As the driver tuned down his radio volume, Farther ahead, a man wearing a white shirt stepped off the pavement and walked several meters along the line of vehicles, apparently searching for a way through the congestion.
Despite the increasing frustration among the motorists, nothing about the scene appeared particularly alarming. It looked like an ordinary traffic jam, the kind that could turn a short journey into an unnecessarily long one.
Sarah shifted slightly in her seat and adjusted the shopping bag so that it rested securely against her handbag. Her thoughts soon returned to Stan, and she began wondering whether she should send him a message to let him know she was on her way.
He might be busy with something, and she didn't want to arrive unexpectedly if he had other plans. Besides, giving him a little warning might allow her to arrange the surprise more conveniently without revealing what she had bought.
