Page 29 of The Side Road
Confident that nothing could be broken, Mia headed into the staff room. She slipped Oliver’s jacket onto a coat hanger and hung it up. It was Valentino Garavani. Elegant, hand-tailored virgin wool. Taking the sleeve, she rubbed the fabric between her fingers. Exquisite, she thought. Stereotypes were shattering all around the Italian-suited mechanic.
Mia returned to the shop floor just as the front doorbell rang and Helen entered. Recently, the staff had received a request from Helen’s husband asking them to stop selling wool to his wife. Helen continued to visit daily, usually around lunchtime. Retired, she liked to browse. Over the lastfew months, Mia had watched the slight upward arc of Helen’s mouth fall in the opposite direction. Her shoulders went the same way. Yarn addiction was real.
As Helen circled the store, Mia checked her delivery book and the online orders. The sound of boxes falling from a great height startled them both. Alarmed, Helen clutched at her chest. From across the store, she shot Mia a concerned glance.
Mia told herself it was just wool. He couldn’t do any harm.
Another crash followed, and Mia flinched. What could he possibly be doing back there?
‘Do you need to check on that?’ Helen asked.
Mia shook her head and returned to her bookwork.
The front door tinkled, and April entered. Her shift started at twelve and she worked until five. As she headed to the staff room to stow her belongings, Mia told her that Oliver was helping with the delivery.
‘Oliver? Oliver, who?’ April asked. She wore her craft smock – a sleeveless, cross-backed apron with pockets – over jeans and a floral shirt.
‘Tash’s father.’
‘The clumsy coffee man. Oh dear.’ April continued to the staff room.
Moments later, the sound of laughter and light-hearted conversation reached Mia. A burst of giggles followed. This continued for several minutes.
When April eventually returned to the shop, she lowered her voice and said, ‘Have you seen what he’s done? He can’t handle his coffee, but he has a master’s degree in organisation. Are the two of you…’
‘Friends.’
April snorted. ‘Offer him some lunch, the man looks hungry. I’ll deal with Helen.’
More customers were entering the store – the lunchtime rush had begun – and April scurried over to help Helen. While she was not a paying customer, she was still a customer who needed help.
As Oliver entered the shop carrying boxes of online orders, Mia said, ‘I’m going to lunch. I have extra…would you like to join me?’
‘Yes.’ He immediately dropped the box he was holding.
Mia planned her workday lunches for the coming week. Today, it was a frittata and a fresh baguette, which she had collected from the local bakery on her way to work. In the staff room, she served the food. Holding his plate, Oliver followed her outside the back door. They sat on the steps of the loading bay, the building’s overhang protecting them from the gentle rain.
For a few minutes, they ate in silence, and then Oliver asked, ‘What brings a city girl like you out here to Eagle Nest?’
She raised an eyebrow, unhappy with the typecasting. ‘What makes you think I’m a city girl?’
‘Well, you are a city girl.’
‘But how can you tell?’
He didn’t respond. She suspected he was biting his tongue.
‘A fresh start,’ she said. ‘Honestly, this isn’t where I intended to be. Late-thirties, living in a country town, selling wool. It’s a big detour.’
‘This isn’t where I intended to be, either. For me, this isn’t a detour, it’s a big fucking loop.’ He smiled and shook his head. ‘I can’t believe I’m back. Raising a twelve-year-old.’
‘She’s a great kid.’
‘She is. What’s it like being Leo’s favourite niece? Are there benefits, or is it just a figurehead title?’
‘Apart from letting me ride the BMW, he grows excellent beans and leafy greens.’ She pointed to the remains of the frittata on her plate. ‘Leo and I are like-minded. We’re the black sheep of the family.’
‘I find that hard to believe.’ He shifted in his seat.
