Twenty-five

Four

"Now, I don't see why you can't just go and get your car washed at a car wash," Tommy laughs, closing his car door and walking round it till he's leaning back against the passenger side.

I drop the sponge into the bucket full of soapy water next to my feet and frown. "My car has been sitting in a damn garage getting fixed. Hence, why its so dirty." I gesture to my car with a smile on my face. "I like my car to be clean and shiny."

"Fair enough," he shrugs. He pushes himself off his car and walks over to me. "Are you going in to work today?"

"I am but not till later on," I answer. I pick the sponge back up and continue washing my car. A white car shows up the dirt more and I don't like my car to look too dirty, both on the inside and out. It's hard to keep it clean on the inside when you have a child but I try my best.

"Do you think you could do me a favour?"

I stop cleaning momentarily to look at him. "Depends on what it is."

"Can you get me my iPad charger out my locker when you go in to the studio? It's on the top shelf."

"Why don't you just use the one that's for your phone? Or better yet, why don't you use the spare one you have?"

"I would if I didn't give it to Gavin to borrow."

"Ask for it back then."

"Don't you think I've already done that?" I move around the car one way and he moves the other way until we're standing side by side. "Please, Isla. I would't ask if I didn't need it."

"Just go in yourself and get it."

"Can't I have one day away from there? I think we're all entitled to it. Some more than others."

I drop the sponge onto the ground near the bucket. "Is that a dig at me?" I pick the bucket up and take a step back from the car, preparing to throw the remaining soapy water over the car. "You might wanna take a step back," I instruct. He does and I throw the water over the car, hearing it splash as soon as it hits the roof. "I would love to get away from there for a few days without having to think of it. However, with the footballers being there . . . I don't think that'll happen anytime soon."

I pick the sponge up from the ground, drop it in the bucket, and place the bucket by the front door. I pick up the hose and turn it on, aiming it towards the car so I can wash the soap off it. This is the first time in ages I've been able to wash my car because of everything that's been happening in my life until now.

"You only have a few days left until it's all over." I glare at Tommy. "Take your days off next week and do something that isn't work related."

"Tommy, I can't just do anything."

"Take Mackenzi out somewhere. She'll love spending time with you away from work and here."

"Kind of hard to do that when she has school on my days off," I remind him.

"You can still take her somewhere at night when she's not at school," he counters. "And has finished her homework."

"You make a point but I'll take any bets that this entire thing with the footballers is going to go into overtime which means that any plans I have will be thrown away to accommodate their plans." I turn the hose off and drop it to the ground. "Rich bastards."

"Now no, Isla, no need for that kind of language." He takes a step towards and droops his arms over my shoulders. "They're fucking rich bastards who are paying over the odds for these lessons and I don't hear any of us complaining about the rise in our wages because of them."