Page 70 of The Reality of Us
“Alice?”
She placed her palms in his and let him pull her up. Leaning into him, her face resting on his chest, she closed her eyes, savouring this perfect moment of time in their bubble.
“Everything okay?” Owen rubbed her back, his hand slipping underneath her jumper.
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
For the first time in forever, everything was okay. She had a job she loved, super fun sex with the hottest, sweetest guy she’d ever known, real friends, her family weren’t worried about her all the time, and she controlled her own life. The words Owen had said to her at her business launch came to mind again.
This is working.
Her new life was working.
And she loved it.
25
Everything was not okay.
Exhibit A: the massive delivery truck in the car park outside her apartment. Exhibit B: the dour-faced man with a large moustache and bushy eyebrows sighing loudly. The truck’s rear doors were open, and ten pallets of boxes wrapped in thick plastic were waiting to be unloaded.
“I didn’t order this.” Fingers of panic curled in Alice’s stomach.
The man, a blob of high-vis yellow and orange, didn’t look up as he manoeuvred the pallet jack into place. “This is the address on the order.”
Each pump of the handle made her heart thump harder.
“Don’t unload anything yet.” Alice pushed her wet hair behind her ears. She’d been in the shower when the driver had arrived.
The man sighed again and pulled out a pack of gum, popping two pieces into his mouth.
Alice scrolled furiously through her emails on her phone, all the words blurring together until she finally found her order confirmation.
Oh no.
She hadn’t ordered a thousand new jars. She’d ordered ten thousand. “Oh my God,” she whispered.
“Watch out.” The truck’s motorised tailgate whined and started lowering. “Because of the gravel, I’ll have to leave the pallets here.” He dumped it in the middle of the car park.
“You have to take them back. I didn’t mean to order so many!”
His eyebrows raised, two hairy caterpillars on his forehead. “Sorry, love. No can do.”
The tailgate grunted, its motor clanging as it started ascending.
“But … but … what am I supposed to do with them?” Alice rubbed her forehead. Right. She’d call her supplier and explain. If she had to pay a small fee to have the jars returned, then that was unfortunate, but it wasn’t the end of the world.
Her front door banged open, and Teddy clattered down the steps, his uni bag slung over his shoulder. “Whoa,” he said, eyes wide as he surveyed the scene in front of him. His car was blocked in by the truck. Another pallet thudded onto the gravel.
“Um, Alice, first of all, it’s nice to see you,” he teased. “It’s like I live by myself these days.”
She shifted her weight from one leg to the other, the gravel cutting into the soles of her bare feet. “I’ve been doing lots of hours.”
“Sure, you have.” What? Did Teddy know? She knew she shouldn’t have let Owen convince her the shower would muffle her moans in the mornings after their runs.
“Listen, I hate to be this guy, but I’ve got to go. Like, now. I’ve got a prac today.”
Of course he did. The stupid truck’s stupid tailgate groaned again. Alice squeezed her eyes closed. “Okay. Let me think for a second.”
