Eleven o’clock came and went. Eleven thirty came and went too. Aleisha kept checking the clock, checking the door. No one else bothered her. Everyone opted for the self-service machines today, or just settled themselves down into armchairs to read. She was glad of the peace. But she’d been looking forward to talking to Mr P. He never gave very much away, but she found it so refreshing to talk to someone who wasn’t her brother or her mother, and she wanted to hear more about his trip into London with Priya. For some reason, she’d become invested in this old man’s life, maybe as a distraction from her own, but maybe because they were friends now too.
Mr Patel came with no preconceptions. He didn’t look at her as though she was ‘troubled’， though she had told him some things about her ‘shitty home life’。 That’s how she put it. He had said, ‘Oh, is your dad not around?’ and she’d laughed at how clichéd it was. That it was clichéd, but spot on.
‘He has his own family now.’
‘You are his family too.’
‘Not to him.’
Mukesh had kissed his teeth then. ‘Stupid idiot.’ He had tried to say it quietly, but she had caught it anyway.
‘Oh, hai, I am so sorry. Bad potty mouth!’ Mukesh’s hand flew instinctively to his face, his eyes wide with surprise.
She laughed.
‘No, you’re right! Stupid idiot. I wish my mum knew that too. That it was all on him. Not her.’
‘I am sure she knows. Sometimes men are stupid. I think, anyway. I have three daughters, and none of them are stupid.’
Aleisha’s phone buzzed next to her, bringing her back to the present.
Hey! How is book life going?
It was Zac – he’d messaged her every day since the park – first a hello, followed by a book meme or a cat meme （turned out he really liked cats – she couldn’t imagine Mr Darcy liking cats particularly）。 She’d tried to keep her replies short, not giving too much away. Aleisha thought of Leilah’s comment: ‘Treat them mean, keep them keen.’ Was Aleisha taking on Leilah’s warped Little Women life advice? It would be harder than it sounded. Because she wanted to talk to him all the time.
Nightmare customer just ruined my life! Aleisha texted back.
Do you need anything? Zac’s reply came almost instantly.
Talking to Zac was easier – she didn’t say ‘fine’ when she really meant ‘having a shit day’， she just said ‘having a shit day’。 He didn’t know the person she was trying to be with everyone else, so with him she could just be herself.
What you doing later?
No plans! Zac – she knew, deep down, was like her. An outsider, a lonely soul. But Zac wore it well – he never acted as though he wanted to be anything other than himself.
Would be great to see you. I might need your help with something later. If you’re up for it? Book business … but as soon as she typed it all out, she deleted it and rewrote her message with less eagerness: Might need your help with something – it was the best she could do.
Suddenly her phone started flashing. Incoming call: Zac.
Before hitting the green button, she felt her heart pound in the middle of her throat for a moment. She’d never spoken to Zac on the phone before. ‘Hello?’ She heard her voice, higher and squeakier than normal.
‘Hi. Want to go for a drive later? If you can. After I’ve helped you out with your book biz. Thinking of going to somewhere like Richmond. Through the park. What do you think?’ He sounded his usual cool, calm, collected self.
Aleisha had never been to Richmond. She knew Aidan was in this evening, for the first time this week, so as long as she was back by nine, before he had to head out for his next shift, she was free to do what she liked. But it felt like too much to ask of Zac, to outline a curfew as if she was a 12 year old. Her skin started to prickle with nerves, her thoughts darting to Leilah.
‘Yeah, that would be nice,’ she said, shutting down the doubts in her mind. Her voice quivered with awkwardness. ‘I actually need your car for that work thing. Happy to help?’
‘Obviously, boss. Text me when your shift ends and I’ll pick you up. It’ll be really nice to see you.’
By the time Aleisha was locking up, Zac was already sitting outside in his Vauxhall Corsa, the windows wide open, music softly tinkling out. The complete opposite of Aidan, who was only capable of playing music at an antisocial decibel in his car.
He had his forearm resting on the door. He saw her; his face lit up. Aleisha couldn’t tell if she was hungry or if her stomach was actually doing somersaults. Elizabeth Bennet and her standoffishness would not be impressed with her.