Chapter Nine
If noses could sigh, Dan was certain his would sigh in relief as Sid slowly, reluctantly, wrote Taran’s name down for the role of the teacher with grand ideas in the Christmas play.
A man convinced his years of amateur dramatics made him an aficionado in all things acting.
The teacher Dan had sort of based on Sid.
They now had names next to all the parts, which officially meant Dan could leave this box of a room he and Sid had been crammed into for the last hour and a half.
That in turn meant his nose could finally get a rest from Sid’s all-pervading body sweat. Someone really should take the guy aside and tell him to put on deodorant. Perhaps sew a few buttons back on his shirt. And heck, while he was on this grooming kick, wash and cut his hair.
Oh, and lose five stone.
Then, and only then, was there a chance that the rather lovely Bridget — teacher of kids and of dancing — might give him a second look.
Dan picked up the paper they’d . . . agonised over would sound grown up. Bickered over was more truthful . . . and popped it into his jacket pocket before Sid could make any further ‘helpful’ suggestions. ‘I’ll drop it into Anna on my way out.’
‘Fine. Make sure you tell her I’m still not convinced on Taran, mind. Lovely lad. I don’t want to scar him for life by shoving him onto the stage when he’s not ready for it.’
‘I’ll let her know,’ he murmured, knowing damn well Sid would make it tomorrow morning’s priority to tell her himself.
The guy had niggled him all bloody afternoon.
Maybe it was time he did a bit of prodding of his own.
‘You should have come to the dance class last night, Sid. That Bridget’s a cracker of a teacher. ’
Sid humphed, avoiding his eyes. ‘I’m sure she is.’
‘Seemed a shame to see her without a dance partner,’ he added, deliberately poking the bear — in Sid’s case, the grizzly bear. ‘I bet she’d have loved a twirl around the hall.’
Sid jammed the chair under the table with such force the table shifted two feet. ‘She’s there to teach, not dance.’
‘Oh, I don’t know. I reckon a woman of Bridget’s obvious capabilities could manage both.’ He tried to smile, but had a feeling it was more like a smirk. ‘She seemed to enjoy our rumba demo.’
Sid’s eyes bulged. ‘You danced with her?’
‘Only to show the rumba to the rest of the class.’ He paused, knowing the importance of timing. ‘It could have been you, if you’d gone along.’
Sid marched to the door and flung it open. ‘I’ve had enough of your twaddle for today, lad. I’m off home to talk to the cat. She’ll be better company.’
Chuckling to himself, Dan followed Sid out. ‘Come on, Sid, there’s no shame in admitting you fancy Bridget.’
Sid rounded on him, his expression not one of annoyance, or embarrassment as Dan had expected, but raw anger. ‘Think it’s funny, do you? Taking the piss out of the sad old widower?’ With that he swung away again, marching off down the corridor, muttering, ‘Leave your bloody nose out of it.’
Staggered, Dan slowed down.
Shit. Or, as his grandad was fond of saying when things went tits up, hell’s bells and buckets of blood.
He’d only meant to tease the guy. Not hurt him. Not make a mortal enemy out of him.
Natalie was right. He could be a colossal arse sometimes. No wonder his son didn’t want to see him.
As always, the thought of Max caused a band of longing to tighten round his chest. But there was no damn point wishing for a relationship with his son. Just as there was no point wishing he’d not opened his mouth and shoved his size twelves in it again with Sid. He needed to actually do something.
What, he didn’t know.
Sighing deeply, he trudged towards Anna’s office. Anna of the pretty eyes who he’d wanted to kiss so much last night, and again in the school hall this afternoon — yep, he had no shame — he’d almost tasted her on his lips.
Tomorrow he’d call Sid to apologise. Then he’d call Natalie. It was a start.
Feeling marginally better he knocked gently on Anna’s door, smiling when she jumped two foot in the air.
‘You scared me. I thought you’d already left.’
‘What, without saying goodbye?’ He shifted his tall frame so he blocked the doorway. ‘You’re working late, Ms Head Teacher. Next you’re going to give me a sob story about taking marking home and having to work in the months you have off over the summer.’
‘This coming from an actor?’
God, he loved those cool looks she gave him. ‘You’re quite scary at times, do you know that?’
‘Only if you’re under ten.’ She leant back against her chair and stretched out her neck muscles. ‘Did you and Sid play nicely?’
‘We did.’ He dug into his pocket for the sheet of paper. ‘All parts agreed by both parties.’
Quickly she skimmed down the list, her eyes widening in alarm. ‘Oh no, we can’t have Maisie in one of the lead roles.’
He guessed she’d have that reaction, and so had Sid. It had been one of the few things they’d been in total agreement on. ‘You don’t think she’s good enough? Because if that’s the case, you must have gone to a different audition than I did.’
‘Oh, I know she’s good enough . . .’ She trailed off when she caught his grin. ‘Damn, you tricked me.’
He tried not to smirk. ‘Now you agree she’s got the talent, you’d also have to agree not giving her the role would be totally unfair. Sid and I were both in agreement on this one.’
‘Okay, okay. But there’ll be mutterings—’
‘Which Sid will silence by making it quite clear the decision was ours.’
‘Fine.’ Her fingers tapped against the desk as she glanced back at the list. ‘I see you got your way with Taran.’
‘Yes. I’d like to say Sid bowed to my greater acting experience, but by the end I think I just wore him down. He’d had about enough of me as I had of him.’
Anna frowned. ‘That sounds ominous.’
‘No, we were fine. Well, until the end, when I mentioned the dance classes, and Bridget.’ Oh boy, what was he doing, confessing all like a scared kid?
Her eyes narrowed. ‘Please tell me you didn’t go there.’
‘Ah.’ He had a horrid feeling he was blushing. ‘I might need you to be more specific. Go where, exactly?’
She looked him straight in the eyes. ‘Please tell me you didn’t mention him having a crush on Bridget.’
Heat stung his cheeks and Dan shifted on his feet, hoping he didn’t look as guilty as he felt. ‘I may, perhaps, have said there was no shame in him admitting he fancied her.’
Anna groaned and raised her eyes to the ceiling. ‘I realise we’re in a school, but it doesn’t mean you have to act like a child. I told you I thought Sid liked Bridget so you could understand why he reacted as he did about the dance classes. Not so you’d tease him about it.’
Shame filled him. He hated that she was right, that he’d deliberately goaded Sid just because the guy had needled the heck out of him.
But Sid had lost the love of his life. He’d only lost his job.
He should have rolled with the punches. Not tried to jab him back. ‘It wasn’t one of my finer moments.’
‘No.’
Her sigh told him exactly how disappointed she was in him. Way to go, Ramsey. Sacked from his real job, now he was cocking up his volunteer job, too. The one that was meant to convince the world he wasn’t a loser whose career was in free fall.
It was hard to convince the world he wasn’t a loser though when he struggled to convince himself. And it hurt to see himself diminished in the eyes of a woman he respected and was starting to really . . . like.
* * *
Anna studied the handsome planes of Dan’s face.
Sure, he was an actor, but the contrition, the regret she saw couldn’t be faked.
Yet there was more going on behind those deep blue eyes.
Emotions she couldn’t define, but were clearly upsetting him.
So she needed to give him some slack about Sid, because she’d seen how Sid had pushed on Dan’s own raw spot — being out of work — whether it was deliberate or not.
‘I’d better get going.’ Dan’s smile was a dull, forced imitation of his usual one.
‘Yes, me too.’ She didn’t like to put on Val and Bob for too long and besides, she wanted to see Maisie.
See how she felt about her part in the play.
‘And don’t worry about Sid. He’ll come round.
I suspect he’s feeling a bit sensitive, finding himself attracted to someone else again.
’ Unconsciously her eyes lifted to his and when their gaze clashed, her heart thumped against her ribs.
‘I’ll walk outside with you.’ The intensity in his look sent prickles racing across her skin.
Silently, she closed down her computer and reached for the coat she’d draped on the back of her chair. Did Dan guess Sid wasn’t the only widowed staff member feeling conflicted and confused?
As she walked past him she felt the light touch of his hand on her lower back.
The gesture, like his manners, was pure gentleman.
Yet still, it made her stomach swoop. It was only as she watched him reach ahead of her to open the main door, that she remembered her conversation with Alan, the caretaker, earlier.
‘Damn it. I said I’d lock up today. The caretaker has gone to visit his mum in hospital.
’ Because she was feeling flustered, she stepped back a few paces, until she couldn’t smell Dan’s enticing aftershave. ‘You go ahead. I’ll see you next week.’
Hand still on the door, he frowned over at her. ‘You’re locking up by yourself?’
The chance to talk about the mundane was a welcome relief from the feelings she didn’t understand. ‘I’m quite capable. I can set the alarm and everything.’
He sighed, letting the door close again. ‘I didn’t mean it like that. I meant is nobody left to help you?’
‘No. You and Sid were the last people here. I presume he went home, and isn’t throwing darts at your face in his classroom?’
His face took on a pained expression. ‘I guess I deserved that and yes, the last time I saw him he was marching out of the door.’ He eased his hands into his pockets. ‘What’s the lock up routine then? Shall I check the classrooms?’