Nine
The car was silent. Not the comfortable kind.
Ari had tried to break it once or twice, but Nancy wasn’t biting. She just gripped the wheel, eyes on the road, jaw tight. The muscles in her forearms flexed every time she shifted gears, and her shoulders hadn’t relaxed since they’d set off. Even her hat looked pissy.
Ari couldn’t read the tension. Was she looking like that because she was gonna say yes and she was angry about that? Or was she annoyed that she was in an awkward position that left her with no choice but to say no?
Ari decided to proceed from positivity. She would plan for the best.
Edinburgh designer dress shops, she googled.
She scrolled, flicking through photos. Too formal. Too frilly. Too not Nancy.
After she’d found something that seemed like it could work, she went back to watching the front of the car. Nancy didn’t meet her eyes in the rearview. Ari cleared her throat. Nancy didn’t say anything. Ari cleared again. Nancy remained silent.
Ari wasn’t used to waiting. Or rather, she wasn’t used to waiting like this, without knowing which way things were going to land. Normally, she could tell. Or she could push until it went the way she wanted.
This was different. Ari couldn’t pressure Nancy. She was in a tough spot with their working relationship and Ari didn’t want to be that kind of spoiled little rich girl, throwing her toys away for disappointing her.
Plus, people like Nancy were not easy to find. Her vibe soothed Ari. She couldn’t afford to jeopardise that. There were plenty of people who could drive Ari. But making her feel comfortable was not something you could tick off.
The road signs for Edinburgh were getting more frequent. The last major stop before they hit the wedding venue. Her window was closing.
Ari glanced sideways. ‘You’re very quiet.’
Nancy sighed. ‘I’m thinking.’
‘Sounds painful.’
Nancy didn’t bite. She just exhaled through her nose, fingers tightening slightly around the wheel.
Ari tilted her head. ‘Are you going to answer soon?’
The back of Nancy’s head was unreadable.
Ari couldn’t push, but she could charm. ‘I’ve learned to read your body language from the back, you know.’
Nancy was intrigued and amused. ‘Oh?’
‘Your shoulders have been saying no this whole time, but your hands are thinking about it,’ Ari told her.
Nancy’s fingers tapped once against the steering wheel. A tic, like she was holding back a response.
The sign for the Edinburgh exit flashed past.
Nancy exhaled sharply. ‘Fine. I’ll do it.’
Ari grinned. ‘Excellent. Take the exit.’
Nancy blinked. ‘What?’
‘We’re going shopping.’
Nancy groaned but didn’t argue. She just flipped the indicator and pulled off the motorway.
Ari sat back, smug. ‘I knew you were going to say yes.’
Nancy shot her a look. ‘You didn’t.’
‘And yet…’ Ari said, flashing her teeth in a smile.