AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Wouldn’t do me much good now to think of should’ve.
“What about the yard? What if a couple of years could set you up in a yard of your own?”
I laughed. “I already told you, nobody is going to give me that kind of cash. Not even with your snazzy six month training programme under my belt.”
“Don’t be so sure,” he said, and he sounded serious. His tone made my mouth dry.
“If you say so.”
“What if they did? Would you take it?”
The car felt hot, stuffy. “I’m not sure. Depends on what it was. I’d have to think about it.”
“A year out, maybe two, away from your dream in exchange for a yard of your own. Would you do it?”
I smirked at him, clapped my hands. “This is like thewould you rathergame. I knew you enjoyed it really.” I laughed again. “I knew you loved it.”
“I’m serious,” he said, and I felt it in my gut. In my jittery knees. A sign zipped past us.Cheltenham 5 miles. Part of me wanted this day to be over, part of me didn’t.
“Serious about what?” I said, and I was still laughing. “Serious about some random company giving me an unbelievable sum of money for two years in some undisclosed job role? How am I supposed to be serious about that? How am I supposed to even answer that?” I picked at the threads on my torn jeans, heart thumping and I didn’t even know why. “Yeah, I’d do it. If I could, I mean, probably. Who wouldn’t?”
“You’d do it?”
I shrugged. “Jeez, Carl, I dunno. This is the cruddiestwould you ratherI’ve ever played. Yours don’t even make sense.”
And neither did he. Not when he veered the car from the road and into a pull in. It was quick, last minute, throwing me around in my seat while I gripped the arm rail.
“Shit!” I said. “What was that?”
The engine was still running, the car still rumbling as the traffic passed us by.
“Two years,” he said, “and the yard would be yours. Would you take it?”
“The yard is worth over two hundred grand, Carl.” I shook my head in disbelief. “Who the hell would give me two hundred grand for a couple of years? And what for? What would they even want me for?”
He pulled off his shades and leaned in, and my heart pounded, and I clutched the side of my seat and I didn’t even know why.
“There’s something they would want…” he said. “But it wouldn’t be a job, Katie, not a nine to five. Not another internship programme.”
“What then?! A kidney?” I laughed a nervous laugh.
He shook his head, and smiled a little. “No, not a kidney. Butit’s not too dissimilar… not really…”
“And you know these people?” I laughed to ease the tension. “These weirdos who’d buy mynot a kidneyfor two hundred grand?”
He leaned further, reached out a hand, rested it on my shaking knee and squeezed. It sparked, and I wanted it. Wanted him.
“What are you saying, Carl? I don’t… I don’t understand.”
I wanted to understand, but more than that I wanted to feel. Wanted to feel him. There was a brooding in his eyes. A darkness. A desperation. It made me feel all fucked up, all goofy and wired and desperate myself.
“Katie…” he said, and I was back on the Brighton balcony, when I thought he would kiss me, right before Rick came out.
And I was scared again, nervous again, needy again. Just like I had been in that moment.
“What?” I said. “What is it? What do you want me to do?”
He took a breath, and he swallowed, and cleared his throat.
