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Chapter 20: English or American?
Thoughts of what gossip may trail its way towards the staff room should Steph Haydock notice them arriving together, weren't ones which had arisen in Rachel and Eddie's minds. Not as they'd done the previous week, anyway. The pact to turn up in separate cars appeared to be long gone.
It seemed that's what a morning full of teasing one another resulted in, not to mention numerous - somewhat welcomed distractions - which put pay to either of the adults rational thought processes. Rachel had been powerless to drag herself out of bed as Eddie trailed kisses across her body, and he had been much similar when it came to removing himself from the sofa, with her arms anchored around his neck.
These were only a handful of the memories bouncing around in Eddie's mind as Rachel pulled up outside the school, his gaze almost magnetising towards her as the vehicle came to a standstill.
"Oh, what wonderful timing," Rachel's sarcastic tone brought Eddie out of his reverie, watching as she blinked rapidly.
It took his mind a moment or two to catch up, still lost in the realms of their morning exchanges. When he did however, Eddie had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, understanding Rachel's aura upon noting a certain smug French teacher approaching their vicinity.
"It's a good job you noticed," Eddie quipped whilst Rachel unclipped her seatbelt, "I was just about to kiss you."
Rachel wouldn't have been able to hold back the smirk if she tried, any anxiety melting away with one look at Eddie.
She swatted his arm playfully before opening the door, absently hoping Steph hadn't noticed the former gesture. Rachel had not pondered over the staff's opinions too much, wanting simply to enjoy this relationship she and Eddie found themselves in. Not to mention the several circumstances they'd had to deal with in recent weeks.
Going public wasn't something they'd discussed, and Rachel found herself delving into ways she could bring it up, along with what Eddie thought of it all.
With a sigh, she realised Steph's first day as head of extended services held priority for now, plastering on a smile as they faced the smirking French teacher.
"Arriving together?" Steph tilted her head, purposefully glancing between the duo, "whatever next."
Eddie took a shared look with Rachel as a response, knowing the last thing they were going to do was lay their private life out bare for Steph Haydock to see and relay.
"Perhaps you should be focussing your efforts today on… the adult learner lessons this afternoon. Rather than, you know, the private lives of your colleagues?"
It took all Eddie's strength to retain his relatively blank expression upon hearing Rachel's comeback, even more so whilst seeing the sheepish look set in across the French teacher's face.
"Well, you know me. Always prepared for the day ahead," Steph's grin never faltered, beaming as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Eddie shifted forwards slightly, reinforcing his presence, "glad to hear it. We are counting on you today Steph."
He sensed Rachel nod beside him, "yes. We are. So don't let us down."
The woman looked marginally apprehensive, perhaps only just realising how important the day ahead was to the school, and the people who knew of it. For Rachel's part, this didn't do anything to quell her concern about whether or not Steph was a suitable appointee. Only the next few hours would tell, said the rational part of her brain.
"The both of you will be pleasantly surprised. I'll have you know I think I'm a bit of an expert in this… adult learner malarkey."
Eddie noted Rachel's hesitation, her furrowed brow only obvious to him as she concealed her apprehension with a smile.
Placing a hand on her back, he made way for an escape route, "right well, we'd better get on. See you later Steph."
Rachel too spoke a goodbye, ignoring her colleagues' cackle as they approached the school.
Once out of the earshot from said colleague, Rachel turned to Eddie, sharing a knowing look, "me thinks that little exchange will be spread around the staff room by lunch time."
Something indescribable passed through Eddie, emotions jumbling as he drank in Rachel's words. He halted their movements as they reached the corridor, tilting his head.
"Do you mind?"
Rachel looked thoroughly nonplussed, "how do you mean?"
For his part, Eddie shuffled somewhat awkwardly on the spot, all of a sudden regretting his choice of question, "well, the staff. Them knowing about us. I know we haven't really talked about it, other than trying and… failing to arrive in separate cars."
He was glad when his former comment received a small smile from Rachel, yet it was with ease that he saw the cracks in her expression, the way she pondered about the matter over and over. And all at once Eddie was cursing himself - she already has enough on her plate.
Rachel swallowed thickly as he watched her intently, not quite realising how long she'd remained silent for, "do you… do you think they're going to be talking about it?"
"Well, I'd place a bet on it."
She couldn't help the scoff as it tumbled from her mouth, "doesn't that… bother you? Them mulling over us dating"
Rachel regretted her words the moment Eddie's face dropped - unnoticeable to anyone else aside from her, she knew him and his expressions.
"Rachel, personally, I don't give a damn who knows," he scanned the corridor, and upon noting it was early enough for it to be practically empty of students, he placed a hand on her arm, "it's… it's not just the staff's opinions that are being questioned here, is it?"
Rachel's heart was beating rapidly, mind struggling to catch up with where this was going and what it could mean, "I don't…"
"Look," Eddie closed his eyes briefly, knowing he was in too deep with his thought process to back out now, "if we're doing the American, casual, see as many people as you like type dating, then… I can see the benefit of keeping things quiet. But… if we're being English. Exclusive. Then, like me, you shouldn't give a damn who knows."
Rachel could feel the smile tugging at her lips, sense the way her entire body was gravitating towards Eddie's. His words were spinning in her mind, what she wanted to say herself seemingly impossible to comprehend as she pondered on it all.
Yet the moment was lost before she could grasp it, a third presence beside them in the form of Joyce telling Rachel she had a phone call waiting for her. Apparently it was going to be one of those days.
A slight smile shared with Eddie, Rachel felt uneasy about how things had been left, knew for certain that their conversation would be one playing on both of their minds until they were presented with the chance of divulging back into it.
….
Striding towards the hall, Rachel found herself revisiting the thought process that this was one of those days. Yet still, the last thing she'd expected was a knock on the door from Candice, explaining that one of the adults was evidently drunk and kicking off at the lessons. Really, after an hour of no hiccups, she should have gathered it was far too good to be true.
Deep breaths, Rachel told herself as Steph came into view, not looking the slightest bit in control of the unraveling situation.
"Look, she's in there, spewed up all over the leaflets and everything," Steph gestured wildly, "reckon the poor woman's had one too many this morning."
"Thank you Steph," Rachel spoke through gritted teeth, willing herself to clean up this mess as soon as humanly possible, "if you could erm… see to the rest of our guests."
The French teacher gave a curt nod before scuttling off, entertaining the remaining attendees with her extravagant stories and dramatics.
For her part, Rachel didn't think this could get any worse. But of course, it could, couldn't it?
Especially when said drunken adult was Melissa.
"Oh, there you are Rach. I was expecting to… see you."
"Melissa," she hissed, taking a light hold of her sister's arm even as she protested the actions, "what are you doing here?"
"Oh," Melissa retorted, "am I not good enough for you now? Not welcome like all of these others?"
"That's not the point and you know it," Rachel allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief as they emerged onto the corridor, away from the questioning gazes of half a dozen parents and guardians, "you're drunk, Melissa. Why show up here when you're out of your mind?"
"I wanted to ask… ask how my son is. Seen as he's spending far more time with you than me at the moment."
"Have you asked yourself why Melissa? Why that might be."
Her sister hesitated long enough for Rachel's expression to change, taking in her appearance as she realised being sick everywhere hadn't done Melissa any good.
"Come on. Let's get you cleaned up, then we can talk."
"I don't want to talk, let me go!"
It was that moment when Rachel regretted loosening her grip, as Melissa slipped away, running towards the exit.
"Melissa?!"
There was a split second where Rachel considered running after her sister, until reality set in. She had a school to run, that was her priority, what she had to put first. Not to mention starting the task of persuading the adult learners to return after the day's fiasco.
Yet those responsibilities didn't burst the bubble of worry that surrounded Rachel. Philip's comments of his drunken mum coupled with everything witnessed today were phenomenons Rachel couldn't simply brush to one side. It wasn't fair on Philip, and it wasn't fair on Melissa. No matter how angry she was with her sister at that moment.
….
All thoughts of revisiting their earlier topic of conversation were banished from Eddie's mind when an entirely separate debacle filled his thought processes.
That didn't change his choice of destination though - Rachel's office. He knew she would be tearing apart Melissa's appearance, wondering where it all went wrong and undoubtedly blaming herself.
Those estimations were only emphasised by the position Eddie found Rachel in; pen still as she stared at some paperwork blankly, head in her hands.
"Rach."
One look was all it took to predict Rachel's next move as she stood, rounding the desk to fall freely into his arms.
She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, already feeling the fresh wave of tears overcome her. Holding onto Eddie's blazer and his arms around her were the only things stopping Rachel from succumbing to emotion and breaking down. Once more, he was the one keeping her afloat, everything would be alright as long as Eddie was around.
"This is a mess, Eddie. No doubt I'll have Ralph Mellor knocking on my door, letting me know what a disaster today has been."
"Hey," he spoke softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as their eyes met, "don't worry about him. You handled things so well today. Just look how many people are returning for next week's lessons despite the situation. What happened… couldn't be helped."
Somehow, Rachel believed Eddie, believed his words and everything they meant. They would make sure Melissa and Philip were okay. Ralph would see the positives from the adult learner lessons. Everything would turn out alright.
Those assumptions were too good to be true, of course. Rachel knew that the moment her office door swung open, instantly causing her and Eddie to spring apart as a fury filled Ralph Mellor appeared.
"Should have known the drunk woman was your sister," the chair of governor's sneered as he took a step closer, "four complaints from those present today. Is that what this is all about for you? Rachel Mason, brilliant head teacher," he glanced towards Eddie, "I don't flaming think so."
"With respect Ralph, what happened today couldn't be helped. I dealt with it in the best way possible," she held her head high, willing the man not to see her nerves as she repeated Eddie's exact phrasing. Today couldn't be helped.
"You're lucky most of them are returning next week. Because it's your job on the line here, no one else's. You want to remember that."
Eddie could feel the anguish building up within him, Ralph's smug expression as he turned doing absolutely nothing to quash that.
Before his arrival, he knew he'd been getting through to Rachel, she was starting to see the silver lining of today. Now, with Ralph diminishing that, she was as close to square one as possible.
And as Rachel collapsed into his arms once more, his chin resting on hers, Eddie was powerless to stop the way he cursed Melissa, Ralph and anything else abolishing the content expression from her face that he had grown to know so well.
….
"Steph actually did okay," Rachel raised her eyebrows as she poured her and Eddie another glass of wine, before following him through to the living room, "before the whole Melissa fiasco, from what I gather she was rather inspiring."
Eddie huffed, leaning back into the chair, "must have been that amazing preparation she was telling us about."
His humour always seemed to shine a light on Rachel's thoughts, Eddie's smile and light hearted nature the perfect antithesis to her concerns regarding Ralph and her sister.
Envisaging the turn Rachel's thoughts had taken, Eddie shifted closer, ensuring their sides were pressed together as he rested his head on her shoulder, "Ralph's all talk. He knows deep down how well you handled things today."
"Hmph. I think his thought process is more along the lines of having it in for me."
"He'll get over it," Eddie spoke with confidence, hoping the apprehensive edge to his tone wasn't evident, "I'll just keep reminding him what an amazing job you're doing."
Rachel shifted to look at him, eyes dancing with amusement, "just don't go all macho on him."
It was the smile they shared seconds before a kiss that had Rachel trailing back towards that morning's conversation. Whether or not the staff knowing was an issue to her, not to mention Eddie's question of exclusivity.
He might have been concealing it well, shielding behind the day's events. Yet below all that, Rachel was certain her lack of answer would be something playing with Eddie's emotions.
"Eddie."
Rachel's whisper broke the spell, Eddie's forehead pulling back from its resting place against hers, "yes, Rachel."
Her breath caught, eyes focusing on nothing other than the pure love radiating from Eddie's features, giving her the confidence to continue, "I… about earlier? What you said. Maybe with the staff… it's not such a problem them knowing. Maybe I am… overthinking it a tad."
"Okay," the glimmer of hope in Eddie's eyes caused Rachel's heart to swell, her earlier conclusion about his feelings towards this topic coming to life.
"Well, what I'm saying is. I'm happy to go public if you are."
His lips twitched with a smile, knowing he would never forget the way Rachel was currently gazing at him, "so… dating wise. Where are we? America or…"
"No England. Definitely England, if that's alright… with you?"
Eddie wouldn't have been able to stop the slight chuckle if he'd tried, "yeah, perfect."
He found Rachel's hand, intertwining their fingers and cherishing the way the tips of hers ran over his knuckles.
"So, with the staff knowing. Does it mean I can hold your hand like this in the playground?"
Rachel's dazzling smile was back, her entire being almost exploding with happiness, "I wouldn't push your luck Lawson," she paused, trailing her free hand across Eddie's chest to play with his collar, much like she'd done that morning, "but I suppose it's something I could consider."
With Rachel's face now millimetres from his, Eddie found himself unable to stop the way his mouth gravitated towards hers, all other thoughts banished from their minds as they shared something which would always feel magical.