“Look, don’t feel as though you have to…but she’s asked me to call to invite you over for takeout. She thinks we’re sort of friends.”
“I’d love to. Just tell me when and I’ll be there.”
Hannah cleared her throat. “She wanted you to come over tonight, but I told her you’d probably have plans already. I knew you did, but I couldn’t exactly explain how I knew. So, maybe next week? I make a rule of not having takeout too often, so I don’t want to encourage her by inviting you tomorrow. And then she’s at Dylan’s Friday and Saturday, so…”
“I could do tonight. If you wanted me to.”
“Caz, you’re going out to dinner with friends. I wouldn’t expect you to change your plans for me. Edie knows it likely wouldn’t be possible, so we’ll rearrange. It’s no big deal.”
“Honestly? I’d rather be with you,” Caroline explained. “And I know we can’t exactlybewith one another tonight, but I’d still love to be there with you.”
Hannah grinned, every inch of her skin tingling with the thought of seeing Caroline. “You would?”
“Absolutely. Should I go home and change, or did you want me to come straight over? I was just picking up some shopping on the way home from work.”
“Whatever you want to do. Just let me know if you want me to wait for you before we order.”
“Oh, order for me. I don’t mind. I’m sure I’ll like whatever you pick.”
Hannah reached for the takeout menu, perusing the options. “How about if I just order a banquet? Indian…”
“Mmhmm. You can absolutely count me in.”
“Okay, well, I’ll see you when you get here. No rush.” Hannah’s belly swirled. It didn’t matter that they had to hold back while Edie was home during the week. If she could be in the same room as Caroline, that was just as good. “Hey, I’m looking forward to seeing you.”
“Me too. I’ll be there in half an hour.”
Hannah lowered the phone from her ear, staring down at it as Caroline ended the call. This unexpected midweek get-together was just what Hannah needed. She hadn’t seen Caroline since she left her place on Sunday afternoon, needing to get home in time for Edie to be dropped off by Dylan. Honestly, she could hardly wait.
“Did you call Ms Baker?” Edie startled Hannah.
“Y-yeah. Uh, she’s free. She’ll be here soon.”
Edie’s eyes widened. “Oh, my God. Really?”
Hannah’s forehead creased. Why was Edie suddenly not so keen on the idea? “You didn’t want her to be available?”
“I don’t know now. She’s my teacher, and she’s coming to my house.”
“She’s my friend. That’s no different to Adele being here. Just think of it that way.”
“K-kay.” Edie wrung her hands, taking her school blazer from the back of the dining room chair. “I’ll just do some homework till dinner gets here then.”
“Okay. I’ll call you down when Caz gets here.”
Edie nodded, slowly turning around and walking away. As much as Hannah was looking forward to seeing Caroline, she needed Edie not to feel awkward. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her teacher being here. So long as Edie didn’t find out they were sleeping together, this would all be fine.
Yep. You keep telling yourself that.
* * *
Caroline satacross the coffee table from Hannah and Edie, surprisingly comfortable given the situation. When she’d agreed to come for dinner, Caroline had Hannah purely in mind and the thought of seeing her, but as she approached Hannah’s home, it didn’t feel as good as it had on the short drive over. It wasn’t the fact that she was in her student’s home; plenty of teachers were friends with kids’ parents—some parents even taught their own children. It was the fact that she felt she was here based on a lie. And if Edie discovered that, Caroline would be devastated.
They would have to come clean one day, but when exactly was the right time to do it? Sooner rather than later? Caroline had no idea. She’d never been in this position before.
“Do you like Indian food, Ms Baker?”
Caroline smiled as she tore into her naan bread, scooping up her korma with it. “I do. And I haven’t had it for a while, so it’s wonderful.”