When the Bus Stopped

Chapter 20

"Strange that," Krishna remarked.

"And besides... if I did change for someone then I wouldn't be the person they fell in love with."

"He loves you?"

"No... I mean, hypothetically."

#

The following day had dawned fresh and clear. It almost felt like Summer again, the bizarre snow storm had cleared and even though the air was still a little too fresh to warrant it Lucy found herself in an itty bitty sea green bikini with cut off denim shorts.

Music blasting around her thanks to the mechanics at the nearby shed. Katy Perry was singing, "Daisy Dukes, bikinis on top"... the boys had obviously chosen the right music to support Lucy's car wash endeavors.

"I don't get that song," Lucy told her customer conversationally. "Having your bikini on top of your shorts would be a bit weird. Sort of like Super Girl."

He laughed. "I hadn't thought of that." He was attaching a long cylinder shaped thing to the front of an obscenely big camera.

"Is that a telescope?" Lucy asked, over the suds.

"No, it is a camera."

"Wow!"

"Do you mind if I take some pictures of you?"

Lucy grimaced awkwardly. "I'd prefer you wouldn't but I guess for an extra tenner we could make a deal."

"Great!" He pulled a ten dollar note out of his wallet and passed it to her. "I need to show my friends this. Not every day you see a woman tough enough to clean cars in these elements."

"My hands are turning purple," Lucy agreed. "Can you believe we are having this frosty weather in Summer? Global warming isn't feeling too tropical." She continued scrubbing the car while the man took photos of her. A bit pervy of him, she decided, but hey a tenner is a tenner.

"For an extra fifty dollars I'll clean the inside of your car," she offered as she finished up cleaning the car exterior.

"That'll be fine thanks. Maybe next time."

As he pulled his car away a wrinkly old man brought his vehicle to a standstill in front of Lucy's hose.

"Back so soon?" She asked the driver.

"Got a bit dirty," his voice wobbled. "See, there is a spot on the window."

Shrugging Lucy began cleaning the car for the third time that morning. If he wanted to give her all of his pension then who was she to argue? The man had single handedly kept her in business that morning. Apart from the guy with the camera it seemed that no one else in the Village needed their car cleaned.

"Getting much business?" The man's wobbly voice asked.

"Not at all."

"There is an automatic car wash just down the road."

"Oh." I should have done my market research!

"Some people like taking their cars there. But those machines!" He shook his head and oooooh'ed loudly. "They leave marks on your car! And it just isn't the same you know... as having a nice young lady cleaning it."

Right, because you can't give a machine the glad eye.

"You are a strong lass." His eyes were drawn to her bikini top where Lucy could see her poor nipples almost cemented over in pain from the alpine blasts.

Squirting soap over his car she began rubbing it energetically. Lucy noted out of the corner of her eye that this old codger wasn't the only man in town to be watching on. The mechanic (who'd so kindly let her use his garage, water and vacuum cleaner) and all of his employees were taking their morning break. Cups of tea in hand with all eyes fixed on her.

Turning the hose on Lucy went to hose off the gentleman's car but the water had stopped. "That's strange," she commented.

"It has frozen over," the mechanic called out. "Does that when it is this cold."

"Sorry about that," Lucy told the elderly man. "Looks like I won't be able to wash the soap off. I can vacuum your car for free if you'd like."

The elderly man shrugged, not fazed whatsoever that his previously sparkling car was now covered in a bubbly sludge. "Sounds lovely dear."

Yanking open the doors Lucy switched on the vacuum cleaner and jumped in. Thankful that cleaning the car from the inside would stop her from being vulnerable from all of those nasty mountain breezes. Swishing the nozzle of the vacuum about she sucked up lumps of dried dirt and half used tissues. Collecting all of the stray ballpoint pens into one place she went over the car - thoroughly - one more time.

Just before jumping out she noticed something wedged under the driver's seat which caught her attention. Ducking down she reached the nozzle of her vacuum in its direction.

A hiss and soft thud and the sparkly thing was attached to the vacuum cleaner. Dragging it out Lucy found a clear plastic envelope and inside a large sparkly dagger and a long coiled piece of rope.