Page 40 of Barging In
“Of course. They’re hardly difficult.”
“I wasn’t suggesting youcouldn’t, merely questioning whether you were offering to make them. At least Ithinkyou were offering.”
“I was,” Clem said, resting a hand on Victoria’s arm. “I am.”
“Thank you.”
Their eyes met, lingering just long enough for Victoria to register the warmth of Clem’s hand through her sleeve. It stirred something she hadn’t felt in a long time, the feeling of comfort and connection. She’d almost forgotten how grounding it could be to feel someone else’s touch. Realising how much she missed the feeling and how rare it had become in her life made her heart feel heavy.
“We should get on,” Victoria said, desperate to stop her thoughts.
“Yes, of course.”
Half an hour later, with everything packed tightly into the small car, Victoria turned to Clem, who was wedged in the passenger seat beside her.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
A muffled ‘yes’ came from behind a pile of carrier bags.
Victoria winced. She didn’t sound okay. “It’s not far,” she tried to reassure Clem. “I didn’t realise how much Iwould need — or just how small the luggage compartment is.”
“It’s fine. We got it in… just. As long as we don’t crash or I need to breathe for the next ten minutes, I’ll survive.”
Victoria laughed. “Sorry.” Relieved to hear a quiet chuckle beside her, she drove out of the car park.
Bags rustled behind their seats as the car turned a corner. Maybe she should be thanking Christine after all. She and Clem had enjoyed a perfect outing — no shouting, no swearing, no storming off — and she’d had the most enjoyable trip to the supermarket she could recall.
With rush hour traffic long gone, the drive back to the wharf was relatively quick. Victoria reversed up to the main entrance between the picnic benches, sparing herself the effort of lugging everything across the courtyard. She made her way around to the passenger side of her car and freed Clem from beneath the pile of bags.
“You should head off. I can get all this inside,” she said, lifting the bags from her lap.
Clem got out and stepped towards Victoria. She was so close — the kind of close that made Victoria’s breath hitch.
“Let me help.” Clem’s fingers brushed Victoria’s as she reached for the bags.
It was the lightest of touches but still sent a tingle through Victoria’s hand.
She tried to shake Clem off. “No, honestly. I can manage.”
“It’s fine. I’m happy to help,” Clem said, giving the bags a gentle tug.
Victoria pulled back. “I’ve taken up enough of your time already.”
A knowing grin spread across Clem’s face. “Do you not remember how our previous tug of war ended?”
Victoria huffed out a laugh and released her grip. “Okay. You can help.”
After several trips back and forth, they wrangled all the shopping into the wharf’s kitchen. Victoria locked up and returned to Clem, where she lingered by the Jag.
“Well, thanks for your help,” Victoria began. “It was kind of you to offer.”
“Anytime,” Clem replied, digging her toes into the gaps between the cobbles.
“So, I’ll see you here in the morning?”
“Yes.” Clem looked up. “Is six, okay? Or too early?”
“Six is perfect.” It wasn’t. It was way too early, and with the party likely leading to a late night, tomorrow was going to be a very long day. Too long for her liking.
