Her Melting Point

Don't Badger Me Into It

A double update for you after the weekend! I hope you enjoy!

Cheers! 

K. xx

She didn't see him for a fortnight afterwards. During the meeting to discuss the grant for the new pitches, she met Ethan Harris, Fleckney Kestrels' new manager; and he told her that Alexander was away from the county 'for personal reasons.' She ordered herself not to assume that she was one of those 'personal reasons.'

On the disastrous morning after her whisky-induced blunder, she'd hid in her bed; he'd had tea, gotten dressed, and gone. He'd seemed just as undisturbed as always; but it was clear, at this stage, that taking his outward composure at face value would be beyond daft. She'd restored her cottage to its usual state after he'd left - but held back on doing laundry. For two more nights, her sheets had carried that fresh powdery scent of soap that she'd caught on his skin.

She'd moved into her office in the Comprehensive, and had met the rest of the staff: from her Deputy Head, Ms. Savchenko, to Mr. Collins, the caretaker. Some were still treating her with understandable caution; but overall, she was feeling - unprecedented for her - lack of tension and stress at her workplace.

She was taking her bike out when a loud scraping sound came from the other side of the shed. Something moved in the dark damp corner, and Jackie backed away, blindly battering her hand behind her. She must have forgotten to lock up the previous night.

"Hello?" Her voice sounded unnaturally high. She immediately asked herself what she would do if it answered.

Whatever animal it was, it stilled. She could now guess the outline of its rather large, rotund shape.

"Hey, buddy," Jackie cooed in the most sycophantic tone she could muster. "Do you want to come out from there? C'mon, I'll just leave this door open for you, alright? You should go back to– wherever you came from." It seemed that she could see white patches and stripes. "Oh god, I hope you aren't a badger." She'd never seen one, but she'd heard horror stories. As a townie, proper countryside wildlife scared her out of her wits. "I'm going to work now. So you take your time, help yourself to the fertiliser if that's your thing, and then you should go back to your missus and your bairns. Alright?"

While she pedalled towards the school, she wondered whether she was supposed to let someone know about the animal. That was her first time living in a rural cottage alone.

At the school she chained her bike to the fence; took the drink tray and the box she'd picked up on the way, out of the handlebar basket; and headed inside.

"Morning," she greeted Ella, the school Administrator, and the former Headmistress' secretary. "I stopped by the Nook & Granny. They told me your regular order is a latte. And I've got some pastries."

"Oh." Ella's bright red lips rounded in surprise. "Morning! You do know it's supposed to be the other way around, innit? I'm supposed to be making your brew."

Jackie laughed. "Like I said, Ella, I really don't need a secretary. And you've got plenty of other work to do. I'm perfectly capable of walking to the kitchen and to the copy room myself."

She nudged the box towards the young woman after snatching an almond croissant.

"Oh, and thank you for the car park paperwork," she added. "It was endlessly helpful. Your filing system is top notch. Super easy to figure out and organised to perfection."

She bit into the flaky goodness and headed to her office.

"Ms. Burns?"

Jackie turned around. "Still would prefer 'Jocelyn,' please. I will convince you one day. You just watch me!" She chuckled. "What's up?"