Page 13 of Always Beth
‘You again?’ I mutter.
‘Indeed, it’s me. How’s Petunia?’ James sniggers.
‘Poppy!’
‘Oh yes, Poppy, how is she?’
‘Fine. How is…your Dick?’
A mischievous smile appears across his face. ‘He’s very well, thank you for asking.’
‘Can you help?’ I kick the tyre wall, reaching out as I fall against the bonnet.
‘Sure.’ He rests his hands on his hips and lets out a deep sigh. ‘Jack?’
‘Who?’
‘The wheel jack?’ he repeats.
‘Oh erm…’ As I begin to rummage around in the boot, he suddenly looms across my shoulder.
‘Jesus Christ, what have you got in there, a Madame Tussaud’s starter kit?’
‘Get your nose out of my boot. I make candles, if you must know.’
God, he’s so annoying.
‘Okay, calm down, I was checking for bodies.’
‘Bodies?’ I raise my brow in disbelief.
‘Hey, look, you’ve broken down, it might be a ruse, a trap to murder me, embalm me in wax.’
He’s unbelievable.
‘That’s formaldehyde, not wax, idiot.’
‘Ah, spoken like a true murderer.’
‘Ha, found it.’ I raise the jack above my head, and he swipes it from my hand and walks back to the front of the car.
‘Spare?’
‘What?’ I sigh.
‘Your spare tyre?’
‘Stop saying words at me.’ I hoist the new tyre from the boot and roll it towards him.
‘You’re being very aggressive for someone who would like their tyre changed. Locking wheel nut?’
I clench my jaw and ball my fists. He has to be the most infuriating man I’ve ever met and I’m getting a divorce from the arsehole to end all arseholes.
‘Here’s the fucking nut.’ I toss it on the ground next to him. He smiles up at me and I realise I’ve fallen into his trap.
‘Thank you, Beth.’
God, when he says my name, he’s so firm, controlled and sincere, and I think my insides melted a little. I study him as he works, and as his muscles flex through his shirt, I wonder why I never noticed his physique at the lake. He looks a world away from the man I saw holding his dog last week.
