‘Huh, talk about rude! He didn’t give me an answer at all. No possible date of the shed lock being fixed, not even an ‘I’ll write it on the list’.’ Sitting back down, Annie grabbed her coffee and took a long sip.
‘At least you got to ask him about it, he left before I could even say anything.’ Lydia rolled her eyes as she sank back into her chair. ‘I’m guessing he’ll be about as helpful as a chocolate teapot in getting anything around here done.’
‘Don’t be so hard on him. He’s only been here just over a week.’ Gemma could feel her cheeks pink as they both stared at her. Maybe she shouldn’t have said anything, but they didn’t have a clue how much pressure he was under, and it wasn’t as though he was here to stick up for himself either.
‘Yes, well, what does he expect? A settling-in period? Us to close the school whilst he gets acclimatised?’ Lydia scoffed. ‘He’s a headteacher. He knew what he was getting himself into when he took the job.’
‘That’s very true.’ Annie placed her coffee mug back on the table before leaning her head back against the chair cushion and closing her eyes. ‘I’m just going to spend the rest of the week reminding myself I have a Scotland trip at the weekend.’
‘Ooh, Scotland! What are you going there for?’ Lydia grinned as she picked up her Tupperware tub of salad and stabbed a baby tomato with her fork.
‘It’s my....’
Gemma zoned out as Annie recounted the reason why she was heading to Scotland. She couldn’t imagine how Jonathanmust be feeling right now. Yes, Annie was right, he had appeared rude by leaving their questions unanswered, but he had good reason. Leaning forward, she tucked her sandwich back into her lunch bag and stood up, mumbling, ‘I just need to...’
When she reached his office, she was relieved to see that Joanne wasn’t at her desk, and she walked straight through and rapped her knuckles against his door.
‘One moment.’ His voice wafted through the thin door, and a few moments later, the door opened an inch. ‘Gemma.’
‘Can I have a word?’ She waved her hand towards the door, waiting until he’d stepped back and opened it fully before she walked inside. The state of the office closely resembled the way his living room had looked when she’d gone round to help with the budgeting. Although, at least the files and paperwork were stacked on the desk this time, rather than when she’d walked into the office during the spring fete.
Jonathan glanced around the room before closing the door quietly behind her and shoving his hands in his pockets. ‘How can I help you?’
Gemma frowned. Was that it? Was that all he was going to say, to ask her how he could help her as though she was unaware of the impossible situation he was in? As though they hadn’t almost kissed a few nights ago? His indifference catching her off guard, she stuttered as she spoke, ‘I... umm... I was just checking if you were okay after what happened in the staff room.’
Pulling one hand from his pocket, he ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head slightly. ‘It’s not their fault. They’ve got every right to ask and every right to be angry I’m not acting on their requests.’
So, this was how they were going to play it then? Just not mention what had almost happened? Gemma glanced down ather shoes. Fine. If that’s what he wanted, then she’d play along. At least she had her answer. But just because he was so clearly admitting it had all been a mistake, it didn’t stop her from feeling the way she was, and it didn’t stop her from wanting to help him. She looked up at him, catching his gaze and holding it. ‘I think you need to tell people. As I said before, it’s better that they understand what’s going on and that jobs are on the line. It’s better for them and for the school. If we all pull together, you never know, there might be a solution.’
Jonathan shook his head slightly. ‘I’ve thought about it, but...’
Gemma bit down on her lower lip. He didn’t get it, did he? The teachers, teaching assistants, lunchtime supervisors, and everyone who worked at the school didn’t do it just for a job, the school meant so much more to them. ‘Look, I’m sorry if I’m talking out of turn, but Woodland Primary isn’t just a school, it’s a family. The people who work here have connections with the school or the village. They either live in Nettleford-on-the-Wold, went to school here themselves, or their own children do or have. They care. They care so much about this place, and that’s why people are angry, that’s why they’re confused. They don’t know why Diane has left and you’ve taken her place. They’re looking to you to fix it all.’
‘But I can’t. My hands are tied.’ Walking across to his desk, he perched on the edge of it.
Gemma clasped her hands in front of her, stopping herself from pushing back that strand of hair which had settled against his forehead. He looked so tired, the dark circles beneath his eyes looked darker than they had the last time she’d seen him, and she couldn’t bear to watch all this stress taking such a toll on him when if he’d just be honest with everyone, things would be so much easier. ‘But they don’t know that. At least if you were open and honest with them, then they’d know. They’dunderstand. Yes, we might not be able to fix it. Yes, jobs might still be lost, but at least they’d know you were working on trying to prevent that, that you’d tried your best, that they’d tried their best too.’
‘I just...’
Stepping forward, Gemma closed the gap between them and reached out, automatically laying her hand on his before pulling it back quickly, her face reddening. ‘Please. Give people a chance.’
With his eyes fixed on the spot on his hand she’d touched, he nodded slowly. ‘I’ll give it some more thought.’
Sighing, Gemma walked back towards the door, closing it quietly behind her. She couldn’t do anything else. She couldn’t make him tell everyone, and she was certainly in no position to herself. She simply wouldn’t. It wasn’t her place.
Chapter Seventeen
Glancing up at the darkening clouds, Gemma sighed as a large, fat raindrop landed on her forehead. Great. Couldn’t the weather have waited another ten minutes before unleashing rain on them? The afternoon had felt as though it had dragged on for ten hours. At least. And now that the children had gone home for the day, all she could think about was Jonathan and their conversation in his office at lunchtime. Why had she reached out to him and touched his hand? What had she been thinking? It made been too familiar, especially since he’d made it perfectly clear how he felt about her.
She made her way over to one of the red scooters and picked it up. Normally she enjoyed tidying up their section of the playground, normally she’d be racing children on a scooter towards the shed as they all tidied up together, but she’d lost track of time this afternoon and before she’d known it home time had been upon them, hence why she and Annie were now putting away the bikes, scooters and other equipment the children had been playing with.
‘Hey, Gemma. I’ll be back in a few minutes. I just need to take this,’ Annie called from the shed and held her mobile in the air.
‘No worries. I’ll get it cleared.’ Hopefully, the rain and the incoming chill would clear her head, too. She hadn’t been thinking at all when she’d reached out to touch him. She’d acted on impulse, wanting to comfort him. Nothing else. She would have done the same to anyone, and he’d think the same. In fact, he probably wouldn’t be thinking anything. She could guarantee he hadn’t given it a second’s thought. Heck, he probably hadn’t even noticed.
Hearing the click of the door from her classroom shut, she glanced across the playground, her heart fluttering as she watched Jonathan walk across the playground towards her. What should she do? What did he want? Quickly turning away again, she pretended not to have noticed him and continued towards the shed, collecting a tricycle on her way. Hefting the heavy tricycle up over the rim of the shed floor, she groaned as one of the back wheels knocked the doorstop out of the way and the door began to close.
‘Gemma, have you got a moment? I’d like to speak to you about something.’ Stepping forward, Jonathan stepped into the doorway and held the door open.
