Who We Are

by Nicola Haken

  One thing’s for sure, I was so damn grateful that I’d dropped that tray.

  * * *

  It might’ve taken me a while to get tired last night but, boy, did my body make up for it today. I would’ve welcomed death when my alarm sounded just to be able to keep my eyes closed for longer. Tyler was a little more vocal than usual, which made a refreshing change, because he wanted to hear all about my wrist which he thought looked ‘beast’ after I took the bandage off to show him. It didn’t look so beast to me. It looked black and battered and I wondered how the hell I would do my job today.

  I had more movement in it, thankfully, but not enough to apply my eyeliner without looking like I’d been punched in the face so Christ knew how I would cut hair. Still, after packing Ty off to school, I set off to the salon and hoped for the best, calling Rhys on the way to tell him all about my disastrous, perfect date.

  I ended the conversation when he asked if he needed to start browsing for a wedding hat.

  When I arrived at work Claire was the only other person there and her mouth dropped open the second I shrugged out of my jacket and she saw my stretchy bandage. “Oh my God! What happened to you?”

  “I fell off a bench, rather spectacularly I should add, while I was on a date…just as I was about to kiss him for the first time.”

  Claire’s hand flew over her mouth, half from shock, and half to hide the amused grin that’d taken over her face. “Oh, God,” she said, dropping her hand and cocking her head towards the staffroom. “Come on. I’ll brew up while you give me details, starting with why the hell I didn’t know about this date.”

  * * *

  I ended up having to pass my clients on to Claire and Dawn, the other stylist who worked here, because my wrist was nowhere near flexible enough to allow me to do my job efficiently…at least, not without making me want to pass out from the pain. So I worked behind the scenes instead. By lunchtime I’d carried out a thorough stocktake, brewed up for multiple clients, and worked reception for an hour or so. Basically, I did everything that could be done one-handed, stopping intermittently to reply to Seb’s text messages.

  He sent me a message after each of his drops, which I was fairly sure was driver speak for deliveries. Every one left a goofy grin on my face, which clearly didn’t go unnoticed by Claire given than she sang ‘Olli and Sebastian sittin’ in a tree’ every time she walked past me. Bitch.

  I was grabbing my jacket from the hook in the staffroom, about to head out for dinner, when a horn blared several times outside. It piqued my curiosity enough to wander through to the front of the shop to find the source of the commotion because we didn’t get a lot of traffic here, being off the main road.

  That’s when I saw it. A bigarse green truck, twice as long as the salon, parked outside with Seb leaning casually against the black part where the driver sits. I didn’t know the proper name for it. Car seemed wrong. So did van.

  My gaze locked onto his through the large salon window. He wore that mischievous, crooked smile that made my belly feel all weird and fluttery.

  “Is that your fella?” Claire asked, holding her scissors and comb mid-air, which of course made her client turn towards the window, too. “You said he was a lorry driver, right?”

  “Yep,” I said, my eyes still trained on Seb who cocked his chin for me to join him. “That’s my guy.”

  My guy? It sounded ridiculous…and sorta perfect too.

  “Oh my God. It’s just like that scene in Pretty Woman. You should go climb the fire escape.”

  I rolled my eyes and shrugged into my jacket. “We don’t have a fire escape, Claire.”

  “He’s gorgeous. What d’you think, Jules?” she asked her client, who was one of our regulars.

  “Definitely. He reminds me of that bloke off the telly. Damn, what’s his name?” She clicked her fingers. “He was in that film about a man addicted to sex.”

  “Oooh, oooh…um, Michael Fassbender!” Claire said, her voice enthusiastic as she bounced up on her toes. “Ooo he kinda does! A little younger maybe, and fatter. Well, not fatter…beefier. Your guy has a fuller face.”

  “I’m outta here,” I said, leaving the pair of them to obsess over the fullness of my guy’s face and who he may, or may not, look like.

  “Is your guy addicted to bonking?” Claire called as my hand settled on the door handle, and all I could do as I ignored her and carried on walking, was hope that the glass walls on this building were soundproof.

  “How did you know where I worked?” fell out of my mouth instead of the hi that I meant to lead with when I reached Seb’s truck.

  “You told me you worked in a salon.”

  “I didn’t say which one,” I countered.

  “Facebook may have helped me with that,” he explained with a sheepish smirk.

  “Stalker.”

  “That’s not very nice. You left your bags behind in my car last night. I was being a dutiful citizen and returning them to you.”

  Crap. I’d forgotten about those.

  “They’re in my cab. Join me for dinner?”

  Tilting my head upwards, I stared up at the beast of a truck in front of me. “In there?” I’d never been in anything so huge before, and as I stood there in my heeled boots with my hand on my hip, I felt bizarrely intimidated by the thing.

  How the hell will I get in it?

  “There’re steps,” Seb said with a soft chuckle, as if he could read my mind. “Come on.” He proffered his hand and I took it, all traces of reluctance evaporating the second I felt his cool skin close around mine as he led me to the passenger side and opened the heavy door.

  Just as he said, there were three steep steps that led to the footwell of, what I now knew was called, the cab, and I climbed them as gracefully as my heels allowed before plopping myself down on the worn fabric seat. Seb closed the door and jogged around to the driver’s side to join me while I surveyed my surroundings. It was a lot different than a car. There were various buttons and switches on the dash that I didn’t dare touch in case I set off some kind of alarm. We were high off the ground, too. Sort of like being on a bus, but different somehow. It also smelled a little funny. Like diesel and…chicken?

  “Have you eaten?” Seb asked, sitting sideways on his seat, his elbow resting on his big steering wheel. He looked kinda hot in his uniform – a dark green polo shirt with the company logo stitched into the breast, coupled with black cargos and heavy black boots. There was a thick, luminous-yellow jacket draped over the back of his seat, and a pair of heavy duty gloves, that looked pretty dirty, tossed on the dashboard too.

  “No. I was just about to go grab something.”

  “Perfect,” he said, reaching behind his seat and delving around a curtain before pulling out a bucket of KFC.

  That explains the smell.

  “You can share this,” he added. “I can’t take you anywhere because I’d be breaking too many regulations, but we can stay here and eat.”

  I was a little disappointed, but I didn’t let it show on my face. Now I was in here, I’d have quite liked to tag along for a ride.

  “You like KFC, right?”

  “Would you still like me if I didn’t?”

  Popping the cardboard lid off the tub, Seb plucked out a chip and tossed it in his mouth. “Sure, but not enough to sacrifice my dinner out of politeness. I’d let you go hungry and watch me eat and I wouldn’t even feel bad because I’m starving.”

  Reaching over the wide space between us, much wider than a car, I snatched a piece of boneless chicken from the tub. “Lucky for me I love it then, eh?” I said before tearing off a sizeable chunk with my teeth.

  “How’s the wrist?”

  Nodding, I held up my bandaged arm, giving it a tiny wiggle while I finished chewing. “I can move it. Not enough to really use it, but the ibuprofen and ice are working.”

  Seb nodded, and was possibly about to say something but I interrupted him. “I feel like we’re in a zoo,” I said, scrunching my n
ose when I saw Claire, and now Dawn too, spying on us through the salon window.

  Seb laughed, picked up the bucket of food from his knee, and then cocked his head towards the back of the cab. “Join me in my secret lair,” he said, flipping his armrest into the upright position before drawing back the curtain and crawling through to the hidden mattress that lay behind our seats.

  Grinning, I followed his lead into the snug space, careful not to bump my head, and sat opposite Seb with my legs crossed. “You have a bed in here?” It was a stupid question, really, seeing as I was sitting on it.

  Seb set the bucket down between us on the mattress and drew the curtain back, shutting the world out…and most of the daylight too. “Sometimes I have to travel long distances, and there are strict laws surrounding driving hours, rest periods, etcetera. Therefore, sleeping away from home is inevitable. That’s what this baby is for,” he said, patting the mattress.

  “Doesn’t feel very comfy for a full night’s kip.”

  “It’s not, but I don’t sleep out often. Thankfully.” He dipped into the tub and pulled out a pot of beans, removed the lid, and scooped some out with a piece of chicken before shovelling the lot into his mouth. He tucked into his dinner like he’d not eaten in days. I found even that fascinating. It wasn’t normal to enjoy watching someone eat, surely, but I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

  Only now I couldn’t stop comparing him to Michael Fassbender. Bloody Claire.

  “So, what kinda things do you deliver?”

  “Anything and everything. We hold contracts with two major supermarket chains, among others, and I’m assigned to those runs most often. So I carry loads of ambient and non-ambient goods, depending on which trip I’m on.”

  “Ambient?”

  “Ambient means room temperature. So, like, your tinned goods, packets, shampoo, and so forth. Non-ambient is your refrigerated and frozen stuff. Today I have an ambient load in the back.”

  “So I could hijack you right now and take off with your baked beans?”

  “Ah, that hurts, Oliver. You only want me for my beans?”

  “Nah. I’m more of a spaghetti hoops kinda guy.”

  God damn, he did that crooked smile thing again and it felt like my heart had crawled up into my throat. Suddenly, I was too hot. My mouth went dry and my stomach felt full, so I tossed the rest of my chicken back into the tub, wiped my hands on a napkin and tried to look anywhere that wasn’t the man filling my chest with butterflies. The only problem with that was we were in such a confined space there was nowhere else to look.

  So, I had no choice but to watch Seb move the almost empty bucket to one side and crawl up onto his knees, his hair brushing the roof of the cab as he scooted closer to me.

  “Your lips aren’t purple today, and you’re at work,” he said, his voice a croaky whisper, his face just inches from mine.

  “I, uh, my wrist. I couldn’t…”

  “Probably best. I wouldn’t want to smudge it.”

  Oh hell. This man is going to kill me…

  Snaking one arm behind my back, he pulled me down until I lay beneath him. I wasn’t, however, expecting it and a rather humiliating grunt leapt from my throat before I playfully swatted his shoulder. The grin he wore soon turned to something more…intense, and his stare rendered me completely paralysed as he gripped the back of my neck and lowered his lips to mine.

  Christ, he felt good. His body was heavy on my chest yet his mouth so smooth and gentle. A perfect, beautiful contrast. Teasing my legs out from under him, I wrapped them around his waist before draping my injured arm over his shoulder and letting my other hand explore the firmness of his back. As I kissed him, licking his lips before dipping my tongue between them, I let my fingers wander down his shirt, pulling at the hem and caressing the soft skin beneath.

  “Mmm,” I moaned into his mouth as blood pooled in my cock. My hips bucked involuntarily, thrusting upwards into his groin, desperate to gain any kind of friction.

  “Fuck,” Seb breathed, breaking away from my mouth and kissing along my jaw. Reaching behind himself, he grabbed my arm and brought my hand between our bodies, pressing my palm against his dick through his pants. He was hard. Gloriously fucking hard. “I’d sell my grandma not to be in this cab right now.”

  Breathless, I tipped my head back and tried to remember how to talk. It was difficult with Seb nuzzling my neck, kissing and nipping at the sensitive flesh. “I, uh…” Nope. Words weren’t happening.

  “Come to my house,” he said, planting feather-light kisses on my lips. “Tonight. After work.”

  Tyler. I couldn’t leave him again. “I…I can’t tonight. Tomorrow? But I can’t stay overnight.”

  Seb’s head jerked back a little. He looked puzzled, but not pissed off or judgemental.

  “This is just…” I took a moment to think of a believable excuse. “Fast. I didn’t know you existed a week ago and, well…” Dammit. I sounded stupid. I almost said what we had felt intense and we should slow down, which was ridiculous. I was ridiculous. What if he didn’t think it was intense? What if it was all in my head?

  “Tomorrow,” he agreed with a smile. “And I promise to have you home before bedtime.”

  “You think I’m stupid.”

  He kissed my lips. “I think you’re adorable.” He kissed me again. “And hot.” And again. “And fun.” And again. “And sassy.” And once more. “And intriguing. And I can go slow. No pressure. I just like spending time with you. No one’s made me feel like that in a while.”

  “Yeah?”

  Smiling my favourite smile, he shuffled to his knees and looked down on me. “You fishing for compliments again?”

  “Damn. You caught me.” Chuckling, I shifted into a sitting position, adjusting my arse to relieve the pressure on my aching dick.

  “I’m gonna have to head off. I’ve got another eight drops to make.”

  “You’re kicking me out?” I said, feigning hurt in my voice.

  “I got what I came for,” Seb said as he climbed back into the front of the cab.

  “And what was that?”

  “To feel you up and get you to agree to see me again. And all it took was a bucket of KFC. You’re too easy.”

  Climbing into the front with him, I said, “Are you calling me a whore?”

  “Not whore, just a cheap date.” He winked at me and there was no way I could do anything else but smile. Opening his door, he jumped down from the truck before I could think of a smartarse reply, appearing at my side seconds later.

  Reaching up, he held his hand out to me as I swung my left leg onto the first step. “How gentlemanly of you,” I said, taking his hand.

  “I was actually thinking heels, steps, and a gammy wrist are asking for trouble, and people sue for anything these days. But sure, let’s go with gentleman.”

  Once my feet were on solid ground, I shook my head, exhaling a soft laugh. “Are you ever serious?”

  “I’m serious about getting to know you better,” he said without a breath of hesitation, his expression completely, well, serious. “Good enough?”

  Grinning, I combed through his messy dark hair with my fingers, something I’d been itching to do since the very moment I first saw him but hadn’t been quite brave enough, until now. “Absolutely.”

  His body pushed forward, pinning me against the harsh metal of the cab, and my pulse began to pound in my neck as I waited for his lips to land on mine.

  But they didn’t.

  Instead, he moved to the side, hitching one leg up onto the steps, reaching into the footwell of the cab before returning a moment later with my two shopping bags from yesterday. “Don’t forget these.”

  “Right. Of course,” I said. “You’d have had a wasted journey.”

  He handed me the bags, closing his fingers around mine as I took them, before leaning closer until his lips hovered by my ear. “I don’t consider a single second spent with you wasted, Oliver,” he whispered.

  Oh dear, God. I�
��m so fucking screwed.

  “Now get going,” he added, giving my arse a little squeeze. “I’ve got some VIB’s to attend to.”

  “VIB’s?”

  “Very Important Beans, of course!” He flashed me a wink that made my chest feel like it was on fire while backing away and jogging around to the other side of the truck.

  I walked back to the pavement, pausing by the salon door to wave him off in a bit of a daze. It felt like I already missed him as soon as he brought his noisy engine to life with a loud, juddering roar, which was stupid and exciting and made no sense whatsoever. Then, when the back end of his trailer disappeared around the corner, I sucked in a deep breath and prepared myself for the inevitable interrogation I was about to get from Claire and Dawn.

  * * *

  I’d never been so grateful to see my house when I reached the path after walking home from work. I was exhausted. Twisting my key in the lock, I looked down and silently cursed the weeds that were starting to poke out between the paving slabs under my feet. One of the downsides of spring approaching. That and bugs. I hated bugs. Especially daddy long legs. And wasps. Evil little bastards they are. But I still had a few months before I had to start worrying about those.

  Stepping inside, I heard Ty laughing as I plopped my shopping bags from yesterday on the floor in the entryway and closed the front door. It was a rare sound these days, but as much as I enjoyed hearing it I also felt a little frustrated because I knew that meant he must have a friend, or more, here and I was too tired to make niceties with random teenagers.

  “Oh.” To my surprise, Ty wasn’t laughing with one of his friends. He was laughing with Rhys. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to play nurse,” he said, slapping his knees before standing from the armchair. “Si’down, girl. I’ll grab the frozen peas.”

  “I don’t have any peas.”

  He strutted away in the direction of the kitchen anyway. “Have no fear, Nurse Jefferson is ‘ere! I’ll figure somethin’ out!”

  Rolling my eyes and smiling, I sat down on the chair Rhys had just left and laid out my wrist on the padded arm, turning my attention to Tyler. “Did you give the deposit in to your form teacher?”