her. She’s a strong, smart-ass young woman that doesn’t take any crap.”
A laugh broke through my snotty hiccups. “Yeah.”
“So keep doing what you’re doing.” He leaned slightly toward me. “Start with telling her so she has something to arm herself with.”
I closed my eyes. “Yeah.”
“Seriously.”
I nodded and mopped at my face. “I know.”
“You’re going to tell her?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
I sniffed. “At some point.”
“Wuss.”
I chuckled a little in spite of myself. Only Alex had that power. “I went out in a boat today.”
There was a pause. “Really?” His voice sounded odd. He knew my crazy fear, he’d seen my reaction before.
“Drove it, even.”
“How was it?”
“I didn’t throw up.”
He laughed and I pushed the swing softly as the thoughts zipped through my head ninety miles an hour. I closed my eyes and tried to let the quiet noise settle the buzz. After a moment, I peered sideways out one eye to find his steady gaze on me.
“Hey,” he said, his voice soft.
“Hey. Just checking if you were still here. Never know with you.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
I stepped up the appearance meter a little the next day. Just for my own vanity. I couldn’t bear any more “friends” witnessing my downfall without at least good hair and makeup to buffer it.
It would be okay. It would be a good day. I had the right outlook, I was thinking positive. No more whining and bitching and moaning. I was done with that.
Even at ten till six in the morning, it was already muggy, so I rolled down my car windows. Not that that really helped anything, just gave some circulation. I drove past the two other streets that led down to the river, both of which held a couple of houses. I always liked that the river area didn’t get too populated. I liked the remoteness. There were only a few cars in front of me this early, probably leaving for Restin. I remember being psycho enough to leave that early for work once upon a time. That was another lifetime ago.
We crept up to the stop sign, one at a time. My phone buzzed on the console next to me, buzzing itself onto the passenger floorboard.
“Crap.”
I leaned over and groped around with one hand, my fingers blindly flailing through old receipts, a pen, and evidently an old pair of sunglasses I’d lost. I looked down for a second. Just long enough for—
bam
.
Not a big bam. More of a crunch that involved stopping without the use of my brakes. Enough to make me suck air so hard I almost choked as I jolted forward. I sat there in disbelief at the view of my rattletrap kissing the bumper of the white BMW in front of me.
“Son of a bitch.”
The guy that got out of the car with aviator sunglasses had a set to his jaw that clearly mirrored my response and probably a few more.
“Shit, shit, shit,” I mumbled as I got out and attempted a smile I didn’t feel. “Hi.”
He stared at his bumper and caressed its new wound, which I noticed was very minor, thank God. Unfortunately, my
black
car made the union not so pretty, minor or not.
“Hi? That’s what you get out and say?”
I backed up a step, taken aback. “Yeah, that’s what I usually start with. You didn’t let me get to—”
“Do you even have insurance?”
Okay, officially insulted. “Yes, of course I do.” I took a breath to slow the adrenaline. “Look, I’m really sorry. I got distracted.” I checked out the damage again, caressing my dirty bumper so I could show I cared, too. “It doesn’t look bad. We’ll get it fixed.”
“Not bad for you.” He pointed at my car with a lip curl. I swear, I didn’t imagine that. “This car is two months old.”
I imagined it being born, slapped on the ass. “I understand. I’ll take care of it. I’ll call my insurance company—”
“Well, give me your information,” he said, pulling his wallet out. I noticed his hands were rough. The wallet was worn. Not like someone you’d expect to drive a
A laugh broke through my snotty hiccups. “Yeah.”
“So keep doing what you’re doing.” He leaned slightly toward me. “Start with telling her so she has something to arm herself with.”
I closed my eyes. “Yeah.”
“Seriously.”
I nodded and mopped at my face. “I know.”
“You’re going to tell her?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
I sniffed. “At some point.”
“Wuss.”
I chuckled a little in spite of myself. Only Alex had that power. “I went out in a boat today.”
There was a pause. “Really?” His voice sounded odd. He knew my crazy fear, he’d seen my reaction before.
“Drove it, even.”
“How was it?”
“I didn’t throw up.”
He laughed and I pushed the swing softly as the thoughts zipped through my head ninety miles an hour. I closed my eyes and tried to let the quiet noise settle the buzz. After a moment, I peered sideways out one eye to find his steady gaze on me.
“Hey,” he said, his voice soft.
“Hey. Just checking if you were still here. Never know with you.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
I stepped up the appearance meter a little the next day. Just for my own vanity. I couldn’t bear any more “friends” witnessing my downfall without at least good hair and makeup to buffer it.
It would be okay. It would be a good day. I had the right outlook, I was thinking positive. No more whining and bitching and moaning. I was done with that.
Even at ten till six in the morning, it was already muggy, so I rolled down my car windows. Not that that really helped anything, just gave some circulation. I drove past the two other streets that led down to the river, both of which held a couple of houses. I always liked that the river area didn’t get too populated. I liked the remoteness. There were only a few cars in front of me this early, probably leaving for Restin. I remember being psycho enough to leave that early for work once upon a time. That was another lifetime ago.
We crept up to the stop sign, one at a time. My phone buzzed on the console next to me, buzzing itself onto the passenger floorboard.
“Crap.”
I leaned over and groped around with one hand, my fingers blindly flailing through old receipts, a pen, and evidently an old pair of sunglasses I’d lost. I looked down for a second. Just long enough for—
bam
.
Not a big bam. More of a crunch that involved stopping without the use of my brakes. Enough to make me suck air so hard I almost choked as I jolted forward. I sat there in disbelief at the view of my rattletrap kissing the bumper of the white BMW in front of me.
“Son of a bitch.”
The guy that got out of the car with aviator sunglasses had a set to his jaw that clearly mirrored my response and probably a few more.
“Shit, shit, shit,” I mumbled as I got out and attempted a smile I didn’t feel. “Hi.”
He stared at his bumper and caressed its new wound, which I noticed was very minor, thank God. Unfortunately, my
black
car made the union not so pretty, minor or not.
“Hi? That’s what you get out and say?”
I backed up a step, taken aback. “Yeah, that’s what I usually start with. You didn’t let me get to—”
“Do you even have insurance?”
Okay, officially insulted. “Yes, of course I do.” I took a breath to slow the adrenaline. “Look, I’m really sorry. I got distracted.” I checked out the damage again, caressing my dirty bumper so I could show I cared, too. “It doesn’t look bad. We’ll get it fixed.”
“Not bad for you.” He pointed at my car with a lip curl. I swear, I didn’t imagine that. “This car is two months old.”
I imagined it being born, slapped on the ass. “I understand. I’ll take care of it. I’ll call my insurance company—”
“Well, give me your information,” he said, pulling his wallet out. I noticed his hands were rough. The wallet was worn. Not like someone you’d expect to drive a
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