of laughter. It sounded disturbing and inappropriate in the recent patch of silence.
She glanced his way and nervously picked at the leather bracelet on her wrist. “What?”
He coasted to a stop. “Sorry. Nothing. Here’s the thing. Disabled parking is full and the spaces along this main drag are tight and look like a bunch of two-year-olds were out here trying to parallel park. And I don’t think they’re supposed to be parallel parked. I think those are angled spaces, but that’s beside the point.”
“So the point is...”
“The point is, I need a little room to get in and out and I prefer to park near a fixed object like a tree or something so no one can get too close and pin me in.”
“Why didn’t you say so?” Her hair danced about her shoulders as she looked up and down the street and all around. “Pull up there at the entrance. I’ll get out and ask them where you’re supposed to park. They can find us a spot. Clearly this is poor planning and they need to accommodate you so you’re close enough to feel comfortable.”
“I appreciate that but you can simmer down and refrain from going all Erin Brockovich on the guy at the gate. No need to start a riot. It’s not the distance that bothers me. I don’t care how far I have to roll. I do like to know where all the loose gravel and high curbs are, but mainly I didn’t want you to have to walk so far.”
“In that case, I don’t care either. Drive a couple streets away and park wherever. I don’t mind walking. And if you see a curb that frightens you, we’ll walk and roll to where everything ends at the edge of town so you can get around it.”
“Curbs don’t frighten me, Gia. I can get anywhere I want to go.”
“Simmer down,” she mimicked back at him. “I’m kidding. I’m the one who saw you get down and back up that hill at camp, remember? I know you can do whatever you want.”
He urged the car forward. You’re messing with me, right God? She’s not real. Is that it?
Her squeal could have burst his eardrum. “Go left! Those people are leaving.”
“How do you know?”
“Go before someone else does.”
“All right, I’m going.” He made the turn and slowed. “I feel like a stalker.”
“If you had let me out to do battle with the people at the gate, we’d be parked and inside by now.”
“Maybe but—”
“See?” She gave him an excited thump on the shoulder. “That’s their car. They’re tired and the kids have had enough. That space is ours.”
“If I’d known looking for parking spaces kept you so entertained, I could have saved the admission to this festival and taken you to the mall parking lot with a bag of chips and two-liter bottle of soda.”
“Hey,” she shot back. “I might be a cheap and easy date, but I’m not that cheap and easy.”
She gasped and turned a painful-looking shade of red.
He laughed because he couldn’t help himself.
“Don’t worry,” he said and maneuvered the car into the spot. “I already know there’s nothing easy about you.”
“Uh...” She fanned her face and then struggled with the aging seatbelt. “Can I help you get your chair out?”
“No, thanks. Hop out and stand back, though, so you don’t get hit in the head. I’m still working out the best exit strategy. I got lazy with that passenger seat gone.”
She glanced around while still fighting with the latch. “That’s what’s different. I knew this seat wasn’t in here that day at camp. What’s that about?”
“Long, stupid story. Do you need help with that?”
“I’ve about got it.”
“It’s probably rusty or something.”
It came loose. Which was good. Until she gasped again and snapped her hand back and shook it in the air.
“It pinched me.”
He laughed again because, well, yes, he was just that big a moron. “I’m so sorry, Gia. I really am.”
“Then why are you laughing?”
“Nerves. There’s no excuse. We’ll get some ice.”
“I don’t need ice. It
She glanced his way and nervously picked at the leather bracelet on her wrist. “What?”
He coasted to a stop. “Sorry. Nothing. Here’s the thing. Disabled parking is full and the spaces along this main drag are tight and look like a bunch of two-year-olds were out here trying to parallel park. And I don’t think they’re supposed to be parallel parked. I think those are angled spaces, but that’s beside the point.”
“So the point is...”
“The point is, I need a little room to get in and out and I prefer to park near a fixed object like a tree or something so no one can get too close and pin me in.”
“Why didn’t you say so?” Her hair danced about her shoulders as she looked up and down the street and all around. “Pull up there at the entrance. I’ll get out and ask them where you’re supposed to park. They can find us a spot. Clearly this is poor planning and they need to accommodate you so you’re close enough to feel comfortable.”
“I appreciate that but you can simmer down and refrain from going all Erin Brockovich on the guy at the gate. No need to start a riot. It’s not the distance that bothers me. I don’t care how far I have to roll. I do like to know where all the loose gravel and high curbs are, but mainly I didn’t want you to have to walk so far.”
“In that case, I don’t care either. Drive a couple streets away and park wherever. I don’t mind walking. And if you see a curb that frightens you, we’ll walk and roll to where everything ends at the edge of town so you can get around it.”
“Curbs don’t frighten me, Gia. I can get anywhere I want to go.”
“Simmer down,” she mimicked back at him. “I’m kidding. I’m the one who saw you get down and back up that hill at camp, remember? I know you can do whatever you want.”
He urged the car forward. You’re messing with me, right God? She’s not real. Is that it?
Her squeal could have burst his eardrum. “Go left! Those people are leaving.”
“How do you know?”
“Go before someone else does.”
“All right, I’m going.” He made the turn and slowed. “I feel like a stalker.”
“If you had let me out to do battle with the people at the gate, we’d be parked and inside by now.”
“Maybe but—”
“See?” She gave him an excited thump on the shoulder. “That’s their car. They’re tired and the kids have had enough. That space is ours.”
“If I’d known looking for parking spaces kept you so entertained, I could have saved the admission to this festival and taken you to the mall parking lot with a bag of chips and two-liter bottle of soda.”
“Hey,” she shot back. “I might be a cheap and easy date, but I’m not that cheap and easy.”
She gasped and turned a painful-looking shade of red.
He laughed because he couldn’t help himself.
“Don’t worry,” he said and maneuvered the car into the spot. “I already know there’s nothing easy about you.”
“Uh...” She fanned her face and then struggled with the aging seatbelt. “Can I help you get your chair out?”
“No, thanks. Hop out and stand back, though, so you don’t get hit in the head. I’m still working out the best exit strategy. I got lazy with that passenger seat gone.”
She glanced around while still fighting with the latch. “That’s what’s different. I knew this seat wasn’t in here that day at camp. What’s that about?”
“Long, stupid story. Do you need help with that?”
“I’ve about got it.”
“It’s probably rusty or something.”
It came loose. Which was good. Until she gasped again and snapped her hand back and shook it in the air.
“It pinched me.”
He laughed again because, well, yes, he was just that big a moron. “I’m so sorry, Gia. I really am.”
“Then why are you laughing?”
“Nerves. There’s no excuse. We’ll get some ice.”
“I don’t need ice. It
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