Page 15 of The Side Road
‘Tash told me he once rode a postie bike across Australia – from east to west – for a charity ride.’
‘Tash is the girl you hung out with after her grandmother died.’ Holly stroked the knitted chicken.
Mia collected the cups and took them into the kitchen. ‘Yes, she’s enrolled in my Sit & Knit group.’
‘This can’t be the knitting group I go to.’
‘No, it’s the PG, Saturday morning version. You’re enrolled in the wine-drinking evening group. Are you coming next week?’
‘Those women hate me. They called my wool acrylic.’
‘They weren’t lying. Your wool is acrylic.’
‘They were wool-shaming me. Not all of us can afford mohair at forty dollars a ball. My wool comes from recycled water bottles. It’s sustainable and wrinkle resistant.’
‘It’s good wool – for acrylic.’
‘Anyway, I can’t come,’ Holly said. ‘There’s an event at the restaurant. I’m supposed to be hosting. What’s the next step with Neck Man? Are you going to sit on his bike and wear his leather jacket?’
‘You forget, I have my own leather jacket.’
‘Yours has a Labrador patch on the elbow. It’s not an alpha male, motorbike-riding jacket. Why do you always go for the bad-boy types?’
‘Because I’m fatally attracted to the wrong type of man. And there will be no next time, because nothing is going to happen. Can you give me a lift into town? Last night, Blanche drove me home, and I need to pick up Leo’s bike.’
Holly held up the knitted chicken. ‘Can I keep this?’
‘She’s not finished. Her eyes are wonky.’
‘I thought that was intentional, like a design feature.’
‘I’m not catering to the margins. You can have Pete the Pig for thirty-two dollars and ninety-five cents. Less a ten percent discount for family and friends.’
Holly handed the chicken back. ‘You used to give me stuff for free all the time.’
‘Now I have a business. My time is money. But I’ll trade you for the box of oil.’ Mia handed the pig to Holly.
Holly hugged Pete to her chest. ‘It’s not the same.’
6
THE BMW
A scream woke Oliver.He opened his eyes to find Tash standing at the far end of the sofa. A horrified look crossed her face as she stared at him. He had an erection, clearly visible through his boxer briefs. Where was the blanket? He found it on the floor and drew it over himself. Wearily, he sat up.
‘Honey, I’m sorry you had to see that. It’s normal. I have a penis and sometimes, in the morning, men have a lot of testosterone and that causes?—’
She screamed again, covering her ears with her hands.
Not the best start to what was sure to be a long day.
Tash disappeared into the bathroom.
Oliver swung his legs over the sofa and placed his feet on the floor. He figured he had about three or four hours of sleep. Ordering a new bed was a priority.
From outside the window, he heard a motorbike kicking over. He paused, listening to the deep rattle and hum of the engine. It was an old bike, like a Norton or a vintage BMW. The rider gave the engine a little more throttle. It was a great,reverberating rumble. An unforgettable tone. Although the throttle sounded a bit glitchy, which was not surprising, rare bikes liked to be handled in a certain way. But once you got the hang of it, they rode like a dream.
A dog barked. Not an annoying yap that signalled anxiety or fear; this was a deep, low-pitched woof – almost playful.
