A Cornish Affair

What's That Supposed To Mean?

Summer continued and Rosie became more and more desperate for the holidays to come. Counting the days, she was eager for a few weeks of doing absolutely nothing before thinking about September and the new band of children that would wind their merry way towards her.

The July weather had taken a turn for the worse and the continuous rain they'd had one Friday before the school had broken up had put everyone on a low.

"This rain better think of clearing itself away before the holidays start,"  Carrie warned as she stood looking out of the window, arms folded in a stubborn manner. "I can't see camping in Cornwall being much fun in the pouring rain!" she huffed and plonked herself down at a table in front of Rosie's desk.

Cornwall! The word had made Rosie look up from the book she had been marking. "You're going to Cornwall?"

The shock in her voice made Carrie eye her suspiciously. "Yeesss!  We're going to Boardmasters and I can't wait." She tipped her head to one side. "It's your fault we are going!"

"What's it got to do with me?" Rosie asked closing one book and opening another.

"You said how lovely it was when you were down there at half term." Carrie hesitated, "In more ways than one,"  she added, a sly smile crept across her face.  Rosie raised her eyes to Carrie, but didn't share her smile. "You never really explained what happened with all that, with you and Ricky."

Rosie threw down her pen on to the book and rubbed her eyes.  "It was mad of me to even believe in a million years that something could come of it.  I wasn't good enough for him..."

"Rosie!"  Carrie shouted, "That is an absolute load of bollocks and you know it!"

"Carrie,  he is friends with Rita Ora!" Rosie insisted.

"Well someone has to be!"  Rosie laughed at Carrie's words. "Look,  you've got a photo of you and Mark Owen, doesn't mean you're best mates! Are you telling me that you ended your relationship based on a photo?"

"No, not just that.  I couldn't do it to Lee. In his own stupid way he loves me. It would never have come to anything, Ricky and I."

"And you told him that did you? You gave him the chance to say what he thought, talked about what he wanted?" Rosie shook her head at Carrie. "Well I admire your commitment to Lee. He better have shown his appreciation."

"He doesn't know does he? He doesn't know his girlfriend was on the verge of having an affair."  Rosie's mind was suddenly back to Ricky's bed. Having an affair did she say?

Carrie stood up, feeling there was no more she could say.  As she got to the door she stopped. "Kaiser Chiefs are playing at Boardmasters you know!" She tapped the door frame and disappeared.

Rosie picked up her pen again,  but immediately dropped it. She had done so well,  putting him to the back of her mind. But every now and again he would crop up, a thought niggling at the back of her head. Her main thought was why hadn't he tried to contact her. But then she reminded herself that he was only doing what she had asked. She had demanded not contact in her note; she only had herself to blame. She had to move on. And move on she'd tried to do.

Rosie had been making a real effort with Lee. They had talked. She'd even bought a wedding magazine and left it on the coffee table,  only to see him flicking through it. Subtle hints and she knew he would come around to her way of thinking. There were a few wedding exhibitions on over the next few weekends. She'd thought about suggesting they go.

________

Lee was at Rosie's when she got home and as usual when he wasn't watching a football match, he was watching people talking about a football match. This evening was no exception.