7
The next morning Brian drove to an out-of-town retail park with a Wilko, Halfords, Next, Currys, and the big Sainsbury’s he’d seen on Google Maps when he first moved in. He’d had to drive past the level crossing to get there, but unlike the first time, hadn’t had to wait five minutes for a train to pass through.
Inside Wilko, Brian grabbed a couple of runner mats to protect the kitchen floor and tossed them into the trolley, along with a couple of potted snake plants.
He couldn’t stop thinking about Her.
“That’s forty-eight pounds, mate,” the bloke at the checkout said. From the tone of his voice, Brian guessed it wasn’t the first time either. Brian snapped to attention and retrieved his Visa card. Taking his receipt, he headed outside where he froze.
A young woman wearing baggy car
