‘Not sure. It might put her off.’
‘Maybe we could just say Eva’s been a bit mean to another girl. Get Sadie to – I don’t know – talk to her about being kind.’
‘Yeah. Sounds like a good plan. But the truth will probably come out anyway. These things always do.’ Robert’s voice is flat. I guess we both assumed that today’s parents’ evening would be like all the others – glowing praise for our wonderful daughter. It’s Katie’s turn next week. I hope hers goes better than Eva’s.
I still can’t believe our daughter was being so mean to Maya. What on earth could have prompted such awful behaviour?
Twenty-Nine
Breakfast this morning is subdued. Eva’s behaviour went far beyond what I hoped for when I told her to buddy up with Lauren and Emily. Possibly a little too far with the size issue; I’ll have to tell her to rein it back a bit, teach her the art of subtlety. But my little protégé has all the makings of a first-class mean girl. Gemma is distraught. And that’s the point. That’s a result.
While the girls are upstairs brushing their teeth, I start to clear away the breakfast things. As I load the dishwasher, I ask Gemma if I can take the children to a Shakespeare play that’s showing at the Pavilion Theatre in town next week.
‘Normally, I’d say that’s a lovely idea,’ Gemma replies, passing me her mug to put in the dishwasher, ‘but I’m not very happy with Eva at the moment. I don’t want to hand out treats today. Not after what I learnt at parents’ evening. I had to call and apologise to my friend, Suri. She was very gracious but I felt awful.’
I put on a sympathetic expression. ‘I know you’re not happy with Eva, but children do these things without thinking. I can tell Eva’s upset with herself. Probably more upset about what she’s done than you are.’
‘Hmm.’ Gemma looks unconvinced.
‘The play isn’t until next week,’ I persist, ‘and to be honest, seeing a play like this would really help with her grammar-school test preparation.’ I’m hoping that my use of the ‘G’ word will sway Gemma. ‘If you want her to be inspired, there really is no substitute for watching a live play.’
‘Gemma folds her arms across her chest. ‘Shakespeare, you said? Which one?’
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’
‘Oh, I love that play. Robert took me to an open-air version at Regent’s Park when we first started going out. Maybe you’re right.’ She stares out of the window for a moment. ‘Okay, yes, book the tickets, but don’t tell the girls yet. I want Eva to know she’s being punished this week with no screen time or treats. We’ll tell them at the weekend.’
‘Shall I book you a ticket too?’ I ask. ‘If you loved that play, then it seems only fitting you should share it with your girls.’
Gemma’s face lights up. ‘What a wonderful idea, but which night is it showing? I’m so busy next week.’
‘It’s running for the whole week, Monday to Friday, so if you give me the dates of the nights you’re free, I can book it. Or if you’d rather go without me, then that’s absolutely fine…’
‘No, no, I’d love us all to go. It can be a girls evening out. Fantastic. Let me check my diary. I’m sure there are a couple of dates I’m free.’ She scrolls through her phone and shows me that she’s free next Thursday evening.
‘Okay, I’ll book tickets,’ I say, feeling a judder of excitement at the prospect.
‘Great! Okay, I’m off. Have a lovely day. And if you get a chance to talk to Eva about being kind to others, I’d appreciate it! We’ve already spoken to her, but it can’t hurt for her to have another perspective on it.’
‘Don’t worry,’ I say. ‘Eva and I will have a nice long chat on the way to school.’
‘You’re an angel.’
Unfortunately, it won’t be the kind of chat Gemma’s hoping for.
Thirty
Sitting at my desk, I end the conference call with one of my top clients. He isn’t happy with our cleaners. Something about smeary windows. I’ve managed to smooth things over with him, but I’ll have to get Joan to give her cleaners a talking to. I can’t have sub-standard work. If I let one thing slide, the client will look for other issues, and before I know it, I’ll have lost a contract.
The past few days at work have gone by in a crazy blur. We’re still interviewing for the new manager’s position, but I haven’t found anyone suitable yet. We’ve had a lot of impressive résumés, but once the candidates get to interview stage, they seem hopelessly lacking in charisma. I need managers who get on with people, not just box tickers. I guess the problem is that the job doesn’t sound very sexy. Facilities Manager sounds boring as hell, but it’s actually not. It’s varied and interesting. Well, it is to me, anyway.
I’m the only one left in the office, but I’ve got a long night ahead of me and so I order a delivery from the local Thai restaurant. As soon as I end the call, my phone buzzes again. It’s Sadie. She’s never needed to call me at work before. I hope the girls are all right.
‘Hi, Sadie. Everything okay? Hope you’ve had a good day.’
‘Yes, fine thanks.’ There’s a pause. ‘I was just wondering if you’ll be back soon.’
‘Erm, no. I’m working late tonight. I’ve got back-to-back client meetings on Skype all evening.’
