‘Yeah, thought as much. I was trying to be kind but you’re your own worst enemy.’ Ben laughed at his friend.
‘Aren’t we all?’
‘That’s the truth. Look, this seems to be eating you up a bit.’
‘It is. I seem to veer from being completely loved-up to being full of doubt, and that was just on the drive over. I don’t like it.’
‘So sort it out, and if you feel too awkward saying it to her face, then write her a letter, and that way she gets time to process it, think about things and isn’t forced into an immediate answer. It might just be the perfect solution.’
Kam looked at his friend in amazement. He was fond of Ben for many reasons but his friend had never been known for his great ideas, but this one was brilliant. It would totally solve all the worries circling around in Kam’s head without turning him into that James, the kind of creep who followed Pippa around insisting she became his girlfriend. Kam took a slurp of coffee.
He knew he was good at lots of things and was super secure in the person he was. He was just a bit shit about talking about his emotions with anyone. He didn’t know why but the words just wouldn’t come out. He knew good communication was the way to help take things forward but when he tried, his mouth would dry up and nothing would come out. He’d make an idiot of himself and worsen the chances of what he wanted to achieve rather than helping them. A letter meant he could be really clear in what he wanted to say, and Ben was right: it would achieve that without putting Pippa on the spot.
‘Ben, you’re a genius!’
‘Yeah, one would have thought you would have spotted that before now.’ They both chuckled into their mugs and Kam realised his oldest friend had hit upon the perfect solution. He looked up as the sun set across the coastline, knowing he had had the perfect weekend and was surrounded by people he cared deeply for. Life was good, and he had a letter to write.
Chapter Thirty-nine
Pippa wandered into the classroom early and with coffee in her hand. She still couldn’t manage to wipe the grin off her face. Her mother had loved the bracelet on Sunday and had assumed that Pippa was so happy because of the thoughtful nature of her gift. Pippa wasn’t about to tell her any different.
Now it was Monday and she was still smiling. It was going to be tough acting normally around Kam. She hadn’t stopped thinking about him from the moment she had skipped down the street away from his flat in Treporth Bay, and it had taken all her self-control not to text him last night. The texting was a habit – a really nice habit – they had fallen into but since sleeping together she was a bit worried about texting him straight after. She’d been super clear about this not turning into a relationship, about keeping things on the down-low because she didn’t want to jeopardise him getting the full-time position. To text now might blur the clarity of that. She wondered if she had done the right thing, but the night of the school fayre, as they had lain on the grass, she had seen how important it was to him to keep his career on track. She cared too much about him to let anything jeopardise that.
But principles aside, the thought of seeing him this morning was making her dizzy with anticipation. The whole of her was fizzing as she walked through the door to the classroom.
‘Hello.’ She so wanted to give him a kiss hello. Argghh, this was awkward. She knew she couldn’t. That would be a direct contradiction of everything they had set out. But it would be oh so easy just to reach up…
She had to make do with smiling at him instead to which she received a grin from him that lit up his whole face.
Oh goody. He was obviously feeling it too.
‘Anything extraordinary for today?’
‘No, all on plan. Big introduction of the new half term’s topic – which has to be the easiest cross curricular ever.’
‘Right? How great Cornwall is and why. How is that anything other than bliss? I could help teach that all year round.’
‘I think you do, just without realising. Oh shit, I’ve left the resource bag in the car. Um, if I dash and grab it, are you alright here?’
‘Of course. Run, they’ll be in in a minute.’
‘I know.’
‘And they’ll all be desperate to see their new favourite teacher. The one who before half term proved he was the second best in the world at space hopping!’
‘Well, I’m first in the world at space hopping, so I’ll take that with the amendment obviously. But favourite teacher, don’t think so.’
‘You’re mine.’ She gave him a cheeky wink and watched his eyes widen. As she held her hands up, she continued, ‘My bad. Rule breaking and I’ve only been in a few minutes. Will abide by them all from now on, promise.’
‘I think we both know you enjoy bending the rules now and again.’ He stood close to her and an image of Saturday whirled into her head, the way he had placed his hands on her back, her shoulders, her tummy, her inner thigh. Whoosh, the flood of lust came flying back.
She needed to get her head back in the game. She had barely been in three minutes and she was already about to mess everything up. Boundaries had been laid down for a very good reason and she wasn’t changing them now. If they wanted to make this work long term, they couldn’t fall down at the first hurdle.
‘No. We need to keep it how it is, and there’s no way I’m letting you put the Class Two job on the line. Oh shit, there’s Marion.’ Pippa spotted an immaculate blonde helmet of hair heading their way through the window, stopping to speak to parents she deemed acceptable on her way to the classroom and sniff at those she felt weren’t. ‘Go, or you’ll never get your stuff from the car. Quick. I’ll field her.’
‘Are you going to tell her? About Richard?’
‘Argggh. I don’t know, girl code says I probably should, but then we’re not really best friends. I don’t want to be the one passing on gossip that could turn her life upside down. The sensible option is to stay out of people’s marriages. We don’t know what we saw. it could be completely innocent.’
