"Oh my God, Doug," she gasped after they quietened down and lay there for a few moments before they both dressed. "What happened?"
He chuckled. "Don't you know?"
She grinned and gave him a none too gentle clenched fist sock on the arm. "I'm almost fifty, you know and a grandmother. Should this happen to someone our age?"
"Why not?" he replied. "You're only as old as you feel."
"I've got to get back to work," she whispered. "I know I had an extended lunch break but this is ridiculous."
Doug just grinned. "And our meal together. Is it still on?"
"Why not," Chelsea laughed. "Don't you dare tell Jessica or Stacey, either. My God, I'd never live it down."
Doug grinned, grabbed her in another tight embrace, kissed her again fully on the lips, let her go, stepped back and smacked her bottom. "Only if..." he laughed and ducked away before she could punch him on the arm again.
IT WAS ALMOST MID-TERM when Jessica burst into Stacey's office at Lexington Avenue School, checked to see that nobody was around and practically screamed. "Do you know what's happened?"
Stacey glanced up from her computer. "No but no doubt you're about to tell me."
"Mum's screwing Doug!"
Stacey grinned. "And you're screwing Wyatt."
Jessica flushed a bright red. "You knew?"
"About Wyatt and you, yes; about Chelsea, no but why not? Both Wyatt and Doug are great guys."
"But she's my mother!" Jessica muttered.
"And you expect her to live like a nun?"
"Of course not but when she flaming flaunts it and acts as if she's an over ripe teenager..."
"And how did she manage to do that?" Stacey asked in a deadpan voice.
"On my iPhone1" Jessica gasped. "I called her up in a video link and practically caught them at it. Just a few minutes ago!"
Stacey glanced at her watch. It was three fifty. "As good a time as any, I'd say."
"Oh don't be crude," Jessica muttered. "You're usually the conservative one so prim and proper." She got out her iPhone. "Have a look! I kept a copy."
Stacey took the iPhone and clicked the play icon.
In a small upstairs bedroom with an outside view through a window of cars driving by, an embarrassed looking Chelsea appeared with a towel around her bosom. "You haven't got your video on have you?" she gasped.
"Who is it?" said a voice Stacey instantly recognised. It was Doug.
"My annoying daughter," Chelsea retorted and moved the iPhone so he came in sight dressed only in his underwear. "It's lucky you've got something on."
"Mum," howled Jessica on the recording. "What the hell are you and Doug doing?"
"Nothing you and your teacher friend Wyatt don't do."
"Mum!" screamed Jessica. "How could you? And with Doug, too!"
Chelsea grinned then turned serious. "I saw it was you calling so decided you might as well know about us. Didn't realise the video was on. Sorry about that!"
"Oh hell, Mum you're almost fifty."
"Yes Dear. That's not seventy, you know. By then you'll be almost the age I am now."
"Hi Jessica," said Doug as the iPhone video panned across to him. "How's Stacey getting on as your boss?"
"Who bloody cares?" Jessica retorted. "I'll call back when your hormones have come off super drive."
A hand reached over and the screen went blank.
"And did you?" Stacey asked.
"Do what?" Jessica snapped.
"Call back."
"Hell no. It'll take me a week to simmer down."
Stacey laughed, Jessica muttered something beneath her breath and stuck the iPhone back in her pocket. "And I thought you'd be supportive."
"Of whom?" Stacey asked.
"Oh shut up!" Jessica retorted then broke into a grin. "Bet I gave them a hell of a fright when they realised it was a video link."
"Like the video of you and Wyatt?"
"You haven't?" gasped Jessica.
Stacey laughed. "No but I could have." She stood, walked over and gave Jessica a hug. "We all deserve someone in our lives, don't you agree?"
"Yes Boss. I guess I could call Mum back and congratulate her."
"Yeah but make it just an audio link, just in case."
Jessica stared at her with wide eyes. "And you're meant to be the Cool Mrs Hayes," she whispered.
CONNIE WITHERS IN HER capacity as Chairperson of Lexington Avenue School glowered at the TV producer that she had agreed to meet.
"Yes, I know about the tragedy that our principal Stacey Hayes has had to endure but resent the fact that you are proposing a program to drag all the details through the mud again." She reached over the desk of the uptown office where she was a senior manager and opened the file the producer had given to her. This contained a summary of details about the proposed in-depth program. "Do you know there is a court embargo on these items?"
"It is due to expire this week," the woman producer stated. "It is news of high interest to the New Zealand public and they deserve to know the facts. After all the acting principal was murdered on the school grounds and the appointment as Assistant Principal of Jessica Hayes by Mrs Stacey Hayes is almost nepotism not expected in a public school."
Connie almost banged a thumb down on a list of items on the sheet before her.
"Your facts are wrong and if you proceed with false details our school lawyers shall be filing a writ with the high court."
"So point out what is incorrect," the producer said. "That is our reason for being here."
"Very well. One, as soon as Stacey knew Jessica applied for the position as Senior Teacher at our school she withdrew herself from the selection committee and the appointment was made on the late Kim Tanner's recommendation when she was the DP. When Jessica was promoted to Assistant Principal after Kim's death, Stacey also withdrew from the Appointments Committee."
She glowered at the woman sitting across her desk.
"Two; it is completely untrue that Stacey and Jessica had some sort of sister-wife arrangement and lived in a three person home to share Brendon."
She continued on with all the details about Brendon being discovered as being a bigamist. Stacey and Jessica had told The Board Of Trustees and the Board everything several months earlier and the board had respected their wishes of confidentiality. Earlier that day, the pair had both agreed to Connie telling the TV producer the facts if she thought it was necessary.
There were several more items that were either false, half-truths or exaggerated to make them more sensational that Connie pointed out before concluding, "If you insist on proceeding with this program I shall ask our school lawyers to approach the High Court to have the present embargo being extended indefinitely. Two of our most values staff members do not need this negative publicity." She stared unblinking at the woman. "Why don't you make a program that is positive about our principal, how the schools reputation has been enhanced since Stacey's arrival? For example, the school roll has increased by close to two hundred pupils in the last three years. There is also our new arts and crafts centre that is also leased out to community groups and the innovative music programs including a recently re-established school choir that last Christmas visited several rest homes to sing carols to the residents."
"And if we did that, you would not mind us highlighting the facts behind Kim Tanner's murder and that Stacey Hayes was the real target of the gunman?"
"You will need to get Stacey and Jessica's agreement but yes a positive program would be welcomed." Connie smiled. "Perhaps a marriage being held on the school grounds shortly would be a great way to start your program."
Three days later Connie received a text message from the television company stating that the controversial item about Lexington Avenue School had been cancelled and there was a possibility that a more positive one would be made to replace it.
THE SATURDAY WEDDING in the Lexington Avenue School assembly hall was meant to be a small ceremony that spring November day but the open in
vitation to anybody who wished to attend both the wedding and a casual lunch in the grounds afterwards swelled with friends, parents, pupils and others all joining in.
It was a sort of bring-your-own picnic with a huge marquee erected on the football field and older pupils minded gas cookers ready to begin cooking sausages, chops, eggs and other delightful food to go with fresh rolls. Inside, long trestle tables were filled with sweets and food ready to accommodate all and sundry. A couple of smaller tents with fun raising activities for both children and adults added to the fun.
Four lines of pupils in winter sports uniforms of netball for the girls and rugby for the boys and soccer or hockey of both genders formed an honour guard in front of the front doors. The two back rows that lined up on each side of the path consisted of twelve and thirteen year old senior pupils with the smaller Year 3 and 4 children lined up in front of them. Everyone outside stopped and watched as two vintage Jaguar cars came in through the tractor gate and circled the playing field before coming to a halt before the honour guards and other children behind.
Stacey gulped when she saw the lines. "I wasn't expecting this," she whispered to the man beside her. "So much for a simple little ceremony."
"Well when the principal of one of the Wellington's highest regarded primary schools gets married everyone wants to participate," Doug McCann, who had accepted the invite to give the bride away, replied. Both Stacey's parents were deceased and it only took a little persuasion from Chelsea for him to accept.
The front Jaguar stopped and waited while the other vehicle pulled in behind before a senior boy stepped forward and opened the door for the bride.
Stacey who was dressed in a long cream coloured gown with her hair flowing free stepped out and watched as the Matron of Honour and Flower Girl climbed out of the second car. Jessica also wore a long gown but hers was a violet colour while Carla, who was now six, wore an almost identical gown. She grinned and waved at her friends nearby before remembering her duties and almost rushed up to Stacey to hand her a beautiful bunch of flowers.
"Thank you Sweetheart," Stacey said and took the flowers. "My don't you look grand in your gown?"
"Just like Mummy's," Carla replied. She gave a wonderful little curtsy before slipping back to take her mother's hand.
"Come on," Doug prompted. "We're almost ten minutes late. Laurie will be beginning to think you chickened out."
"A bride's prerogative," Stacey said as she slipped her arm through Doug's and stepped forward between the honour guards.
She smiled at the hockey players who held their sticks up in a salute for her to step through and bent down when one little girl could barely hold her stick high enough for her to walk beneath.
The interior of the hall was also a surprise for it was packed with people. She recognised friends, parents and friends but almost frowned at a TV camera following her progress up the isle.
There was Laurie who turned to grin at her. She handed the flowers back to Carla who rushed across to Chelsea and handed them on before she sat in the front row ready for the ceremony to take place.
"Hello friends, for that is what we all are today, may I welcome you for today's two ceremonies." The wedding celebrant who was a mother of one of the school's pupils smiled. "The second is important too for we will be issuing Baby Grace... " She glanced across at the little one being held in Chelsea's arms. "I guess she should be called Toddler Grace now, with a new birth certificate changing her surname to that of her Mum and Dad. From today she shall become simply Grace Stacey Gladstone..."
The short but dignified ceremony continued followed by the traditional groom kissing the bride. The pair walked out through well-wishers and across to the marquee where the smell of cooking sausages and chops filled the air.
Moments later Jessica sidled up to Stacey and grabbed her hands "Well the Cool Mrs Hayes is that no more," she said with a grin.
"Yeah and the Hot Mrs Hayes or more politely named Other Mrs Hayes that school visitors use, will become the only Mrs Hayes on our staff."
Jessica grinned. "As long as they don't call me Widow Hayes, I don't mind."
They both chuckled and hugged each other in a warm embrace. It was a day never to be forgotten on that warm spring day.
The End
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Did you love The Other Mrs Hayes? Then you should read Blossoms in the Wind by Ross Richdale!
Blossoms in the Wind is a romantic thriller centred around two families, the Suttons and the Knights who are linked when two senior high school students, Jeff Sutton and Ava Knight meet and are attracted to each other after Jeff transfers to a liberal co-educational high school rather than having his final year back at a conservative single sex school. Through them, their parents, Chloe Sutton and Adrian Knight meet.
Chloe is a victim of a dominating husband with the ongoing violence finally stopped when Jeff steps in after years of seeing his mother suffer. One evening he retaliates rather than continuing to ignore the latest outburst by his father when his fear of the older man turns to anger. David Sutton suddenly finds he is the victim rather than the perpetrator of a thrashing and is thrown out of the family home.
Adrian Knight is a widower after his wife died of cancer and has two children, seventeen-year-old Ava and son Logan who is twelve. When he meets Chloe she is separated from her husband and their friendship becomes more serious.
David Sutton's true character begins to show when he perpetuates his violent streak against his latest mistress, Nicole Wilks while he seeks revenge against Chloe and Jeff.
Deanne, her date Ryan and Fluer, three of Ava and Jeff's friends, find a party after an Easter school dance is more than just a get together when alcohol and drugs are brought to the Blue Waves Motel. Ava is awoken in the early hours of the morning after the dance by a distressed Deanne and with Adrian's help, picks her up on a deserted road after she fled the motel. Meanwhile at the motel, a distressed Fluer seeks Ryan's help to get her home. He can't find Deanne so agrees to do that. Repercussions back at school follow the situation but the trio avoid punishment as they had already left after a police raid on the premises.
Chloe's love for Adrian is complicated by her becoming pregnant. This affects Ava and Jeff's relationship and the future of both families as they try to solve the situation. Will this drive the pair apart?
David Sutton goes missing and a police investigation find that he had numerous extramarital affairs and violence towards his partners as well as shady business deals with the city's criminals. A beachcomber on a remote beach discovers his body and a murder investigation is begun.
More problems complicate their lives with Nicole and Terri, two of David's mistresses involved. One is befriended by Ava and Jeff who help her through a stressful situation.
How do the lives of the two generations of the Sutton and Knight families pan out? Also, what is the conclusion made about David Suttons's death. Was he murdered or killed in self-defence by one of the women he violated. Only a court case against the woman who killed him will solve the final outcome.
This and other happenings over two years of the character's lives are told in this exciting drama. Like blossoms in the wind, Ava, Jeff, their families and friends are blown around but pull together to challenge life to the fullest.
Read more at Ross Richdale’s site.
Also by Ross Richdale
Emerald Eyes Trilogy
Emerald Eyes Destiny
Emerald Eyes Mist
Emerald Eyes Pyramid
Our Ancient Ancestors
When the Longships Came
The Drui
d's Daughter
Meztli - Sacrificial Maiden
Kyla's Fate
Our Romantic Thrillers
Blemished Jewel
Jana Adrift
Broken Silence
Eagle's Claw Lake
Snow Bond
Blossoms in the Wind
Terra Novels
The Truth About Terra
Terra Incognita
Wisps Trilogy
Wisps of Cloud
Wisps of Snow
Wisps of Wisdom
Standalone
Solar Search
Acid Air
Embrace the Fog
Cosmos Quest
Azure Sea Gold
Alien Hybrid
Crystal Souls
Countess In Exile
Anu Factor
Into the Wormhole
Time Portal
Like Twigs in a Storm
Omega Seed
Catalyst
Long Valley Road
Armlet
Claire
Liberty & Opportunity
Transmigration
Shadows Behind
Wind Across the Playground
Arising Magic
Generation 7
The Other Mrs Hayes
Stretched Horizons
Behind the Fire
Watch for more at Ross Richdale’s site.
About the Author
After a career as a teacher and principal of mainly small rural schools, Ross Richdale lives in the small university city of Palmerston North in the North Island of New Zealand where he writes contemporary novels and science fiction. He is married with three adult children and six grandchildren.
His interest in current events and international incidents serve as a backdrop for many of his novels. Ordinary people rather than the super rich super powerful or violent, are the main characters in his stories. His plots also reflect his interest in the rural lifestyle as well as the cross section of personalities encountered during his years as a teacher.
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