Ninja School Mum

by Lizzie Chantree

  ‘It will be even more fun if we help our friends too,’ pleaded Leo dramatically, grabbing Allie’s hand as they both stared at Skye. ‘I’m really popular now I’m not so scared of Miles. How can you ignore other children when you’ve helped us?’ Allie looked at Leo in awe of his manipulation skills.

  Knowing her son, Skye guessed that they had written down what to say at lunchtime. She was supposed to be strong but Leo would know he had won the minute his mother’s shoulders sagged in defeat. ‘Okay,’ Skye conceded. ‘Just those four children and then absolutely no more after that. I don’t even like children,’ she joked, grabbing Leo and Allie into a playful joint hug. The children ran around the garden whooping with joy and Skye could have kicked herself for being such a pushover.

  Emotionally blackmailed by a pair of junior school children. She would be forever ruined! Why could she manage to function perfectly well for many years, making critical decisions that affected people’s lives without a second’s hesitation, yet one pleading gaze from her son’s baby blue eyes and she was a goner? What a mug.

  ‘What will we tell them?’ she asked the complicit duo. ‘We can’t say we’re pretend ninjas. They’ll laugh us out of town. A Miles avoidance club?’

  ‘We can say they’re coming here to play, but you sometimes teach us climbing skills and gymnastics,’ said Leo proudly, obviously deciding he had found a solution. Allie was nodding enthusiastically at his idea, her silky bunches bobbing up and down as she agreed.

  ‘I’m not a climbing instructor or gymnastics teacher.’

  ‘But you told Auntie Thea you were a gymnastics champion,’ said Allie innocently. ‘That would be enough for most mums I know.’ Skye bit her lip and looked very shifty for a moment. She had known that that lie would come back to bite her on the bum. Leo sighed in exasperation and stared straight into his mum’s eyes.

  ‘Oh, okay,’ she acquiesced, ‘but I may have exaggerated my abilities slightly to your aunt, Allie.’ She hated the shocked look on Allie’s face and the knowing smile from Leo. ‘The only gymnastics medal I ever won, was when I was about four. I was rather good though,’ she said dreamily, before Leo coughed and she had to snap back to the matter in hand.

  Allie started giggling and stared sternly at Skye. ‘The moral of this tale is not to tell lies,’ she admonished before she fell onto the floor laughing. Leo smiled too, but still looked cross at her for making stuff up again.

  Skye gazed at her son thoughtfully and then pretended to hang her head in shame. ‘Lesson learned. Your friends can join you tomorrow, but I am not cooking them dinner. They can come round for a play and fill their stomachs at home.’

  ‘Mum’s not the best cook,’ said Leo solemnly, a twinkle appearing in his eyes now he had got his own way.

  ‘The spaghetti Bolognese we had in our first week was delicious,’ said Allie loyally, earning another hug and a kiss on the top of her head from Skye as she stuck her tongue out at her son.

  ‘The sauce came out of a jar,’ Leo said helpfully.

  ‘You eat loads of fruit and salad,’ said Skye defensively.

  ‘It’s safer that way,’ joked Leo, as Skye swatted his backside with a newspaper she picked up from the little table under the windowsill.

  ‘Right, you two,’ she commanded, suddenly serious. ‘Let’s get back to work.’

  Chapter Twelve

  Zack tried to control his temper as Miles kicked the vending machine again and swore at the beeping noise it began to make as soon as he tried to shake it from side to side.

  ‘Can I help you?’ Zack asked through gritted teeth, making the boy jump and blush at being caught in the act.

  ‘This stupid machine ate my money again,’ Miles whined, not meeting Zack’s eyes as he checked the digital readout.

  ‘What were you trying to buy?’

  ‘Crisps,’ said Miles, dragging his dirty hands through his sandy coloured hair and making it stand up on end, as if he’d had an electric shock.

  ‘You haven’t put enough money in,’ said Zack evenly. ‘You need to check the cost first, which is written clearly here,’ he pointed to the prices printed in big red numbers in front of each product, ‘and then put the correct money in here,’ he continued, pointing to the money slot as if he was talking to a five- year-old. He was aware that he was being rude, but he had just had to put up with Miles’ mum taking videos of his backside while he was setting up some equipment again. It was all so embarrassing. What on earth did she do with them anyway? Watch them at night when she was all alone? Gross.

  When she had noticed that he was looking directly at her camera, she had hastily turned and said she was filming the sun streaming through the trees. What a load of crap. The woman was becoming obsessed. Mirabelle turned up at CloudClimb with Miles at least once a week now for tree climbing sessions and had enrolled him for an adventure course Zack had set up, until she found out that Mike was running it for him and did an about-turn.

  She might as well come up and lick his face, the amount of subtlety she showed. He was sure she thought it was funny to keep complimenting him on his physique and how manly he was. Maybe she thought it would turn him on? She couldn’t have been further from the truth, as his is ex-wife had put him off women for life… almost. He did have occasional dates, but he didn’t have anyone to help him with childcare, so it was more trouble than it was worth. He had tried one local babysitting service, but Emmie had cried from the moment he left the house and he had been called home within thirty minutes. In the end, he’d just given up.

  Mirabelle had taken to wearing tighter and tighter clothing, which was not flattering when it was still fairly cold outside and her designer shirt was two sizes too small! He was only human and had glanced her way, but she was starting to distract his staff. Many of them didn’t know where to look when she was around.

  Delving into the pockets of his jeans, he handed Miles a twenty pence coin and the boy grabbed it without a word of gratitude and rammed it into the machine. When the crisps appeared in the bottom window, he pulled them out and ran out of the refreshment building that had just been added to the site, without thanking Zack or offering to repay him.

  It had taken a small investment to create this area, but Zack had designed it so that the seats looked out over the tree climbing sessions and the chairs were really comfy, with dark green padded seats and soft backs. Parents flocked here already. Zack abhorred poor coffee, so the fancy machine he’d bought churned out perfectly frothy cups at a premium price. He had even designed an app that parents or carers could tap their coffee preferences into; the drinks machine would rustle them up while the app told them what their choice said about their personality. It was a bit of fun and brought them back to try new combinations each time. He had been thinking of expanding this idea to inform customers who their best coffee match was from everyone taking part, but didn’t want people to start getting jealous if their match wasn’t the person they had arrived with! He was rushing way ahead of himself on that one, anyway. It would all come together with time, though. With the phenomenal rate his latest apps were being downloaded, he could afford to develop pretty much any idea he wanted to. Zack quite liked the thought of integrating life experiences with technology, although it did mean he had to be rather more hands-on than he would like to be. CloudClimb had come with the property and he had been hoping he could ignore it, as he hadn’t wanted to have more hassle in his life. Plus, he had absolutely no experience in running a business like this. Luckily, he had been on several climbing holidays and had loved outdoor sports when he was younger, but that had been cliffs and walls, not trees.

  Emmie had pleaded with him to give the business a try, as he had taken her climbing a few times over the years and she had the bug for heights and adventure. Zack just couldn’t seem to be able to say no to his vivacious daughter. As it turned out, after a year of extreme research and development, and a complete revamp, they literally hadn’t looked back in their second year. There was still s
o much to do and learn, as the business model they had opened with had been quite basic, and he had thought the whole thing might be a waste of time and fail, but it had been almost an instant hit and Zack’s head was still spinning at its incredible growth.

  It might have been a complete nightmare at the start but, with Kay leaving, he had finally got fed up with wallowing in self-pity and been ready for a new challenge. The final decision had been made because the flat they were living in reminded him of the time when it wasn’t just him and his daughter. Emmie needed this real home, though it was huge, with the two slobbery dogs making up their new family unit while his granddad was off gallivanting somewhere in the Caribbean with a twenty-something model. His own parents tried to visit when they could.

  His dad had run a very successful business and Zack had enjoyed a few holidays a year and a comfortable home, but they were retired now and were flitting around before finding a new place to call home. Zack secretly hoped that Emmie would be enough to entice them to this corner of the country, with its lush woods and picturesque villages, but he knew they enjoyed city life and would probably end up back near his dad’s golf club, where Zack had grown up, just outside London. Even though they both said they wanted to jet about and see the world, Zack knew that his parents would miss their friends if they were too far away. His mother was a social butterfly who took centre stage wherever they were. Zack loved this about her, as no one could say she was boring, but he had sometimes wished, as he was growing up, that she was a bit more conventional, more like his friends’ mums, who wore jeans every day and walked the dog. His dinners had often been colourful, eclectic collections of ingredients his mother had discovered in the endless magazines she read to keep up with the latest trends, which was probably why she got along so well with his badly behaved granddad. Zack sometimes wondered if it was why he kept his emotions hidden. Who wouldn’t, when they were always hiding under a bed with embarrassment while their granddad arrived with yet another tall tale, or a girl young enough to be his daughter, while his son’s wife found the whole set-up hilarious?

  Peeking out of the refreshment building, he scanned the heads of his customers for Belle’s distinctive, sleek, highlighted haircut. When he saw that the coast was clear, he breathed a sigh of relief and stepped outside but, as he did, an arm reached out and stopped him in his tracks. He almost jumped out of his skin in fright.

  Belle giggled coquettishly, but didn’t drop the death grip she had on his arm. He pointedly stared at her hand, before she had the good grace to blush and let go. ‘Miles just told me you bought him a snack,’ she said seductively, running her tongue over her lips in what he guessed she thought was a suggestive manner, but which just looked ridiculous. He wondered fleetingly if she’d had Botox.

  ‘Well…’ he began.

  ‘You must let me repay you,’ Belle purred. He assumed she was going to give him the twenty pence back, but that turned out to be wishful thinking. ‘Let me buy you a drink one night?’ Zack’s jaw dropped and he frowned, trying to think of a way out, as he actually felt himself begin to blush. What the hell was the matter with him? What was it with this woman? She had a hide of steel. He tried to shake off the mental image that conjured up.

  ‘That’s really not necessary,’ Zack spluttered a touch too forcefully, making a mental note never to help the kid again. He looked desperately around for Mike, who was watching the situation play out with great amusement and didn’t appear tempted to step in. Zack knew Mike thought he needed a woman in his life, although he was sure even Mike didn’t believe meddling Belle was the way forward for his friend. From what Mike had told him, she was a bit obsessive about the men in her life and didn’t leave them alone, even after the relationship had ended. Her ex was a mate of Mike’s and the man carried a constant pained expression.

  Then Zack saw Mike signalling that he needed his attention for a moment and he thanked his lucky stars for a friend who understood how agonizing the unwanted attention of a lust-fuelled school mum could be, especially when his daughter went to the same place as her son. Imagine the gossip from that great big group of women she hung around with. They were like a pack of wolves, huddled together, giggling and hissing when he walked past. He wouldn’t be surprised if Belle tried to pee on him to mark her territory.

  Hastily excusing himself, and taking in a deep calming breath of the cool air, filled with the scent of the trees, Zack instantly began to relax. He walked in Mike’s direction and heartily slapped him on the back in thanks as they both headed towards the staff office. ‘Please make it stop,’ he pleaded to Mike, who laughed good-naturedly, and appeared to be thinking only of how he could best wind his friend up.

  ‘She’s just asked me to book her onto personal tree climbing sessions with you next week,’ Mike lied slickly, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

  ‘What?’ Zack stopped short and turned panicky eyes to Mike, before he saw his smirk. ‘Very funny… not,’ he said sourly. ‘I’ve tried very politely to tell her I’m not interested, but she doesn’t hear me. I can’t be blunter than saying no thanks to her face.’

  ‘She thinks you’re playing hard to get,’ said Mike. ‘The guys here have a bet on how long you can hold out, before you get desperate for a shag and give in. How long is it since you’ve gone out with a woman?’

  Zack tried to ignore the question and kicked idly at the soft earth of the forest floor, covering his work boots in mud. Mike walked ahead into the office, sat in the chair opposite Zack’s and put his feet up on the desk, leaning back over his shoulder to look pointedly at Zack to let him know he wasn’t leaving without an answer. Zack sighed loudly, stomped in, walked round the desk and plonked himself into his chair, forced to face the question.

  ‘Come on. When was the last time you actually had any?’

  ‘Any what?’ asked Zack. Mike gave him a hard stare and crossed his arms over his broad chest, making his muscles bulge and his short-sleeved, khaki work shirt stretch tight, letting Zack know he meant business and was not about to move.

  ‘Okay, okay,’ said Zack, realising how strong they had both become with all the physical labour they now undertook, but wishing Mike would stop flexing his chest like a peacock. ‘Maybe I should go on a date, but Belle would eat me alive.’ He shivered involuntarily, feeling a bit sick.

  ‘I could think of a whole host of women who would queue up to date you. I’m quoting my wife here,’ he clarified, before Zack could make a wisecrack.

  ‘Marlo talks about me?’ Zack joked, flexing his own muscles.

  ‘Ha ha,’ said Mike sarcastically. ‘Only because she thinks you’re desperate and in need of a good woman.’ Mike held up a hand before Zack could protest. ‘She also said you would use not having babysitters as an excuse.’ Zack had the good grace to look ashamed, as that was exactly what he had been about to say. ‘Emmie would love to come over to our house to play, or for a sleepover. I know our boys are a bit younger, but you just have to take the plunge and let her out of your sight a bit more.’

  Zack sighed and rubbed his temples. He needed a caffeine hit. He had a headache coming and got up to use the trendy coffee maker he’d bought for the staff office. As far as he was concerned, if his staff were happy, then his customers were happy, so a few perks like an excellent coffee machine here as well as in the parents’ waiting area were worth the investment, plus good coffee made him smile too.

  ‘I’ll think about it,’ he said to Mike as the machine purred into life and began churning out fragrant coffee into the CloudClimb-branded Styrofoam cups.

  Handing a cup to Mike and then reaching for his own, Zack took a heavenly sip of the warm delicious liquid and sighed in pleasure.

  ‘What do you think about the new mum at the school? The hot brunette?’ said Mike.

  Zack thought about pretending not to know who Mike was talking about, but didn’t have the energy. ‘I’ve met her,’ he said, picturing her slender curves and endless legs, surprising Mike as he barely spoke to anyone
at the school. ‘She’s annoying,’ he added for good measure.

  ‘How the hell would you know that already?’ asked Mike in exasperation. ‘I’ve not seen you talk to anyone at the school, except Thea. How about Thea?’ he asked suddenly, jumping up in excitement. ‘She’s pretty hot too.’

  Zack thought about what Mike had said, and realised he was right. Thea was really pretty in a messy sort of way and he must admit he had checked her body out, with her womanly curves and gyrating bottom, but she had helped him with Emmie a couple of times and hadn’t shown the slightest flicker of interest in him, for which he had decided he was actually quite grateful. She wasn’t fawning all over him like some of the other mums and it made him relax in her company. He got the distinct impression that she wasn’t looking for a man. Maybe she already had one stashed away somewhere? He hadn’t heard her talk about Flo’s father and he certainly didn’t want to ask and have her tell him her life story. That would be too much, even for a great girl like Thea. He supposed he would help her if she needed him, but she didn’t come across as the needy type. He wracked his brain and couldn’t remember one instance since they had met when she had asked anything of him. She had offered help with Emmie, which was beyond kind, and he wouldn’t trust his daughter to very many people in this world, but his gut told him she wasn’t trying to get him onside to get into his pants or grab his estate. He fleetingly thought of Skye and the complicit smile they’d shared at school. Heat flared into his groin and blood rushed around his body, making him frown in annoyance.

  ‘Thea?’ questioned Mike again, with a sigh that seemed to signal impatience at his friend’s lack of interest in the luscious mums that were always at the school. ‘I give up,’ he said, getting up and brushing down his uniform.

  Zack sighed moodily and ran his hands through his thick black hair, before he remembered what this had done to Miles’ hair and hastily smoothed it back, much to Mike’s apparent amusement. ‘I promise I will go on a date,’ Zack acquiesced.