Unfortunately, hehadseen me. I was still standing there, caught between curiosity and horror.
He lifted a hand in an easy wave. I raised mine and waved back stiffly, like the late queen.
Liam stared up at me, a smile spreading across his face. He looked really pleased to see me.
“I’ll come down,” I mouthed, pointing at the pavement.
He gave me a thumbs-up, seemingly oblivious to the crowd that was gathering around the car.
Shit. I’d better get down there fast, or someone would steal his hubcaps.
“Send photos from the dressing rooms,” Eliza called behind me as I flew out the door.
By the time I’d clattered down the stairs, Liam was leaning against the car like it belonged there, despite the recycling bags and double-parked delivery scooters.
“You’re now officially the most conspicuous man in South London,” I said.
He shrugged. “Want the top down?”
“I don’t mind.” I had no idea what the right answer was. Convertible etiquette wasn’t my area of expertise.
“I left it up,” he said, slipping his sunglasses back into place. “I thought… maybe you’d prefer not to arrive looking like you’ve been through a turbine.”
“Exactly what I was thinking,” I said, hoping he couldn’t tell I’d never been in a convertible before.
He opened the passenger door, and I slid in.
“That place looks busy,” Liam said, glancing back at Pound Masters. “The sign says they’ve goteverything you need. We could save some time and grab a nice polyester evening gown or two?”
“Don’t knock it. My last ‘occasion dress’ came from TK Maxx, right between the ironing boards and the bathmats.”
Liam grinned and shifted gears. “Nothing wrong with TK Maxx.” He leaned forward and flicked on the sound system—the most modern thing in the car. “This okay?”
Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” filled the small space. The slight movement pulled the fabric of his jacket tight across his shoulders, and I tried not to notice.
“Yeah. It’s… great, thanks.” Not what I expected Liam to have on his playlist. Maybe Mozart, or at least smooth jazz. Wasn’t that what posh guys listened to? “This is one of my favorite bands.”
He turned to me and smiled. It was quiet for a few minutes as we rolled out of Clapham, heads turning as we did so.
“Wouldn’t have picked you for a car like this,” I said.
“No?”
“Thought you’d be more of a Tesla guy. Maybe a Ferrari.”
“And why’s that?”
“I dunno. You seem pretty flash.”
It was definitely a fancy car. Just not very modern.
Liam laughed. “Yeah. Sorry about that. Just couldn’t bear to send this one off for scrap.”
By the time we crossed the river, I felt like we’d slipped through some invisible border patrol into a different city entirely. Shiny glass showrooms began to appear, the kind ofplaces I’d never set foot in, where a handbag probably cost a month’s salary.
“Do they list prices in these stores, or is it one of those ‘if you have to ask’ situations?” I asked.
Liam laughed. “Probably the latter.”
