to his tune, was he? He made things happen. And he always managed to outmaneuver people.
“Fix it,” I insisted.
He frowned. “Do I look like a mechanic to you?”
“Undo whatever you did.”
“If you want me to call someone to come take a look at it, I will. I can’t promise they’ll get here any time soon, though.” He glanced at his wristwatch. “I doubt you want to hang around here and wait for a mechanic to arrive or you’ll be very late meeting up with your friends.”
Yes, I would be. Which was exactly why he’d pulled this crap today. He’d known I wouldn’t miss out on this trip to the mall; he’d known I’d promised both Ashley and Hanna that I’d meet them there.
He took a sip of his drink, looking infuriatingly casual. “Do you want me to drive you to the mall?”
“No, I don’t.” What I wanted was to slap him across the face. Hard.
He pursed his lips, thoughtful. “I suppose you could ask Ashley to come pick you up. Of course, she’s probably halfway to the mall by now, but she’d turn back for you if you asked. I’m sure Hanna wouldn’t mind waiting at the mall by herself for the two of you to arrive.”
He knew I wouldn’t put Ashley out like that, just as he knew I wouldn’t want Hanna to be standing outside the entrance of the mall for God-knew-how-long.
I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel. “You think you’re clever, don’t you?”
His eyes danced. “I have been called that once or twice.”
Arrogant prick. “I could just call a taxi.”
“You could,” he easily agreed. “It’s rare that any happen to be driving around these parts, but you might get lucky. If not, you won’t have to wait too long for a taxi to arrive. On average, they usually take something between twenty and thirty minutes to get here.”
If I hung around that long, both Ashley and Hanna would be standing around waiting for me to arrive. Which meant I either needed to accept a ride from Dane, who I’d much rather sucker punch right now, or choose the lesser evil.
I sharply swung open the door, disappointed that he smoothly backed up and evaded it. I slid out of the vehicle and put my hands on my hips. “You really are an asshole, you know.”
Taking another sip of his coffee, he held up the car key to the Audi that was parked further along the garage.
I snatched the key out of his hand with a snarl.
He gave a satisfied nod. “Good girl.”
“Fuck off. And fix my car while I’m gone.”
Ashley pulled me into a hug. “I still haven’t gotten used to not seeing you every day.”
I hugged her back. “Can I take it that you’ve forgiven Tucker?”
She drew back. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Fair enough.” I turned and greeted Hanna, who hugged me just as tightly, even though I last saw her only two days ago.
“I noticed you drove here in an Audi,” said Hanna. “I’m guessing that means Dane wore you down.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I mumbled.
She did her best to stifle a smile. “All right.”
Ashley fluffed the back of her hair. “Well, girls, let’s get moving. I have a dress to buy for the reception.”
“So do I,” said Hanna.
The cool air conditioning hit us as we walked through the automatic doors. The mall was huge. It honestly seemed to go on forever with its many stores, kiosks, and eateries, so there was no shortage of places for us to shop.
Hanna gently nudged me with her elbow. “Is married life still treating you well?”
I smiled. “It is, thanks.”
“I’m happy for you,” said Ashley. “But I also wish you’d move back into your old apartment. The man who lives there now is a miserable old fart who’s always banging on the wall, complaining that me and Tucker are too loud.”
I suspected the man was just annoyed by how often his neighbors argued, but I kept that to myself.
“We should have our upcoming girls’ night at my place and be extra loud just to make him cry,” Ashley added.
Hanna frowned. “Nu-uh, we agreed we’d have it at my place.”
“It would make more sense to have it at mine,” I cut in. “There’s a media room, a small bar, no neighbors who’ll complain. Plus, I have guestrooms. You’d be able to stay over instead of getting a taxi home late at night.”
Hanna gave me a pained look. “I’m sorry, Vienna, I just can’t. It’s