“Mark? Mark, are you in here?”
Heels clacking on tiles, and I was reeling, awkward, adjusting my clothes as the footsteps came nearer. Mark, too, smoothing his skirt back down and pulling his jacket closed to hide the swell in his crotch. He turned around, but his elbow caught the fixant cans and they went tumbling. I shrieked as they clattered to the floor, and Mark stepped away from me, stepping over them and catching one with his heel.
Miss Monkton’s voice was loud. “Mark?”
And then she saw me. Her eyes met mine and moved right the way up and down, taking in the scene. My cheeks were on fire. Burning me alive.
“Miss Monkton.” Mark’s voice was cheerful, but his breath was short. “I wasn’t expecting you. Helen and I were just looking for the paint thinner. I thought I’d grabbed the pesky thing, but seemingly I’d grabbed everything but.”
His garbled words didn’t help my self-consciousness.
“I wanted a word with you,” she said. “In private.”
That was my cue, and I took it, slipping past Mark with my blazer hugged tight. I shot Miss Monkton a smile but didn’t dare meet her eyes, then bundled up my things and headed the crap out of there.
“I’ll see you later, Mr Roberts.”
“Yes, Helen, indeed.”
***
Mark
The horrible fear was teetering on the edge, threatening to consume me, but I kept my head.
“How can I help, Jenny?”
She was pulling a face, a puzzled face, and she was troubled. Her stance made it obvious, the fold of her arms, too. She took a couple of steps forward and looked to the door as it creaked shut behind Helen.
“Mark, what was going on there?”
My blood ran cold. “Going on?”
She sighed. “You know the girl has… feelings for you. You’re putting yourself in danger being that close to her.”
I could feel the pulse in my temples. “We were trying to find paint thinner, Jenny, like I said. Things toppled.”
“It was more than that,” she hissed. “Mark, I’m your friend, I don’t want to see your career suffer because of some silly schoolgirl crush. She likes you, she’ll be looking for any sign, any sign at all that this is more. Don’t give her any. Hell, Mark, she’ll be the ruin of you if you’re not more careful.”
Oh the irony. It made my stomach flip.
“Helen understands our professional relationship. She’s never crossed any lines.”
“Yet, Mark, yet. Her whole demeanour was provocative, she was burning up.”
“She’s always flushed.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Always?”
I shrugged. “Jenny I appreciate your concern…”
“Jesus, Mark, the girl’s not as innocent as she looks, open your bloody eyes, man!”
Her outburst took both of us aback, and she pressed a hand over her mouth as I startled. I stooped to the floor, picking up the toppled cans with my heart in my throat.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just don’t want to see this happen to you, you’re a good teacher. A good man.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to me, Jenny,” I said. “Helen’s got her feet on the ground, she knows the boundaries.”
I felt like such a horrible bastard for denying everything, but all my thoughts were for Helen.
Jenny was shaking her head. “I can’t let this happen to you, Mark. I’m going to have to speak with Kenneth, let him know we need to put some precautions in place around that girl.”
“Precautions?!”
“She’s unstable, Mark. After the winter ball, that scene with Harry Sawbridge, and now this… You shouldn’t be alone with her. For your own sake. It’s not professional.”
“Stop!” I said. “Jenny, just stop it.”
“I can’t, Mark. It’s going to end badly for everyone if this carries on.” She sighed. “You’ll thank me for it one day.”
“Don’t count on it.”
Her eyes widened at my words.
I struggled to explain. “Helen’s a great student, in the middle of her exam preparations. She doesn’t need your well-meaning interference.”
“It’s not her I’m looking out for,” she snapped. “It’s you!”
“So look out for me. You’ve expressed your concerns, I’ve said there’s no need for them. End of conversation.” I put the cans back on the shelf. “Just let me do my fucking job.”
Her jaw dropped at my language. “I’m trying to safeguard your job, Mark.”
“You don’t need Kenneth’s involvement to do that, Jenny. Just trust me.”
She shook her head. “You’re playing with fire.”
“So let me. Christ, Jenny, come and watch Helen if you must. Watch me. I don’t care, just don’t bring loads of red tape into it, that’s no good for anyone.”
Her eyes flashed with something that made my stomach lurch. My heart was still pounding, nausea threatening.
“I’ll be watching,” she said.
She left without even telling me what she’d wanted.
And all I could do was shudder.
***
Helen