Roxan ~ In My Life with the Beatles

58

Sophie's Night

"Right" I uttered rather abruptly.

We had parked a few minutes earlier in the school carpark, my stomach was a jumble of nerves.

I sat rigid in the driver's seat mentally preparing myself for the night, all my years of striving for privacy and no media now hinged on the other people that would surround us tonight in Sophie's classroom.

To get out of the car seemed like a momentous task, I couldn't open the door, my mind a jumble of what ifs and maybe's.

"Righto" John mirrored me, smiling patiently then turning round in his seat beside me, goofily rolling his eyes and winking at Sophie making her giggle and laugh.

I manned up.

"Sophie grab your cardigan. Let's go"

Now or never I guess, gathering Sophie by my side we stepped towards the school. We made the main building with no issues. Now, to follow the path round to Sophie's classroom. Maybe we were going to be ok... Or the paparazzi are behind that bush!!

I must have been eyeing the bushes, the dark sides of buildings and the garbage cans a little too much as John was straight onto me, grabbing my shoulder lightly, a firm grip of reassurance.

"Roxan, the paps aren't behind anything, relax will you. Come on Sophie, your mummy is so excited to get inside to see your posters!!" John scoops up Sophie and runs off like a maniac down the path pointing this way and that, asking her for directions, they giggle and be silly while I chew my nails, slowly wandering behind watching them both together, happy and excited to be here.

"Roxan, how are you my dear" I drew a blank at the woman, then the reality hit me but she hurried on before I could respond to her greeting " Nancy remember?!" The school auxiliary chairperson dashes up behind me. She had a habit of appearing friendly but she makes me feel uneasy, always prodding for one thing or the other. If one person was going to get her claws into John it would be this cougar.

"Hi Nancy, lovely weather" I reply blandly, she wasn't listening to me anyway, her own voice was more interesting by the looks, she steamrolled on over me.

Nancy wore a bright red dress very like one I used to wear, the hem hovered way above her knee and the front was low, daring to reveal all of her assets. Bright red heels and lipstick to match.

My pastel pink was utterly dull and boring, too long and prim, compared to her vampish look but I internally shrugged to myself we were at a school function after all, not back at the Speakeasy Club for a night on the town. I struggled to keep my ears tuned to her words.

"Isn't it just. Now I was just talking to the other members of the auxiliary about end of year dinner venues, you know we always go around everyone's place a drink here, an entrée' there, moving to the next for dinner, then dessert! Perhaps we could include you this year, have your place as a venue, perhaps dessert or the entree?"

"Um... I'm busy." We reach the doorway of the classroom and I just want to get in and out of here as soon as possible. Well, after looking at Sophie's and her friends hard work that is "I didn't realise you had a child in Sophie's class"

"Oh no, you're so silly, I don't. I just come to round up the parents to join in our events or donate, that sort of thing" She looked down her nose at me, then stressed "And the dinner hun- I never mentioned a date" Damn... burned.

She passed me by, not at all happy with my response. I wouldn't have a bunch of strangers in my home, I couldn't. It was milliseconds later that she spotted John and flew like a vulture towards him, arghhh!