Chapter Sixteen

PARKER

 

“Bowling? I haven’t bowled in years, but I’ll give it a go,” the text message read.

Parker grinned. She was happy Lily was going to give it a go and thought it could be fun to try something other than a dinner date. Now they were catching up once a week on weekends, working around Scott’s schedule. Their dates always ended up with them in bed together, and sometimes, when pushed for time, they skipped the date part entirely.

But this particular Sunday afternoon, they intended to spend some time bowling, and Parker couldn’t be more excited. She found it particularly interesting that she was so eager to spend time with Lily out of the bedroom. Parker had deliberately picked a bowling alley on the other side of town so they would be less likely to run into families or teachers from the school. In some ways, she felt she was in hiding, always working through their dates in her mind to determine if they were safe. Most of the time they avoided touching in public, but sometimes it got the better of them. Parker couldn’t help thinking that the fear of getting caught added to the excitement in some ways, but they weren’t hiding an illicit affair—just a FWB situation between a commitment-shy widow and a teacher. Parker sighed. It really was complex. And yet, when they were together, it didn’t feel difficult. It felt enjoyable, light, fun, and certainly very sexy.

*

ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, Parker picked Lily up from outside her house.

“Hi.” Lily grinned as she jumped in the car.

Parker eyed her appreciatively—she was wearing jeans, and a low-cut, green top showing off her generous cleavage. Parker grinned, knowing that later that afternoon, back at her house, she’d be able to show Lily her appreciation. They gave each other a lingering peck—Lily was always too anxious to properly kiss outside the house—and drove towards the bowling alley. “How has your week been?”

“Great, Bodhi is doing well, work has been busy. Scott’s fine.” Lily shrugged. “Jacqui has been having some kind of drama with her middle daughter, but everything else is going well. She’s been a bit preoccupied at work, but I’ve been putting the finishing touches on our workshops, so I haven’t really needed her to be there. I went out for dinner and drinks with Maree last night. We went dancing.”

Parker couldn’t help wishing she’d been there with her but was relieved when Lily admitted they’d had an early night. “It was fun, but once Maree got dancing with some woman, I went home. I was tucked up in bed by ten thirty! What about you? How have things been since I saw you on Tuesday?”

“I’m counting down the days til the holidays, to be honest!” Parker shrugged. “I don’t usually say that to a school mum! I’m looking forward to a few days of rest, and I will visit my parents in Sydney. My sister is visiting for a weekend too.”

“Tired?”

Parker nodded. “A little tired but not too tired for some Sunday afternoon fun!”

Lily gave Parker a cheeky smile, which sent tingles through Parker’s body. As they drove, they kept chatting about their week and upcoming plans.

Their arrangement to see each other on Tuesdays and weekends was working beautifully. Tuesdays were simply an opportunity to spend time enjoying the ‘benefit’ side of the friendship, while weekends were more for the ‘friendship’ side. Tuesday afternoon catch-ups were fast, sexy, and left little time to talk. Jacqui thought Lily was leaving the office early for something to do with Bodhi’s school, and Scott thought Lily was just in the office. “I hope they never talk to each other on a Tuesday,” Lily had once said, laughing.

As they got close to the bowling alley, Lily put her hand on Parker’s knee. Parker smiled. She felt so relaxed around her. They arrived at the bowling centre, hired shoes, and began their game. About halfway through, Lily came up as Parker went to bowl and held her from behind.

“Err, what are you doing there? Trying to get me off my game?” Parker protested although she was enjoying Lily’s touch. “You’re just upset that I’m about to beat you.”

“Beat me? You’re losing, baby. You can’t recover now.”

“I might just get a strike this very turn. And then I’ll be very close to you.”

Lily shook her head. “Face facts. Let’s just call it a win for Lily, and we can head back to your place immediately.”

Parker had to admit, the idea was very tempting indeed, especially now Lily’s arms were around her, but she was far too competitive to let it go. While Lily’s arms remained around her, she turned her body, so they were now pressed up against each other.

“You can’t win me over that way,” Parker said. “Not when I still have an opportunity to beat you. But, we will have time to go home and take advantage of this. Thank God, because…” Lily silenced her with a kiss, and Parker’s body pressed harder into Lily’s. She moaned into her mouth. “Oh my God.”

Lily nodded while they were kissing, and Parker sensed a smile. “Fine,” she said. “Let me just see if I get a strike in this go, and then let’s rush straight home.” She bowled the ball down the alley, getting it into the gutter.

“Point proven, baby. It’s time to go.”

Parker concurred, and they returned their shoes, then walked to the car hand in hand.

“Oh my God, I need you now,” Parker said.

“Good things come to those who wait.”

Parker waited, and good things definitely did come her way.

*

ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON, Parker lay with Lily in bed after they’d spent the afternoon enjoying each other. “Hey,” she said, “I have an idea. But it might be crazy.”

Lily smiled indulgently at Parker. “Give it to me.”

“Sometimes I feel like I’d like to spend more time with you out of the bedroom. And I want to know you in your normal life. Would you ever want to do something with Bodhi in the holidays? The three of us? Or maybe I come over and hang with you and Scott.”

Lily was silent as she considered it, and then she shook her head. “I don’t think we should.”

“Why?”

“FWB, this is what we do.” Lily gestured around the bedroom, and to their naked bodies.

“You’re forgetting the F part though.”

“We went bowling on the weekend. Next weekend we’ll go to dinner or something.” Lily shrugged. “That’s F.”

Parker was disappointed but didn’t want to let it show. Lily must have realised. “Besides, you’re Bodhi’s teacher, and Scott and Megan were so close. It’s just harder than a usual friends with benefits situation.”

“We don’t have to tell them. I won’t kiss you in front of them.” Parker realised she was protesting too much. This really hadn’t gone to plan.

Lily spoke after a pause. “I’m open to considering it, but it would need to be like a barbeque or something. I don’t know. Scott and I don’t have a lot of friends over. Maree, now and again, but that’s usually if I’m going out. My family visit, but I’m more likely to visit them, and Scott usually sees his friends out of the house.”

“Is that how you want to live?”

“None of this is how I anticipated living,” Lily said sadly. “None of it. I never expected to have a housemate like I do with Scott. It’s a little strange. I’ll be honest.”

Parker nodded. She wanted to understand the dynamic between Lily and Scott, but it seemed that sometimes they were really close and other times they just tolerated each other as housemates.

“Do you like him?”

“Scott’s great and I’ve come to really appreciate him. He’s always happy to look after Bodhi so we can both have a life outside of parenting. He’s quiet, a bit of an old man sometimes.” She paused. “We spent so long grieving Megan that our house was depressing for a while there. I think we reminded each other of her, and it was really hard. At one point, I thought about suggesting he move out, but I knew I couldn’t share custody of Bodhi, and I wouldn’t want Bodhi to live without him either. Over the past two years, our lives have moved on a little, and we’re injecting more fun. Megan wanted us to have another baby, and sometimes I thought that would have been good, for Bodhi at least, but I don’t think Scott or I could have done it. It just wasn’t what we’d planned at the outset, and it was all too hard. And now Bodhi is eight, so I think that ship’s sailed.”

Parker felt an emotional tugging inside, imagining how Lily’s life had gone off course when her wife had died. It seemed that she really planned things out, and to have life change direction so suddenly would have been really hard for her. She tried to be upbeat for Lily, rather than drag her down. It seemed she had enough of that in her life, so after saying how hard it must have been for her, she finally raised the topic of fun. “Injecting more fun? It’s still warm, but it will get cold in a matter of weeks. Why don’t we go to the beach one day in the holidays? We could go in a group?” Parker thought it was exactly the sort of thing that Lily needed to do.

Lily pondered and then asked, “Are you thinking of inviting Bodhi and Scott?”

“I’d love to get to know Scott more. Maybe you could invite Jacqui, and the kids. C’mon, school holidays next week, so we need to enjoy them.”

“Isn’t this verging on relationship stuff?” Lily was worried.

“This is merely the friends part of our FWB arrangement. I promise. I won’t do anything to worry you in front of Scott. I understand how important it all is for you.”

Lily nodded. “Thank you. Let me talk to Scott and Bodhi and see. Bodhi will think it’s so cool to go to the beach with his teacher.”

Parker cringed. “Do you think it’s okay?”

“Look, I know plenty of school mums who are friends with teachers, usually friendships formed before they were at the school. I just don’t know any that are sleeping with their kid’s teacher.”

Parker gave her a look, and Lily continued.

“There really are so many teachers with kids at the school. I’ve been to parties of teachers’ kids, and teachers have dropped their kid to my house. It’s weird to go to the beach together, but it’s not crazy. I just wish I’d told Scott I knew you when you first became Bodhi’s teacher. That would make things easier to explain.”

Parker gave Lily a look of curiosity. “At the time, I wasn’t even sure if you remembered me…the way you just pretended like I was just the new teacher.”

“How could I forget you?” Lily grinned, raising her eyebrows.