“....and then mummy said we could get a new hamster because peanut couldn’t swim so now we have buttons and she is the BEST. Miss Hathaway? Do you think buttons can fly?”
Gemma was watching Max playing rounders with year five outside her window. His eyes hidden behind aviators, strong thighs on show in black shorts and a tight white T-shirt emphasising his broad shoulders and offsetting his deep tan. She sighed gentle.
“Miss Hathaway? What do you think?”
Gemma realised that Maisey was tugging on her sleeve and expected a response. Gemma hadn’t a clue what she had asked but pasted a bright smile on and said “yes my lovely!! Of course!!”
Maisey seemed delighted with that answer and skipped off chattering about parachutes or some such nonsense.
Gemma returned to her daydream. Max, slightly warm after physical exercise, turning towards her and gathering her up in those delicious arms, his laughing brown eyes looking deeply into her own as his mouth lowered toward.....
“MISS HATHAWAY!!”
Gemma came to with a start as Dominic Abraham’s steely gaze raked disapprovingly over her face.
Oh god. She hadn’t been miming the “snogging” action of her daydream had she?
“Well?”
Gemma cleared her throat apologetically “I’m awfully sorry. Could you repeat the question?”
Dominic suppressed a flicker of impatience. It was only visible in the slight tightening of his mouth and narrowing of those penetrating eyes.
“I asked if you had decided upon an extra curricular club for this term yet?”
She looked at him non-plussed for a moment and then remembered Janet asking about Lunchtime and after school activities in last weeks briefing.
“Oh yes. I was going to run an eco group! I’m very into the environment and zero waste!”
He looked at her skeptically as though the thought of her knowing anything about such issues was as likely as him sprouting wings.
“Right. Well you can do Tuesdays and I will do Thursdays and we can do a Friday lunch together.”
Gemma nodded. Wait.... what? She frowned.
“Whaaa..”
“I will email you my ideas later so you can plan your first meeting. Oh, and, Miss Hatherway? Less licking windows and more ticking books would probably make a better impression on your new colleagues!”
What had just happened? Gemma watched him leave her room feeling like a naughty school girl who’d been signed up for revision one to one with the head.
She really ought to concentrate more though. Glancing down at her desk she noticed she had written ‘Gemma loves Max” in purple pen on Toby Collins’ spelling book. Bugger!
She looked to see if he was still on the field but the year 5’s had gone in to change meaning lunch was almost over. What was she teaching next? Oh, yes! Art!
Gemma was bent over a work bench covered in poster paint in front of 25 under tens when the fire alarm sounded.
“Don’t rush!! Don’t rush! Line up quietly please year 4!”
Gemma reached to catch a pot of Daffodil blaze before it rolled to the floor. Unfortunately the lid hadn’t been secured properly (how many times?!?!) and the action sprayed her liberally from head to foot with yellow paint! Darn it! Another dress wrecked!
She wiped the paint from her eyes with the back of her hand whilst attempting to count squirming heads that refused to stay still.
“Right everybody! Quietly on the yard! No running!”
Year 4 moved towards the exit like a shrieking monkey zoo as Gemma dithered. The paint would have dried solidly by the time she returned but she couldn’t stay back to put lids on now.
Shaking her head in resignation Gemma followed her group up to the top hard.
They were the last ones out. Everyone else was standing in pristine silence as year 4 descended like a pack on banshees. All teacher eyes swung towards her and she became suddenly aware of her appearance.
Paint was liberally smeared all over her like some sort of custard wode. She had leaned on the board leaving an imprint of the number 8 in blue whiteboard marker on her left breast and her attempts at wiping her face had definitely dislodged some of the expensive “smudge proof” mascara that wasn’t worth the plastic it had been wrapped in.
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