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“Okay,” Lilith said, “I’m due a break. Do you want to talk about this, or do you need a little time to yourself?”
“Ah, would you just stop being so fucking reasonable?” I snapped. “I know I’m being an arsehole here, alright? And I’m sorry and all that, but for Christ’s sake I’m not going to crumble if you just tell me to piss off, you know?”
“Wow.” Lilith shook her head. “I think this is the first time I’ve ever been criticised for keeping my temper.”
“Oh well aren’t you just the fucking saint?”
Lilith glared at me, clearly building up to an appropriate comeback, and for one hopeful second I thought I might get the argument I both craved and deserved. Then she threw her paintbrush onto the easel shelf without even wiping it clean and stormed past me with a frustrated, “Oh, to hell with this.”
“Where the fuck are you going?” I yelled to her retreating back.
“Out,” she hollered from the bottom of the stairs, and there was a solid bang as she slammed the door behind her.
“Well screw you then!” I stood in the deserted studio, full of hell and nowhere to go with it, and swung my fist into the wall.
*****
Half an hour later I had an impressively bruised set of knuckles and I was still furious – mostly with myself, it had to be said – and Lilith hadn’t returned. When I finally heard the key click in the front door, I prepared for Round Two.
“Hi there.” Lilith gave me a particularly dangerous smile and strode past me, loaded down with carrier bags.
“Um, hi?” I volunteered. “Where have you been?”
“Putting my control freakery to good use,” she called as she headed towards the kitchen. She didn’t sound all that pissed off at me, and I plucked up the courage to follow her so I could apologise. “If I can’t defeat it, I may as well channel it.”
“But seriously, you goin’ to let me in on this nefarious plan any time soon?” I asked.
“Yup.” Lilith emerged from behind the kitchen island. “Once I’ve sorted out our picnic, you and I, my darling, stroppy Celtic fucker, are going on a date.”
“Oh,” I said, utterly thrown. After my ridiculous outburst the very least I deserved was to be sent to my room without any supper. “Can I ask where?”
“Nope.” Lilith packed various items from the fridge into a large insulated bag. “It’s a mystery tour.”
Once everything was packed to Lilith’s satisfaction, we left the apartment. Instead of her immaculate Triumph Vitesse, Nat’s Jeep was parked at the kerb with its soft top folded down.
“We’re borrowing it,” Lilith said, by way of explanation. “The poor thing doesn’t know what ‘off-road’ is – it needs a good run. As do we, so hop in.”
*****
We headed out of Santa Marita and followed the coast road for maybe ten miles, until Lilith pulled off the main drag and drove us up to a wrought iron gate partially hidden by an overgrown hedge. She leaned out of her door to enter a code into a keypad, and the gate slid open.
“We’re now entering Señor Quinteras’ estate,” she explained. “Seven thousand acres of land, and three miles of private coastline. I did his portrait a couple of years ago, and part of the deal was that I get to come and play here whenever I like. He’s out of the country at the moment, so we’ve got the whole place to ourselves. And right now I’d recommend that you check that your seatbelt’s fastened.”
I’d just glanced down to make sure it was when she slammed the little car into first gear and took off straight across the dunes.
I may have actually screamed. On the road, Lilith was an assured and skilful driver. Off-road, she was an absolute maniac. I counted at least a dozen times when all four wheels left the surface of the planet, and I would have considered asking if we could reverse so I could collect my stomach if I hadn’t been concentrating so hard on breathing. As far as I could see there was no roadway or path to follow but Lilith appeared to know exactly where she was going.
We finally came to a halt on a sand dune that overlooked a secluded bay.
“Jesus. You weren’t a twocker in a previous life, were you?” I gasped.
“A what?”
“Twocker. You know what one is?”
Lilith shook her head.
“Fuck me, don’t tell me I’ve found something you don’t know? Car thief. ‘Take Without Owner’s Consent.’ They have a tendency to drive like maniacs without any regard for life and limb, too.”
