Unexpected Encounters [B.H.M.]

21

The past week and a bit had been pretty boring compared to the month before. Brian had been away in Switzerland, so I had just done work, the usual, hanging out with friends and such. I had been practising Scrabble with them, and I was proud to say that I was getting better and better. Brian had serious competition coming for him and I was looking forward to our next Scrabble match.

I knew he had been back since Tuesday, and it was Thursday, so I was expecting a call from him any day now. I really hoped he would call. He had promised he would but you never knew with him. He had been a bit moody during the entire time I'd known him, saying one thing but doing another, so I wasn't entirely sure.

I was getting off work early that day, so I was currently in the staff room, gathering my belongings so I could leave and have some lunch. On the staircase I was held up by a couple of students who had a question about some homework I had given them, but that could be settled relatively quickly. I re-packed the papers I had gotten out for my explanation for them when I could hear someone clear their throat.

"Excuse me, Miss, could you tell me where I can find the staff room?"

That voice was familiar... I turned around and looked at the man who had spoken. And indeed it was him.

"Brian?"

His eyes widened in recognition and he smiled at me. "Frida? Oh that's good, I'm glad I found you. Hi, how are you?" He greeted me.

"I'm good, yes, and you? What are you doing here?" I asked, slightly confused. I looked around, hoping that no one would recognise him and come over and freak out.

"Well I didn't have the time to call you last night because I had the kids, but I wanted to ask if you wanted to do something today, so I figured I come here because we'd have to get going soon, I hope that's alright.."

"We'd have to get going? Where are we going?" I asked him a little confused.

"Uhm, there's this gardening fair near Windsor and I thought maybe it would be fun to get out and do something rather than just watch films and play Scrabble all the time," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"A gardening fair?" That was not what I had expected.

"Yeah, do you think that might be fun? Or is that weird?" He asked, smiling sheepishly.

I shrugged before I nodded. "It is a little weird, yeah, but I think it might be fun. I don't usually go to gardening fairs and things like that."

"They also have animals there, it's not just plants if you're worried it might be boring."

Well what was I supposed to say? I would never have decided to go to a gardening event somewhere in Surrey on my own, but ... why not?

"What do you say?" Brian asked, still smiling at me.

"Uhm... if I can buy something to eat before we drive there, then sure, I'm up for that," I told him, nodding a little. "Sounds like it could be fun."

"It will be, I'm sure," Brian said, smiling a little more. It was so wonderful to see him in such good mood, I wasn't used to this. "And don't worry, we'll find you something to eat. Come on, we should get going, it's a bit of a drive from here."

"Alright, I'm ready," I told him before I followed him out of the building. We decided that I'd drive my car home and he'd meet me there since it was the same general direction anyway. Brian took a bit longer apparently, so I decided to quickly run upstairs, drop off my school bag and repack a smaller handbag, and because Brian still wasn't waiting outside I made myself a quick sandwich. When I looked out of the window again, Brian's car was standing outside so I picked up my handbag and hurried downstairs.