Falling by Olivia Liberty

Author:Olivia Liberty
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atlantic Books
Published: 2011-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

The black Porsche was knee-deep in rubble. Maps, cups, bottles and stained scraps of paper. Gideon bailed some of it into the cramped back seat, the vents in his jacket flashing kingfisher, his socks a matching iridescence. He left the door open and went around to the driver’s seat.

Toby lowered himself in and put on his seat belt. His foot stuck to the carpet on a ball of chewing gum. Imogen travelling knee-deep in rubbish too enraptured to care. Gideon beside her, a love furnace, consuming fuel, sandwiches, cappuccinos, chocolate. Tossing the debris at her ankles.

Frowning, Gideon looked over. ‘It’s a karzy in here. Sorry.’

He pulled out into the stream of traffic heading east. With a square brown hand he reached over and opened the glove compartment. He fitted the stereo and sat back.

‘So.’ He looked over at Toby, a frank examination. Straight brown nose, long-lashed dragon-green eyes. He changed gear. Strong thighs. ‘So,’ he said again. He seemed troubled, as though he needed to speak. Toby would let him. He examined the road ahead and tried not to picture Imogen’s knickers between this man’s teeth.

‘So, this guy walks into the shop about twenty minutes ago,’ began Gideon.

Toby pushed his back farther into the leather seat and wondered how he felt about being told a joke by this man. He watched Gideon’s brown hand go to various knobs on the dashboard, then hover in front of air vents to monitor the rush of cool air. He became aware that Gideon was waiting for him to speak. ‘Who’s there?’

‘What? I saw you talking to him – suit, red tie, dark hair. Twenty minutes ago I saw you speaking to him in the office. Who was he?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Toby.

From the way Gideon turned to look at him, it seemed that he suspected Toby wasn’t telling the truth.

‘He didn’t give his name,’ said Toby.

‘Didn’t or wouldn’t?’

‘Wouldn’t,’ agreed Toby.

‘Did he ask for me?’

‘He did,’ said Toby.

‘Christ.’ Gideon swallowed. ‘And it wasn’t about a property?’

‘It wasn’t about a property.’ Toby resisted the urge to fold his arms. He could see sweat on Gideon’s forehead.

‘What did you tell him?’

‘I told him that you were out.’

‘Good lad. Good lad. Christ Almighty.’ Gideon ran a hand through his hair. ‘When did you say I was back?’

‘I said I didn’t know. Problem?’ asked Toby.

‘Oh yeah. Problem,’ said Gideon. ‘If that was who I think it was. Christ on a bike.’ He blew upwards under his hair. He turned to look at Toby, teeth showing. ‘Major fucking problem. But thanks for dealing with it. Sounds like you’ve bought me a morning. What happened to the eye by the way? Surely not Mr Chuckles Lincoln?’ He laughed.

‘No, not Chuckles Lincoln.’

‘I hear you two are not best buddies. Harmsworth-Mallett tells me you reached melt-down on day one. Congrats. It took me the best part of a month.’ He laughed. ‘That eye must have hurt.’ He passed a hand across his own and turned back to the road.

Toby nodded. ‘It did. How was skiing?’

‘Skiing?’ Gideon turned the radio on.

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