Page 74 of The Bordeaux Book Club
‘Me?’
‘Yes. What you said about… well, love. Your life. It was… It touched me.’ They were silent for a moment. Then Grace started slightly. ‘Oh! We forgot to choose the next book!’ she said. ‘What with… everything. And it’s your turn, isn’t it!’
He smiled, his eyes still on the road. ‘Yeah, don’t worry. I figured there was plenty of time to sort all that out. Besides, I might need your help to choose.’
‘My help?’
He shrugged slightly. ‘Your expertise, then,’ he said. ‘I’ve got a couple of ideas, but… well, I never did that well at school and you are the books expert and that.’
Grace laughed. ‘I wouldn’t call myself an expert. Maybe just someone who’s had too much time on her hands over the years, so spent it reading.’
‘Sounds like an expert to me,’ he said, with a grin. Then, more seriously, ‘I couldn’t help but notice your books… well, in your front room are a bit… I’m pretty good at making shelves if you…’
He trailed off, perhaps sensing the atmosphere shift.
‘It’s OK,’ she said. ‘I know they’re messy but…’
‘Oh, God, don’t worry about that,’ he said. ‘I wasn’t being, like, mean or anything. It’s just because all your stuff is so… well, tidy and sort of finished. But the books are?—’
‘A bloody mess?’ she ventured.
He felt himself grin. ‘I’d have put it more delicately,’ he said.
She sighed – almost as if she was releasing something held in for too long. ‘I know…’
‘You know I’m not… criticising?’ he ventured.
‘Of course,’ she said.
‘It’s just… I’d like do something for you,’ he said. ‘After all you’ve done for us. With the club and that.’
‘Thank you.’
The silence resumed, but it was companionable. George turned the car gently into the next road. They were still twentyminutes away from Grace’s house – then he’d have to make his way back into the centre to go home. She felt guilty, but he had insisted after all.
‘You’re not going to be too tired for work?’ she said.
He laughed. ‘If you saw the blokes I work with, you wouldn’t be too worried about that,’ he said. ‘They think midday is the crack of dawn!’
She smiled. ‘Thank you,’ she said.
‘For what?’
‘For making me feel better about it.’
‘It’s just a lift. Really. It’s nothing.’ He paused for a moment, as if considering something. ‘You give a lot, Grace. You help people. Even tonight, you’ve really put yourself out there for Alfie, for Leah.’
‘Well, I suppose.’
‘There is no suppose about it,’ he said. ‘But I’m not sure you realise that it’s OK to accept it too.’
‘Accept what?’
‘Help,’ he said. ‘Friendship. You know, support.’
‘Oh.’
‘Love,’ he said finally, never taking his eyes from the road.
