we’ll move it soon,’ he said, noticing my expression as he manoeuvred to within a foot of the wreck.
I tugged at my hair, separating a strand so I could fiddle with it in my fingers. I crouched lower in my seat, not answering. There were other things on my mind.
As we turned out of the outer gatehouse and we gathered speed, I found the courage to confront him. ‘Emily reckoned you were going to get comfort from Yasuko last night.’
‘What do you think?’
‘Don’t turn the question back at me.’
My eyes searched his face for clues.
‘I’m not going to lie to you. We have a history, certainly,’ he said without hesitation or embarrassment.
I folded my arms tightly under my breasts and looked out towards the pine forest, as he opened up the throttle a little more. At least he had been honest.
‘What were you doing with her last night?’
‘Eh?’
‘I saw the two of you going to the gatehouse.’
‘Oh, that. Nothing really. I went to her apartment to have a few words with her about what happened at dinner.’
‘That all?’
‘I think you’d better ask Yasuko.’
I huffed, and drew my arms all the tighter around me.
‘Come on, love, don’t be annoyed. I’ve known her a long time. I’m with you now, but I can’t just switch off.’
‘From now on you better had, or I’m off!’ I hoped I hadn’t gone too far with my play-acting. Upon reflexion, I realized my forceful response had been fuelled by a genuine anger. I vowed to maintain an emotional distance in future.
He shifted down the gears, which crunched in protest, and pulled the Land Rover over to the side of the road. ‘Listen,’ he said, undoing his seat belt and edging himself over onto my seat. ‘Don’t be upset. You’re my baby now.’
I felt his arm come around my shoulder and he drew my head into his chest.
He kissed me on the forehead and looked into my eyes. ‘Come on, let’s go. Let me prove it to you.’
I managed to muster a smile, but my self-esteem had drained away.
We started off again and skirted around the southern shores of Bassenthwaite Lake. Across the waters, the plantations were being felled, leaving denuded wastes over a hill on the lower slopes of Skiddaw.
We didn’t talk again until after we’d parked in Keswick.
‘Let’s see what we can find you, shall we,’ he said, before alighting from the Land Rover. He came around to me as I climbed out, gripped my hand in his and kissed me. ‘This place isn’t very big, but I’m sure we can find something to please you.’
We went into an outdoor retailer, and Dylan kitted me out with walking trousers, socks, shirt and boots. In another shop, he found a fleece jacket, cagoule, overtrousers and a small rucksack. Once we’d taken the bags back to the Land Rover, we returned to seek out conventional clothes stores.
He was making a great effort, and didn’t seem troubled about parting with his money. But I wasn’t that naive not to know he was probably trying to buy back my affections. Still, something about the way he sat and admired me, as I paraded past him in numerous outfits, gradually thawed my frostiness. And he knew how to exploit a woman’s fantasy. I’d only ever glimpsed such fashionable clothes in magazines before, never being able to afford them. When I couldn’t decide which ones to pick, he simply bought them all.
‘No, you can’t.’
‘I can and I will. There’s no point earning money if you can’t spend it. Anyway, I don’t want any girlfriend of mine being jeered at over such a silly thing as clothes again.’
I hugged him and kissed him. Underneath, I was cursing that my resolve to remain angry with him had ebbed away so quickly. Although it would ultimately help my cause.
‘Now, we can’t forget underwear, can we?’
‘No, I s’pose not. But I’m not sure how long I’ll be wearing it with you around!’
He smirked, then kissed me again, and put his arm around my shoulder as we walked onwards. Once in amongst
I tugged at my hair, separating a strand so I could fiddle with it in my fingers. I crouched lower in my seat, not answering. There were other things on my mind.
As we turned out of the outer gatehouse and we gathered speed, I found the courage to confront him. ‘Emily reckoned you were going to get comfort from Yasuko last night.’
‘What do you think?’
‘Don’t turn the question back at me.’
My eyes searched his face for clues.
‘I’m not going to lie to you. We have a history, certainly,’ he said without hesitation or embarrassment.
I folded my arms tightly under my breasts and looked out towards the pine forest, as he opened up the throttle a little more. At least he had been honest.
‘What were you doing with her last night?’
‘Eh?’
‘I saw the two of you going to the gatehouse.’
‘Oh, that. Nothing really. I went to her apartment to have a few words with her about what happened at dinner.’
‘That all?’
‘I think you’d better ask Yasuko.’
I huffed, and drew my arms all the tighter around me.
‘Come on, love, don’t be annoyed. I’ve known her a long time. I’m with you now, but I can’t just switch off.’
‘From now on you better had, or I’m off!’ I hoped I hadn’t gone too far with my play-acting. Upon reflexion, I realized my forceful response had been fuelled by a genuine anger. I vowed to maintain an emotional distance in future.
He shifted down the gears, which crunched in protest, and pulled the Land Rover over to the side of the road. ‘Listen,’ he said, undoing his seat belt and edging himself over onto my seat. ‘Don’t be upset. You’re my baby now.’
I felt his arm come around my shoulder and he drew my head into his chest.
He kissed me on the forehead and looked into my eyes. ‘Come on, let’s go. Let me prove it to you.’
I managed to muster a smile, but my self-esteem had drained away.
We started off again and skirted around the southern shores of Bassenthwaite Lake. Across the waters, the plantations were being felled, leaving denuded wastes over a hill on the lower slopes of Skiddaw.
We didn’t talk again until after we’d parked in Keswick.
‘Let’s see what we can find you, shall we,’ he said, before alighting from the Land Rover. He came around to me as I climbed out, gripped my hand in his and kissed me. ‘This place isn’t very big, but I’m sure we can find something to please you.’
We went into an outdoor retailer, and Dylan kitted me out with walking trousers, socks, shirt and boots. In another shop, he found a fleece jacket, cagoule, overtrousers and a small rucksack. Once we’d taken the bags back to the Land Rover, we returned to seek out conventional clothes stores.
He was making a great effort, and didn’t seem troubled about parting with his money. But I wasn’t that naive not to know he was probably trying to buy back my affections. Still, something about the way he sat and admired me, as I paraded past him in numerous outfits, gradually thawed my frostiness. And he knew how to exploit a woman’s fantasy. I’d only ever glimpsed such fashionable clothes in magazines before, never being able to afford them. When I couldn’t decide which ones to pick, he simply bought them all.
‘No, you can’t.’
‘I can and I will. There’s no point earning money if you can’t spend it. Anyway, I don’t want any girlfriend of mine being jeered at over such a silly thing as clothes again.’
I hugged him and kissed him. Underneath, I was cursing that my resolve to remain angry with him had ebbed away so quickly. Although it would ultimately help my cause.
‘Now, we can’t forget underwear, can we?’
‘No, I s’pose not. But I’m not sure how long I’ll be wearing it with you around!’
He smirked, then kissed me again, and put his arm around my shoulder as we walked onwards. Once in amongst
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