No Ordinary Love - A Gary Barlow FF

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sandy returned to work on Monday morning and gave Elaine a full commentary of the evening. "Sounds like you and your friend Ali had a great evening" Elaine said "just remember me next time you get free tickets". They both had a chuckle.

November at Abbey Lane was the start of the Christmas celebrations. Everyone had something to do from ordering the Tree to arranging the school Nativity Play. Sandy loved Christmas and since her parents had emigrated to Australia two years ago to live with Sandy's sister Heather , her Husband Joe and Sandy's two nieces Emma and Maddie, she always spent Christmas Day with Ali and Adam. They had the same routine, Sandy would arrive after lunch on Christmas Eve and the trio would head to the local pub after dinner for a couple of drinks. They always got back home before midnight. Christmas Day would be quiet and relaxing, they would eat and drink a little too much and that's the way they liked it. After breakfast on Boxing Day, Sandy would bid a fond fair well and head home. It was perfect.

Sandy had not realised how busy the school could be with the run up to Christmas and all staff where expected to help out where ever they were needed. That suited Sandy fine, a couple of afternoons away from her desk running up costumes for the Nativity Play was a breeze. She had a couple of helpers each day, Sandy used that word helper very loosely, she could of got far more done if she was on her own. Today's helpers were from year one. After registration in came Mrs Thomas , the year 1 teacher with Dylan Hayes and Libby Barlow and left them with Sandy. "Hi" Sandy said " I have got a little bit of gluing and sticking for you to do this afternoon, is that ok with you" they both nodded. Sandy set them up on the table next to her. After 10 minutes Dylan had had enough "Could I draw please Miss Winters" "no problem" laughed Sandy. Libby moved over to Sandy's table "I'm still helping you Miss Winters" she said "thank you Libby I really appreciate your help" Sandy smiled "are you ok now after your bad fall" "yes I am fine thanks Miss Winters" Sandy and Libby chattered for another 1/2 hour, she was a lovely little girl, very bright, well mannered and surprisingly good company. Sandy looked at her watch "Right" she said "Mrs Thomas will be here in 5 minutes to take you back to class" Libby came over to Sandy and told her that she had had a lovely time and that Sandy was the best teacher at Abbey Lane. Sandy was touched by what Libby had said "thank you so much Libby that was a lovely thing to say" Libby smiled at Sandy and added "My Dad thinks you are very pretty too"

Mrs Thomas came into the classroom and took the two children back to her class. Oh my goodness Sandy thought Gary Barlow thinks I am pretty. Was Sandy reading the signals wrong, tickets, champagne and saying she was pretty, she didn't know but she so desperately needed to find out.

When Sandy returned to her desk later that afternoon she couldn't help but think about what Libby had said. Her thoughts ran away with her, would she like to see him again, of course she would, would she like to kiss him, of course she would, would she like it to go further, of course she would. But all the time she could hear Ali's voice in her mind shouting "he's married" " You are not dating him, he is a parent at your workplace you have met him twice, pull yourself together" Sandy could still hear Ali's voice but over it she could hear Libby's voice saying "My Dad thinks you are very pretty"

Sandy stood up and walked to the bathroom, she stood at the sink, staring into the mirror. After a couple of minutes she smiled at her self and walked back to her desk.

Once back at her desk she looked on the computer at Libby's file. Fathers Mobile Number, she quickly wrote it down and stuffed it in her bag. What would she say? what did she want? Where could it go? If anywhere. All she new was that she needed to see him again.

Elaine left around 4.30. "Are you coming" she asked. "Not quite finished" said Sandy "No problem" shouted Elaine, on her way out "will see you tomorrow" When Elaine had left Sandy got out her Mobile and the small scrap of paper with Gary's number on it and lay both of them on the desk. Sandy was in two minds, she had this feeling inside that it was the right thing to do but she could also hear Ali saying " He's married with kids" she looked at the two items for another 10 minutes until she had blocked Ali's voice completely from her mind.

Text to Gary - Thank you so much Mr Barlow for the two tickets you sent over for me, I really enjoyed the show and I appreciate your kind thought. Miss Winters

Sandy looked at the text for a further 10 minutes. She pressed Send a wave of fear came over her, oh my god what have I done she thought. This is a parent, a married parent, an international superstar and the most beautiful man she had ever seen. She grabbed her phone to try and delete. Too late text had been sent. Sandy put her head on the desk. "What have I done" she said out loud.

She packed everything away, locked up and headed for her car. Stupid Stupid Stupid she kept saying over and over in her mind. She got in the car and drove home on auto pilot. As she pulled in to the car park at her apartment building her phone rang. "Oh shit" she shouted. Her stomach churned over, her breathing became heavy "Shit Shit Shit" she reached for her phone, it was Ali," oh you sound all out of breath and hot and bothered, what are you up to" Sandy let out a nervous laugh " nothing I am parking the car will ring you back in a bit" Sandy threw the phone back into her bag. She found her parking space and jumped out of the car and grabbed her bag "where are the keys" "oh shit, what is the matter with me" she said out loud " I am loosing my mind" she found the keys and locked the car. As she walked to the lift her phone beeped, a text had come in. " I know I love you Ali" Sandy said to herself " but you are so impatient, well lady you will have to wait till I get inside"

Sandy closed the front door behind her and reached for her phone, to ring Ali. She looked at her phone "Oh My God OhMy God"the text was not from Ali, Sandy's butterflies were back, she had lost the control in her hands, she could not open the message her hands were shaking, her heart was racing. The text appeared on the screen,

Text from Gary - My pleasure Miss Winters, glad you enjoyed it, hope to see you again soon GB