AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Things have worked out perfectly — for me, anyway. As I follow my fairy to the exit, I congratulate myself on a plan well executed. I’m not even sure why I want her with me as much as I do. I hate entertaining, prefer my own company and most people rub me up the wrong way. Except Jessica Taylor, it would seem.
So far, there is nothing about her that I don’t like, and I suppose I’ve been searching for a distraction for a while now. Most of the time I’m happy with my life but increasingly I’ve begun to wish for something more. Somebody to share my life with whom doesn’t irritate the hell out of me. She will certainly do that, but there’s something more to her. A spark, a challenge, a delicious distraction, and I’m certain that once I’ve spent more than twenty-four hours in her company, I’ll be showing her the door in every sense of the word.
I don’t miss the curious glances thrown our way as we head through security and into the underground car park that not many people know about. Central London is not a place to bring a car unless you have your own parking space and money is no object. Lucky me because I have both and as Jessica stands impatiently by the passenger door, I find myself taking longer than normal to get inside, merely to rub her up the wrong way.
As soon as the door opens, she’s inside and wastes no time with conversation, which I like. In fact, I’ve never met a woman who is so like me. Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to her because I recognise a lot of my own qualities in her. I understand them and prefer them and so I don’t even try to make her feel at ease because I’m guessing she is already.
We head out into the London traffic and after a while she says scratchily, “You haven’t requested my address for the sat nav.”
“Who needs a sat nav? I thought you would be more than happy to direct me.”
“Then you thought wrong. I mean, why install a sat nav and not use it? You must utilise every opportunity you are presented with.”
I grin to myself because that is exactly what I’m doing, and it amuses me when she angrily taps her address into the destination.
As the computer starts to speak, I huff, “Perhaps I prefer not to hear the incessant commentary of a journey I already know by heart.”
“I doubt that.”
“Doubt what?”
“That you know this particular journey.”
“Why not?”
“Because I doubt you’ve even driven south of Putney in your life.”
“You know nothing about me.”
“I know enough.”
She turns and stares out of the window and says quickly, “Hold back a little, will you?”
“Why?”
“The car beside me needs to get in front.”
“And you think I’m happy to let anyone in? Don’t you want to get home tonight?”
“Just do it.”
“I beg your pardon?”
I can’t believe how rude she is, and she says slowly, as if talking to an idiot, “Then let me spell it out for you. The car beside me is driven by a man who looks familiar to me. Don’t ask me why, but I think I’ve seen his face before. I need to grab a picture of his licence plate to forward to my department in case he’s off a Photofit somewhere.”
“You’re kidding.”
I am momentarily stunned, and she says quickly, “You may have left work for the night, but I am always on duty. Just because I am concentrating on your predicament, it doesn’t mean I close my eyes and ears to other cases. Don’t question me because I only request things that are necessary.”
I drop back and she takes a picture on her phone and obviously forwards it along with a text and I can’t help tormenting her. “You’re not allowed to use your phone while driving, it’s an offence.”
“I’m not driving.”
“That doesn’t matter. It could be considered a distraction to the driver, and I believe the ban extends to the passenger.”
“Not in all cases.”
She sighs. “Leave the law to me and do what I say. I wouldn’t tell you how to run your business, although I’m tempted.”
