She tried to persuade herself, but she could already sense the scent of her lover’s naked body, the warmth of his breath and the passionate sounds that would soon fill the car.

Even so, she was still of two minds. She felt rather pathetic sitting there like a schoolgirl and dreaming of a future that almost certainly didn’t exist. Pathetic, and somehow dirty. She was lying and deceiving for just a few transient moments of devotion each week. Her lover was the direct opposite. He took life in his stride, a smile always on his lips. If she were to end the relationship, he would find a new cause for rejoicing and continue smiling.

They were getting close to the location of their rendezvous and heartbeats in the car quickened. He put his hand on her thigh and she could barely contain herself. She wanted to pull off her clothes and throw herself onto him, press her lips to his, and let herself be embraced, a wave of heat flooding over her.

The sky was getting dark and it began to snow gently. The weather forecast said it wouldn’t freeze until night, but the road already looked slippery. They approached the old limestone quarry by Madvar. For a moment, the tires lost their grip and the car skidded precariously.

2

Sandra

HER ARMS FILLED with odds and ends, she stood in the car park outside the XL-Bygg DIY store cursing her stupidity. Today she had finally made it to the store to find some bargain Christmas decorations and outdoor lighting on sale. Of course, she hadn’t considered for a moment that she would, as usual, buy too much, all while her car was at the repair shop and her father couldn’t help her. She hadn’t meant to buy more than she could take on the bus, but here she was loaded up like a packhorse.

The ground was wet and dirty, making her reluctant to put down her boxes and paper bags. She didn’t have any gloves—it had been far warmer when she had left home in the morning.

She had called for a taxi twice and on both occasions she had been promised a car within a few minutes. Forty minutes had elapsed so she now put down her purchases to call again.

“This is ridiculous,” she said, making an effort to sound angry when she was really just irritated. “I live in the country and can’t very well walk all the way to Vejdhem.”

“How strange,” said the voice on the other end of the line. “There must have been a misunderstanding somewhere down the line. I’ll prioritise your booking and send a car immediately.”

Yes, that was certainly the case, and at that point Sandra should probably have made an acerbic comment. But she wasn’t especially ready for battle—more timid than anything—so instead she politely offered her thanks and ended the call. She sighed heavily, glancing resignedly at the mountain of shopping, and tapped at her phone, her chubby fingers frozen stiff, looking for an entertaining YouTube video to pass the time.