He hadn’t called me in a week. He hadn’t apologized. He’d just dumped me like yesterday’s trash.
I deserved better than that.
I went to bed, still trying to convince myself I could live without him.
* * * * *
The night was pure hell.
I didn’t sleep. I dozed off a couple of times, but the instant I started falling into a deeper sleep, I jerked awake.
I swear, I was sick. It had to be the flu. I was sweating. I was shaking. Hot. Cold. Hot again. I couldn’t get comfortable, and I couldn’t stay comfortable. When my alarm clock started squealing at six-thirty, I groaned, dragged my heavy, aching, shivering body out of bed, stripped, and stumbled into the bathroom. A long, almost scalding hot shower left my skin tingling. I smelled clean. But I still felt like crap. I briefly considered calling in sick but quickly decided that was a bad idea. I had just started my new job. A job I liked, so far. I didn’t want to risk losing it.
Thus, I pulled on my most comfortable work clothes, made myself a big cup of coffee and hurried out to my car. I cranked on the engine, shifted into reverse and hit the gas.
The car lurched backward about three inches then died.
A wave of horror washed through me.
“Please, start,” I chanted as I twisted the key. The engine cranked and chugged then shuddered and died. A third attempt got the same results.
I was screwed.
I dug my phone out of my purse and prayed Jill was still at home. She answered on the third ring.
“Hey!” Jill’s bouncy voice was too energetic for so early. “What’s up? You never call me in the morning.”
“My car’s dead.” My voice, in contrast, was anything but bouncy. I tried the car again. No deal.
“Dead?” Jill echoed.
“Dead.”
“Where are you?” she asked.
“At home. In my driveway, trying to resist the urge to blow up my car.” I sighed. Hard. Could this day suck any more? “This is only my second week. I need to get to work. And I’m sick, to top it all off. Where are you?”
“I’m on my way into a meeting with a client.”
“Damn.” I yanked the keys out and kicked open the door. “I guess I’ll call into work. Not the best way to start a new job.”
“Give me a minute. Let me see what I can do. I’ll call you back in five.”
“O-okay.” I kicked the car door shut.
“Bye.”
Standing outside glaring at my car, I dialed my auto club’s service number to schedule a tow truck. I listened to the automated greeting. Then I listened to some really tacky music and a sales pitch. Before I had a live customer service rep on the phone, my line rang. I checked the number. Jill. I took a chance and clicked over to see if Jill had been able to do something for me.
“I have a runner on his way,” Jill announced.
My problems were solved. For the time being. “Are you kidding? Thank you. I owe you--”
“Don’t worry about it. He’ll be there in about fifteen.”
“You are a lifesaver.”
“Just remember this the next time I do something to piss you off,” Jill said cheerfully.
“I’ll remember, no matter what.”
“Good. I’ll swing by and pick you up after work tonight and take you home. Love ya! Gotta go.”
“Love ya, too! Bye.”
I clicked over to the other line. I must have missed the service rep when I was talking to Jill. The call had been cut off. Oh well. I would have to deal with the car later. I leaned against my dead car and checked the time. The runner would be here in fifteen minutes. It would be close, but I just might make it into work on time.
The runner, a young guy who didn’t like driving the legal speed limit, was zipping up in front of my condo five minutes earlier than I expected. I didn’t have my seatbelt fastened and he was already zooming away.
“Where are we headed?” he asked as he steered out into heavy morning rush hour traffic.
I gave him the directions and he stomped on the gas, shot past a couple of slow-moving cars, cut back into the right lane and somehow managed to get his little car onto the freeway without killing us.
It was the scariest ride of my life. But I made it to work and I renewed my faith in God, thanks to all the praying I did along the way. I thanked my reckless driver, shoved a twenty into his hand, and scurried inside, hitting the elevator button with five minutes to spare.
The chime rang, the doors opened, and…once again, I was face-to-face with my boss. He didn’t get out, like I was expecting. I stepped inside the car and stood stiff, staring straight ahead as the doors rolled shut.
“I hope you’re liking your new position,” he said. His voice was low and sexy, and it still did things to my insides that I didn’t want to happen.
“Yes, thank you.”
“Good.”
My gaze lifted. The number two was illuminated.
I felt him moving closer and shifted my weight forward to try to put more space between us.
“I miss you,” he said very softly.
“Please don’t.”
“Okay.”
The rest of the ride he didn’t speak at all. It was awkward standing there, in such a close space, and not speaking to him. But I knew this wasn’t the time or place to talk about personal stuff.
As the number six lit, he leaned toward me and whispered, “I love you, Bristol.”
I practically staggered out of the elevator. I didn’t look back as I hurried down the hall. But Shane’s words echoed in my ear, over and over again. They distracted me as I tried to learn the new computer system. They plagued me as I sat in the café downstairs with Holly and tried to pretend I was interested in hearing about her plans for a trip to Vegas with her boyfriend. They haunted me as I packed up and prepared to leave for the night.
I vowed not to tell Jill what he said when her little sports car zoomed up in front of the building at five-twenty that night.
She waved me in. As I was making myself comfy, she said, “Hey, I hope you don’t mind if I just drop you off at home. I have a meeting with a client.”
“Sure. That’s fine. Thanks for helping me out.” I clicked my seatbelt.
She hit the gas, and we zoomed away. “Did you find out what’s wrong with your car yet?”
“No. I didn’t have a chance to get it towed.”
“Okay. I’ll be back to pick you up tomorrow morning.”
“Thanks. When I get home, I’ll call the auto club and get the car towed to a shop. Hopefully it’ll be fixed tomorrow.”