Page 5 of Take the Wheel

Her mother’s lips curled, just slightly, a sneer that had become all too familiar. ‘Don’t drag your father into this. He was the one that left.’

‘There wasn’t anything to leave by that point,’ Ari muttered.

Her mother gave a tight sigh. ‘When you’re back, we are going to have a serious talk about responsibility.’

‘Oh, goody. My favourite,’ Ari said. Though she would welcome it. She couldn’t wait to get back and have a chat with her mother. By then, Ari might have some pretty interesting things to say.

But not now. She just needed this week.

‘Enjoy your little jolly,’ her mother sneered and turned, exiting just as grandly as she had arrived, leaving the room suddenly empty and eerily quiet.

Nancy was stood in the doorway, her presence still steady and silent.

‘I don’t know why I always let her get to me,’ Ari murmured, barely above a whisper, eyes focused on her hands twisting in her lap.

Nancy paused. ‘Parents aren’t very ignorable people.’

Ari understood the subtle restraint in Nancy’s words. She couldn’t say more than that, not given who paid her. But Ari appreciated it more than she could explain.

After a beat, Ari stood up, her movements slower, less hurried than before. She walked back to the suitcase, pausing as she looked down at the jumble of clothes. ‘I don’t have enough shoes.’

Nancy turned to leave, giving her space.

‘Thanks,’ Ari said quietly before she could completely disappear. The word felt smaller than she intended, but it was sincere, nonetheless.

Nancy turned back to her, and they locked eyes for a moment. When it had gone on slightly too long, Ari said, ‘Hey, why don’t you go and get a drink? I might be awhile.’

‘I could get the tyre pressure checked,’ Nancy said. ‘We still OK for a noon departure?’

Ari smiled. ‘Yeah. No problem.’

‘You sure?’ Nancy checked. ‘Because I can readjust my schedule if I have some warning.’

‘You worry too much. Noon will be fine,’ Ari assured her.

Four

They left at two-thirty. Nancy was pretty livid about that. But she was doing her best to let it go. What was she going to do, rip Ari a new arsehole? Tempting, but she already had enough arseholes to be going on with, given the visit from Sandra.

Nancy kept her hands steady on the wheel of the large Mercedes and her eyes on the road. She didn’t need to look in the mirror to know Ari was suffering. The quiet was enough of a clue. Ari was never this silent unless something was up. The movement of the car had done exactly as predicted. The hangover was more than a five now.

‘If you’re going to be sick, aim outside,’ she said.

A low groan came from the back seat. ‘You’re not funny.’

‘I’m hilarious. But I’m not kidding.’

There was a pause. ‘Wait, you’re doingthe hattoday? There’s no need.’

Nancy exhaled sharply through her nose. ‘It’s part of my uniform.’ She adjusted her grip, resisting the urge to pull at the brim of the chauffeur cap perched on her head.

‘But you loathe it. You despise it. You want to burn it.’ Ari shifted slightly, wincing at the movement but still smirking.

‘What gives you that idea?’

‘I see you stare at it with hatred sometimes when you don’t think I’m looking.’

Nancy stayed silent. Engaging would only encourage her.

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