Rory declined the coffee, but whilst Siobhan made one for herself, she told her about Charlie and his mum. What a great kid he was. What a tough time he’d had. About him running away from the foster carers each time his mum went into hospital. ‘So, I was wondering. If his mum had a friend he could stay with when she went into hospital, whether social services would accept that.’
Siobhan sipped her coffee and they walked back to her desk. ‘If she wants to make an informal arrangement with a friend to look after him, social services wouldn’t need to be involved.’
‘And’ – Rory paused – ‘would it make a difference if that person was his teacher?’
‘Oh.’ Siobhan sat back in her chair and narrowed her eyes. ‘Speaking as your friend, Rory, you need to think carefully about this. I know what it’s like; I do. You see so many kids who need help in this job and you want to take them all home. But we can’t. We have to do what we can to help them with the expertise we have. Your expertise is being a teacher.’
Rory had been expecting this. She’d given Siobhan a similar pep talk in the past. Some kids got under your skin and you took them home with you mentally each night. She’d never considered taking one home for real before now. ‘I know what you’re saying. But Charlie is a bit of a special case. He’s a really good kid. I just want to know whether it’s legal. Or ethical. Will I be allowed to do it if Charlie’s mum says she is happy with it?’
Siobhan sighed and rubbed her eyes again. ‘From a social services perspective, there’s no issue. But you might want to check it out with your headteacher.’
That was another bridge that Rory would cross later. Last year, she would have been confident that she would get Derek Brown’s blessing on this. In the current climate, she wasn’t so sure. She stood up and gave her friend another hug.
‘Of course, of course. Thanks Siobhan, you’ve been a great help. I’ll leave you to your piles of paper and get home to mine.’
* * *
But she didn’t get stuck into a pile of marking when she got home because John Prince’s white van was outside waiting for her.
When he saw her, he climbed out of his van, holding a pile of brochures. ‘What time do teachers finish work then?’
‘Never.’ Rory put her key in the lock of the door. She couldn’t look directly at him and her heart had started thumping. ‘Sorry. Was I supposed to meet you here?’
John shook his head. ‘No, no. I just had a couple of bathroom catalogues for you to look at and thought I’d drop them in on my way home.’
Clearly, he could have put these through the letter box. How much should she read into the fact that he’d waited for her? ‘Would you like to come in for a cup of tea? You can tell me which suites you think would fit in my bathroom.’
Over a cup of tea, Rory told him about her plan for Charlie. She had spent the last week thinking about this, but she hadn’t spoken to anyone about it. She was aware how crazy it sounded. But the more she considered it, the more it seemed like the right thing to do. The thing she wanted to do. Now that she had spoken to Siobhan and knew that there was no legal reason why she couldn’t do it, there would be nothing to stop her.
While she told John about it, he sat and listened intently. She wanted him to tell her it was a good idea. Would he think she was crazy? Would she be scaring him off?
‘I think that’s a wonderful idea.’
‘Really?’ She heard the eagerness in her own voice. ‘You don’t think it’s madness?’
He shook his head slowly from side to side. ‘Not at all. If he’s a nice kid, he deserves a break. Especially if his mum is all he has. He must be pretty terrified every time she goes into hospital. Staying here with you and Belle could be just what he needs. He already knows you and knows that you’re kind and caring.’ He took a long drink from his tea. ‘Good for you.’
Kind and caring? It was nice to think that that was how he saw her. ‘Thanks. I’m going to visit his mum in hospital and see what she thinks. I’m not sure how Charlie will feel about it either. Living in his teacher’s house will be a bit weird.’
John shrugged. ‘Got to be better than staying with complete strangers. Especially strangers he doesn’t sound that keen on.’
‘You’re right. Hopefully he’ll see it the same way.’ Rory sat back in her chair. She would also have to speak to Belle about it. This was her house, too. Not that she was spending much time in it lately. Rory had even threatened to start renting out her room for a bit of extra cash.
John leaned forward and put his cup onto the coffee table. He took a slow look around the room. ‘This place is starting to feel really homely. You did a good job of painting that wall. Mushroom 04?’
Rory threw a cushion at him. She’d used about fifteen tester pots on the wall and had been in a world of pain trying to choose a colour, until John had pointed out that they were all essentially the same. ‘Very funny. I surprised myself, actually. Doing the painting was okay – almost therapeutic.’ She’d painted a picture of Nathan Finch’s face on the wall last night and then spent a very enjoyable ten minutes splatting paint at it à la Jackson Pollock.
John threw the cushion back at her. ‘And have you persuaded Belle to let you buy a new sofa?’
‘Well, I was starting to agree with her about keeping it, but…’ Rory shuffled around. There was something not quite right. Belle had been adamant that they should keep their original sofa because it was so soft – she had sighed dramatically that ‘It almost hugs you’ – but right now there was something sharp poking into Rory’s bottom. ‘For some reason I can’t get comfortable tonight.’
John stood and leaned over. He smelled of aftershave and the outdoors. He got closer. And closer. Was he going to put his hand under her bum? ‘Get up for a second, it might be a spring in the cushion. I’ll have a look.’
Rory’s legs felt strangely wobbly when she stood to the side so John could feel around the seat of the sofa. Maybe she needed to eat something.
John stuck his hands down the sides of the seat cushion and prodded about, getting caught up in the throw as he did so. Rory’s mother had made her buy that. Frowning, he shook his arm to extricate it from the fringe. ‘I’ve never understood why people put these things on sofas. What’s the point in choosing an upholstery you like and then covering it over?’
Rory had said the exact same thing to her mother. ‘Just chuck it on the floor. And the cushions.’ Sheila had made her buy those too. Pointless things.
John passed her a couple of cushions as if they were exhibits from a museum and then peeled back the throw. Something small and hard fell to the floor and rolled under the table. John peered after it. ‘What was that?’
Rory got down on her knees and reached under the coffee table. It was a small piece of pea-green Lego. ‘How the hell did that get there? Belle hasn’t played with Lego for years.’
John replaced the throw, trying to put it back in the same position he had found it. ‘Did she like Lego, then? That’s a bit unusual for a girl, isn’t it?’
Rory crossed her arms. He’d pushed a button here. ‘Not for a girl who has me for a mother. Why should Lego be for boys? Should she have played with washing machines and irons, then?’
John gave up trying to get the throw to stay in place and held up his hands. ‘I’m not a sexist pig, honest. Just don’t know much about kids and what they play with.’
‘They play with whatever they want to play with. But I’ll let you off, this time.’ Rory pulled the edge of the throw back into place, chucked the cushions on top and sat down. That was better.
So John didn’t have kids? He was definitely father material. Decent, kind, hardworking, fun. In a lot of ways, he reminded Rory of her own dad. He hadn’t ever spoken about anyone special in his life, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t someone. Although if there was someone, she’d have to be pretty damn understanding about the amount of time he was spending at Rory’s. Could Rory ask him?
Luckily, she didn’
t have to. ‘It wasn’t that I didn’t want kids. It has never been an option really. Just never met the right person.’
That weird feeling started up again. A fizzing sensation in the pit of her stomach. Push it down. ‘You’ve still got time, though. If you wanted them.’ Bugger. Did that sound flirtatious? She was spending too much time with Susie; it was wearing off on her.
John rubbed his nose. Had she made him uncomfortable? ‘Yeah. Maybe. Getting a bit stuck in my ways now, though.’
Rory could have kicked herself. Her mind raced for a witty comeback but it was empty. Cheers, brain.
After a brief awkward silence, John stood up. ‘Anyway, I’m off. I’m going out for a curry with a mate of mine.’
Going out for dinner sounded great to Rory right now. ‘I wish I was going to a restaurant rather than trying to cobble something together in that pathetic kitchen.’
John scratched the back of his head. ‘Well, if you’re not doing anything tomorrow night, we could go out together for something to eat?’
Rory’s face burned. Now he really would think she was flirting. She’d practically forced him to invite her to dinner. Thank goodness she had an excuse. ‘That’s a kind offer. But I’ve promised to go out with Susie tomorrow night.’
Chapter Eighteen
Music thumped through the double doors. There was no neon sign or name stencilled across the windows. The outside of the building looked more like a hotel entrance than a nightclub. Rory had never been here before, but it wasn’t quite what she had expected. Where were the bouncers?
‘What is this place?’ As they entered the lobby area, there was a vibe in the room which instantly made Rory suspicious. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was an air of… desperation?
‘It’s just a nightclub.’ Susie’s innocent expression did nothing to allay Rory’s suspicions. ‘It’s just been so long that you’ve forgotten what one looks like.’
Although Susie was right about it having been a long while since Rory had been in a nightclub – she had quite possibly been wearing an acid rave T-shirt the last time she’d been to one – there was still something odd about this place. Most people seemed to be hanging round in ones or twos; there were no large drunken groups of people out for a night on the town. The room was strewn with banners and bunting decorated with hearts and small fat angels.
‘Shall we put our coats in the cloakroom?’ Penny looked even less keen on this than Rory.
‘Cloakroom?’ A young, attractive man appeared who seemed eager to help them. ‘Right over there, ladies. But let me sign you in first and run you through the opportunities this evening!’
Rory’s head snapped around in Susie’s direction. ‘Why do we need to be signed in at a nightclub?’
Penny was holding her duffel coat and looking confused. ‘What does he mean by opportunities?’
Susie shrugged and smiled at them brightly. ‘You know security these days. It’s a good thing, isn’t it, making sure we’re all safe?’ She lowered her voice, ‘And I wouldn’t mind getting a pat down from him if he’s offering.’
Penny picked up a flyer from the desk and read aloud: ‘“Stupid Cupid. Where singles can mingle.”’
Rory turned to Susie in horror. ‘This is a bloody singles event!’
‘Is it?’ Susie feigned surprise. Badly. Good job she taught IT, not Drama. ‘I didn’t realise. Oh well, we’re here now.’ She turned to the man on the desk. ‘Susie Clark. Without an E.’
‘The Clark or the Susi?’ He winked at her before locating her name badge, which had been clipped to two others. ‘And you must be Aurora and Penny?’
Rory took the badges and gave Penny hers. ‘I am going to kill you,’ she hissed at Susie under her breath.
* * *
Two gin and tonics later, and Rory had forgiven her. Almost.
Rory fished the lemon from the bottom of her gin glass and sucked it. ‘I still don’t know what possessed you to book the three of us into a singles event.’
Susie pretended to knock on Rory’s head. ‘Hello? Because we’re single.’
Rory rolled her eyes. ‘But a whole event focused purely on matching people up? It’s all a bit Last Chance Saloon.’
Susie put her left hand on her hip. Rory had seen that look directed at stroppy Year 11s. ‘You can stop rolling your eyes, young lady. I’m not sure if you are aware, Aurora Wilson, but we have been in the Last Chance Saloon for so long that we each have a stool with our names on.’ She dropped the hand and sighed. ‘I’m bored of chatting to men in pubs who turn out to be married. At least this way, we know everyone here is a possible date. Please just give it a chance. Who knows, you might even find someone worth breaking your vow of chastity for.’
Rory scanned the room. In the near vicinity she counted three beer bellies, two shiny shirts and a toupee. ‘I doubt it.’ She took another gulp of gin. ‘Anyway, you might have warned us, at least.’
‘If I’d warned you, there was no way you would have come, and I didn’t want to come on my own. Although, actually, you are more likely to be approached by a member of the opposite sex if you are alone. Men are intimidated by large groups of women.’
Rory rolled her eyes again.
‘Well, the music’s good.’ Penny tapped her foot. ‘It’ll be nice to have a dance at least.’
‘No.’ Susie grabbed hold of their wrists. ‘No dancing. Men don’t approach women when they’re on the dancefloor, and also we’ll get hot and sweaty and that’s not attractive in women of our age.’
‘Bloody hell, I feel like I’ve just woken up in a Jane Austen novel.’ Rory threw the rest of the gin and tonic down her throat. ‘Sorry, Mrs Bennett, but I’m off to dance. Come on, Pen.’
Thankfully, the music wasn’t too loud, so they could talk whilst they were dancing. ‘I’ve hardly seen you this week, how’s it been at school? Is Finch still breathing down your neck?’
Penny nodded gloomily. ‘He appears all the time; it’s so unsettling. Yesterday we were having a lovely lesson about Buddhism – your Harry was sitting in the middle of the room, dressed in my gold shawl with his legs crossed – and the others were writing Buddhist quotes out and sticking them to him.’
Rory smiled. Everyone referred to 10-G as her class. She only taught them for five hours a week, but it did feel like they were hers. ‘I bet he loved that. Did he have a bar of fruit and nut hidden under the shawl?’
Penny laughed. ‘Probably. Anyway, Mr Finch turned up and told the children to get up and get behind their desks. Apparently, the lesson would have been unsatisfactory because Harry wasn’t getting the opportunity to write, and I was doing nothing to stretch the more able members of the group.’
‘What more able members of the group?’ Rory might love 10-G but she was under no illusions about their academic ability.
‘I tried to explain that they were learning, and Lacey, bless her, started to tell him the main tenets of Buddhism, but he didn’t want to hear it. I’ve got to have a meeting with him next week. I’m dreading it.’
Rory became aware of a short bald man dancing at her elbow. She moved herself around so that she had her back to him. ‘I cannot bear Nathan Finch. He has no idea how hard it is to engage those kids. I wonder how many years it’s been since he had a full teaching timetable? Do you know, he was only timetabled to teach three hours a week when he started with us, and he has given those lessons to a trainee teacher, so he just sits at the back of the room to supervise. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Just ignore him.’
Penny shuffled from side to side, not quite in time to the beat of the music. ‘I wish I could. I’ve got a feeling he’s not going to go away.’
The short man reappeared on the other side of Rory and smiled at her. ‘He’s not the only one,’ she muttered. ‘Come on, let’s go and get another drink.’
When they got back to Susie, she was chatting to a real live man. She was also flicking her hair intermittently – her mating signal – so they
sat on stools a few feet away. When she glanced over at them, Rory pulled a funny face at her. Susie turned back to the man with a smile and stuck two fingers up in Rory’s direction.
‘I don’t know why she is so intent on meeting someone.’ Rory had ordered two more drinks. They needed a lot of alcohol to get through tonight.
‘I can’t understand why she goes for men who are mean to her.’ Penny looked over at Susie. ‘Why doesn’t she try and find someone nice?’
Rory completely agreed. The man Susie was speaking to was one of her classics. Huge biceps. Shirt too tight. A vacant expression.
‘Can you keep a secret?’
Rory turned back to Penny, who was staring into her drink and chasing an ice cube around with her straw. ‘Yes, of course.’
Penny took a deep breath and looked up. ‘I might have met someone.’
She’d kept that quiet. And she wasn’t even looking particularly happy about it. ‘Really? Is it Colin the librarian?’
‘No! How many times do I have to tell the two of you that we’re just good friends!’
Rory held up her hands. ‘Sorry! Sorry! Where did you meet him then? What’s he like?’
Penny smiled, but she looked nervous. ‘He’s lovely. It’s early days but he’s really lovely. When I first met him, I was still engaged to that idiot. But now… well, things have changed.’
Rory hugged her friend. ‘That’s great, Pen. I’m really pleased for you and can’t wait to meet him.’ She kept her hands on Penny’s arms and scrutinised her face. ‘Why aren’t you looking happier about it?’
Penny’s bottom lip trembled. ‘I’m so grateful to you both. After I threw that idiot out, the pair of you were so great. Taking me out with you, looking after me.’ She stared into her drink, then looked up again. ‘But it’s not really me, all this.’ She gestured at the dancefloor. ‘I prefer a night at home. I don’t want you to think I’m one of those women who drops her friends when she meets someone new. And I still want to see you both, but I’m worried that Susie won’t want me to hang out if I’m not looking to meet someone. I’ll just cramp her style.’
Happily Never After_A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy Page 11