Hi everyone!
I was clearing out an old Dropbox account and I found a story I wrote about ten years ago and published on a forum. Given these uncertain and challenging times we are in, I thought I would upload something unashamedly fluffy! About 10 parts in total and set as if Melissa never arrived. Pure Reddie! Hope you enjoy x
The Curious Incident of Falling in Love
He knew she hated Fridays. The day, she had informed him, as she plumped the cushions on the sofa and straightened the leaflets on the coffee table, dragged on endlessly because you know that the weekend is just around the corner.
Tasks which, on an average day, would take fifteen minutes took half an hour, The cooler, usually witness to a handful of pupils each day, provided her with a throng of issues to deal with and on the particular Friday they had been discussing, a mock inspection from the Local Authority.
She was panicking; she always panicked. He found this endearing but would never let on, instead pretending to feign his frustration at being asked to check - and then re-check - evaluation forms and reports which appeared as if by magic on his desk each morning.
Glancing over the top of a large stack of files which rested on the edge of his table, he spotted the paper bag containing a gift he had brought for her. He had known that the inspection would go well but there had been no telling Rachel as she had paced back and forth on the floor of his classroom at lunchtime, her sandwich left discarded besides her coffee next to his.
"Rach, relax."
"How can I relax? She's eating her lunch with Steph and Grantley and god only knows what they are delighting in telling her."
"What could they possibly have to say?"
"Well…" She was faltering. "There was that verbal warning I gave Grantley last week. I mean, he's already threatened me with his Union."
"As if Rachel. He was asleep in class so he hasn't got a leg to stand on."
She had frowned at him, and, in that split second, he could have sworn that his heart had stopped thumping in that way it did whenever he was in her presence. It had dawned on her that perhaps he was right; that maybe he was right about more things that she'd dared give him credit for. She allowed her face to relax into a smile which he mirrored instantly.
"Thanks."
"What for?"
"For putting me at ease. After today I'll be normal again, I promise."
"Good."
"Oi!"
"You said it not me."
She laughed and his heart soared, a gentle flush stirring on both of their faces as eyes met, lingered and dipped shyly. He was at a loss as to what to say and she must have sensed this.
"Perhaps I could buy you a drink after work? To y'know…say thank you."
"A drink?"
"Yes…" She had faltered. "I mean…if you've not got any other plans?"
"No, no of course not. It's just…"
"What?"
"Well, I was going to ask you to come for dinner tonight…to er, celebrate. But looks
like you beat me to it!"
She giggled: that coy, girlish giggle he had come to love. It suited her, fitting the personality of which he had been allowed to glimpse traces of in recent months. They had grown close - something which had seemed impossible after their first meeting.
He cared, genuinely cared for her and he knew that she felt the same to some degree. But what he was unsure of was how exactly he would tell her that he was whole heartedly, head over heels in love with her.
"Dinner? Well, yes…I'd love to. That's if you still want to and if we actually have
something to celebrate?"
"I do and we will. Trust me Rach."
She did, implicitly.
He smiled: dinner was as good as place to