If there's one thing that makes the school run a bit easier to deal with, it's the mum friends. Sure, there's that awkward couple of weeks where you realise you take the same route at roughly the same time, you start to recognise each other, maybe even smile and wave... but you have no idea what to call them.
Heaven forbid you start small-talk, and pass the point of no return where it becomes too weird that you don't know their name. At least the kids come to the rescue -
"that's so-and-so's mum!"
- so you can pretend you remember who their child is.
Thankfully, Julie had no patience for all that nonsense and simply cut through the awkwardness, introducing herself to Alison and getting her number. Over the next few weeks, ten minutes chat by ten minutes chat, the two women got closer.
Julie shared her reality as a single mother, navigating scheduling difficulties and coparenting hurdles. Surprisingly, despite being married to her husband Daniel, Alison shared many of the same struggles.
Julie recognised much of her previous relationship in Alison's description - down to the same type of weaponised incompetence, the taking off at short notice for a few hours without saying where he was, the constant criticism without any constructive suggestions...
They became each other's village, swapping the occasional school run favour. Alison brought Julie's son to school when she had early morning meetings, and Julie took Alison's daughter home if Alison was stuck in traffic on her commute home.
"Do you want to come for dinner?" Alison asked one Thursday evening. Just like that, the four of them filed up the narrow stairs to Alison's flat in the top half of a small suburban house.
"Do you realise this is the first time I've come here?" Julie asked.
"No, it isn't... is it?"
Julie nodded, taking in the living room with its usual collection of toys and children's books strewn about the couch. "Yep! You've been over to mine a few times but we've never been here. I was kinda curious but didn't want to prod... and you're always welcome to escape to mine, anyway."
Alison shrugged. "Ah, think I'm just a bit embarrassed by the mess," she said. She headed into the open plan kitchen and stubbed her toe on am overflowing recycling bin. She swore as crumpled cans of Carlsberg clattered onto the floor.
"Let me help!" Julie sprung into action and collected the beer cans, tetris-ing them back into the bin. "I thought you didn't drink?"
"I don't," Alison muttered, rubbing her foot. "They're Daniel's, I should take them out."
Julie threw her a side-eye. "Or, hear me out, he can take out his own trash?"
Alison sighed and glanced to the children, playing in the living room clearly within hearing range. "It's not worth the fight, Jules."
"But--"
"Not now," Alison interrupted her, looking pointedly to the children. As if on cue, they heard a key turn in the front door, and a few moments later Daniel stepped into the living room.
Alison put on a smile. "Hey honey, Julie's over for dinner today, hope that's alright!"
Daniel looked around and shrugged. "Okay," he said, bending to grab a can of beer. Without another word, he walked out of the living room, into his bedroom, and shut the door behind him.
Julie looked over at Alison, mouth open in shock. Alison shrugged and turned back to the hob, reheating dinner for the kids. "Better this way," she mumbled, "trust me."
Julie stood next to her and set to grating some cheese. "Alison, honey... I'm sorry but I have to ask. Do you even like him?" Alison shrugged again. Julie glanced behind her, but the children had turned on a music box and were busy drawing. She lowered her voice further, just in case. "This isn't a healthy marriage. Why do you stay?"
"You weren't married," Alison whispered. "It's really complicated, it takes forever, I wouldn't be able to afford living on my own, we'd have to figure out how we divide stuff up..."
"But you're miserable!"
"Yeah, but so is he, so it evens out. We're
both
stuck in this loveless, sexless arrangement."
Julie raised an eyebrow.
"What?" Alison asked.
"Just... are you sure he's sexless?" Alison scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Hey, hey, I'm just saying," Julie said, "I know men like him. I'd be fucking
shocked
if he wasn't cheating."
Alison sighed. "I almost
wish
he was cheating. It would probably make divorcing him easier. If not legally, then at least... emotionally."
Julie crossed her arms and cocked her head. "So... what if I could prove it to you?"
"What are you gonna do, entrap him?" Alison chuckled.
Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to do,
Julie thought. "Hah, no, of course not," she smiled to her friend.
***
"Have a good day, honey," Julie said, dropping a kiss on her son's head and waving him off. She stood for a few seconds, watching him enter the school, and smiled as Alison's daughter ran past her to catch up to him.
Julie turned around. "Oh, hey Al--" She stopped short when she saw Daniel standing there. "Oh, sorry," she said. "I expected Alison."
"She had a 'headache'," Daniel explained and rolled his eyes. Julie gritted her teeth, biting back a remark. "Hope I'm a suitable substitute," he smiled. He held his hand out, gesturing for Julie to walk out with him.
Julie forced herself to smile back. "Of course," she said. "I'm just not used to seeing you on the school run. In fact, I think it's the first time in the..." she counted on her fingers, "9 months since the school year started."
Daniel laughed, and Julie noticed how straight and white his teeth were. "That's fair," he said. "I'm usually busy at work, or at the gym. I guess you get that," he gestured to Julie's clothing.
Of course, it's today of all days I run into him,
she grumbled internally. "Yes, I, uh," she glanced down at her leggings, grateful she'd at least fully zipped up her hoodie over her sports bra, "I'm just on my way to a class."
"Well, whatever class it is," he glanced down to her body, "it is
working
."
Julie couldn't quite believe how little shame he had. Although... wasn't this the plan? Seduce him to prove to Alison he would cheat on her if given the opportunity? She just didn't think he'd go for it so blatantly. This was perhaps the third time ever he'd spoken to her.
Still, she wanted to tell him off, wanted to remind him he was married, but some part of her... crap, some part of her
liked
the attention. She would have never admitted it to herself, and certainly never to Alison, but she did think she was in better shape than his wife, and the validation from him felt, well, validating.
As if reading her mind, Daniel smirked knowingly, and Julie hated how handsome that made his face look. If she didn't know he was his friend's husband - if she didn't know how much he embodied everything she despised - she might almost feel attracted to him. Which, she supposed, made her plan somewhat easier... if she could pretend she was into him, then she could pretend to flirt with him, right?
They reached a bus stop and Daniel stopped to lean against it. "Well, this is me," he said, crossing his arms. "Goodbye... for now." The look he threw her filled her insides with butterflies. Damn, he must have practiced that look in the mirror, because he was
nailing
it.
"I'll see you around," Julie murmured, flustered. She walked away, conscious of her hips rolling with each step, her sports leggings hugging her shape. She could feel Daniel's eyes on her... or could she? Was she just imagining that? Or maybe hoping for it?
She risked a glance behind her, and accidentally made eye contact with Daniel who was, indeed, watching her walk away. He smirked again, and dipped his head in acknowledgement.
***
"Thank you, all, for coming to the Blue Hill Primary School Summer Fair!"
Julie cheered and raised her glass. The fair was an unqualified success - the kids had been running around all afternoon, flitting from three-legged races to tombola stands to games of horseshoes. Still, the most popular event by a long way was a local riding school bringing out a few of their ponies for rides round the copse of trees at the edge of the fairgrounds.
Julie's son had been queuing for ages and it was finally his turn. She waved to him as the handler steered his pony onto the trail, then sank in a nearby lawn chair with a sigh, and sipped at her Pimm's.
"It's nice to see a girl who can actually loosen up with a drink and have fun."
Julie shielded her eyes and glanced up to Daniel. She pursed her lips, holding back her retort -
I'm a grown woman, thank you very much
- and instead smiled.
"Thank you. As it happens, I am quite fun," she replied, crossing one leg over the other. She felt her sundress ride up her thigh, and fought the urge to pull the hem back down.
"Yes, you look like you would be." Julie felt a blush creep up her chest and glanced around, looking for Alison. She hadn't shared her plan with her friend, and didn't want her to think this pretend-flirt was something real she should be worried about. "Don't worry, Alison's over there, in the mum shorts," Daniel said, pulling up a chair and sitting next to her.
He raised his hands to grip the lawn chair above his head and closed his eyes, angling his face towards the sun. Julie took the opportunity to observe him. She reminded herself the only reason he was so bloody handsome is that he skipped out on being a good husband and father and focused on himself so much.
His biceps stood out in his current position, his short sleeves barely containing them. Her gaze followed the outline of his shoulders up to his neck. He'd let his beard grow to just the right amount of stubble, the clean edges betraying the amount of care that must have gone into it.
