Page 14 of The Side Road
Mia took the box of cloudy oil from her friend and placed it on the counter.
‘The filters on the centrifuge broke,’ Holly said. ‘There’s olive flesh in the oil. We can’t sell it, but it’s fine to use. Don’t keep it for too long, and store it in?—’
‘A cool, dark place. Yes, I know.’
Holly rubbed her chest. ‘I have reflux. I can’t stop burping and I haven’t slept lying down for a week.’ She eased herself into a low-wicker chair. Her feet found their way to the footstool. Mia tossed a knitted chicken called Quinn at her. Holly caught it and hugged it to her chest.
‘Piccolo?’ Mia asked.
‘Yes, please. The look I get from Angus when I don’t order decaf is life-threatening.’ The best coffee in town was served by Angus at the Horse Trough Cafe. Back in its prime during the 1800s, the two-story building served as a hotel.
Mia switched on the coffee machine.
‘Last night, Miles and I had this huge fight aboutSeinfeld. Do you thinkSeinfeldis funny?’ Holly asked.
‘For a show about nothing, yes.’
‘Well, I don’t think it’s funny, and it drives him crazy. He wants me to pretend to like it.’
‘You shouldn’t have to pretend.’ Mia handed over the coffee.
Holly took a sip. ‘Happiness in a cup. Sometimes I stare at the back of his head and think, How can this be forever? I’ve ruined my life. Is he eventheone?’
Mia blinked. ‘You’re having second thoughts aboutMiles?’
‘Yes. I feel better now that I’ve told you.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me before?’
‘I was deciding if the pregnancy hormones were clouding my judgement.’
‘Were they?’
‘No. Yesterday at lunch, Miles said that giving extra virgin olive oil to the public was like feeding strawberries to pigs.’
‘He said that?’
‘Yes. Then we argued about the teaspoons. He thinks they’re too small. They were a wedding present. I don’t care about the size of the teaspoons.’
‘Honestly, they are a bit on the small side.’ Mia understood why Miles disliked their cutlery; their teaspoons were tiny scoops, with ridiculously short handles, but the olive oil comment was unkind.
‘How was the wake?’ Holly asked.
‘It was fine. I almost kissed a man’s neck,’ Mia confessed.
Holly lifted her gaze. ‘Sorry. You kissed someone’s neck?’
‘No, but I wanted to. I was fixing the collar of his jacket, and there was this tiny mole. It was right in front of me. And I closed my eyes and thought about kissing it.’
‘Did his collar need fixing?’
Mia nodded. ‘I was drunk – two gin and tonics on an empty stomach.’
‘I’ve seen you drunk. The only thing you kiss is your dog.’ Holly sipped her coffee in silence. When she finished, she placed her cup on the table and asked, ‘Is he cute?’
Mia nodded. ‘He’s a mechanic. And he rides a motorbike.’
‘Sounds risky.’
