Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Freya
W hen Freya had an inset day, it was bliss. A later alarm clock, a casual stroll to work, getting comfy in the staff lounge with her colleagues, and then getting to work setting up her plans for the new term. Her day started spectacularly watching the rowing team exercise on the lawns. Heidi had tipped her off but made it clear she was staying in bed so she could gawp on her own. Ten minutes after she arrived to watch, this time without her blow-up chair, Archer joined her at the balustrade. He handed her a freshly made coffee. The coffee came via Jason, whose wife told him to get a cup to her while she watched. She loved her friends like they were her family. She’d hitched a lift with her brother Keith who was helping Ralph erect some kind of apparatus for the boys to practise on down at the beach. She’d walk back to school as she had plenty of time.
Bumping into Luke was a lovely surprise, especially seeing him in his suit trousers, shirt and scowling face. Why he was moody, she was checking out the guys she’d never know. Freya hoped he wouldn’t turn into an overbearing best friend even though he didn’t want her romantically. He’d made that clear with the reaction to her engagement ring. She fiddled with it as she sat at her school desk, sifting through her notebooks for the following term’s timetable, when her head teacher, Dudley Morris, came strolling in.
“I hope you’re making good use of your time today, Ms Riley. If you don’t have enough to do, I can always give you extra work.”
Mr Morris had been surly for weeks. It was like he honed into her happiness about Luke returning for good and then let loose on causing her stress at work. The number of after-school classes he made her take. Lunchtime sessions meant she had to eat her lunch in six and a half minutes otherwise, she would have to function on coffee, and she had done that too many times to know it wouldn’t work. It had been full-on all term, staying late every night to cover each staff member that called in sick. As the only single teaching staff member, Mr Morris decided she was the best fit to cover, and it would look good on her CV for future roles. Freya wasn’t planning on leaving the school until she retired. If she never got promoted, then so be it. She loved teaching. So why he thought she needed to beef up her CV, she didn’t know. But she understood the logic that she had no one to go home to, where the other teachers had families. She didn’t question why he didn’t cover as his children had long since flown the nest, and his wife divorced him years ago. He was the head teacher, as he often reminded her when she asked pointed questions. Working late meant the morning jaunt up to Edward Hall was the first time she had seen Luke all week, making her grumpy. Especially after learning he’d kept her letters after all.
“I think I’ve done my fair share this term, Mr Morris. Covering everyone else’s classes after school. Supervising the martial arts class was interesting, seeing as I’ve never done that skill before.”
She couldn’t help her sarcasm and winced internally, knowing she’d regret the outburst.
“A school is for learning, Ms Riley. Hopefully, you’ve learned something this term.”
“Was there a particular lesson you wanted me to focus on?” she asked.
His hidden meaning was lost on her because he was definitely hinting at something.
“Don’t play the fool,” he replied.
Just as he turned, Luke came skidding to a stop at her classroom door. He was holding a familiar bag.
“Luke Turner. I never thought I’d see you back here. You didn’t much enjoy it the first time around.”
“I think you’ll find, despite your constant bullying, I had full attendance,” Luke replied.
The penny dropped, and her skin went clammy. Was Mr Morris being mean to her because she was best friends with Luke Turner? What did Luke do to Mr Morris?
“I shall have to check the records,” Mr Morris replied.
“Unless they’ve removed it, you don’t have to. My name is engraved on the honour roll in the main hall,” Luke clipped out.
No one liked being called a liar, but Luke hated it.
Freya could see the fury rolling off Mr Morris. His spine went straighter then his hands fisted at his sides. He turned his upper body and looked at Freya .
“You’d better make this quick. I don’t pay you to talk to a Turner.”
He stalked off. Freya watched as Luke narrowed his eyes on her boss as he marched down the corridor, his shoes clipping at a fast pace.
“Does he still have a stick up his arse?” Luke said, coming into the classroom.
He swung the padded lunch bag on his fingers as he came closer and sat on the corner of her desk. She thought he was so handsome with his tousled hair and gorgeous brown eyes.
“He’s been a nightmare for a while. Since you returned, I’d say. What’s his beef with you?”
“I’ve no idea. None of us would put up with Mr Morris’ bullying, so much so we never really talked about it, just ignored him. I haven’t seen him since I left school. I thought he’d retired years ago.”
“He leaves at the end of the summer term, and then we get a new head teacher. None of us has met them yet. We don’t even know a name.”
“Is he giving you hassle? Do you want me to talk to him?”
“No, please don’t. It will only make it worse. I have one more term with him, and then the grief will be over, and I can get some sleep over the summer.”
“Freya, what is he doing?”
The swinging lunch bag was now thumped onto her desk. She feared for her apple and the bruises it would have. But she knew this version of Luke. He would keep on and on until she gave in and told him. It was the same when she lost her virginity. He wrote to her every day until she wrote him back and told him a name. His letters overlapped with hers, so she had to put up with a dozen letters after she’d sent hers. Then they stopped after the letter that told her he was unimpressed with her choice. He didn’t write to her for a month after that.
“He’s making me work overtime because there is a sickness bug going around and not enough spare teachers in the evening.”
“Is that why you haven’t been able to meet in the evenings?”
“Yeah, that’s not news, Luke.”
“What a dickhead. I’m going to have a chat with him,” Luke said, getting up from his perch.
He leaned down, cupped her neck, kissed her head, and squeezed her neck. That was a new move for him. He didn’t usually clutch onto her when he kissed her head. Then he was gone. Left in confusion about his mission or if he would come back, she plucked her lunch bag off the table and put it in her desk drawer. She must have left it in the buggy with Keith because she hadn’t remembered taking it to the balustrade to watch the men.
An hour later, Mr Morris came back to her classroom. She did a slow blink at the papers in front of her and plastered on a smile when she met his stare.
“Hello, Mr Morris.”
“Ms Riley. I’ve decided I don’t need you to cover the year 10 rugby match tomorrow morning.”
“That’s great to hear, seeing as I didn’t know I was supposed to cover it.”
“Yes, well, the notice was in the staff room. I guess you’ve been working in here and hadn’t seen it.”
“Nope.”
Year 10 rugby? She had no idea about rugby apart from the shape of the ball.
“You’re not required. Mrs Sloper informed me that she will be well enough to attend school next week, so she will be covering the evening classes for the week.”
“That is good news. Dare I hope I have my evenings back?”
“Yes, Ms Riley.”
“Thank you, Mr Morris.”
The head teacher nodded his head once and left the open space of her doorway. She sagged in her chair, stretching her legs out under the desk and dropped her arms to the sides. Freya was slowly slipping. She would end up on the floor if she didn’t dig her heels into the carpet. She wouldn’t mind a nap, but she needed to get on if she was to leave on time to get home, have an actual disco nap, get showered and changed for her drink with Pete.
Freya knew Luke would turn up at some stage. It was like he was focused solely on what she was doing, who she was seeing and where she was every moment of the day. Living on Copper Island meant she couldn’t go far, and teaching at the local school meant he knew where she was between eight in the morning and four in the afternoon, then back to the evening.
They knew everything about each other but hadn’t spent time together since he left when he was twenty-two for the rigs. That was nine years ago, longer if she counted the time he studied away from Copper Island. Now that they were spending a lot of time together, she wasn’t used to the scrutiny but loved that he cared enough to come and check out Pete.
Freya was sitting on a tall stool at the bar next to Pete, with her back to the door. The hellos to Luke had a ripple effect around the busy pub, so she didn’t jump when he threw an arm around her neck and kissed her temple. Instead, she sighed and gave an apologetic face to Pete .
“Hey, babe, I thought I’d come for a beer,” Luke said casually, not removing his arm and leaning against the arm of the high stool.
Babe? He had never called her babe before, but then he hadn’t come searching for her dates. Even when she dated in her late teens, he never came and checked them out. He was too busy on his own dates to care enough.
She sighed long and heavily.
“Pete, this is my best friend, Luke Turner. You’ve met his brothers, Archer and Jason. They run Edward Hall together. There’s another sibling, Daisy, but she’s currently off island.”
“Yeah, I’ve known Freya since we were kids. Haven’t I, Peaches?” Luke said.
Freya leaned back to get a look at Luke. Was he high?
“Haven’t you got someplace to be?” Freya said.
“Nope, let me get you guys a drink,” Luke said.
“Look, Freya, it was great chatting with you, but I need to get an early night for training tomorrow. Maybe we can catch up another night?” Pete said.
Pete stood away from his stool and looked at Freya to see how he could wedge himself near her without touching Luke to kiss her goodbye, but he glanced at their proximity and gave up. He necked the last third of his pint and gave them both a wave while he was still swallowing. Then he walked out of the pub.
Luke took his seat and signalled for the bar server to come over.
“Same again,” he said, pointing to her empty wine glass.
Freya sighed again. “Might as well, seeing as you’ve scared off my date.”
“If he wasn’t man enough to stick around, then he is not right for you.”
“You sound like a cliché. ”
“There is nothing wrong with a cliché if it’s right.”
They fell into chatter, and before she blinked, it was closing time, and Luke was giving her a piggyback home while she laughed at his awful jokes. He dropped her off at her front door and waited for her to unlock it and step inside.
All humour evaporated when he stepped to the threshold and wrapped his hand around her neck.
“You know, Freya Riley. One of these days, I will tell you exactly the kind of man you need in your life.”
“Will it be soon? Because I’m not getting any younger, and I want babies,” she said and grinned in his face, swaying into his warm hand.
“Yes, I promise it will be soon,” he whispered before kissing her forehead.
Freya felt her stupefied look as she let out a giggle. “Good.”
“Shall I come and pick you up in the buggy, or will you come to me?”
“I’ll come to you. I want to see Sabrina again and dream of all the things I want to get to put in her to make her a home. I love that cottage so much, and not just because Heidi lives next door.”
Freya slumped against the door frame, her eyes lidded with sleep. “I’m so tired. At least next week I don’t have to do any evening classes. Mr Morris has let me off the hook. Hey,” she said, coming alive again. “Did you have anything to do with that?”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m happy you have some free time next week in the evenings. I’ll make you dinner, and you can make plans for Sabrina.”
“Cool,” she said. “I need to get to bed, Luke. See you tomorrow at about ten… ish. ”
“All right, Peaches. I’ll be up,” Luke said and kissed her head before he stepped back. “Lock the door.”
She gave him a hearty wink, stepped back, closed the door and clicked the latch down. She looked through the peephole to see him looking up at her bedroom window and then walking down the road.
She was drunk but not drunk enough to know something was happening between them. She just didn’t know what that was.