If At First

Part 3 - Chapter 2

Next morning, Danni pulled up in her dad's sixteen year-old hatchback. I looked up from my spot on the porch swing, surprised. She got out of the car and sauntered up the walkway, wearing her "good butt jeans" and a short red trench coat with a cup of coffee in each hand. She reached the top step, looking up at the house as though assessing any changes, and stretched one graceful arm to hand me a cup. I could see steam rising through the tiny hole in the plastic lid and with atypical clarity, decided to wait before sipping. Clearly, Danni was putting forth her best to motivate me this morning.

"Thanks" I said taking the coffee, grateful for the warmth on my fingers. "Ummm... you do have a car." I nodded toward the hunk of metal rusting in the street.

"You're very observant." She smiled, "But I don't mind leaving this in long-term parking. I don't hate my car."

"Oh. That's actually a really good idea, Dan." My voice sounded more surprised than I meant it to, and I hoped she didn't notice. She threw me her be nice to me look, and we headed to the car. I tossed my bags in the back and we drove off in all the clatter and smoke that can only be worthy of such an artifact.

Due to the remote location of Madison, we still had to drive for a few hours before hitting a city large enough to employ an airline with recognizable names. We may have even crossed a state line somewhere.

The radio was busted, so once we covered all topics concerning the wedding, Danni smiled sideways and with a little glint in her eye, said, "I saw Janey Fells yesterday,"

"Did you? How's she doing?"

"She told me Tommy saw you outside the shop when you came home."

I touched my forehead. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. She said Tommy told her you met someone."

"Did I? I don't remember that."

"No? Nothing stood out?"

"I remember getting whacked in the face by a door."

"I'd call that one way to meet someone."

"I wouldn't. He took off almost as soon as he did it."

"Hit and run?"

"You could say that."

"I just did. D'you get his number?"

"You mean in case I needed to find someone to push me into traffic next time?"

"Or in case you two wanted to stare at each other a little longer." She prodded.

"What are you talking about?"

"Janey said that Tommy watched the whole thing and the sparks flying could have been seen from space."

"Janey seems full of information. Did she ever happen to think maybe one of us might have just been hit in the head?"

"Not at all."

"Did she maybe consider that Tommy stands around all day and likes to create excitement at any opportunity?

"Never."

"And I don't suppose you're the only one she or Tommy have mentioned this to."

"You'd be nuts to suppose any such thing."

"Sounds about right." I said, relaxing further into the seat and knowing the second I returned home I'd be drilled by the entire neighborhood.

Twenty minutes from the airport, Danni's genius bring-a-crappy-car idea backfired, and our tetanus lined chariot sputtered to its final resting place on the side of the highway. Normally, under such circumstances I would be a panicking mess, but we were fortunately not far from an exit when it happened.