Chapter Four

PARKER

Ten months later

 

Parker was nervous as she got ready for her first day at work after summer holidays. She still had a week before the children would return to school, but the week was filled with preparation, meetings, and personal development training. For what felt like about the millionth time, Parker glanced down at her schedule for the week and sighed. Making the plunge to change schools after so long was always going to be stressful. She was so comfortable at the school she’d worked at for ten years, but she worried she’d got too comfortable. When Nathan had told her about the job vacancies at the school he worked at, she had jumped at the opportunity, although the change did concern her.

She relaxed as soon as she arrived at school and saw Nathan chatting to another teacher. He took her under his wing and began introducing her to all the people she hadn’t yet met. She had met a few of them at her interview, and they’d all seemed lovely. She didn’t want to rely too much on Nathan, but she certainly appreciated having him to introduce her. He spent the day making sure she knew her way around the school and met the people she needed to meet. At lunch time, she sat next to Nathan on one side of her and a vivacious blonde woman on the other side.

“I’m Kelly,” the blonde said. “You must be the new grade three teacher?”

Parker nodded. “Nathan and I will be the grade three team.”

Kelly shook her head. “There are three grade three classes.”

“Oh, really? You didn’t tell me,” she said, accusing Nathan.

“I did so. I said the other grade three teacher was a little difficult. I don’t really like her.”

“Oh, I don’t remember that,” Parker confessed, then looked around the staff room. “Everyone seems nice though. So, which one is the difficult one?”

Nathan roared with laughter and looked at Kelly. Parker was confused and felt she was in the middle of some kind of joke, but it was going over her head.

“I’m the other grade three teacher,” Kelly said, rolling her eyes. “Nathan thinks he’s being funny, but he’s not.” Kelly was deadpan, but Parker could tell there was a lot of affection between them.

“So clearly the grade three teacher relationships are based on put-downs?” Parker asked.

Kelly shook her head and said, “No, that’s just Nathan’s style. I’m a very supportive colleague.” She shrugged.

“I can deal with Nathan,” Parker said, smiling. “We’ve been friends nearly twenty years.”

“Wow, how did you meet? Did you go to high school together?”

“Oh, you flatter me, Kelly. No, we went to university together. We’re oldies.”

“Thirty-seven is hardly old. Gosh, even forty is young. Forty is the new twenty, darling,” Nathan said, and Parker laughed in response.

“Yeah, if the new twenty is a ten pm bedtime, slipper socks, and wild nights at the movie cinemas instead of clubs.” Parker joked.

Kelly was clearly amused. Parker liked her already. “So, tell me about yourself, since we’re going to be teaching buddies.”

Kelly shrugged. “Not much to tell. I’m a full-time teacher and dabbling writer. I am trying my hand at writing a new novel, actually,” Kelly admitted in a shy, hushed tone. “I’ve always wanted to, but I got into teaching as a back-up plan, to ensure I actually got paid. A few years ago I just decided I’d better get started. I’m single, no kids. I like kids, but I’m not pining to have any. I wouldn’t mind a guy though. But all the men I meet through work are married, awful, or gay!” She looked pointedly at Nathan, who shrugged in response.

“All the girls wish I played for their team,” he said cheekily. “But they haven’t got the goods I need.”

Kelly swatted him away, clearly cringing at the visual image. “Anyway, I try to write five hundred words a day, but that gets challenging in report card time.” Kelly shrugged. “No one else here knows I’m a writer because I’m using a pseudonym.” Kelly was really speaking in hushed tones now.

“Oh, so you’re actually published?”

Kelly shook her head. “About to be. My first book will be out early next year.”

“Oh, wow, that’s fantastic. What genre?”

Kelly shot a look around the room. “Romance. Well, romance probably sounds quite demure. My books are not demure.” She blushed but smiled as she talked. “I’m just guessing it’s probably not your type of book.”

Parker tried to hide her smile. Clearly Kelly had read her as a gay woman, and obviously Kelly’s books were of the fifty shades variety! Still, Parker didn’t discriminate with her reading, and if she and Kelly became friendly, she would, of course, rush out to buy her debut novel.

“Maybe not, but I hope you’ll keep us informed about the book,” Parker enthused. “I’d love to read it.”

Nathan stage whispered, “She held his quivering manhood in her hand and said, ‘Fellipe, you are exquisite. Fill me now!’”

As Nathan pretended to quote from the book, Kelly shook her head at him and said, “How did you get a copy of my manuscript? You’ve quoted it word for word.”

Parker liked Kelly already.