LEAH
The further I moved from Jarrod's condo, taking the elevator down to the street level where I'd parked, the more my frustration mounted.
I didn't blame him, of course. He couldn't help being called in and lives literally depended on him.
Nevertheless, I was sour about ending our night so prematurely. I knew he liked me for more than just sex, but, considering how many times we'd fucked over how many dates we'd planned, it was hard for me to feel like our relationship was more than just physical attraction and chemistry.
Not that I was complaining about our sex, though. He understood my body and how to please me even better than I did, and I was appreciative of that. I did, however, want to be liked for more than just my body.
Shuffling through the lobby, I pasted on a smile and waved at the security guard. He nodded but quickly diverted his focus back to the security cameras.
I wondered what it would be like to have someone watching over my residence like that. I never felt unsafe in my neighborhood, thankfully, but I think I liked my privacy too much.
As I slid behind the wheel of my Benz, my mood turned more sour at the warning lamp on the dashboard for low tire pressure. It should be fine enough to get me home. Shivering against the cool leather, I put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb.
I made it a few blocks before my growling stomach got the best of me. The last thing I felt like doing was cooking right now, so I swung through a fast food drive-through.
Within seconds of leaving the restaurant, a loud noise ricocheted through the cab. The steering wheel jerked in my hand and the fry I'd been about to stuff in my mouth went careening into the passenger seat floorboards.
"Damn it!" I hissed.
I hit the brakes and guided my limping car into an empty parking lot off the main road. I took a deep breath to gather my wits, stuffed another fry into my mouth, and climbed out of the car.
The biting December wind through my dress. I rubbed at my arms as I circled the Benz, finding the front right tire flat.
Groaning, I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my face up to the sky. This just had to happen at night when I'm in a dress and Jarrod is unavailable.
I kind of knew how to change a tire?
Shivering again, I hustled to the trunk and pulled up the floor where the spare tire was hidden. With one last look at my dress, I lugged the heavy ass spare out and set it on the ground. The oiled rubber immediately left black streaks down my dress.
Lovely.
"Okay," I assured myself. "Now I just need to find the lug wrench and the car jack."
The wrench was in the same compartment but there was no jack. I dug around the trunk and then the rest of my car in search of the jack until I realized my fate. I didn't have a car jack.
How the hell was I supposed to change the tire without a jack? I couldn't.
Flopping down into the driver's seat, I tried to warm up while I considered my options.
Jarrod was working. Isabelle would be useless; she probably had no idea was a car jack even was. Ryan was my safest bet.
Just to be sure, I texted Isabelle first.
LEAH: hey! random question: do you have a car jack?
Then I called Ryan. The line rang and rang before going to voicemail. I called again and again. Nothing.
That little bitch.
After attempting to call a few tow companies and auto shops, all of which were either closed or had a several-hour delay, I threw my phone into the passenger seat and dragged my hands through my hair.
I should've just taken Jarrod's offer and stayed at his place. Here I could be bundled up in his giant bed, wearing his shirt, eating takeout.
A very bad, no-good idea came to mind. I truly did not want to reach out to him, but I was out of options.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I snatched my phone back up and called Danny. He answered after the first ring.
"Hey?" he greeted in obvious surprise.
"Hey." I cleared my throat. "I'm really sorry to bother you, but I need your help."
"Oh, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got a flat tire and I don't have a car jack. I tried Isabelle and Ryan but they're not responding."
"And your boyfriend?" he said tersely.
I sighed. "He's working. Look, I wouldn't bother you if I had a choice. I'm sorry. Can you please help me?"
He was quiet and then: "Where are you?"
"I'll drop a pin."
"Okay. I'm going out to my car now."
Relief filled me. "Thank you so much."
"Yeah. I'll see you soon."
I slumped against the seat and let out a wavering breath. Then the reality that I was going to have to face him after the shit show that was the gym incident sunk in. This was totally embarrassing, but I was grateful he was available and willing to help me.
Danny's car pulled in about a half hour later. I tossed my emptied bag of food into the backseat and dusted off my dress before getting out to face him.
He followed suit, meeting me at the hood. I offered a sheepish smile while he looked over my outfit.
"You look nice," he said. "A shame you had to get dirty."
I shrugged. The dress was my last concern right now. "Thanks for coming," I said. "I'm sorry for bothering you. I'm sure there are five hundred other things you'd rather be doing."
He shrugged. Diverting his attention to the tire, he assessed the situation and returned to his car to grab the jack. I stood by as he got to work.
"You've got to be cold," he said, briefly glancing up at me.
"I'm fine." I rubbed my goosebump-covered arms and forced a smile.
"There's a jacket in my car," he said. "You should put it on."
"It's really okay."
"Always so stubborn," he huffed and stood up, striding to his car. He pulled a gray hoodie out of the backseat and thrust it at me.
If I rejected his offer again, I'd look like a bitch so I accepted the jacket and pulled it over my head. It smelled like his cologne. I fought the swell of nostalgia in my chest and thanked him.
"Can't have you getting hypothermia out here," he grumbled.
Soon the deed was done and he loaded the bad tire into my trunk. I moved to shrug off the jacket but he held out a hand to stop me.
"Keep it," he said. "I'll come get it tomorrow."
I didn't feel like arguing so I just went with it. "Okay. Thank you. I guess I owe you now?"
He shrugged again. "You can buy me a drink the next time we see each other."
"Deal."
The atmosphere turned awkward and I ducked my head, blushing.
"I'll see you tomorrow then," I said. "And thanks again."
"See you tomorrow, Leah."
Then we got into our respective vehicles and parted ways for the night. I was so going to devour the ice cream in my freezer tonight.