Page 27 of The Side Road
Through the mist,the burgundy Citroën gleamed. Mia stared at the vehicle, her eyes travelling along the chromehood down the teardrop profile toward the back end. It was impossible not to appreciate the classic design. Against the backdrop of the cemetery, the car looked like it had fallen from the sky.
Oliver waited by the car. Dressed in his suit, he looked boyishly handsome. The suit fitted him perfectly; Italian, high-quality worsted lambswool. Tightly woven fibres give a smoother finish on the surface of the fabric. She hadn’t been able to take her eyes off the textile all morning. Luckily, the service was short.
As she stepped closer to the car, he opened the passenger door. She slid onto the bench seat. Her gaze was caught by the elegant dash, the single-spoke steering wheel, and the plush leather upholstery. Inside, the vehicle was immaculate.
He climbed into the driver’s seat beside her. His huge hands rested on the steering wheel. His lean body reclined comfortably on the bench. When he started the engine, the car levitated.
‘Oh my,’ she said.
‘Hydropneumatics suspension,’ he told her.
‘It’s a beautiful car. Did it belong to Elsie?’
‘No, it did not.’
She caught him glancing at her bare legs, which were covered in goosebumps. Fiddling with the knobs, he turned up the heating. ‘Thank you for coming.’
‘Of course. I wanted to be here for Tash. I also thought you might need the numbers. Elsie wasn’t exactly…’ She paused. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to imply…’
‘It’s fine. Where am I taking you?’
‘Back to the store.’ She rubbed her hands together. ‘My fingers are like ice.’
Mia’s phone rang, and she fished it out of her bag. It was her junior shop assistant, Saige. Mia answered. ‘You weresupposed to cover for me this morning. I’ve been calling and…’ Mia paused. ‘I see. But here’s the thing: birthdays are not holidays. We all work on our birthdays.’ Mia paused again. ‘It’s not traumatic, it’s work. We all do it. There are a dozen boxes and orders that need…’
Tilting her head, Mia looked up at the roof of the car. ‘That’s not what gaslighting means. I’m sure he didn’t mean to…’ her voice trailed off.
The call ended. Mia dropped her phone into her bag and glanced at Oliver. ‘Boyfriend troubles – hers, not mine.’
Approaching town, they drove through a patch of rain and Oliver switched on the wipers. ‘So, how long have you had your motorbike licence?’ he asked.
‘About five years. I rode a scooter in the city. It took me three tries to get my learner’s. I couldn’t commit to the high-speed braking test.’
‘Is the maximum speed still twenty-five kilometres?’
‘Yes.’ She laughed and looked out the window. ‘This is just an observation, so please don’t take it the wrong way, but you’re a very slow driver.’
‘Are you in a hurry?’
‘Well…’
‘We’re almost there.’
When they stopped at the traffic lights, he removed a chamois from the console and wiped the dust motes from the dash.
From the corner of her eye, she watched him.
He smiled and put the rag away. Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, he said, ‘The headlights turn with the steering system.’
‘Impressive.’
Five minutes later, Oliver parked outside the store. As she was undoing her seatbelt and thanking him, he turned to her.
‘Do you need a hand?’
‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘That’s…it’s kind of you to offer, but no. I’ll manage.’ She made a point of checking the time. ‘April will be here soon. Any minute. Thank you.’ She opened the car door, fled up the steps, and disappeared inside the store.
Oliver sat backin his seat, savouring the last moments of her presence. In profile, she had a sweet little snub on the end of her nose. When she got nervous, she sniffed. She sniffed a lot.
