AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hello. I’m back,” he said simply, cocking his head over his shoulder. “And so is the Mercedes.”
The car looked identical, except it was the latest model and registration. “Full of memories, like you said,” he added a little nervously.
The crocodile handbag in her hand swung back and forth as she swayed on her feet, her mouth opening and shutting.
“You’re my driver?” she said after a few seconds.
Rick laughed, trying to inject humour into the tense atmosphere. “What else!”
“But… Switzerland?”
“Job done. I came back for a little… respite.” He took her elbow, a little pinch between his finger and thumb, since her feet seemed unable to move. “I’ve got to get you to work, haven’t I? Littlewoods, off Edge Lane. Amazing building, don’t you think?”
He led her to the car door, and she climbed in. “I can’t believe it really is you.” For the first time she beamed a smile at him and then it reverted to a frown. “Nothing. For three years, you didn’t write… or call…”
Rick settled into the driver’s seat, adjusted the mirror so he could see her indignant face, and turned the ignition. “It was for the best. Look at you now. Own house in an up-and-coming area, a job. I’m sorry about your father. That must have been tough.”
Now the frown transformed into a picture of sadness. It explained the lines under her eyes. “Yes. Very hard. The house went back to Mum and she sold it, just like I knew she would. The busines
s… it’s not mine to run, but I benefit financially. The rest went in taxes, and to other members of the family.”
“And you, Miss Leah, how have you being doing?” He used the formal address and it pulled her up in her seat; she hadn’t expected it.
“Good… And not so good.”
Rick didn’t push her to explain, not while she overcame the shock of seeing him again. The car headed towards the Crosby road, then on to Bootle and the city centre. An awkwardness had descended between driver and passenger, and Rick concentrated on the morning traffic, weaving between pedestrians and mopeds.
Eventually, he had to ask the question, to begin to unravel the reason for the dark lines and suppressed melancholy. “Why aren’t you driving?”
“Um,” she said, flustered. “Can we talk about this later? When you pick me up at five? In any case, you haven’t told me why you’re back either.” She deflected his query and she wasn’t the only one who wanted to avoid awkward questions. Rick sealed his lips. He had no idea how to explain his circumstances: they weren’t all to do with Leah, which made him unsettled.
Watching her join the throng entering the huge white building, Rick inhaled deeply. It was proving much harder than he had imagined. Leah had blossomed in his absence, developed into a full-fledged woman. Older in appearance, consumed by bereavement and hurt by a careless mother, she was wiser but not necessarily coping. There was nobody now in her life to guide her. It was obvious that since the demise of her father, she had lost her way again and her mannerisms, the fidgeting, and lack of eye contact she exhibited in the back of the car spoke reams to Rick.
Financially she appeared to be stable, but he suspected there was bad news behind the lack of car, the need for a chauffeur again. He wouldn’t be surprised if she had taken to an excessive nightlife too.
Rick drove about the city while Leah worked. He familiarised himself with the streets, the changes to the city’s fortunes. Gone was his favoured eatery—boarded up—and he had to seek out an alternative. It didn’t feel the same to him; the food tasted different and bland.
He spent some time watching the ships loading at the wharfs, the huge freight carrying cargo vessels that navigated the Mersey, then out into the oceans, bringing goods from all around the world. It was hypnotic, a slow repetitious movement of a giant crane as it serviced the ship in the berth. When the weather improved, he walked along the waterfront, past the Liver Building while the seagulls dive-bombed over the Mersey. The ferries plied their course across the estuary between the two banks of the river and he stood for some time, resting his hands on the rail, trying hard to ignore the bracing wind. Rick had become quite accustomed to occupying his thoughts during the day and they were very much focussed on a dark-haired woman with long legs and a beautiful face.
“Good day?” he asked when she clambered into the car.
“Yes. I like my job. I might be moving into promotions soon. Writing advertisements,” said Leah.
“So, Miss Leah, tell me about the car? Did you have an accident or something?” He picked up the discarded conversation from the morning.
She immediately began to jiggle on her seat, running her fingers through her hair. “Not quite.”
“I didn’t think so. The agency said you needed somebody for six months.” He heard her curse under her breath and he shook his head.
“I lost my licence,” she said almost inaudibly over the noise of the traffic.
“How?” he said sharply.
“Speeding.”
“You don’t get a ban from one speeding ticket.”
“You do if you get three,” said Leah, grimacing in his mirror.
