XCIV

"WHY DOES YOUR CAR SMELL WEIRD?"

Samuel flinches but was able to regain composure immediately. He flashes the girl a smile. "Maybe the new air freshener that I bought earlier?"

He even points at the air freshener on the dashboard that was probably already empty. The girl nods in understanding. "It's just not the smell that I'm often exposed to,"

Of course, since the smell that you're exposed to right now is the smell of sex.

"Should I buy a different one?" He asks instead, hiding his amusement at how the girl repeatedly wrinkled her nose in displeasure.

The girl shakes her head. "Nah. It's not like I'll be riding with you often, anyway,"

He smirks at her. "Are you sure about that?"

"More than sure," Sophie insists. "If it wasn't for the guard then I would've just taken the bus home,"

"Is that so,"

The girl nods as a response. "Uh-huh."