I hit the speed bump at least ten miles an hour over the speed limit. The Jeep objected to my rough handling, bouncing hard, and I heard a nasty scrape as my exhaust battered off the highest point of the hump. I winced, but I was late -- really late. I swung into my street and, seeing no nosey neighbors out in their front gardens, floored it until my house came into view. His car was in my driveway. It had probably been there a while. My phone had beeped at least three times, but I hadn't had the courage to look and see if it was Sir.
It wasn't like his displeasure could make me go any faster.
And it wasn't my fault that some moron had dumped their load on the highway and trapped us all for over an hour.
I pulled into the second space in the drive as quickly as I dared. I had the engine off and had yanked up my handbag in the space of a heartbeat, flinging myself out the door and around Sir's car to the front porch, where he was waiting for me, an overnight suitcase at his feet, suit bag draped carefully over the top. He did not look happy.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I chimed, fumbling for my keys. "There was an accident, and I couldn't get off the highway. I had to wait for them to clear it."
"You should have messaged me," he said, voice hard. "I was worried. I thought it might be you, involved in a crash."
Oops. I hadn't thought of that.
"I sent you messages, they came through on my phone did they not?"
I had the door open now, and we were seriously behind schedule, but he didn't move a muscle. Apparently we were going to have this out first.
"They did," I said. No lying. It was the one thing Sir abhorred above all else, and I was hopeless at it anyway.
"But you didn't read them."
Nope. I grimaced. "I thought you'd be mad at me."
"Was the accident your fault?"
"No."
"Then I would not have been angry. Only relieved that you were all right."
He was right, but in the moment I'd been filled with panic as the minutes ticked by -- I hated being late -- and I'd only thought about Sir at my house, unable to get in, waiting for me.
"I'm sorry," I told him.
"Hmmm."
Not forgiven yet then. He motioned for me to go inside, draping his suit bag over one arm and picking up the small suitcase. We were going to the theatre to see a show, and Sir had got us stupidly expensive seats right at the front, so I'd be able to see every thought, every emotion on the actors' faces. The thought of the money he'd spent made me even more anxious, sitting in the damned traffic jam. I could feel dollars slipping down the drain with every minute that passed.
"Do you want to use the basement bathroom?" I asked, dumping my stuff just inside the door and hauling off my shoes. "It'll be quicker if we can shower at the same time."