A Month To Live - Extras

The Retreat (3/3)

‘Professional advice,’ he corrected, stretching as he climbed out of the Mustang. ‘You’re finally dumping the tin can?'

‘Yeah. It's time.’

‘It is,’ Cole agreed. ‘That thing should have been taken off the road like a year ago.’

‘Jojo did the car service and it passed!’ I exclaimed.

‘I would have failed it,’ Cole sniffed. ‘What kind of car d’you want?’

‘Um, I know nothing about cars – remember?’

‘You’ve worked here for months and still know nothing?’ Cole frowned.

‘I’ve been driving Bradley’s car this week and I like it. Although, it's a bit too big, I can’t really park it in town very well - my car now can squeeze into almost any parking spot. But his runs so well...’

‘Well, you need something newer, that goes without saying,’ he mused. ‘Have a look at the customer’s cars the next few weeks... I’m sure you’ll see something you like. Then you can get a similar model.’

‘And you’ll fix it up for free, right?’ I asked.

‘Sure, the same day I win the lottery and ride a unicorn to work.’

‘Ass.’

‘At last, a working radio,’ Cole declared, seemingly ignoring my last comment. ‘Get back to work, slave. I’m going for a test drive.’

‘You needed a radio for a test drive?’ I asked, raising my eyebrow.

‘You can’t drive without music. That’s illegal,’ Cole pointed out, ushering me away and edging around the back to clear a path out the driveway.

‘Can I come?’

‘You want to go on a drive with me?’ he asked suspiciously. ‘Did you hit your head?’

‘Come on, I’m bored!’ I complained.

He considered me for a second before shrugging and jumping in the driver’s seat.

‘Sure. Why not.’

I guess I should have been suspicious when he agreed so easily. Cole usually agreed to nothing so fast... in fact he was one of the most difficult people I knew. And by ‘test drive’ he really meant taking the old Mustang to the back roads outside of town and seeing just how fast he could get it to go.

I’m pretty sure I nearly had a heart attack the first time he sped up so quickly but I couldn’t even yell or punch him for fear of making him crash or spin out. When he did finally slow down, he received a dead arm as I turned my irritation onto him.

‘What the flying fuck is wrong with you?’ I demanded, yanking at my seatbelt. ‘Can you warn me before you turn into Evel Knievel?’

‘He rode motorcycles,’ Cole pointed out with a smirk. ‘Anyway, I thought you were bored. Did this not entertain you?’

‘It nearly gave me a cardiac arrest,’ I growled, opening the window to catch my breath.

‘Nah, you’re too young for a heart attack,’ Cole disagreed. ‘Cam used to say that all the time whenever I drove him anywhere. You remind me of him a little when you’re all over dramatic. George does too.’

‘We do?’ I asked curiously, looking back over at him.

‘Sometimes,’ he replied absently. ‘Let’s go back before the slavedriver wonders where we’ve gone,’ he added, already making a U turn and heading back towards town. ‘I was only going to drive around the block but I couldn’t resist the urge to freak you out.’