Page 74 of Short Stack 3

“Okay, I’m off to college again.” I shrug. “I’m thinking now that this is a game. Are there prizes?”

Stan’s dad hums thoughtfully. “In a manner of speaking.”

“Edward,” Rowena says in a warning tone. “You can’t tell him too much.”

I narrow my eyes. “Is Stan the prize?”

Edward laughs. “Isn’t he always?”

“True, although your cryptic answerhasbeen noted.”

“That’s a relief. I’d hate for it to have been wasted,” he says cheerfully.

“So, I just need to find more notes on this marvellous mystery tour before I can see my boyfriend. Stan will then think I’m highly intelligent, and there might even be prizes. Is that right?”

Edward nods. “That’s it.”

Rowena cocks her head. “Are you going along with it?” she asks, her eyes twinkling.

“Of course.”

“Why?”

“Because no matter what Stan’s doing, he’ll be waiting at the end of this game. That’s why it’s worth playing.” I grin at them. “See you later.”

“Tell Stan to ring me immediately and tell me,” Rowena calls.

“Tell you what?” I ask curiously.

“Oh.” She flushes. “Just a record he was recommending.”

“Okay.” I hug them both and then head back to the taxi. I give Nigel the new postcode. “We’re on a marvellous mystery tour, Nigel,” I say.

He shrugs. “Well, you are, Raff. I’m just racking up congestion charges.”

“I do love your sunny nature.”

He snorts, and we set off.

When we stop, I get out of the cab and look around my old college curiously. I’m profoundly thankful it’s the summer holidays. If the usual number of people were about, I’d get a fair few comments for lurking in full morning suit.

I walk towards the main gate, wondering if I’ll see Stan soon and what, exactly, he’s up to. I think this might be Stan’s way of reminding me how much we love each other. Not that he has to. I willneverforget that. But summer means a lot of work for me, and I’ve been away a lot lately as many couples have the travel bug and want to get married as far away from England as possible. There was a time in my life I would have enjoyed a lot of travel, but lately, it’s dragged, and all I’ve wanted is to be with Stan and Hump in our new home.

If love is on Stan’s mind, perhaps for the end of this magical mystery tour, he’ll appear naked? Brightening at the thought, I pick up my step and walk through the gate.

I immediately cross paths with someone I recognise and stop dead. “Mr Johnson,” I gasp.

“The very same,” he says lightly, stopping in front of me.

“God, you haven’t changed a bit.”

He’s as gorgeous as ever. We’d all had crushes on him back in the day. He was the youngest teacher in the college and didn’t seem that far away from us in age. Looking back, our attention was probably a pain for him. He’d navigated it well, though, persisting in trying to educate us while we sighed over his wavy brown hair, soulful brown eyes, and long, lean body. Not to mention a voice made for audiobooks.

“Are you still here, then?” I ask.

He grins. “For my sins.” He shakes his head. “Rafferty Kendrick.”

“My name sounds a lot better in that tone of voice than the one you used for discussing my essays.”

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