Eve, I really am sorry. I think he may be going through a midlife crisis.” She nodded. “He’s said he won’t be back for a while.”
“Good.”
“Forgive me?”
Eve shrugged. “You’re meant to be my friend, Bonnie. My mentor.”
“You don’t need my help. Look at you.” She signalled towards the classroom. “You’ve tamed her. You’ve got them all eating out of your hand as usual. Mrs Howard asked me to report in on your progress yesterday and I said you were flying.”
“How do you know? You haven’t asked me.”
“It’s obvious. You’re doing what you do best, Eve, being that perfect teacher who puts the rest of us to shame.”
Eve thought back to the quote she’d just flicked to. Maybe it was time to act out. “Well I don’t accept your apology and I don’t want to make up.”
“Eve?”
“Sorry. I just wanted to try it.”
“You were joking?”
“Oh Bonnie maybe I’m fed up of being Miss Perfect who always does as she’s told and accepts everyone else’s misdemeanours.”
Bonnie giggled. “Woo hoo! Right. We’re going for drinks. I’ve been waiting two years for this moment. You’re finally ready to let loose and party.” Bonnie paused. “But it’ll have to be on the final Saturday of half term as I’m off to Lanzarote tomorrow for that last bit of autumn sun.” Bonnie turned to leave. “Next Saturday, we’re on, I’ll send you the details. You can tell me all about the wicked week of fun you’ve had. Oh how brilliant! I do like this new leaf of yours, Eve! Right, I’m off. Toodle-oo, oh angelic one.”
Eve watched as the lime green suit and flame-red hair bounced its way down the corridor then looked to the squashed cupcake that had ended up back in her hand. She sighed. Rectifying mistakes was as easy as that for some people. Looking through the glass she stared at Manny. Would she be a mistake she’d even want to rectify?
Chapter Nineteen
Standing on the floodlit 3G hockey pitch that evening, Eve couldn’t seem to shake the disappointment about the rest of the day from her consciousness. The final Friday of term would usually involve some sort of frivolity or other somewhere down the line, but Bonnie’s warm cupcake was about as exciting as it had got. Her examination classes had continued to work quietly, not trying to twist her arm for a fun lesson like they sometimes did, and her practical classes had been content with the mini tournaments she’d organised. In summary, the day had been rather boring, causing this evening’s low mood. What she’d imagined might happen after her chat in the sauna with Manny, she wasn’t quite sure, but the fact that nothing had happened only served to fuel her confusion. She’d half expected Manny to come to her with a plan of action, or list of dates and events she’d be required to sneakily try to attend, but Manny had gone about her business as usual: head down, with no extra-curricular interactions.
Dropping her gaze to the green spikes of fake turf, Eve performed a static Indian dribble with the luminous orange hockey ball before pulling her hands together at the top of her stick and walloping the ball towards the empty goal. It hit the backboard with a loud crack. She looked towards the club house and huffed, still no sign of coach Kim or her teammates. Beginning her walk to retrieve the ball she thought how nice it would be if just once someone would join her for a pre-training knockaround instead of leaving her to hit, score and collect all by herself. Scooping the ball backwards with her stick, Eve sighed, she knew why no one else arrived early; they all had hectic lives that saw them dashing from place to place, managing the various people in their worlds and the various places they all had to be; the two hour hockey training session and one hour game the next day being an absolute privilege for most, with some even feeling guilty for taking the personal time for themselves.
Dribbling the ball back to the edge of the D, Eve cocked her head at the sound of a wolf whistle. She turned to the club house half expecting it to be coach Kim wanting a hand with the bag of cones, balls and goalie equipment, but there was no one there. Returning to her orange ball she pulled her hands together at the top of the stick ready to wallop it at the goal once again, but a loud bird-caw sound stopped her. It wasn’t an actual bird but that’s what the high-pitched ca-caaaw-ca-ca-ca was obviously trying to impersonate. She turned this time to the wooded area on the other side of the pitch and squinted. The floodlights made it difficult to see into the bushes at this time of night but there was nothing sinister about the area. In fact the adults allowed the children to play in there on a Saturday whilst the matches were going on. There were various trees good for climbing and bushes perfect for making dens, but the fact it was part of the hockey club’s grounds, and as such fenced in, made it an exciting but safe space for the kids. She listened again. The ca-caaaw-ca-ca-ca had morphed into a growling dog woof: grrrr-woof-woof-woof. The caw became more anxious. Ca-cawwww, woof-woof, ca, woof, caaaaa, woof-woof-woof. Eve laughed. The dog had clearly eaten the bird.
Walking to the right-hand side of the pitch she’d give the kids a round of applause. They obviously hadn’t been trying to get her attention but it would be nice to speak to someone even if it was just a random prankster in the bushes. She put her hockey stick under her arm to free up her hands for the clap when a hushed but stern voice sounded out from the darkness.
“Don’t come any closer.”
Eve froze.
“Turn around. Face the club house.”
Eve did as she was told.
“Wiggle your bottom.”
Eve gasped. She thought she was going to get shot, not sexually accosted.
The voice giggled. “Wiggle it.”
Eve spun back around. “Manny?!”
“Don’t face me! People will wonder who you’re talking to.”
Eve squinted. “Manny?! What the bloody hell are you doing?”
Manny laughed, momentarily stepping out of the shadows. “I’ve come to watch you.”
Eve squinted again. “And what the bloody hell are you wearing?”
“A disguise.”
Eve peered at the long black trench coat, over-sized pork pie hat and obviously fake moustache.
Manny filled the silence. “My dad’s. Not the moustache. I got this from a cracker last Christmas. It’s one of those horrible plastic ones you have to stick up your nose.”
Eve stepped closer to the barrier that marked the edge of the pitch. “How did you get in?”
“I walked through the carpark.”
“Dressed like that?!”
“My car’s a couple of streets away. No one saw me. I watched you arrive.” She smiled. “You look really professional knocking the ball around with the floodlights focused on nothing but you. Like a sports hero at the start of a film.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You. You look sensational, Eve.”
Eve stared at her student. She couldn’t repay the compliment. “And you look…”
“Disguised.”
“No, you look like a flasher. You can’t just loiter around in the bushes all evening.”
Manny smiled. “You just watch me.”
“How did you even know I’d be here?”
“You always talk about your club. Training times and matches are on the website. I thought I’d come early to hide, but here you are, already warming up.” Manny hushed. “Quick! Turn around!”
“What?”
“Turn around!”
Eve casually angled herself back towards the club house. Coach Kim was dragging the heavy kit bag out of the door. Eve spoke to Manny without moving her lips or her body. “Go away.”
Manny hushed. “What?”
Eve clenched her teeth harder, pretending to look up at the floodlights. “Go away.”
“No, I’m watching you train and then, when you go into the clubhouse at the end of the session, you’re going to buzz open your car and I’m going to jump in the back seat footwell.”
“Wh
at?”
“No one will see me. I’m like a stealth ninja.”
Eve turned back around. “You’re not. You’re like a peeping Tom in a pork pie hat.”
“Don’t look at me! She’s looking!”
Eve spun back to Kim who was almost on the pitch and waved before speaking again through gritted teeth. “She’s not even seen me. And what if I hadn’t been early?”
“You’re the type of person who’s always early, plus you’d have noticed me.”
“How?”
Manny cawed. “Ca-caww—”
“Stop it! She’s seen me.”
“Good. Wiggle your bottom as you walk away, and don’t forget to buzz open your car on the way to the clubhouse.”
Eve was about to reply when Kim shouted her over. She waved to say she was coming, but angled one final closed-teeth growl at Manny. “You’re insane.”
Manny’s reply was quick. “And you love it.”
Smiling as she jogged towards her coach, Eve gave her bottom a wiggle. Manny was right. She did love it. Her student, dressed as a moustached flasher, stalking her in the wooded area of her hockey club. It was so inappropriate, yet so thrilling, and no amount of personal chastisement would change the fact that she wanted this. She needed this.
“What were you doing standing over there?” snapped Kim. “You need to be practising your shots. We’ve got Westminster tomorrow.”
“And we’re going to whoop them!”
Kim paid attention. “What are you so happy about?”
“It’s half term!”
“And you have plans?”
Eve paused before smiling. “They’re coming together.”
“Well don’t let it detract from your hockey. You’re the only player I can count on.”
Eve nodded. It wasn’t entirely true but Kim liked to dramatize. Kim also liked to keep her in her good books, needing her to help set up and pack away, often counting on her to lead the training session whenever she was ill or on holiday, calling on her to help with the fundraising and begging her to attend the odd committee meeting when she couldn’t make it, clearly knowing the other women didn’t have the time, or maybe the patience to get involved with anything else. Strange though, thought Eve, how they all managed at least one quick pint in the clubhouse after a big win.