Page 54 of The One Plus One
‘You see, now I don’t know. Because that “no” might be part of the woman’s “There’s nothing wrong.”’
‘I’m not speaking in code. There’s nothing wrong.’
‘Then can we just ease up around each other a bit? You’re making me really uncomfortable.’
‘I’m makingyouuncomfortable?’
His head swivelled slowly.
‘You’ve looked like you regretted offering us this lift since the moment we got into the car. In fact, since before we got in.’Shut up, Jess,she warned herself.Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.‘I’m not even sure why you did it.’
‘What?’
‘Nothing,’ she said, turning away. ‘Forget it.’
He stared ahead of him out of the windscreen. He looked suddenly really, really tired.
‘In fact, you could just drop us at a station tomorrow morning. We won’t bother you any more.’
‘Is that what you want?’ he said.
She drew her knees up to her chest. ‘It might be the best thing.’
They sat there in the silence. The skies darkened to pitch around them. Twice Jess opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Mr Nicholls stared through the windscreen at the closed curtains of the hotel room, apparently deep in thought.
She thought of Nicky and Tanzie, sleeping peacefully on the other side, and wished she was with them. She felt sick. Why couldn’t she have just pretended? Why couldn’t she have been nicer? It would only have been for a couple of days. She was an idiot. She had blown it all again.
It had grown chill. Finally, she pulled Nicky’s duvet from the back seat and thrust it at him. ‘Here,’ she said.
‘Oh.’ He looked at the huge picture of Super Mario. ‘Thanks.’
She called the dog in, reclined her seat just far enough for it not to be touching him, and then she pulled Tanzie’s duvet over herself. ‘Goodnight.’ She stared at the plush interior a matter of inches from her nose, breathing in the new-car smell, her mind a jumble. How far away was the station? How much would the fare cost? They would have to pay for an extra day’s bed and breakfast somewhere, at least. And what was she going to do with the dog? She could hear Norman’s faint snore from behind her and thought grimly that she was damned if she would vacuum that rear seat now.
‘It’s half past nine.’ Mr Nicholls’s voice broke into the silence.
Jess lay very still.
‘Half. Past. Nine.’ He let out a deep sigh. ‘I never thought I’d say it, but this is actually worse than being married.’
‘What – am I breathing too loud?’
He opened his door abruptly. ‘Oh for Christ’s sake,’ he said, and set off across the car park.
Jess pushed herself upright and watched him jogging across the road to the mini-mart, disappearing into its fluorescent-lit interior. He reappeared a few minutes later with a bottle of wine and a packet of plastic cups.
‘It’s probably awful,’ he said, climbing back into the driver’s seat. ‘But right now I couldn’t give a toss.’
She gazed at the bottle.
‘Truce, Jessica Thomas? It’s been a long day. And a shitty week. And, spacious as it is, this car isn’t big enough for two people who aren’t talking to each other.’
He looked at her. His eyes were exhausted and stubble was starting to show through on his chin. It made him seem curiously vulnerable.
She took a cup from him. ‘Sorry. I’m not used to people helping us out. It makes me…’
‘Suspicious? Crabby?’
‘I was going to say, it makes me think I should get out more.’
