The inside of Joost's car was the opposite of his apartment. Everything was spotless, like it had come straight from the Suburu dealership. The centre console was sleak and modern and the black seats were comfortable. Underneath Elke's sneakers, the floor mats were even clean, unlike hers that had sand and dirt engraved in its corners.

When Elke glanced to the backseats, she couldn't see anything that was out of place. She supposed with Joost being a 'mechanic', or so he claimed, he had time and the interest to keep his own car in good shape.

Elke didn't have the confidence to adjust her seat. She sat low where the backrest met the bottom cushion and didn't want to mess with the adjustments underneath. In fact, she didn't want to move at all. While Joost focused on the road, his tattooed hands on the wheel and the hood of his raincoat sitting far back on his head, Elke hoped that he would forget that she was ever there.

Her suggestion to go for a drive had been out of desperation. If she went back up to bed, Elke was sure she would lie awake thinking about the backpack in her car. To get at least some sleep, she was going to have to reach exhaustion. There was no use laying awake in one place riddled with the terrible thoughts of what Roan had left in her apartment.

Joost's appearance had been well-timed. His apology had been genuine and Elke appreciated it. Her quick forgiveness most likely stemmed from the relief of having someone to take her mind off of what troubled her. When he offered to compensate for their previous arrangement, Elke leapt at the idea and put the passenger's seatbelt on in a hurry. She hoped that Joost didn't notice.

With her hands in her lap, Elke's eyes strained in their corners. This was crazy. Her and Joost were driving to no where at midnight, not a word being said between them. Some music played on the radio but it did little to fill the space. Streetlights and houses passed, none of which she recognised, and it dawned on Elke that Joost could be taking her anywhere. She had willingly got into his car, late at night, barely knowing a thing about the man who lived at 406.

'Where are we going?' she asked. Joost glanced away from the windshield, surprised to hear Elke's voice after so long of silence. He thought she had dozed off.

'I didn't really know where you wanted to go, so...' Joost sheepishly looked between her and the road. 'I just headed towards Leeuwarden. It's where I grew up.'

'Leeuwarden? That's in Friesland, right?'

Joost hummed as he nodded. Elke had been to the part of the country only a handful of times. She had always lived around Amsterdam but she could appreciate what the north province had to offer.

'How long have you lived in the city?' she decided to ask.

'A few years. I've been at our building for eight months and I like it there. It's central.'

Elke went to ask more about Joost's time in the city when she felt the car pull to a stop. She peered over the dashboard from her low position and pinched her eyebrows together. Joost was already turning off the ignition and stepping out. It made Elke do the same and it gave her a better view of the quiet street.

The clicks of a lighter interupted the still air and windless breeze. The canal streamed through the province with silent laps up the bricked walls. The rows of buildings sat in the shadows of the iron lampposts and under the moon's half-formed light. There were other cars parked alongside the canal, Joost's silver bonnet being one of the few that were an inch away from the chain barrier.

Joost leaned against his left headlight while taking a drag. As he twisted his cigarettes back into his jacket's pocket, he looked over his shoulder to where Elke stood.

'Come sit,' he said, tapping the silver space next to him with one finger. The metal dink from the action sounded and Elke took slow steps. She was cautious as she lowered onto the bonnet, painfully aware of how close Joost's arm was to hers.

'What's been going on?'

'Hm?'

Elke's inquisitve noise made Joost look away from the canal. His elbow was propped up on his arm that sat across his abdomen. His slender fingers held his cigarette away from the girl next to him, but Elke liked to see him exhale the smoke.

'Why were you going for a drive at this time of night?' Joost said after pursing his lips, making Elke stare. 'Is it the breakup?'

The mention made her anxiety flare and Elke played it off with a scoff. It worked because Joost's eyebrows rose and the corner of his lips hitched upwards.

'No,' Elke looked down in the canal. 'I've been feeling good about it, actually. I don't miss him at all. He asked to have lunch with me the other day.'

'Out of the blue?'

Joost's jaw clenched at seeing Elke nod.

'I was on my lunch break and he pulled up all jittery and frantic. I'll be honest, it scared me a little.'

Joost shifted in his lean against his car. He tried to make it look like he was getting comfortable but it was to send the irritation to somewhere else in his body. If he let his urges run wild, Joost would be on the phone to Apson and Stuntje, telling them to find out all they knew about Roan and his recent association with Nathan. They would say they were already looking into it and Joost would seethe that they weren't working hard enough.

Instead, Joost let the nicotine do its thing and took an extra long drag.

'This is nice. I should get out of suburbia more,' Elke said thoughtfully. She looked around the canal, knowing it would be a beautiful place during the day. It did well to distract her from the mess that was back home, or was it the proximity of the man beside her and the way he blew out smoke out the corner of his mouth that drew her attention? Whatever it was, Elke was glad she had been bold tonight.

When Joost said nothing, she turned to catch his stare. With his coat hood sliding back, Joost peered through the thick-rimmed glasses he wore over his light eyes. Elke felt a heat build in her neck as his blonde lashes moved down from her face. When they came back up, a redness appeared on Joost's pale, shaven cheeks.

'I'll take you to some places I know next time. We can do a lunch or dinner, too,' he said as he looked out to the canal.

'A second date already?'

'I wanted to take you somewhere nice for this one. I'll just have to make the next extra special.'

Extra special. The words made Elke's heart race and a smile stretch at her lips. It had been a long time since Roan had put effort into taking her somewhere nice. It made the difference between him and Joost all the more apparent and Elke remembered the effect Joost had prior to this moment.

She thought that by being stood up, Elke liked the idea of being single for a while. Not seeing Joost had helped that, but now, with his arm leaning behind him, closer than it had been before, Elke thought differently.

'Does your brother and sister still live around here?' Elke asked. Her breath hitched in her throat when she felt a hand against the small of her back. She didn't dare move as it slid around to her side before pulling her gently.

'Is this okay?' Joost made sure, Elke's shoulder now tucked underneath his arm. She didn't trust her words so she nodded, her stomach bubbling giddily.

'My sister, Nanda, still lives here but Hugo lives in Utrecht.'

'And your parents?'

Joost's hand on Elke's side loosened in its gentle yet firm grip. She didn't want it to leave but his silence worried Elke more. The sharpness of Joost's jaw spoke volumes and her heart sunk at the thought of unearthing something in her arrogance.

'I'm sorry-'

'No, no, don't apologise,' Joost turned to her, doing his best to appear unbothered. 'Don't apologise for things that you didn't know about.

My parents passed away when I was twelve.'

'Oh... I'm sorry-' Elke stopped herself and a wave of amusement ghosted Joost's face. 'That's unfortunate.'

'It is, but...' he threw his cigarette onto the pavement and stepped on it with the tip of his shoe. 'It's been a long time. I've grown up with it and I've learnt to live with it.'

Elke couldn't relate to Joost's tragedy. Her parents divorced when she was in highschool and she saw them both regularly. Her mother was more communicative, wanting to see Elke once a week at the very least. Her father was laid back but never missed a dinner or outing with his daughter. If Elke had car troubles or needed a TV mounted, he would be around with his toolbox. Elke had a good relationship with her parents and they were always present, even if they couldn't stand to be around each other.

Not knowing how to let Joost know she was there for him, Elke took a bold leap. She wrapped both of her arms around his middle and laid her temple against his shoulder. The crinkle of his coat was loud in her ear but Elke took comfort in the smell of faint colonge and the lingering cigarette smoke. She hoped the mood wasn't dampened by the difficult conversation, but in a moment of selfishness, Elke exhaled at the feeling of being against Joost's side.

Joost's hesitation was short-lived. He was surprised to feel the petite arms around his middle. When he turned to look down, the crown of Elke's head was all he could see and her fruity shampoo was all he could smell. His lifted his arm that was around her back to be around her shoulders and twisted his body to face Elke. He used his other arm to pull her closer and Joost felt something he hadn't felt in a long time.

Comfort and warmth. He hugged people on the regular. His friends weren't shy of showing physical affection, even Alanis hugged him on some occassions. Joost hugged women and men alike as part of his easy-going and affectionate nature. But no one felt so small, so mellow and so much like home like Elke did in his arms.

'I could get used to this,' Joost muttered, his head lulling to the side to lean against Elke's.

'Me, too.'

Unknowingly, Elke clutched at Joost's middle. She knew that the night wouldn't go on forever and her anxiety would return when they drove home. Joost's chest made her want to melt and tell him why she really was at her car so late. Maybe he could help. Just like when her ceiling fan fell, maybe Joost could be the saviour. If Stuntje was good with electrics, then maybe Joost knew someone who was good with getting rid of bags of money.

'We should go home. You've got work tomorrow, right?' Joost said.

'I'm going to call in sick. I want to sleep,' she mumbled against his shoulder. It was true, her absent sleep was going to make work a dreadful chore in the morning. But Elke also wanted to figure out what to do with the money.

'Okay... we can stay here for a little while, then.'

They pulled out of their embrace but stayed close for another hour. Joost's arm stayed around her shoulders and one of hers stayed around the middle of his back. They talked, Elke pinched Joost's side at one point, making him jerk away from her and claim he had lost all trust in her. But it didn't last long as Joost was back on the bonnet with his arm around Elke's shoulders only a minute later.

The drive home was shorter than Elke would have liked. Joost concentrated on driving and Elke tried to go on her phone. When Joost checked on her in the passenger's seat, she looked up and gave him a smile, happy at seeing his blue eyes. He never failed to smile back and told her to wait before she opened her door when they arrived.

Joost held open Elke's door, something that Roan had never done even on their first date. She stepped out and heard him shut it behind her before he was back at her side again.

When they got to the 4th floor, Elke prolonged getting her keys from her pocket. They stepped out of the lift and Joost's gaze flickered down to her lips. He used some of his renound restraint and told himself that their next date would be the time. Elke was disappointed but said nothing, watching him walk to his door as she did the same.

'Enjoy your day off,' Joost said while unlocking his door. 'Some of us aren't as lucky.'

'I'm sorry I'm not a manual labourer,' Elke replied.

'What did I say about apologising?'

Elke scoffed a laugh and regrettably entered her apartment, Joost waiting for her door to shut before he did the same.