6 #2
‘Yes … I was just wondering if he might be in tomorrow, though. Ben doesn’t have his shop open anywhere near as often as the other shops in the court. But sometimes he’ll come in if he feels like it on days he’s not due to be open.’
Well recovered , I think to myself.
‘It doesn’t sound like the best way to run a shop,’ Adam says. ‘How does he make a profit?’
‘No one knows.’ I smile as I think about Ben. ‘It’s one of the great mysteries of Clockmaker Court.’
‘You’re very lucky to work somewhere like that,’ Adam says as I close the back doors of the van and check they are secured. I look at him in case he’s being sarcastic, but he appears genuine.
‘Yes, I am lucky. They’re all really lovely people.’
I climb into the driver’s seat of the van while Adam locks up the house. Then, carrying a leather holdall, he returns from the house and hops into the passenger seat.
‘Please put your seatbelt on.’
Adam grins and does as I ask. Then we begin the short journey back to the lock-up garages where I keep my excess stock.
‘I meant what I said earlier,’ Adam says after we’ve sat quietly for the first couple of minutes of the journey, which I much prefer.
I don’t like driving at the best of times and this van is so much bigger than I’m used to, so I’m happy just to concentrate on getting us there safely.
‘About you being lucky with your work – you clearly enjoy it.’
‘I do, yes. It’s not what I set out to do in life, but I’m happy how it has turned out.’
‘What did you set out to do?’ Adam asks, and then he remembers. ‘Oh, yes, you said you did a history degree at university. Did you want to be a historian?’
‘It was social history,’ I say. ‘I’m not sure what I thought I was going to do with it, really. I only knew I wanted to work with history in some way. Maybe work for English Heritage or for the National Trust. Or maybe as an advisor in TV or film – when they make period dramas, that kind of thing.’
Adam nods. ‘So what changed? How did you end up running an antiques shop?’
‘Now that is a very long story.’ I carefully manoeuvre the van around a mini roundabout.
‘One this journey is far too short for. How about you?’ I deftly turn the subject away from me, something I have become expert at doing over time to avoid discussing my past. ‘How did you end up on the road with bands?’
‘I told you that earlier, didn’t I?’ Adam asks, turning his head to look at me.
Luckily, I’m driving, so I don’t have to look back at him. Of course, he told me that when we were having lunch. Damn!
‘Yes, you did, sorry. I’m just trying to concentrate on driving – this van is bigger than mine. I’m not used to it.’
I hope this might quieten him, but annoyingly it doesn’t.
‘Did you really forget or were you just changing the subject away from you?’ he asks astutely, still looking at me.
‘Maybe a bit of both?’ I answer honestly, deciding I don’t have the brain power currently to think of clever answers at the same time as driving this van safely with so much stuff in the back. Stuff that I’m desperate to keep in one piece.
‘Why don’t you like talking about yourself?’
‘I didn’t realise that I didn’t.’
‘Yeah, right. You know exactly what you’re doing when you change the subject or turn a question around. Have you got secrets hidden in one of your antique wardrobes you don’t want people to find out about?’
‘Don’t be silly.’ I take a corner a bit too fast and the van tips a little to the side. Adam doesn’t know it, but he’s getting far too close to the truth and it’s unsettling me.
‘Whoa, steady!’ Adam holds on to the armrest. ‘No need for that. I’ll stop probing.’
‘I didn’t do it on purpose,’ I reply, after I’ve taken a couple of steadying breaths. ‘My little van would have taken that corner easily at this speed. I told you, I’m not used to this one.’
Adam doesn’t reply and I know what he’s thinking.
I snap at him. ‘I didn’t, all right!’
‘OK. OK.’ Adam holds on to the dashboard now. ‘I forgive you. Now please just concentrate on the road.’
The rest of the journey – thankfully only a few minutes – is silent.
I pull up in front of a line of yellow garage doors.
‘Is this it?’ Adam asks as I reverse up to number twelve.
‘Yep. I’ve only recently rented one of these,’ I say, relieved the silence has been broken.
‘I used to use the garage I keep my van in for overflow from the shop. But recently I’ve had a few slightly larger clearances, so I rented a proper lock-up.
I’m glad I did now – by the time we’ve finished at your grandfather’s house, this will be full. ’
We climb down from the van and I unlock the back doors.
‘All of it?’ Adam asks, looking reluctantly inside.
‘No, I’ve marked what I want in here and what I want taken to the shop.’
‘Good. Very organised of you.’
‘Look, before we begin, I’m sorry,’ I say, knowing I must address what happened before. After all, Adam was good enough to offer to help me when really he didn’t have to. I am the one doing the clearance.
‘What for?’ Adam asks, one foot on the back step of the van.
‘Snapping at you earlier.’
‘Oh, that? I’ve forgotten it already.’
‘Really?’
‘Really what?’ Adam grins at me. ‘Look, we all have our secrets. Why should you tell yours to me – a perfect stranger?’
‘I’d hardly call you perfect,’ I reply, and now it’s my turn to smile as I slip past him up and into the back of the van.
Adam shakes his head. ‘I think we’d better get this van emptied before I change my mind and leave you to do it all on your own.’
I turn back to him, but he’s grinning as usual. ‘How about you pass everything down to me and I put it in the lock-up?’ he says. ‘No point two of us being up and down all night.’
Our eyes meet and he blinks innocently at me. ‘Yes?’ he asks, wide-eyed.
I challenge him. ‘You know exactly what you said just now, don’t you?’
‘That time was completely un intentional, actually!’ he says earnestly.
‘But if you’ve chosen to interpret it differently, Eve, then that’s on you, I’m afraid …
’ His bright blue eyes look reprovingly at me.
But then he can’t help them twinkling, and immediately I spy mischief hiding behind his innocent facade.
‘Nice try.’ I shove the box at him. ‘Now just get moving. We’ve got a lot to do.’
But I can’t help smiling to myself as I go back for the next box. I really shouldn’t find Adam amusing with his often schoolboy-like humour. But incredibly annoyingly – to me, at least – I do.