The silver fox

Have just got back from a pyjama party storytelling session at the primary school. Not normally my bag, especially since I no longer work there, but upon telling little Ali's dad about it following our private tutoring session, and witnessing Ali's enthusiasm to attend (today he's interested in books - don't blink, you might miss it!)  it was evident that dad had no inclination to spend the evening dressed in his pyjamas enjoying stories with his son.

"I'll do it if you pay me," I offered - only partially joking. He gave it some thought.

"How much would you do it for?"

"Thirty quid," was my reply, following some quick mental calculations around my hourly fee and petrol money.

"Ok...if you're sure..."

"I could really do with the money."

 

So it was settled - Ali came back to my house to watch TV ("What? You don't have an X-Box?!") and enjoy my chilli con carne before heading back to school to enjoy his stories, behave like an angel, and not even kick off when all the hot chocolate had run out.

 

Upon depositing Ali back with his father, I was invited to stick around for a beer. Given that a) I reckon the dad fancies me*, and b) his wife was away on business, I decided it would be wiser to make tracks and head on to my next excursion - rock choir trial (it rocked).

 

*On my last day working at Ali's school, there were no farewells more awkward than the one with Ali's father. After professing much thanks and appreciation for all I'd done for Ali (all deserved, of course; for once Ali'd had a teacher who could more or less manage his behavioural difficulties, even if the exasperation drove her away in the end), there was a pretty awkward handshake...his hand neared mine, mine went forward to meet it, then somehow due to the limpness of our hands and the enduring eye contact (thus not paying attention to the mechanics of the handshake itself), I don't know how it happened, but somehow our fingers became intertwined. We smiled uncomfortably and eventually remembered how to shake hands properly and, ahem, professionally. I reckon he thinks he's a bit of a silver fox...but not to this little vixen :)