Page 43 of Hot to Go

‘I believe that’s stereotyping,’ I tell him.

‘Ain’t a stereotype if it’s the truth.’

The classroom door open, the girl peers her head around to see the class down the way, also waiting to be dismissed. I daren’t look because as luck would have it, the person teaching in that classroom is the last person I currently want to look at. I could literally hear him through the walls. The low rumble of his voice, the gales of laughter from his clearly captivated students.

‘Isn’t there a new teacher in there too, Miss?’ the boy asks me.

Please don’t blush, please don’t blush. ‘I believe there is. I only met him this morning.’

‘Jacinda says he’s quite fit. He looks like that actor from that thing.’

He looks like Aaron Taylor-Johnson if she really wants to know, but I won’t say that out loud. ‘No comment…Poppy, isn’t it?’

‘It is, Miss.’ She glares down the corridor at the person waiting by the door. ‘They think a lot of themselves, that Spanish lot.’

‘Oh, is there beef?’ I say.

‘Oui, beaucoup de boeuf,’ Josh says, laughing. ‘They not like us.’ And then, in an attempt to appear cool and with it, I may rap. Like Kendrick Lamar. Shit. Please find this funny instead of cringe. There’s laughter. I can do laughter if it’s at my expense and I win them over. ‘You down with Kendrick, Miss?’

‘Of course.’ Before I can do any more harm, I am literally saved by the bell. ‘À vendredi, au revoir tout le monde. Have a lovely evening,’ I announce to everyone, as they start to file out of the room, at least 70 per cent of the room acknowledging me as they do. Thank you, Kendrick. Like I say, small wins.

I stand there, close my eyes and exhale softly. He’s in the next room. Carlos. The man you thought had got away. But he didn’t. There is literally a wall that separates you. Yet he’s also not who he says he is and that feels like the biggest of red flags. I guess I lied as well though. I look down at my phone to see my phone ringing.

‘Holy shit balls, please tell me you’re still in the building. Are you OK? This is mad.’

It’s Beth. I’ve barely looked at my phone all day. I’ve bounced from classes to line manager meetings to mandatory lunchtime duties and when I did have time to eat my lunch, to my shame, I ate it in the storage cupboard in my classroombecause I thought if I went to the staffroom and saw Charlie/Carlos then I would actually die of embarrassment.

‘I’m still here. I’m sorry. It’s been a day,’ I say, trying to keep my voice down in case he can hear.

‘It’s him, isn’t it? Carlos is Charlie.’

‘Yep.’ It’s horrible to even admit that much out loud.

‘You don’t think he’s some weird stalker who followed you here?’ she gasps.

‘Well, I didn’t think that before but thanks, Beth.’

She laughs. ‘I’m sorry, this isn’t supposed to be funny. Also…and don’t hate me…but do you remember when we were in Mallorca and I thought he looked familiar…’

‘Yes…’ I say slowly.

‘Turns out I had met him before. On his interview day, he couldn’t find the toilets,’ she admits sheepishly.

‘BETH!’ I shriek, immediately remembering I’m trying to be quiet.

‘Don’t hate me. I’m so sorry. So many people come in and out of this place. And I forget things. I left my son in a shopping trolley once and nearly drove away.’ I want to laugh but this all feels completely ridiculous. ‘Let me come to you now, I can bring biscuits?’ she tells me.

‘No, I have a department meeting.’

‘With…?’

‘Yes. I’m going to have to sit across from a man whose…’

‘Dick…’

‘Do not finish that sentence,’ I shriek. ‘We are in a school, Miss Callaghan,’ I chastise her. But all I can hear is laughter.

‘I’ve seen him naked, Beth,’ I whisper.

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