Part 3 (1/2)

He laughed aloud, it sounded odd to his ears, he hadn't laughed for such a long time and it took him by surprise. He bit it back but it had felt good and he knew there was a smile on his face.

”Yeah, I got tea bags.”

She grinned at him now.

”I hope there's milk though, I never could take it without.”

”There's milk, it's long life but it's okay. Come on.”

They walked to the back of the Land Rover and he opened the rear doors. A box stowed under the rear seat held a small camping stove, a tin kettle with a folding handle and an enamel mug. He rooted around in the bottom for a while and came up with a plastic cup, he peered inside, poured a drop of water into it, swilled it round and then wiped it on a piece of paper towel.

Once the stove was lit, standing on the kerb edge and the water was hissing and singing he dragged out the cardboard box he had packed back at the shack. He had pretty much emptied the kitchen cupboard into it. They made sandwiches with tinned ham and cheese slices, he brewed tea for her and coffee for himself and they sat on the back seat of the car so they could put the food between them.

For a while they ate in silence, worn down by the travelling and the things that had brought them here and each lost in thoughts they couldn't share and didn't know what to do with.

It was peaceful though, it was calm and there was a gentle companions.h.i.+p between them the like of which Sylvie had never known and Samuel had thought never to experience again.

She knew that before long it would all need to come out, her life with Phil, the truth about her mum and dad and then he'd probably dump her, and she wouldn't blame him. For now though it was enough, to sit in the dark and the quiet, to sip the warm tea and watch the dark shadow of Samuel outlined against the rain specked window.

Chapter 14.

After the food they settled down in the darkness, Samuel stretched across the rear seat, as much as the confined s.p.a.ce would allow, and Sylvie curled in the front, covered with her coat. It was cosy with only the distant swish of cars on the road and the patter of the rain on the roof...

When Sylvie opened her eyes it was still dark but the sky was paler and she guessed it must be almost dawn. Samuel was outside, the little stove was lit and the kettle was on, he was using a torch to find his way around. She pushed open the door and jumped out into the damp and dreary morning.

”Alright?”

”Mm, I slept well, surprised myself really. Did you?”

”Yes, no problem, I'm used to dossing down here and there.”

It was the first time he had given any sort of information about his life and she waited to see if he would continue, but he turned back to the rear of the car where he had opened the food box. He dragged out a box of biscuits and offered her one.

”I think we can go for some breakfast in a little while, so this is just a good morning sugar treat.”

”Thanks. Will it be okay, safe I mean?”

”Oh, I think so, the best thing we can do is just act normally. n.o.body here has any reason to look at us twice. Even when his mates find Phil is missing and it shouldn't be for a while yet, I don't believe it will cause us any problems. A low life like him, they disappear, n.o.body cares, some people just breathe a sigh of relief and everyone carries on. Did he have family, do you know?”

She shook her head, she wasn't ready, not yet, oh please not yet. Later today, she would tell him about herself, but when she had seen him, through the car window, she had felt such a rush of warmth and she didn't want to spoil it.

She s.h.i.+vered now though in the damp air and Samuel walked to the front of the Land Rover and dragged her jacket out, it still held some of the night warmth and he draped it around her shoulders. She needed to pee and she needed to clean her teeth. It was time to stop being so wimpy.

”I'm going in the bushes for a mo.”

He reached into the box and brought out a roll of kitchen towel. She stared at him for a minute and then with a little giggle, part embarra.s.sment, part genuine amus.e.m.e.nt she tore off a piece and fought her way through the shrubs bordering the lay by.

While she was gone he'd packed up the stove, but her cup was still there, steam rising into the damp morning and she cupped her hands around the heat. He had made them coffee and added milk and sugar, she didn't normally add sugar but the sweetness was comforting.

”We can drive into town this morning, for breakfast. If we pick a fast food place we'll be able to use their bathrooms for a quick wash and stuff. Okay?”

She nodded at him. He was so very different from the way she thought he would be. His size was intimidating and his previous surly manner had been a bit scary. In the bar when she had first decided to approach him, she had been a little afraid but the thought of easy money had made her brave. Now though on this dim, quiet morning she saw a big man with a kind manner. His thick, brown hair was touched with a little grey and his face was rugged and weather worn. A shadow of stubble hinted at the beard that would grow were he to give it a chance and above it the dark blue eyes twinkled now and again as the moisture glinted in a stray gleam of light from pa.s.sing cars or his torch.

He had a calmness about him that was comforting and she detected nothing but friends.h.i.+p in the way he was treating her. How could it be, she had gone to h.e.l.l and back in his presence and yet he was behaving as if they were on any old road trip, almost a holiday.

He turned to her and as their eyes met, something, a frisson, a connection pa.s.sed between them. She had to turn away and her hands had begun to shake. She gulped back the last of her cooling coffee and then wiped out the plastic cup with more of the kitchen roll.

He packed away the last of their stuff, slammed the back door and climbed into the driving seat. Sylvie was still shaken, she was sure that in his eyes, she had seen something, a glimpse of feeling, just a hint of softening and maybe even of desire.

She told herself it was the circ.u.mstances, nothing more than a male, female interaction. She knew she wasn't bad looking and was used to blokes coming on to her, but him, now? She shook her head slightly, she couldn't deal with any more complications right now and there was still the difficult conversation facing her. Once they had it, then probably the parting of the ways would come very quickly. She slid into the car and closed her eyes as the vehicle nosed its way back onto the main road and headed for the town.

Chapter 15.

”Samuel, can I explain about Phil? I don't know what you think, thought about us, him and me.”

”You told me he was your boyfriend, I saw a thug beating you up. I think you should pick better boyfriends. You don't need to tell me anything. Your life is your concern.”

The sharpness of the answer brought tears to her eyes and for a moment she simply sat quietly, willing them not to roll down her face. She didn't want him to know he could upset her so easily. After a minute she cleared her throat and started speaking again.

”He wasn't my pimp, I suppose you think that.”

She saw he was about to speak and raised a hand to still him.

”We got it on now and again and he gave me money, but he didn't make me turn tricks, well not regularly. He did with quite a few girls. The ones he supplied with drugs were stuck with it but not me. Now and again there were friends.” She let it go now, she heard what she was saying and saw it for what it was, feeble excuses for things that shamed her.

Samuel shook his head but now she had started it had become vital that he understood.

”I was just getting by, in the flat and I met him and we liked each other, well I liked him, whether he did or not, I don't know. Anyway for a while it was good, then he made me do things I didn't want to and so I decided to get out and so he started to hit me. For the last year I've tried over and over to get rid of him but it was impossible.”

”Why didn't you go and stay with your mum and dad?”

She took in a great breath and sighed.

”I couldn't, my dad's dead and I don't know where Mum is, don't care, don't want to know.”