After ✔

30

I look out the window, then back at her. "Actually, I'm the mood for champagne."  I reply. 

When she's gone at the back, Dani nudges me in amusement. "Who thought Val the prude had it in her?"

"You did not just call me a prude." I scoff. "And I'm not that uptight."

"You make Mother Teresa look wild." He simply states

Mrs. Giovanni comes back with a tall green bottle and two champagne glasses. She pours each, and then hands the glasses to us. "I heard you go to Spain." She says to me.

"Second year of university." I beam.

"Good, good. And what about the little devil?"

It takes me a while to realize she's talking about Cayden. 

"He's doing good too."

Mrs. Giovanni pulls back her chair just as the landline started ringing. Smacking her lips together, she gets up to receive the call.

I sip at my drink slowly. While it isn't quite burning down my throat, I'm not used to the taste either. 

"Is your town always this gloomy?" Dani asks as he eyes the window warily.

"Not always."

"Sometimes?"

"Some times."

"I don't see why it's such a big tourist attraction." He shrugs.

"It's not quite like Madrid, I'll give you that, but there are a couple of good places uptown. Maybe I'll take you there."

"If the rain stops?"

"If the rain stops."

He finishes his glass in a quick gulp and sets in on the table. His eyelashes are still wet from the rain, but it's warm inside, and all I want to do is cuddle with a blanket and a good book. It's that type of weather.

"Have you thought about what you want to do for next year?" He asks.

"After this?" I say. Truth is, I hadn't. While this wasn't one of those spontaneous decisions that I could conclude in a matter of seconds, it didn't seem like one to ponder upon either.

I mean, I should think about it, but I don't want to.

Atleast not for now.

Mrs. Giovanni comes back and passes us a small smile. "I am sorry, loves. Mr. Giovanni just ordered delivery at Dean's point and asked me to pick it up." She said in exasperation like she couldn't believe the very words. "You are welcome to stay here til rain stops."

"You'll be driving now?"

"I have good vision." She says. And with that, she grabs her coat, umbrella and hat.

"Actually, we'll leave too." Says Dani. He gets up and I'm forced to follow. "Thanks, Mrs. Giovanni. It was a pleasure meeting you."

Back in the car, Dani shakes his head and droplets fall everywhere. I scoff.

"Where to next, Morgan?"

"The dog shelter." I mutter. I start up the ignition and before I know it, we're already on the road.

Rain is coming down in vertical sheets, the strong wind making it even harder to concentrate as it slams against the front window. I reach out and turn the heater to an even greater speed.

"I think we should just go back home." I tell him. "The storm's getting stronger."

"Normally, I wouldn't agree but yeah, I see your point."

"Let's turn back, then?"

He nods.

I take a U-turn off the next signal. The streets are empty, no surprise there.

Suddenly, I hit a bump. The car jerks for a minute before I hear a strange noise and the car seems to wobble.

"Woah. What was that?"

Dani purses his lips together. "A flat tire?"

I groan in frustration. This just had to happen. Right now, right here. 

I have the worst luck ever.

"Do you have a spare at the back?"

"Yeah." I mutter. I grab my phone and frantically start going through the contacts. When I finally get to Cayden and call him, a message pops up.

"No signals." Dani frowns. "The rain must have tampered with the lines."

"Now what?"

"Now, we change the tire." Dani states.

And before I can say anything that contradicts him, he unbuckles his seat belt and steps out of the car.

Absolutely appalled, I follow him out.  I notice that one of the sides of the car is almost upon the pavement.

"Are you crazy?!" I shriek. Either my voice is barely heard in the rain, or he chooses to ignore me.

He points at the left tire on the back of the car and kneels down. "Flat." He says. "Could you get the spare out of the truck and the jack?" He blinks and drops of water fall down his cheek.

Wordlessly, I make my way to the boot and open it. Mt brows tug together as I try to figure out how to open the compartment.

When I stand there doing nothing for a minute or two, Dani gets up and comes behind me. "Need help?" He asks.

"I got this."

"Really?" He crosses his arms and watches me. I manage to pull on the latch, but other than that, I'm lost.

He sighs and takes over, gently pushing me aside and retrieving the spare tire. I get the jack.

"Get in the car and start up the engine." He tells me. "Go slow."

"What, you mean drive this thing?"

"It needs to be levelled."  He says. "Or it might slip."

I walk around to the drivers seat and start the car. My hair is dripping wet down the seat and my hands are freezing. 

I edge it back onto the road and set it on emergency brake. When I get out, Dani rolls the spare with a lug wrench in his hand.

He slides the jack into place and slowly, the car begins to lift itself. He finishes by placing the flat tire in the truck.

"Done." He says, sliding back into his seat and closing the door.

He clenches his hands together then holds them in front of the heater.

"Thank you." I tell him.

"No need." He brushes it off. "Now let's get this thing home before another storm hits."