How Much I Feel - Marie Force Page 0,21

officer escorts us to the main door and sees us out.

We head in the direction of the impound lot.

“I’m having déjà vu.”

Carmen laughs. “I know. Me too. I really am sorry about all of this. I should’ve just called an Uber for Betty.”

“What fun would that’ve been?”

“Ah, well, I wouldn’t have done two stints in the slammer today.”

“You’ll be dining out on this story for the rest of your life.”

“No, I won’t! I don’t want anyone to know I was in jail. My God, my parents and grandmothers would die if they knew.”

“It was all a misunderstanding—both times. If you tell them that—”

“It’s jail, Jason. I can’t tell them.”

Something about her prim-and-proper tone turns me on like crazy, even as I tell myself to knock it off. I love that she’s such a good girl, that she’s never been in any kind of trouble before today.

We arrive at the impound lot, where the grumpy owner is waiting for us. “I think you should waive the fee since you forgot to give me back the registration the first time.”

“Is that what you think, pretty boy?” He’s a scary-looking dude with huge muscles and a tattoo on his face.

I meet his gaze and refuse to blink. “That’s what I think.”

“You should’ve asked for your registration when you picked it up before.”

“Why would I assume you’d take the registration out of the car when you impounded it?”

“Look, it’s one o’clock in the morning. I want to go home. I can either give you your car or keep it. Up to you.”

I can’t take the chance that this is going to get ugly or physical. I’d never risk damaging my hands for six hundred bucks, and I won’t put Carmen in the middle of something like that, either. I hand him my American Express card. Again.

He takes it, runs it and hands me the receipt to sign.

“Be right back.”

“It’s total bullshit,” Carmen says when we’re alone.

“Not worth fighting over. That’s for sure.”

“Now I owe you twelve hundred bucks.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do.”

We continue to bicker back and forth about the money until the Porsche comes to a skidding halt outside the office.

Grumpy is grinning from ear to ear. “This thing is sweet.”

I ignore him and get in the driver’s side while Carmen jumps into the passenger seat. I hit the gas and spew gravel at him as we leave the yard. I hope some of it hits him.

“Seriously, I will pay you back.”

“You’re helping to repair my image. That’s more than enough repayment.”

I pull up to her apartment building at just after one thirty.

“I’m going to be a wreck tomorrow,” Carmen says, yawning.

“I’ll walk you up.”

“You don’t have to. It’s late. Go get some sleep.”

She fumbles with the door handle, so I reach across her to help. The press of my arm against her abdomen sets off another one of those fireworks shows that’ve been happening inside me since the first time I saw her. Was that really only twenty or so hours ago?

“I’ve got it.”

I retreat from her, but I wish I didn’t have to. That’s not a thought that someone sitting in my boat ought to be having about any woman. “Check in with me tomorrow?” Part of me is afraid I’ll never hear from her again after this disastrous day. Just when I think things can’t get worse, I cause an innocent young woman to end up in jail twice in one day.

“I will. I’ve got a few ideas we can get going on.”

“I’m ready when you are. I have an appointment with a Realtor to look at condos. I should probably keep that in case I get to stay.”

“I can help with that, too.”

“Perfect.”

“It’s the least I can do after costing you more than a thousand dollars in one day.”

“Not your fault. Go to bed, Carmen. Have sweet dreams about something other than jail.”

“Too soon, Jason. Far too soon.”

She leaves me laughing as she gets out of the car and walks inside. I wait to make sure she’s safely in before I take off, heading for the hotel the hospital put me up in.

Before bed, I make the mistake of checking my email and find a message from Mr. Augustino asking me to refrain from stepping foot onto the hospital campus until the board has time to review my situation.

Awesome.

I want to throw the phone across the room. I’d do it except for the hassle it would be to replace it. I’ve got enough hassles in my life right now.

I