Alice Beckett strode purposefully towards her car. She really needed to get out of here. Many things had happened this evening that shouldn't have, and she needed to leave them behind. Her mind was racing a mile a minute, going over everything, trying to find reason in it. She unlocked the car doors and threw her bag onto the back seat, not noticing the first few drops of water on her shoulders, as the rain started again. She slumped into the driver's seat, and sighed deeply. She slid her still damp hair out of her face and reached up to the rearview mirror. She studied herself in it, looked deep into her own eyes and chastised herself. She should have just let the kid have his shower. Told the caretaker to wait. She should have told Anna to come back the next day. She should feel embarrassed, she should feel ashamed. And she did, to a certain extent, but she couldn't help but smile when the muscular, eighteen year old's naked body swam into her imagination.
She readjusted the mirror, and turned the key in the ignition. The radio came on automatically, but she switched it off again, the noise becoming an unwelcome intrusion on her internal musing. She sighed again, shook her head, and backed out of her parking space.
Dave slumped against the bus stop signpost. He'd been here for going on half an hour now. Where was the bloody thing? He just wanted to get home, to curl up in bed, and wish the world away. He put his face in his hands, trying to banish the images burnt into his mind's eye. He looked up at the sky. The light was fading. He made his decision, turned, and trudged off into the night. His hamstring still ached, but thankfully his route, for now at least was downhill. Soon he was lost in his own little world, and didn't notice the return of the drizzle. At the bottom of the hill the bus, as if it had been waiting for the worst possible time barrelled past. It had caught some momentum travelling down the hill, and was going far too fast when it hit the puddle lying around a blocked drain, and caught Dave almost full in the face. He stopped, drenched from head to foot. Perfect. Just Perfect. He looked at the road ahead of him, and almost as if his body was revolting against him, lost all strength, and buckled to his knees. He managed to struggle over to someone's garden wall, and managed to lean his back against it. His head slumped forward, and he felt the cold water drip from his hair, and down his neck. He just didn't care any more.
Alice was startled out of her reverie by the first crack of thunder. She slowed her speed, noticing she was nearly ten miles an hour over the limit. The rain was beginning to hammer down now, and the first bolt of lightning soon followed. She slowed right down now, and if she hadn't she may have driven right by. The second flash of light brought her attention to a slumped figure at the side of the road. She pulled up to a halt. It was Dave. She undid her seat belt and ducked out into the rain.
'Dave!' She had to raise her voice, 'What are you doing?'
'Wha?' Dave looked up startled
'Come on, get in!' Before either of them knew what was happening, Alice was helping Dave to his feet, and guiding him towards her car. When they were safely inside she turned to him. He wouldn't return her gaze.
'You can't walk home in this, you'll catch your death.' She said, but got no response. Where do you live?'
Dave looked up and out of the windscreen. His mind suddenly snapped to attention.
'No, It's OK, I'll be fine.' He said quietly, and made to open the door.
Alice grabbed his arm softly.
'Nonsense. You're hurt, and it's mad out there. Where do you live?'
Dave stuttered some vague directions, and they set off. They drove in silence, until they pulled up at a set of traffic lights.
'This can't go on.' Alice said.
'Hmmn?' Dave grunted in quizzical response.
'I don't want to leave you hating me. Everything that happened tonight was an accident. I didn't mean to walk in on you like that. Either time. I tried to ignore it but clearly that's not going to work, I think we need to have it out in the open.'
'What?' Dave said, clearly worried.
'I didn't mean it like that,' Alice said, blushing, 'I meant we need to talk about it.'
'There's nothing to say.'
'I think there is. I don't think I said it before, but I'm sorry. I'm sorry I barged into the changing room. I'm sorry I made you use our shower. I'm sorry I came back into the office. I'm sorry Anna saw you. These are all things that didn't need to happen, but they did, and I'm sorry.'
'I'm sorry I was, you know,' Dave trailed off. The light turned green, and they set off again.
'You've got nothing to be sorry about.'
'God this is so embarrassing.' Dave muttered as he put his face in his hands.
'You've got nothing to be embarrassed about.' Alice said matter-of-factly.
'I got caught naked, worse than that caught wanking! I don't know about you but I find that embarrassing.'
'You weren't doing anything unusual.'
'Really? Everyone plays with themselves on school property do they?'
Alice shifted uncomfortably.
'OK, maybe your choice of location was unusual,' Alice said, remembering her own episode in the exact same spot, 'but the act itself wasn't.'