Page 14 of Ex in the City
‘Where are we going?’ Dylan asks as he fusses with his navigation system. ‘You just focus on getting ready.’
‘Little Harehill School,’ I tell him.
He sets off almost right away, leaving me to apply my make-up in the car sun-visor mirror.
‘Ahh, it’s just like old times,’ he jokes. ‘I don’t know how many times I’ve seen you get ready in a moving vehicle.’
‘It’s been a while,’ I say with a laugh. ‘But… come on, look at that winged eyeliner. Flawless.’
He laughs.
I have my face on in a matter of minutes. Then I check my phone, but there’s still no word from Rowan. As I try to swap my phone for the pair of tights I stuffed into my bag, I drop my phone into the footwell.
‘Okay, maybe I’m not as good at this as I used to be,’ I say, hitching up my dress so that I can pull up my tights.
I notice Dylan’s eyes land on my thighs before he almost forcibly drags his gaze back to the road.
‘We’re here,’ he tells me as we arrive. ‘I’ll wait here for you.’
‘Erm, thanks,’ I say with a laugh. ‘Sorry. This is… all incredibly weird. I’ll explain when I get back.’
‘So will I,’ he reassures me with a smile. ‘Now, go, you’ve got a literal minute to spare.’
I grab my bag and hurry into the school reception.
‘Hi, I’m here to see Mrs Morgan,’ I tell the lady behind the desk. ‘I’m doing one of the careers talks.’
‘I’ll call her now,’ she replies.
I hover in the hallway for a second, as I wait for Jo Morgan, the head teacher here, to come and get me.
‘Nicole,’ Dylan calls out from the doorway.
I jump – still not expecting to hear his voice.
‘You forgot your phone,’ he says. ‘I thought you might need it.’
‘Oh, thank you,’ I reply as I go to grab it.
‘Ms Wilde, you’re here.’ I hear Jo’s voice behind me. ‘And… you’re not Mr Nutter.’
I realise she’s talking to Dylan.
‘No, I’m not,’ he says with a smile.
‘Rowan can’t make it, unfortunately, he has work,’ I tell her, but she’s looking through me.
‘You’re Dylan King,’ she says.
‘Er…’ he laughs. ‘I am indeed.’
Jo’s voice trembles with excitement, her hands flapping.
‘Oh, this is incredible!’ she squeaks. ‘If Mr Nutter can’t make it, and we have two slots to fill, why don’t you join Ms Wilde?’ she suggests. ‘You seem like you’re here together – I assume you know one another?’
Dylan looks at me with an amused glint in his eye, almost like he’s seeking my permission before he says anything. I feel like I’m caught between a rock star and a hard place right now, because it should be Rowan here, and Jo seems more than keen to replace him with Dylan. But, then again, Rowan isn’t here, or contactable. Dylan stepping up might just smooth all of this over, and no one will even be thinking about the fact that both Rowan and I forgot all about this – that’s the kind of thing that gets you in all sorts of trouble in a village like this.
I nod, still a little bewildered but willing to go with it.
