"Will that be all for today?" asked the blonde PA as she placed a tray of tea and biscuits on Dr Elliot's office table.
"Yes thank you, Beverley. I think young Mr Wade is at basketball club so no need to wait around to keep him company whilst I speak to his mothers." Caroline smiled politely at Nikki and Helen.
"Okay, well…I'll see you tomorrow then"
"Yes, okay, bub-bye."
"Oh, and don't forget your breakfast meeting with Gavin"
"Yes, thank you Beverley", slight annoyance lacing her voice. 'I'm in a meeting now!' thought Caroline.
"Oh one more thing,.." Beverley poked her head back into Caroline's office causing the Headmistress to roll her eyes . It was out of character for Beverley to behave like this, 'probably angling for some gossip about Michael 'Bloody' Dobson's fate' thought Caroline. "…the Heads of Department meeting has been rearranged for Wednesday."
"Okay, thanks Beverley. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Right, see you tomorrow" she said reluctantly as she retreated from Caroline's office.
"Sorry about that."
"No, no, we appreciate you are a very busy woman, don't we Nikki?' offered Helen in her sultry Scottish tones.
"Aren't we all?" uttered Nikki churlishly. Helen shot Nikki her trademark stern glare.
"Sorry…look, I just want to get to the bottom of all this. We want to know what's going to happen to the ignorant prick. Surely you can understand it's extremely detrimental to the pupils of this school to be taught by such bigots."
"I can assure you that this is an isolated incident."
"How can you assure me that?" challenged the raven-haired woman with her arms folded.
"I think what Nikki's trying to say is how can you ensure that this won't be a recurrent issue. What if Mr Dobson, or other teachers for that matter, continue to wrongfully punish Sam because of their personal views on something that has nothing to do with his education?"
"I can categorically assure you that my teaching staff are not bigots, Ms Stewart."
"Not Dobson you can't" scoffed Nikki.
"Yes, well, that brings me to what I was going to tell you today. Mr Dobson has been issued a written warning from the Board of Governors for inappropriate behaviour when dealing with pupil disputes."
"Is that all?" asked a disappointed Helen.
"I'm afraid there are procedures in place. My hands are tied. His behaviour was not deemed severe enough to warrant immediate dismissal."
Truth be told, Caroline had to fight tooth and nail to ensure Dobson had received the written warning. She failed to mention to Ms Stewart and Ms Wade that Dobson's warning had actually been for inappropriate behaviour when dealing with pupil and peer disputes. To strengthen the case against Dobson Caroline had chosen to inform Gavin of the blackmail he had threatened her with when Kate and her had first got together.
"I understand, I've faced similar situations in my career." Helen sympathised.
"Oh come on!" Nikki was became more animated "You think a few words on a bit of paper are going to stop him? No doubt it'll make him worse. Only he'll be more clever about it…he'll make sure he doesn't get caught."
Caroline leaned in towards the couple and clasped her hands together.
"Look, off the record, I don't like Dobson just as much, if not more, than you. He's an insidious little tosspot that has grown too big for his boots. Rest assured, I will consider it my personal duty to watch his every move like a hawk. This written warning means he'll be out of here for good if he makes the slightest of mistakes. If I catch him with his shirt untucked in the corridor or he farts during assembly then the he'll be out of here quicker than he can say unfair dismissal. I'll ensure he won't have a leg to stand on."
"Right…" Caroline's passionate confession had left Nikki a little dumfounded.
"Thank you, Dr Elliot. "
"Yes, thank you." Nikki echoed her girlfriend's words as the couple stood to leave.
"Please do not hesitate to get in contact if Sam has any more trouble. Ring the main reception and they'll put you straight through if I can take the call. If not, Beverley will be able to set up a meeting." Caroline walked to the door to see the couple out.
"Your dutiful PA?" asked Helen with a cheeky smile.
Caroline laughed a single breathy laugh, "she certainly is that, yes. Have a nice evening Ms Wade and Ms Stewart."
"Oh…less of the Ms…" said the raven-haired woman sternly "…it's Nikki, okay?" her demeanour softened as she offered her hand and smiled, "thanks again."
Xxxx
"Ooo, grab some of those Petits Filous…Lilly loves them" Caroline excitedly pointed towards the yogurts section of the supermarket aisle.
"Since when?" asked Kate admiring how animated Caroline got when aiming to please their daughter. She reached to grab a multipack and place them in their shopping trolley.
"Since I saw her demolish three in one sitting with not one drop wasted when I picked her up from your Mum's last week."
Kate affectionately placed her hands on Caroline's hips as they walked up the aisle with the older women pushing the trolley. This was their Monday after school routine, a 'Big Shop' at the Supermarket whilst Lilly and Lawrence spent the evening with Celia and Alan.
Caroline enjoyed having someone to share the food shop with. Previously it had always proved to be such an arduous task when John was around. Kate made it fun; suggesting new ingredients for recipes Caroline had never tried, remembering all the little bits Caroline had managed to forget to put on the list and the small gestures of physical attention Kate paid Caroline from the 'fresh veg' section all the way through to 'frozen goods'.
"Ah, Mum was always a bit of a feeder…classic Yorkshire Mother! I was a very tubby child."
"You weren't? I can't imagine it." asked Caroline amused as she picked up 4pints of milk.
"Oh, I was. Right little porker…until Dad got me into playing football…" Caroline eyed Kate surprised "…I was actually quite good." Kate put on her best Nigerian accent to impersonate her father, "Katherine, you will win the World Cup one day!"
Caroline cackled loudly causing a few of Supermarket patrons to look at the smitten couple. "That was terrible. Your Dad sounds nothing like that. He's got a thicker Yorkshire accent than Alan!"
"Hmmm, yes, but he puts it on when he gives me a pep talk or when he was telling me off…which , of course, was hardly ever". Kate fluttered her eyelids.
Caroline steered the trolley around the next aisle whilst eyeing the brown eyes of the beautiful woman latched to her hip, "Naturally, Miss Goody Two-shoes".
Caroline looked up in a quest to replenish her cheese selection when she was met with a different set of brown eyes.
"Ahh", escaped Caroline's mouth quietly. Kate looked up to see what had caught her girlfriend's attention.
"Monday evening food shop? I had you down for more of an Ocado woman, Dr Elliot," teased Nikki pushing her and Helen's trolley over to meet other couple.
"Weekends are usually rammed in here. We like to get it done when it's a bit quieter…" Kate defending her love.
Helen smiled understandingly, "yes, avoid the queues!" Both Helen and Kate laughed politely…almost awkwardly.
"Avoid the Sulgrave parents more-like" Caroline thought to herself.
"Anyway, we best get on…" Caroline grinned through her best fake smile
"Of course, thanks again for today Dr Elliot…and lovely to see you again Miss McKenzie", said Helen pleasantly.
Both couples hurriedly walked on down the aisle, the cheese selection untouched by either party.
Xxxx
"You were totally flirting!" claimed Nikki mischievously in a hushed whisper.
"Oh, I wasn't!" Helen bent down to inspect the cans on the bottom shelf of the next aisle.
"That tongue between your teeth smile is a dead give away!"
"What?" Helen threw a couple of cans into the trolley, grabbed onto the end and leaned in towards Nikki "this one?" she flashed the trademark sexy smile.
"Yes!" Nikki pushed the trolley out the way and took Helen into her arms and threw her back as if they were salsa dancing, "my god, you're beautiful!"
Helen giggled in the taller woman's arms, "put me down!"
"Never!"
"Hmmm" the couple shared contented kiss.
Xxxx
"How did it go with them today?" asked Kate, as she smelt an array of shower gels before deciding which one to purchase.
"Fine. Well…" Caroline lowered her voice and spoke behind her hand "…the taller one, Wade, was a bit uppity to begin with. Honestly, she's rather too rash for my liking…"
Kate rolled her eyes, 'takes one to know one' she thought as they proceeded into the next aisle.
"…but soon as I explained that I was prepared to annihilate Dobson I think she came around to me."
"Is that so?" Kate looked admiringly at her girlfriend longing to kiss her.
"Yep" said Caroline proudly, returning the desire with her eyes.
The couple took a moment in each other's gaze before Caroline winked and turned her attention to the shelves.
"I really think we should ask them…" started Kate.
"Cat food, ey? How very cliché!" interrupted Nikki.
"Pardon?" Caroline asked, perturbed by Nikki's brashness as she placed a box of IAMS into her and Kate's trolley.
"I think Cotton Traders around the corner has some spectacular bargains on fleeces at the moment too, you should pop in at the weekend."
Caroline let out her best fake laugh, "Oh, I see…"
"I'll stop her there before she starts pointing out the turkey basters in aisle 11!" joked Helen as she pushed Nikki forward by the hips.
Xxxx
"Certainly not, Kate. Not after that show…the bloody cheek of it"
"She was just having a joke with you, Caroline!"
"Oh yes, bloody hilarious…she nearly gave that man a heart attack." Caroline pointed to an elderly man fanning himself with a pouch of Whiskers after witnessing Nikki goose Helen.
"They are just very comfortable with each other."
"So are we!" Caroline protested defensively. "But they'll do right to remember that this is Yorkshire, not London. No need to flaunt it for all of Waitrose to…God..." Caroline's stopped dead in her tracks and her face turned to one of mortification "…I sound like my mother!"
Kate laughed loudly, "Yes, you do!"
Xxxx
"No, Helen. Definitely not."
"It'll be good for Sam…It'll be good for all of us."
"Nope!"
"We should make some friends in the area!"
"She's so uptight we'd probably have to insert the food directly into her rectum!"
"She's not that bad, Nikki!"
"Didn't you see her?" Nikki brought her finger to push her nose in the air and exaggerated her impression of Caroline, "Pardon?"
Helen stifled a giggle and playfully smacked Nikki on the arm, "behave, Nicola!"
Xxxx
Caroline had gone to return the trolley whilst Kate packed the final bags in to the Jeep's boot.
"Oh, Miss McKenzie" Helen's soft Scottish tones rang out across from two bays next to them "I'm glad we caught you."
"Ms Stewart?"
"Don't worry, nothing school related…it's just…I…we…" Helen signalled for the taller woman to join her by the Jeep, Nikki reluctantly obliged "…Nikki and I were wondering if you and Dr Elliot…"
"Did someone call?" Caroline returned to her girlfriend's side playing with the car keys in her hand.
"Oh, Dr Elliot. Yes. I was just asking Miss McKenzie here if you would like to join us…you and your family for a meal at our place…this Saturday?"
Caroline opened her mouth, but before she had chance decline Kate piped up.
"We'd love to, wouldn't we Caroline?"
Caroline forced a smile and looked between her lover and Nikki and Helen.
"Yeah" she nodded her head unconvincingly. An awkward tension hung in the air.
A/N - Sorry, long time no update. Off to read all of your marvellous work now. Hope everyone is well :) xx