Agreements With Mr Rich Boy | ✓

36 | Trend Setter

"What are you doing?" I almost screeched as he turned off the engine, withholding the heat from the vents and seat.

"If I keep it on, it'll kill the battery. And then we'll be stuck here for even longer."

I groaned but accepted it, able to bear it for now with my bum still warm, having only just been switched off.

***

"Archer?" I said, tentative at disturbing him as he sat in his seat, eyes shut. It was clear he wasn't sleeping— shoulders tensed and jaw ticking every time I tried to settle myself a little too loudly. His kept his eyes closed, but I knew he was listening. "I really need the loo."

He opened one eye and looked at me. "I don't know if you've noticed, Jolie, but we are on a dual carriageway."

"Yes," I bit out. "I'm aware of it. But I need to go, like need to go," I emphasised.

He closed his eye and once again returned to his dozing state. "You'll have to go in the bushes," he told me at last.

"The bushes?"

He opened his eyes, looking less than pleased about it, and motioned with his head outside. Reaching behind him he picked up something from his bag of supplies.

I reached for the door handle, feeling grim at having to pee in the freezing cold. Peecicles, I thought to myself. I might have laughed if I didn't have to go so bad. In the middle of snow.

"Oh and Jolie?"

I turned, praying maybe there was a secret built in toilet in this car, one with underfloor heating and protection from the now lazily drifting down snow.

"Might be needing this." I yelped as a toilet roll was tossed in my face. I caught it with a glare.

Archer's smile was twitching in amusement. "Have fun!"

I slammed the door.

***

I sagged back in my seat, eyelashes frozen and lips a blue-purple colour.

"You're a trend-setter," Archer commented.

I looked out of my window, noting that I was in a sense, because no sooner had I got back, doors were springing open left, right and centre and figures were appearing, wading through the snow, and then disappearing over the small hill, likely to relieve themselves.

I don't know how long passed, only that however long it was, it was excruciating. I kept trying to settle, eyelids heavy and screaming for sleep, but I just couldn't get comfy. And it was clearly no fault of the £100,000 car I was sat in, literally just me.

"Will you stop that?" Archer said, patience wearing, as he heard me move about for the fifteenth time. He was in the back now, spread across the three large seats there.

"I can't sleep."

He sighed loudly. "Just come here."

My face must have been as red as my fingers, so I was glad he still had his eyes closed and it was dark enough that he couldn't see me.

He lifted the blankets on top of him, and pushed himself backwards to give me space.

I debated with myself for a few moments, before (with feet feeling as if they were about to fall off, despite the blankets piled across me) I relented and, though begrudgingly, squeezed into the back. I settled myself next to him and lay down.

We were face to face, so I flipped over.

"Better?" He mumbled.

"Yeah," I whispered back.

"Jesus fuck," he let out, and I could feel his abdomen contracting from behind me. "You're cold." He reached to where I had been placed, hovering over me, and yanked the blanket. He set it across me.

We lay like that for a while, me now no longer shaking, but instead, immersed in a pleasant, settling warmth, largely because of the human hot water bottle behind me.

He was respectful, which surprised me, keeping his hands to himself. If anything, it was me pushing the most against him. One, so I didn't fall off the seat. And two, because he was really, really warm. And three... no, two was more than enough.

"Archer?" I said into darkness, kind of hoping he was asleep.

"What?" His breath was warm against me.

"Thank you," I said before I lost my nerve. "For listening."

He didn't say anything, but I knew he'd heard me. I almost preferred his silence.

And just like that, I slipped into an unwavering sleep.