As Kate drove home, a large clap of thunder startled her from her thoughts and she turned her attention onto the road ahead. Within minutes, the rain lashed down on her little Fiat, and she turned the wipers on full pelt in an attempt to clear the windscreen. Turning the dial up on the heater, she tried to clear some of the steam that was fogging her view.
As far as new jobs went, today had been pretty good. Kate couldn't say that she was bowled over by Dr Caroline Elliott, but there was something about her that she found intriguing. Perhaps it was the way that her blue eyes seemed to look right through her or the way she strutted and sashayed when she walked. Whatever it was, it wasn't quite enough to counteract the cool exterior. Just because she was the head of a very successful independent school, it didn't mean that she had to be standoffish and unapproachable. Kate was determined to show her and she would produce a paper proposing that they restart the choir before the deadline. She might also ask about starting up a lunchtime French club.
And she had made friends with another new teacher, Sophie. She was younger than Kate by a few years but she seemed like fun and she was very easy going. She had a mischievous air about her that Kate was drawn to and they had giggled like school children when she loosened the top of the vinegar bottle in the café ready for the next unsuspecting diners. She had been a little loud and boisterous for Kate but she was sure that Sophie would tone herself down once she got to know her. Perhaps it was just nerves.
Kate was not only new to the school but she was also new to the area. She had left all of her friends behind, including her ex-husband, and she was very unlikely to keep in touch with all but a handful of them. She had been part of an extremely close knit circle of friends but, under the circumstances, Kate felt that if she was going to move on with her life, she would have to start afresh. It was a sacrifice she would have to make and it both excited her and scared her.
As she pulled up on her street as close to her garden gate as she could get, the rain started to come down even heavier and she planned a strategy for getting to the front door without too much drama. She unclipped her seatbelt and leaned over into the backseat, pulling through her bag and her handbag. Taking out her front door keys, she grabbed the keys out of the ignition, opened the door and scrambled out of the car, hitting the ground running. She splashed through the puddles, turning round briefly to point her keys at the car and lock it. By the time she got to her door, she looked like a drowned rat. She let herself in and stood in the hallway thinking about how to minimise the damage and avoid getting water everywhere.
Holding out her arms and looking down at her trousers she laughed. The rain was dripping off her nose and she stuck out her bottom lip and blew the droplets away. She took off her bag which was draped across her body and slipped off her ballet pumps, which had little pools of water in them. Then Kate proceeded to take off her trousers and her cardigan and dropped them onto the floor. Her blouse was stuck to her skin and the outlines of her breasts were visible, her nipples pert from the cold. Unbuttoning her blouse, she padded through to the kitchen and opened the washing machine door before throwing all her clothes in. She picked up a towel and rubbed her hair and then wiped down her arms and her chest.
Standing in her underwear, she watched the rain battering against the kitchen window, looking at her own reflection in the glass. She wondered what Dr Elliott would look like with wet hair wearing just her bra and pants. They would no doubt be a matching set, purchased perhaps from Victoria's Secret. Something dark to offset her milky complexion. Navy blue perhaps, and lacy. They would have to be lacy. Then she thought about Sophie and how different she would look. She would be wearing a sports bra and girl boxers, may be matching but nothing silky or lacy. They would be practical and the bra give her B cup breasts just enough support. Shaking her head and bringing herself back to reality, she made the decision to get in the shower. It would have to be a cold one judging by the thoughts that had just been running through her head.
It was just starting to rain as Caroline slammed shut the front door with her backside. She dumped her keys on the hall table, hung up her coat and kicked off her shoes.
"Boys, I'm home."
She shouted upstairs and walked past the living room, poking her head around the door. Finding it empty, she headed into the kitchen. She dropped her paperwork and her bag on the counter and walked straight over to the wine rack. Picking up a bottle of red wine and simultaneously reaching for a glass from the shelf, she poured a large measure and took a mouthful.
Caroline closed her eyes and placed both hands onto the counter, leaning forward slightly and breathing in and out deeply. After a few moments, she stood up straight and looked around her.
"Why can't my family behave like normal human beings and tidy up after themselves, instead of leaving my kitchen like the corner of a primitive man's cave."
She pushed up her sleeves and started to wipe around the sink, placing dirty pots into the dishwasher as she moved from one side of the kitchen to the other. Once she was satisfied the kitchen was clean and tidy, she flopped into one of the comfy armchairs in the corner by the window and tucked one foot under her leg. She leaned her head back closed her eyes, relaxing into the cushion.
Her first day back at work hadn't been so bad. She had had confirmation that her choice of new staff had been the right one but she was still trying to weigh up Miss McKenzie. Would she tow the party line or would she be a bit of a rebel raiser and question everything she said. Either way, Caroline was looking forward to the challenge. There was something about her that Caroline found slightly vulnerable and she made a mental note that she would perhaps schedule in some one-to-one meetings to make sure that she was settling in.
Minutes later, her youngest son bowled into the kitchen. He had a way of leaving a trail of chaos around him and Caroline sighed as he quickly undid some of her attempts to tidy up as he pulled out a loaf of bread from the cupboard and started to cut himself a slice.
"Lawrence, please do not snack before dinner. It will be ready in half an hour. I just need to turn on the oven and put the casserole dish in to warm it through. Do you think you can wait for half an hour?"
He took his head out of the fridge and turned to look at her, his hand on a packet of ham.
"But ma, that's ages away. And I'm starving."
"No Lawrence, you are not starving. There are people in Africa who are starving. People who haven't eaten for days. You are not starving. You ate approximately 5 hours ago."
"Dad says that it is important for a growing boy like me to eat regularly and have proper meals."
Caroline rolled her eyes.
"Well your father isn't here is he?" She was going to leave it there and then her brain caught up with what he had said. "Wait a minute. You do eat regularly. And you do eat balance meals. I always cook you a proper meal when you get home from school. Is your father trying to say that I don't look after you properly because if he is, if he is then he can …" She looked over at her son and smiled.
"How was your first day back? Timetable OK?"
Lawrence just shrugged his shoulders and grunted. He finished off the slice of ham that was in his hand and closed the fridge door before walking out of the kitchen.
"So it was OK then? Good. I'm glad we had this conversation. Err, dinner would be ready a whole lot sooner if I had some help. Perhaps if you would like to turn on the oven or set the table." She stopped when she realised that he wasn't going to come back into the kitchen. "Or maybe not. Thanks Lawrence, thanks a lot. I'll just do it myself then shall I?"
And she lifted her tired body out of the chair and started to cook tea for everyone.
It took Kate just one evening to prepare the report for Caroline setting out how she would resurrect the competition choir but she was damned it she was going to take it in the very next day. She waited until Thursday before she decided to hand it over to Beverley.
"I think that is an excellent idea Kate. I always loved to go and support the choir and I am sure that you will have the full backing of Dr Elliott. I will pass this through to her when she is free and let you know what she says."
It was later that morning when Kate got a call to say that Caroline was free to see her. She quickly made her way to her office feeling slightly anxious and apprehensive. Knocking on the outer door, she waited for the instruction to enter. Not hearing one, she knocked again, nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
Caroline took off her glasses and stared at the door. Who on earth waited for someone to shout "Come in" now a days before they entered?
Caroline waited for the third knock before she coughed loudly and shouted "Enter" trying very hard to stop herself from laughing at the absurdity of the situation.
Kate walked through the door and closed it behind her, standing rooted to the spot. Caroline continued to stare at her and then realised that she wasn't going anywhere without being told. She waved her hand at the chair opposite her.
"Please."
Kate sat on the very edge of the chair and crossed her feet. She placed her hands on the sides of the chair and leaned forward slightly, waiting for Caroline to kick off the conversation.
"Thank you for coming to see me Miss McKenzie. And thank you for such a detailed report. I was very impressed with the reasoning behind your ideas and the breakdown of the costs. Have you anything more you would like to add to the paper?"
Kate was watching Caroline's lips moving, overawed by the power she was wielding over her. The tone of her voice and the way she was looking at her had completely encapsulated her and she was totally oblivious to anything that she had just said.
"Shall I take that as a no then?"
Kate shook her head slightly.
"Sorry. No. I mean yes. I mean no, I haven't anything more to add."
"Well, on that note, I would like to accept your proposal, subject to the confirmation of the finance committee. But I don't doubt for one minute that they will turn it down. So you are free to go ahead and advertise the auditions for the choir and schedule in an evening for practices, based on the availability of the music room or the auditorium."
Kate smiled and Caroline was struck by how pretty she was. Her whole face was lit up and her eyes sparkled and shone.
"Is there anything else?"
"Err no, sorry. Thank you. Thank you Dr Elliott."
Kate stood up and held out her hand towards Caroline. As she reached out and took it, her fingers closed around the back of her hand and an electric shock shot up her arm. She almost let go but something stopped her and she gently caressed the palm with her thumb and looked deep into Kate's eyes. The air in the office was charged and time seemed to stand still while the 2 women stood transfixed, their eyes drinking in every line and blemish on the others face. Caroline suddenly came to her senses and took a firm hold of Kate's hand and vigorously pumped it.
"Thank you Kate, err thank you. I just want to let you know that I will support you with this venture. Will you close the door on your way out please?"
Caroline watched her leave and then leaned backwards on her desk, the heels of her hand supporting her weight, her legs stretched out in front of her. What had just happened? What on earth had just happened between her and Miss McKenzie? It had been a long time since she had reacted that way to the touch of a woman, a very long time. And she wasn't sure whether it was something she wanted to embrace or shun.
Back in her own classroom, Kate looked at her hand. She could still feel the softness of Caroline's hand in hers and she could smell her perfume on her cardigan. Not an overbearing smell, but a feminine smell that she would forever associate with Caroline. She tucked her chin onto her chest and inhaled, filling her lungs with air and her nose with the scent of Dr Elliott.
It was Friday night and Kate was still at her desk. She had arranged to meet up with Sophie and a couple of the other teachers in town later on but she wanted to get ahead with her marking. She picked up another book and started to read through the homework that she had set her Y8 class. It was dreadful and before Kate had even got to the end of the first paragraph, she dropped her pen and shoved the book away from her. Glancing at the number of books on her pile still to be marked, she changed her mind and pulled the book back towards her and started reading it.
She finished just before 7pm and quickly gathered her things together and locked them away. She could be in town in an hour if she was quick and she quickly sent Sophie a text telling her she would see her about 8pm. Kate was excited to be going out. It was a long time since she had had a Friday night out in town with a group of women.
As she made her way towards the main entrance, she stopped and cocked her head to one side, certain that she could hear a radio playing somewhere. Walking very slowly and carefully, she followed the sound and stopped outside Dr Elliott's office door. Opening the door, she walked through Beverley's office. The door to Dr Elliott's office was slightly ajar and Kate pushed it as much as she felt able to do so without announcing her presence.
Dr Elliott was in her bare feet and was leaning over her conference table. There was a large roll of brown paper spread out and she had a marker pen in one hand and a packet of PostIt notes in the other. She was mapping out what appeared to be a plan of the auditorium divided into different areas. But it was not what was on the table that was intriguing Kate, it was what Dr Elliott was doing. She was singing! She moved around the table with grace, her head held high and her arms waving around from time to time. And Kate find herself completely lost in her private performance, engrossed in the confusion and angst that was on Caroline's face.
"I love mmm but every day I'm learning
All my life I've only been pretending
Without mmm, the world would go on turning"
"A world that's full of happiness that I have never known."
Caroline stopped abruptly, startled by the addition of another voice and she fumbled with her phone which was lay beside her on the table and turned off the music.
"Les Miserables! One of my favourite musicals of all times. Such powerful and emotional songs depicting a love that could never be."
"Did you err can I erm, Miss McKenzie! Can I help you?"
Caroline straightened up and tucked her blouse back into her skirt. She looked flustered and she juggled a number of different pens in her hands before successfully dropping them all onto the floor. Kate watched her as she bent down to pick them up, her eyes drawn to her cleavage which was visible when she leaned forward.
"Sorry Dr Elliott. I was just passing and I heard the music and thought that someone had left on a radio."
Caroline's demeanour changed. Her solitude had been interrupted and she was far from happy.
"Well now you know that it isn't a radio. It is just some batty woman who thinks she can sing. And if there is nothing that I can help you with, I would like to finish off what I am doing. I would ideally like to be home before 9pm tonight."
Kate stood and stared at her. She found some braveness from within her and took a deep breath.
"I think you are a very good singer. I think your vocal range is, err, it is very good. And I am sorry that I interrupted you because I would have liked to have heard you finish off the song. But I did interrupt you and now I wish I hadn't." Kate lowered her head and gripped her fingers behind her back. "OK, I am going to leave you to get back to your drawing and your colouring in. Good evening."
Caroline watched Kate leave and put her glasses on before bending over the table once again. She was flattered by the comment, slightly annoyed at the intrusion but at the same time, felt bad for the way that she had dismissed her. She removed her glasses, threw them on the table and went in pursuit of Kate.
"Miss McKenzie. Miss McKenzie. Could you spare a moment?"
Kate stopped and turned around, surprised to be hear her name.
"Only if you call me Kate. And only if it is a moment. I am meeting someone in just over an hour."
"Thank you. But I must insist that you stop calling me Dr Elliott. It's Caroline out of hours. And I will have you know that I am very good at colouring in. I have even managed to master the art of staying between the lines. Would you like to, err, I wonder if you could, erm perhaps help me with what I am doing. It would really help to have another opinion."
Kate's heart rose suddenly and she nodded and walked back down the corridor and into Caroline's office. Her Friday night wasn't turning out so badly after all. A chance meeting with the lovely Caroline and then a night out with Sophie.