Alex had the gall to say, "If you insist we can forego the Knight Bus, however...you DO get used to it. Eventually you can fall asleep to the crazy lurches and sways as you avoid a fiery gruesome death by mere inches, I promise." He actually looked tempted to laugh at the notion. That irritated me slightly.
"Yeah, ha ha, very funny," I muttered under my breath, stepping to the curb to look for a taxicab. There was one just turning a corner and heading our direction. Lucky, that. I hailed it, making sure the driver noticed me. I got in last, making Alex have to slide to the far side on the left, behind the empty front passenger seat, while I was stuck behind the slightly tired-looking driver.
"Where are you headed?" the gruff voice said, looking at Alex over his left shoulder. The jerk clearly assumed that he was making the decisions.
I cleared my throat. "WE are headed to Cardinal Place on Victoria Street, near the station," I said, returning the cabby's hard stare when I spoke. He didn't say anything to me for a moment.
"Sure. It'll be £17," he said. "Payment up front."
Briefly taken aback, I knew it wasn't that much but was in no mood for this driver's attitude. I reached in my very ordinary looking Muggle purse (obviously, it was extended as well) and pulled out a wallet. I counted out £17 precisely, slowly and deliberately setting the money on the left passenger seat in front instead of in his hand. Only after glaring at me some more did he pick up the money and count it before beginning to drive.
I looked over at Alex and gave him a half-smile. "Sexist jerk," I muttered quietly, motioning my head toward the front seat. "Anyway, the place we're going is largely made out of glass, lots of windows. Lots of ways for people to witness me 'accidentally' bumping into them, if you -" I cut myself off. I had just been about to say 'if you know what I mean," but I noticed something on Alex's right arm.
"What's this?" I asked, gesturing to it. Tentatively, I reached over and pushed up his sleeve to take a look at it. It was a tattoo, very artfully rendered on his arm of a phoenix.
"Oh wow, this is beautiful. What's the symbolism?" I said, catching his eye, my fingers still on his arm. The tenuous link made my fingers burn, in a way.
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