The girl moves through the night. A pale moon smiles down on her as she zigzags between the puddles left behind by the melting snow. The twenty-four-hour filling station casts its neon light over the desolate landscape and she goes in and buys a can of Coke and a packet of Marlboro Red. The assistant working the night shift has kindly eyes which make her turn away. She walks out and stands beside the illuminated car wash, lights a cigarette and blows smoke up into the night sky. Her attention is caught by the haulage truck parked beyond the pumps. A man is asleep in the driver’s seat. He is wearing a dark cap and his head is nodding up and down in time to his breathing. She drops the half-smoked cigarette on the ground and crushes it with her foot. The pools of water glisten like oil in the arc lights as she makes her way over the tarmac. There is the hum of a few solitary cars in the distance but otherwise it is silent. The anticipation sends a shiver down her spine. When she reaches the truck she grabs the side mirror and heaves herself up the steps until her face is on a level with the sleeping man’s. Close up he is younger than she first thought, with a shiny earring and cheeks shadowed by a stubbly beard.

She watches her own white knuckles move closer to the window. It is a gentle knock but even so the man wakes up with a violent start that knocks off his cap, revealing his thinning scalp. He blinks at her and it takes him a while to lower the window.

‘What’s going on?’

The adrenalin makes it hard to smile. Her hand gripping the mirror has already started to ache.

‘I just thought you might want some company.’

He stares at her, open-mouthed. At first it looks like he’s going to protest but then he nods towards the passenger door.

‘Come on in, then.’

She walks around the truck, the expectation growing inside her. She turns her head to check for any eyes in the shadows but all she can see is the garage assistant and he’s not looking out. It’s nearly 2 a.m. and there are no other cars around. If anything should happen, there are no witnesses.

The man is breathing heavily through his mouth as she sits down.

‘And who might you be?’

‘Just a girl.’

The cabin smells of warm breath.

‘I can see that.’

He seems awkward, rubs his eyes with the palms of his hands and gives her a sidelong look as if she were a strange animal he didn’t want to annoy.

‘And what makes you want to sit here with me?’

‘You look lonely, that’s all.’

She challenges him with her eyes, thinks he looks afraid. That gives her courage.