Page 77 of The Side Road
Oliver looked down. His erection was sizeable.
Mia followed his gaze. ‘Sorry,’ she gasped.
‘You get the door. I’ll sort this out.’ He headed for the bathroom.
When Mia opened the front door, Holly was standing on the stoop.
‘I couldn’t find the spare key. It’s not under the mat,’ Holly said.
‘I moved it. It’s under the bay tree. Are you okay?’
‘I’ve had better days.’
They embraced. Mia felt like a life raft.
Holly’s overnight bag was on the ground. Mia picked it up. ‘Come on,’ she said. Holly followed her into the kitchen. Oliver joined them.
Holly looked from Oliver to Mia. ‘Ah, I’ve interrupted. I’ll come back later.’ She reached for her overnight bag.
‘You’re not going anywhere. Sit down, I’ll make you a coffee. Piccolo?’
‘Cappuccino.’
Mia raised an eyebrow. It was a bad sign.
Holly dropped her bag. It landed with a thud. Her eyes welled. ‘I can’t do it. I’ve left him.’
Oliver scratched his head. ‘I should leave you two alone.’
‘No!’ Holly yelled. ‘Please, it’s fine. Stay.’
Snood wiggled his way over to where Holly sat and placed his head on her knee. She rested her hand on his neck.
‘I thought things were improving.’ Mia packed the coffee powder into the portafilter.
‘Did you? Did you really?’
‘No. But…’ Mia caught Oliver’s eye and pointed to the wine bottle.
Oliver understood. He poured a glass of wine and handed it to her. She took a large gulp.
‘We never talk. I don’t think that’s healthy. And when we do talk, we’re arguing. Yesterday was the final straw.’
Mia handed Holly a cappuccino. She sat down beside her friend and held her hand. ‘What happened?’
‘We were in the car, driving home from town, and he refused to wear his seatbelt. He said seatbelts weren’t safe, so he didn’t have to wear one.’
‘Did he say why they weren’t safe?’ Mia asked.
‘He said in an accident, they cut a person in half.’
They both turned to Oliver.
Oliver raised his hands. ‘It’s the law.’ It was a good non-committal response.
‘Honestly, he gets his information from right-wing internet websites. But that’s not the worst. Last night, I cooked dinner – roast chicken.’
‘Holly makes the best roast chicken,’ Mia told Oliver. ‘She stuffs lemon and garlic under the skin. It’s next level.’
