Caroline led Kate into the living room and closed the door behind her. They settled on the sofa, Caroline at one end and Kate in the middle.
"So when is the next competition Kate? I really did enjoy the last one for more reasons than one." She smirked at her. "I wouldn't mind coming along to the next one, you know, to support the choir and of course the choir mistress." The last word made her smirk some more and she nonchalantly stretched her hand out and placed it at the side of Kate's thigh.
"We have a busy season this year so the next competition is next weekend. It is a little further to travel though and I am contemplating making a thing of it. If we travel down Friday night promptly after school the children will be rested ready for the competition on Saturday afternoon. And then we can stay over Saturday night and set off back home Sunday morning. That is, of course, if the head teacher gives me permission."
"That sounds like a very good plan. I have heard the head teacher is a bit of a dragon though but I know for sure that she would agree to any plans if you agree to do something for her in return."
Kate looked at her a little bemused.
"Oh, what do you think she would like me to do?"
"Let me show you." Moving across the sofa, Caroline lightly took hold of Kate's arm and pulled her towards her. She twisted her body round so that Kate was laid across her lap, looking up at her. Caroline bent her head down over Kate's face and planted tiny kisses on her eye lids, moving down her nose and onto her cheeks. She ended on her mouth, kissing her tenderly and sucking gently on her lips. With trepidation, she draped her arm over Kate's shoulder and placed her hand on her breast, covering it with her fingers and revelling in the feel of her nipple as it hardened under her touch.
Both women heard the door handle to the living room move at exactly the same time and they moved quickly.
"K.. K.. Kate err Miss McK Miss McKenzie has something in her eye. I was just err just trying to see if I could get it out. There, I think I've got it now."
Kate sat up straight and rubbed her eye.
"Yep, I think that's out. Thank you Caroline."
Lawrence stood moving from one foot to the other. He was desperate to speak to his mum and really didn't care whether Miss McKenzie had something in her eye or not.
"Mum, Angus has asked me to go camping with him next weekend. I really want to go. Can I? It will be awesome. And we won't be going far away. And I will take any homework that I have so that I don't fall behind. I am sure that dad will let me go if I ask him. Can I please?"
"Lawrence, can we discuss this some other time, perhaps tomorrow. I have a guest."
"But all you have to do is say yes. Please. I really want to go. It will be so much fun."
"He's right you know Caroline. It does sound like it will be fun. 2 boys in a tent sleeping out under the stars. And I am sure that there will be adults there. Right Lawrence?" He nodded at Kate and then they both looked at Caroline who suddenly felt pressured.
"Alright, yes alright. Yes, you can go."
Lawrence ran out of the room and Caroline looked over at Kate.
"Well, thank you for that Kate. I really would have liked to have discussed it with John first and think it over some more. But now I have no choice in the matter."
"Oh, I am sorry for making your teenage son happy by coercing his mother into letting him go on a camping trip with his best friend." It was said with such sarcasm that Caroline's head shot around and she stared straight at Kate, her face expressionless.
"Are you mad at me?"
"I'm not mad at you Kate but I would just have liked to have had a little more time to think about it."
Kate sidled back across the sofa. "I do have an ulterior motive though."
The tone of her voice softened Caroline's mood and she waited for Kate to speak again.
"I think that the camping trip just might, could possibly, coincide with the choir competition. If I am right, and given that you enjoyed the last competition so much, I can put you on the list as a member of staff and you could come along with us as a chaperone. Lawrence will be one less thing for you to worry about."
"Miss McKenzie, you little minx. I am beginning to think you want to get me on my own and take advantage of me."
Kate looked at Caroline, passion and desire in her eyes.
"I want nothing more than to take advantage of you. I want to …" and she leaned forward and whispered something in Caroline's ear. The blush started in her chest and finished when it reached her hairline. She couldn't wait!
"Good morning Beverley."
"Morning Dr Caroline. Did you make the most of your early dart from work yesterday?" Beverley looked up quizzically.
"Yes, thank you. Yes I did. Beverley, what's my diary look like today? I would really like to nip out at lunchtime, if I have one."
Beverley was surprised. Caroline almost never had a lunch break. It was very rare that she ate never mind stopped to do anything other than work.
"You have a free slot between 1pm and 2pm. Can I do anything for you to save you having to leave school?" Beverley was curious as to where Caroline wanted to go.
"No, no thank you Beverley. I need to run a few errands myself, err something my mother has asked me to get her."
When Caroline got into her office she turned on her laptop and opened a browser window. Before she ventured out into Harrogate, she needed to make sure that the shop had exactly what she wanted. She could have probably got it cheaper on-line but she wanted it today. She was beyond excited when she found just the thing. Yes, she would definitely pop out at lunch time.
Caroline just about made it back to school before her 2pm meeting with the year prefects. She loved to meet with them and find out what they thought about the school and how it was run. Feedback, whether positive or negative, was something that Caroline thrived on.
After the prefect meeting, she sat down and worked out a budget for the choir competition. If the children travelled on the mini-bus, that would keep the costs down. And a nice cheap hotel would be all they needed. As long as it was central, clean and did a good breakfast.
The end of day school bell rang had gone about an hour earlier and the sudden quietness of the school was deafening. Caroline took her glasses off and almost threw them down on the desk. It has already been a long day and she needed coffee. She had almost forgotten about the parcel she had bought at lunchtime and it would have stayed in her top drawer until the next day had she not banged her leg on the drawer as she was getting up from her desk.
"Shit!" She vigorously rubbed her thigh in an attempt to stop the stinging. She picked up the parcel and shoved it in her pocket.
"Beverley, I am just off to find Miss McKenzie. We need to discuss the trip next weekend for the choir competition. I will be about 20 minutes and would be eternally grateful if there was perhaps a large pot of coffee sat waiting on my desk when I get back. "
She strutted off through the office, a woman on a mission, and Beverley smiled after her. What kind of fool did she take her for?
Caroline would have gone in completely the wrong direction if she hadn't have heard the sound of someone playing the piano and followed her ear. When she rounded the corner onto the music corridor, the second door down was ajar and it was clear that the music was coming from within that classroom. She peered through the small window in the door and spotted Kate. Caroline leaned against the door jamb and marvelled at her. If she wasn't mistaken, she was playing Mozart's Adagio and from memory too. She was very impressed.
Kate had her eyes closed and her body was relaxed and moving with the music. Her fingers hardly touched the keys yet the sound coming from the piano was crisp and clear. Caroline was transfixed at the passion with which she played the piece and the emotion came across well and hit her hard. She tiptoed into the classroom and sat down at the back row of desks, placing her feet on the chair at the side of her and settling down to enjoy what she thought of as her own personal concert.
When she stopped playing, Caroline clapped with great enthusiasm and Kate jumped. She placed her hand flat on her chest and inhaled sharply.
"Caroline! You startled me. How long have you been sat there?"
"Long enough to realise how very talented you are. I had no idea you could make the music come alive like that. I mean, Jerusalem is one thing but this was on another level." She started to make her way down the classroom towards Kate.
"Why Dr Elliot, I do believe that is a compliment. Thank you very much."
Caroline reached into her pocked and retrieved the parcel. She placed her hands around Kate's necking, bending to quickly kiss her right ear, and dropped the parcel in her lap.
"Pour mon professeur préféré."
"Your favourite? Merci mon amour."
Kate opened the packaging to reveal a small blue box. She opened that and gasped.
"Caroline. Oh my God. Caroline, this is beautiful".
She took out a silver chain with a baby grand piano pendant hung on the end of it.
"I love it! Thank you so much."
"Vous êtes les bienvenus ma chère. You are very welcome."
Kate put the necklace on and looked down at. She held it in her fingers and admired it, turning it over and looking at the detail.
"Did you get this from the antique jewellers on the High Street? The one on the corner at the side of the bank?"
"I might have done! What if I did?" Caroline smiled at her, happy that Kate liked her gift.
"I have been looking at that for weeks now but buying it felt so impulsive and impetuous. But you shouldn't have. I feel so spoilt. I'm glad that I am the new owner of it though."
"And I am glad that you are glad. I wanted to buy you something special, really special, to remind you of me. I want you to remember the time that we have spent together."
Kate turned around on her stool and looked up at Caroline.
"The time we have spent Caroline? Not the time we will spend or the time we are going to spend. Is this a farewell gift? Are you telling me this is over?"
Tears started to fall down her cheeks and she couldn't hold them back. Caroline was dismayed. She got down on her knees and cradled Kate, kissing away the tears and tasting the saltiness of them.
"Whatever made you think that? This is just the start of things Kate. I just want you to be reminded of the beginning, of the time we have spent together, of the things we have shared. There will be plenty more moments, things to remember. I don't want this to end, ever."
The trill of the alarm clock woke Caroline from her deep sleep and she turned over. Smiling, she threw her arm onto the other side of the bed feeling for Kate. When she felt nothing, she opened her eyes quickly and moaned.
She had been having such a lovely dream. Kate and her were walking hand in hand through a field full of buttercups and daisies. She wasn't sure where they were going but all she could see for miles around were flowers and trees and blue, blue sky. From time to time, they would stop and hug or kiss each other. They were in no rush to go anywhere and they both seemed carefree. But most of all, Caroline was happy to be with Kate in public where anyone could see them together.
She sighed and wondered whether there would ever be a time when she would be comfortable in that situation.
