Sibyl, feeling the bizarre need to act politely (for Kyle’s sake), said, “Colin, this is Kyle. He’s our caretaker. Kyle, this is Colin.”
She didn’t give Colin a role. Colin had no role that she’d share with anyone at the Centre.
“Colin, good to meet you, mate,” Kyle greeted and his eyes shifted to Sibyl. “Bus’s comin’,” he announced.
The door closed again and Sibyl closed her eyes and muttered, “Bloody, bloody hell.”
“Listen to me,” Colin demanded but she opened her eyes, sent him a savage glare and interrupted him.
“I have to go help get the oldies on the bus. We’ll talk later.” She was walking to the door as she spoke but stopped and then her glare turned murderous. “Unless there’s something you require?”
He watched her closely for a moment, his expression unreadable then shook his head.
Instead of leaving, like she should have done, she ranted, because that was what she did when her temper flared out-of-control.
“This isn’t fair, this isn’t right, this isn’t a part of our bargain and you know it,” she told him on an infuriated whisper.
“Come here,” he ordered gently.
She stood where she was and continued glaring.
“Sibyl, come here.” This was said in a tone that could not be defied.
She walked toward him but did it in a way that showed she didn’t like it.
When she arrived close enough to Colin, his arm stole around her waist and, with his other hand, he tipped her face up to look at him with a crooked finger under her chin.
“I was curious how you spent your days.” His voice was low and soft and he was looking at her like he’d looked at her in the Centre.
To her dismay, and against her will, she felt her body react to it by relaxing.
She fought against her body but, it must be said, didn’t entirely succeed with her struggle.
“I’m very angry with you,” she announced in an effort to control her emotions.
“I can tell,” he grinned, completely unaffected by her words.
She sought refuge in fury. “Don’t you grin at me, Colin Morgan. You haven’t heard the last of this.” Then, for her sanity (and for the oldies), she tore free of his arm and stalked out of the office.
Several of the oldies were still packing up but she could see the minibus was already there and some of them were getting panicked.
Colin had followed her and she was helping Marianne pack up her cigarettes, lighter and a variety of napkin wrapped food she hadn’t eaten at lunch and would consume for dinner (Tina always gave Marianne a little extra because Marianne didn’t have much and would skip dinner if she didn’t).
Sibyl took Marianne’s heavy carrier bag filled with whatever Marianne (or any of the oldies, most of them seemed to lug around bulky carrier bags) carried around with her all the time, turned around and saw Colin staring out the windows at the bus.
“Make yourself useful,” she ordered grumpily and began to hand him the carrier bag but, uncharacteristically impolitely, he didn’t take it and she lifted her eyes to his face.
Now he was staring out the window and whatever he saw made the warm, tender expression he was wearing moments ago fade to one of complete fury.
Then he turned without a word and, with long, quick, ground-eating strides, headed for the door.
She whirled to see what had made him react in such a way and saw Annie trying to alight into the bus.
Annie, blind and reaching, was not having a good time of it and all the while the minibus driver stood not two feet away, smoking a roll up and not assisting her, even though it was clear Annie was having trouble.
Sibyl, still carrying Marianne’s bag, ran after Colin. She exited the door in time to see Annie catch her foot on the step of the bus and stumble. Her heart tripping in alarm, Sibyl sucked in her breath just as Annie righted herself at the last minute.
Kyle was at the back loading a folded wheelchair so he couldn’t see what was happening.
The minibus driver flicked his butt into the grass.
“What in bloody hell is going on here?” Colin demanded while Sibyl raced up behind him. At his deep, angry voice, most jumped and everyone turned to stare. “Everyone, get off the bus,” Colin ordered and Sibyl’s mouth dropped open in shock but before she could say anything, Colin turned to the driver. “What’s your name?” he demanded in his smooth, even tone that said, in about two seconds, the driver was about to have Colin’s fist in his face.
“Who’re you?” The driver, clearly not that bright, didn’t read Colin’s tone.
“I said, what’s your goddamned name?” Colin roared.
Sibyl (and pretty much every one else) jumped again. She quickly put down Marianne’s bag and ran to help Annie away from the minibus.
“Why’d you wanna know?” the driver asked on a mini-sneer.
“I want to know,” Colin enunciated every word with perfect clarity, “because I’ll need to be certain I get the right man sacked.”
The minibus driver stared at Colin goggle-eyed and everyone gasped (including Sibyl).
“You can’t get me sacked!” the driver snapped.
“Would you like to bet?” Colin’s voice was still smooth, dangerous and had a very sharp edge. “Did you not see that woman struggling to get into the bus?” he demanded.
The minibus driver shrugged, thinking it was a good idea to throw fuel on the fire. “Not my job.”
“You’re not only incompetent, you’re negligent. You drive a bus for elderly people,” Colin informed him. “That makes it your job.”
“Have you read my job description?” this time the driver outright sneered. “I don’t think so.”
“Your job description will be changed by five o’clock tomorrow night. Unfortunately, you won’t be in the job to see it.” That said, Colin turned his back on the driver and said to Sibyl, “Get everyone out of the bus.”
Regardless of the fact that his eyes were blazing, carefully, Sibyl said, “Colin, this is their only way home. It would take Kyle and I –”
While she was talking, he pulled his mobile out of his jacket, flipped it open and punched two numbers.
Once he’d done this, he spoke into it. “Mandy, get me…” He surveyed the crowd that was now exiting the minibus, gathering around and staring at Colin with avid fascination. “Fifteen taxis to the Community Centre at Cadbury Council Estate in Weston. Right now. Have them do a docket and bill it to us.” He paused. “Yes. Right now.”