“I'm sure.” She sat in her assigned seat and pulled out her iPad again. If she could lose herself in a book, he’d ignore her. Or was that her ignoring him? Whatever it was, it worked and she would re-read every book she had to avoid getting into a conversation with him. That was, if she lasted the trip—something Delilah doubted.
By lunchtime, he had taken to running his finger down her arm and winking at her when she looked up. Even tucking herself into the edge of the seat didn't seem to deter him. A frown and dirty look also failed to stop him harassing her. As they pulled into their next designated stop, Delilah made a decision. She took her handbag with her and mingled with the other passengers, keeping her gaze on the bus driver. If he made a move to pack up and board the bus again, she would be ready.
Finally, he signaled everyone to board for the next part of the journey. She hung back until the last person boarded and grabbed hold of his arm to steer him away from the door, and those looking out the window their way.
“Lady, get back on the bus, we have to leave. I have a schedule to keep to and you’re not helping at all.”
“I have to insist on another seat. That…that man sitting next to me is constantly hitting on me and I won't sit with him again.” She crossed her arms and tried to look as helpless as she could.
“I've already told you, there’re no other seats. You’ll just have to make the most of it, sorry.” He waited for her to make a move onto the bus.
“No, I most certainly will not. That…that beast of a man grabs me every chance he gets. If you won't allocate me another seat, I'm staying here.” She swallowed hard and glanced around at the small town, the streets bare of people and cars.
“I can't give you a refund. You'll have to hit up the office for that. Now, are you getting back on the bus?”
“No.”
He shook his head and muttered under his breath before walking to the side of the bus. Delilah watched as he moved bags to find her Gucci matched pair and pulled them out. The driver dumped the bags at her feet and slammed the under carriage door shut. Puzzled blue eyes raked her face before, with a shrug of his shoulders, the driver walked back to the bus.
With her mind made up, she watched him climb the stairs and start the bus. A deep sigh escaped her lips when the bus pulled away from the curb, leaving her in a small country town she knew nothing about. She bit her lip. Now I've done it. What the hell am I going to do? Rummaging in her handbag, she pulled out her phone. No service! What kind of place is this?
Delilah picked up her bags and staggered under the weight of them to the only shop in the quiet street that looked like it might be open. She pushed open the door and looked around. Old linoleum tiles in a dirty shade of pale blue and black checked the floor. Faded posters hung on the wall beside the door and a florescent light flickered over the counter with a cash register surrounded by boxes of sweets to tempt the shoppers while they waited for their purchases to be rung up. The small supermarket was brightly lit but otherwise deadly quiet. She let the heavy bags thump to the floor and grimaced.
“Hello, stranger. What can I do for you?” A small, grey-haired lady came from behind an aisle with an empty box in her hands, folding it down flat as she walked. On her floral apron, she wore a tag with the name “Sue” on it.
“I wonder if there is a taxi available? I need to use your phone too, if that is okay. Mine doesn't seem to have service out here.” Delilah smiled as brightly as she could, hoping to win over the lady who stood in front of her. Her hopes were dashed quickly.
“Taxi? Hell no. This is the bush, no taxis here.”
“But…there must be something, some way to get…out of here?” A chill crept up the back of her neck. Please don’t tell me I’ve just made the biggest mistake getting off in this town.
“Could have caught the Greyhound bus, I guess, but I think you just missed that one.” Sue squinted up at Delilah, stepping closer. “Where did you come from?”
“Off the Greyhound bus actually.”
“Now why would you do that?” Sue walked over to the counter and leaned on it, looking from the lemon-colored high heels up to the matching designer suit Delilah wore.
“I…um…I just couldn't stay on there any longer. I need to get back to Sydney.”
The lady stood and shook her head. “Well, that won't happen today. That bus only comes through once a week you know. You should have stayed on it, if you get my drift.”
“Impossible. You don’t understand. Is there a hotel nearby? I need a couple of days to sort myself out, and have someone to come and get me. Could you point me in the right direction, please?” Delilah wished she had been more assertive with her seat neighbor after all. Things were not looking as bright here as she first thought.
“No hotel either. There is a caravan park if you have your own vehicle, but other than that…nothing. Don’t get many people wanting to stay in this town.”
“Are you serious? I can't believe there is nothing here.” Tears welled in her eyes and she sniffed loudly, reaching for a tissue in her handbag. “Just my rotten luck. How much worse could it get?”
“If you don't mind me asking, why did you get
