Thrown by Tabi Wollstonecraft Read Free Book Online

anything.
    ‘Yourcarriageawaits,’Dellsays.
    ‘Areyousureyou’llbeOKhereonyourown?’
    ‘Doyouseeanycustomers?I’llbefine.Meetyouatthehouselater.
    I’llbegettingataxi.NowayamIwalkingbackupthosecliffs.Whatdo youwantfordinnertonight?I’llgrabsomethingfromthemarket.’
    ‘Youdecide.’Ican’tthinkaboutthatrightnow,notwhileStokeris waiting.AndthebombshellthatDetectiveMacbethdroppedonme earlierhasmymindreeling.
    ‘OK,yougoandbesweptoffyourfeetbythehandsomemechanic.’
    Shepushesmeoutthedoor.
    IstandonthesidewalkandStokerlooksupandseesme.He’swearing blueoverallsopenatthetoptorevealawhitet-shirtbeneath.Seeinghis ruggedlyhandsomefaceagainsendstinglessparkingthroughmybody.
    Whydoeshehavethiseffectonme?Idon’tlikeit.Iliketocontrolthe situationsIfindmyselfinasbestIcan.JustaglancefromStokermakes melooseanysemblanceofcontrolandsendsmysensesintooverdrive.
    Notgood.
    Whenheseesme,theexpressiononhisfaceturnstoconcern.He opensthepassengerdoorandsays,‘Amy,areyouOK?’
    Inodbutdon’tsayanythingasIclimbintotheLandRover.Idon’t trustmyselftoopenmymouthrightnow.Idon’tknowwhatImightsay orifI’llbeabletospeakatall.Ourfirstmeetingwasenoughforhimto classifymeas‘probablycrazy’andIdon’twanttodoanythingtoturn that‘probably’into‘definitely’.
    ‘Yeah,I’mfine.’Idon’tknowifhe’sreallyinterestedinmy emotionalstateorifhe’sjustbeingpolite.Wehardlyknoweachotherso I’mguessingit’shisEnglishpolitenessthatmakeshimseemconcerned.
    Butevenso,howcanhereadmymoodandguessthatsomethingis wrong?AmIthateasilyread?Peoplecan’tusuallyreadmymoodsatall soI’dbesurprisedifhecanpickuponsubtleshiftsinmybehaviorsince hedoesn’treallyknowme.
    Yet.
    Hisword.Meaninghewantstogettoknowme.
    Yes,hewantstogettoknowme.Untilheactuallygetstoknowme.
    Thenhe’llwanttorunawayfromthecrazygirlheoncethoughtwas worthgettingtoknow.
    Atleastfornowhe’sinterestedintalkingtome.Sodon’tscrewitup.
    WedrivealongMainStreetandheseemstobethinkingofawayto breaktheice.Finallyhesays,‘Sohowisthebookshop?Thinkyou’llbe OKthere?’
    ‘Ilovetheshop.IcanrememberexploringitwhenIwasyounger.The sightsandsmellsofthatshoparepartofmychildhood.Itfeelslike home.’
    ‘AndPromiseHouse?Iguessthat’sthesameforyou.’
    Idon’tmentionthateverywhereIlookinthehouseIimaginemy momandauntgrowingupthere.InsteadIjustnodandsay,‘Yeah,Ilike it.’
    Wecontinueoninsilence.Idon’tknowwhattosaytohimandthis wasareallybadidea.HeprobablyalreadythinksI’madorkandnowI’m provinghimright.Thisisadisaster.Thinkofsomethingtoaskhim.Ask himanything.IgotoopenmymouthbuthecutsmeoffbeforeIcan speak.
    ‘SoyousaidyouhavetogotoPenzance?It’salongwayforyourfirst lessoninthecar.’
    ‘Ihavetogogetmyaunt’scat.’
    ‘MrTibbles?What’shedoinginPenzance?’
    HeknowsthenameofAuntB’scat?Addthattothefactthatheknew AuntBwellenoughtofixhercarforfreeandIthinkthere’smoreto Stoker’srelationshipwithmyauntthanhe’stelling.Shealwaystaught metolookforthingsthatdon’tfitandthisdoesn’tfit.Whywouldshe haveacloserelationshipwithStoker?Shewasthirtytwoandhe’s nineteenortwenty.Shewasintoliteratureandthearts.Idon’tknow muchaboutStoker…yet…buttheonlytimesI’veseenhimhavebeen relatedtocars.HedrivesaLandRoverwithabigwinchonthebackfor God’ssake.Thatdoesn’tmeanhecan’tbeintothearts,Iguess,buthe seemslikeatypicalmechanictome.Hehasgreaseonhisfaceandneck rightnowandthosecutsandgrazesonhisknucklesmakemethinkthatif thereissomethingmoretohim,it’sprobablysomethingIdon’twantto knowabout.
    WepullintothedrivewayofPromiseHouseandIletoutalittle breathofrelief.AtleastfromhereonoutIamgoingtobedrivingandhe isgoingtobegivingmeinstructions,whichwillgiveussomethingtosay toeachother.IfeelweirdbecauseI’mphysicallyattractedtohimyetwe havenothingatallincommon.
    EventhefactthatI’mattractedtohimweirdsmeout.Thisisthefirst timeI’veeverfeltlikethis.TheboysIdatedbackhomeallaskedmeout andIusuallysaidyesbecauseIreallywantedpeopletolikemeand datingwasawaytoincreaseyoursocialstatus,especiallyinschool.I