After Hours

Promise Me

January 22, 1971

The last period of the day had arrived, it was her Year 13 class. She enjoyed teaching the older classes as the students weren't that much younger than their teacher, Jane could connect in a way with them that some of the other teachers couldn't. They'd dissect Zeppelin lyrics and read books that her colleagues might've deemed inappropriate for secondary studies, but then she'd remember what she was doing at their age and it didn't seem too far off from what some of the protagonists in their assigned readings were doing.

She was torn between looking forward to tonight and being nervous, Brian was coming to her flat for the evening to hang out. She couldn't decide if she did have a crush on him or if she just missed him so much and her emotions were overwhelming her because now he was back in her life.

After dismissing her students for the weekend, she hurried home to make sure her flat was deemed clean enough to have a guest. There was a sense of eclecticism and organized mess in her flat but he didn't want her to think she lived like a slob. That was one thing the two of them differed in, Brian was extremely meticulous with where his things went. His desk in his bedroom was always neatly in order, his books were aligned straight, and his bed was always made. His closet was even organized by color.

When Jane entered her flat, she scanned the living room, and the jumbled blanket on her couch caught her attention. It was immediately folded and draped over the back of the loveseat. Her next room of inspection was the kitchen, thankfully she hadn't cooked over the last few days so the sink wasn't littered with dishes that would have to be promptly washed. Brian would arrive within the hour, she decided to hold off on making tea until it was closer to the time they agreed on hanging out.

The bathroom was the last thing on her list, and god was she glad she looked. Her hand washed unmentionables were hanging to dry over the bathtub. She quickly pulled them from the shower curtain rod and tossed them onto her bed, closing the door on the mess that was still her bedroom. There was no chance in hell that there would be a reason he would be in her bedroom tonight.

She settled down on the couch, glancing at her watch every few minutes. She had turned the telly on for background noise and hopefully to distract her until he arrived. There was a ringing, but it wasn't the one she hoped her.

Jane got off the couch and walked into the hallway to answer the phone, "Hello?"

"Janette, mon cheri, what happened to you on Samedi?"

It was the voice of someone she had been dreading to speak to, "Hi, Roni, I.. I just wasn't feeling well." Jane didn't feel so bad for telling half a lie.

"Come out tonight, we're going to the Astor Club."

A night of going to one of London's most famous and exclusive night clubs excited her but as she glanced at her watch, Brian was going to be here any moment. She stood there in silence, making a mental pros and cons list.

"Janette? Are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm still here.. I think I'm coming down with something. I've been battling it since last Saturday but I knew I had your party to go to so.. I fought through it," Jane was a horrible liar, even as she did her best to make her voice sound hoarse. A native English speaker would've more than likely would've been able to see right through her bullshit.

Roni clicked her tongue against the back of her teeth a few times, "Oh cherie, that's too bad.. promise me you'll come out next weekend?"

"I promise.."

They exchanged goodbyes before Jane hung the phone back up on the wall, knowing there's a good chance she wouldn't be keeping that promise.

The ringing sound she'd been hoping for all afternoon rang throughout her flat, she rushed to the intercom,