Her Melting Point

Moving Heaven and Earth

This chapter is 160% of my standard length, but I just couldn't stop writing :)

I hope you enjoy!

Cheers! xx

***

After the turf war - all puns intended - the meeting she had with the Headmistress and four teachers presently working on their classrooms, was a piece of cake. Still, leaving the school, she could murder a non-figurative slice - or two. It would have to wait, though. She needed to change and to go to the cottage. She was dragging her clothes off when her phone burst into its ululations. It was, of course, in her handbag; and she hopped, stumbled, ungracefully fell on one side, grabbing the corner of her bed, and letting go of the waist of her trousers, and consequently tangling in them even more.

"Yes!" she yelped into the phone. "Yes, I'm here. Speaking, I mean. Yes?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"Good afternoon, Jackie."

"Um..." Jackie gulped lungfuls of air with her open mouth. "Hi, Stephen. Um– Could you hold for a jiffy, please?"

She didn't wait for his answer and put the phone down on the cover. She was not going to talk to her ex while lying on her side, like a seal, her legs hobbled, her shirt unbuttoned!

It took her five seconds to strip and to wrap in a bathrobe. Talking to him in her bra and knickers felt even more wrong.

"Hi!" she squeaked into the phone. "Sorry, I was– in the middle of something."

"Oh I see." He sounded unsure. "Is it a bad time? I could ring you back when–"

"No, no, I'm done now," she answered quickly. "So yeah– Hi."

"Hi." He was silent for a second, and then cleared his throat. "I didn't expect you to recognise me right away," he said with a forced chuckle.

"Well, your voice hasn't changed much." Jackie twisted the belt of the robe in her fingers. "Actually, none of you changed much. I mean, in terms of appearance, and size, and–" She squeezed her eyes, mortified. "Sorry. What I'm trying to say–"

"Jackie, did you see where I'm calling from?"

She moved the mobile away from her ear - and stared at the words 'Osuji Moving.' She mouthed, 'Bloody sodding hell!' and thumped herself to the forehead with her left fist a couple of times.

"You work in Mr. Osuji's moving company," Jackie croaked. "You've got my delivery, haven't you?"

"Yes, we've got two consolidated shipments for you," Stephen confirmed. "Would you be able to accept the deliveries in an hour?"

"Yes, yes, I will head to the cottage right away!"

"Cheers," Stephen said, muttered a goodbye, and hung up before she could answer.

She didn't blame him. Jackie fell face down onto the bed and growled, the sound muffled by her pillow. Nothing - and she meant nothing - in her relationship with Stephen had ever been anything, but a source of embarrassment and shame for her. Why would she expect anything else now?

***

Thankfully, he wasn't present at her delivery. Three lads - two Serbians, and one jolly compatriot of Mr. Osuji - deftly carried her items inside, and even offered to take them to her preferred rooms. She followed them around, mumbling thank you's, and trying to remember how much cash she had on her.

"Ms. Burns," the one named Radovan called her from the sitting room, and she sprinted towards him from the kitchen. "Damage," he said, pointing at one of the boxes. He scrolled on his phone and showed her a picture of the same box. "It happened before. From London. See?"