I looked at my out of control daughter. “Did you kick this man’s car, Ruby?”
“No!” she said. “I kicked his tyres!” She stared up at him with defiant eyes, then pointed to the back wheels. “Those tyres are balder than you are, mate.”
Oh Lord.
At least she didn’t use the C word.
I looked at him in horror, at his wispy excuse for a comb over. His eyes were piggy and too small for his face, and it really didn’t look like he was seeing the humour in it.
“I’m sorry,” I said again. “Her dad’s a mechanic. She likes to help.”
“By kicking people’s cars?” the man snapped. “Maybe her dad should teach her some manners then, ignorant little hooligan. No respect. No respect at all.”
I saw Tonya’s eyes widen, saw her stare behind me with an expression of horror.
“I’m her fucking dad,” Trent’s voice barked. “What’s going on here?”
Oh no.
I turned on my heel, all ready to play pacifier. No big deal, just a misunderstanding. But Audi-man answered before I could.
“Your daughter kicked my car,” he snapped. “This is an expensive car, as you should well know, I don’t need hooligans kicking it.”
Tonya made an exit and I can’t say I blamed her. She headed over to Mia who was still yapping on to Daisy on Skype.
Trent opened a fresh pack of cigarettes. He stuck another in his pocket. Shop run. Of course.
Godawful timing.
He looked at me, then looked at Ruby.
“What’s going on, Rubes?”
“His tyres are bald,” she said. “Tried to warn him. Guess he got butt-hurt.” I heard her pathetic excuse for a whisper. “I didn’t say any garage words, Dad, I promise.”
Garage words. Brilliant. Just brilliant.
He ruffled her hair, then lit up a cigarette while Audi-man gawped. My stomach dropped as Trent took a step back onto the road, eyed up the car’s back tyres.
And then he kicked them.
“Those tyres are balder than you are, mate,” he said. I would have laughed if I hadn’t been so horrified. “She’s done you a favour. Got wire showing on the rear driver’s. It’s fucked.”
Ruby folded her arms, gave the man a smug nod. “Told you,” she said. “Balder than you are.”
I wished the ground would open up and swallow me.
Audi-man didn’t even look at his tyres. “Your daughter shouldn’t go around kicking cars,” he said.
“You shouldn’t be driving on those tyres,” Trent said.
“Stay away from my car,” the man said.
“Stay away from my fucking daughter,” Trent said. “Raise your voice to her again and it’s not going to end well.”
The man sneered. “No wonder she has no manners.”
I put a hand on Trent’s arm. Please stay calm.
“I think you should get in your fancy fucking car and drive away,” he said.
“I was planning on it,” Audi-man said. “I should never have parked up in this backwater shithole. Full of halfwits.”
“Roll on, mate,” Trent said.
Audi-man bleeped his central locking, slipped into the driver’s seat. I took a deep breath as he drove away.
Darren put his hands on Ruby’s shoulders. “Good spot,” he said. “You were doing him a favour, ungrateful prick.”
It wasn’t exactly how I would have put it, but it was exactly the moment I decided to handle the Tyler Dean situation with the school and definitely not with Darren.
I watched Ruby watch the car down the street, a quizzical expression on her face.
She turned to look at her dad when the car was out of sight.
“Can I ask you a question?” she said. “A garage question?”
He smiled. “Go for it.”
I nearly smiled along as he dropped to her level to hear her out, my skin prickling at the memory of his body against mine.
Ruby folded her arms, and scowled. She jabbed a finger at the spot the car had vacated and let out a sigh.
“How come a cunt like that gets to drive such a nice bloody Audi?”
I sent Ruby over to Tonya with a tenner for ice creams. She took the girls over to the shop and I tackled this Audi shit with Jodie.
“He was a prick,” I said. “She was right about his fucking tyres, arrogant cunt.”
“That’s not the point,” Jodie said. “She kicked someone’s car, Darren, and she was rude.”
“She kicked his tyres, it’s totally different.”
“She’s eight years old,” she said. “She shouldn’t be kicking anyone’s anything.”
She looked tired. Really tired. I pictured her under me, squirming as I fucked her tight ass.
“You should be in bed.”
You should be in my bed.
“I came out for breakfast with Tonya. The girls were up early.”
I looked her in the eye. “You alright, Jo. About everything?”
She nodded, gave me a crappy smile. “I’m good, yeah. You?”
“Alright.”
“Good,” she said. “Then we’re alright. That’s good.”
So fucking awkward. She played with her fancy fake nails. I watched her, just watched her.
I sighed. “You should get some sleep this afternoon. I’ll take the girls.”
“But it’s not your weekend…” she said.