Play With Me - Brittany Cournoyer Page 0,14

by everything else about him I barely paid it any attention. But now? Now that I was feeling so overwhelmed and vulnerable, and he was acting like my knight in tattooed armor, I was noticing even more tiny touches about him.

“I see. Well, just have it towed to my shop and we can work something out. I know where you work, after all.”

I grimaced. “How much is the towing fee?”

I had made a lot of tips over the week, but all that was going toward my bills and household expenses to get back on my feet. Paying a tow truck, especially after hours, wasn’t factored into those, and I wasn’t sure how much I had to spare.

“That’s something we add on to the overall bill. So it won’t need to be paid until your car is fixed.”

“I…I…” I wasn’t sure what to say.

I started mentally calculating what I needed to do to afford the car repair. Maybe I could pick up more shifts at the bar to earn extra money in the time it’d take to get my car back. In the meantime, I could catch the bus to work and hopefully Mina could give me a ride back home.

“I can hear you thinking from here.”

I chuckled humorlessly. “Sorry, I was trying to sort some stuff out in my head. Like getting home tonight, and to and from work,” I explained, though I wasn’t sure why I was telling him anything.

“Let me call the tow service we use, then I can run you home.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”

“Yeah? Do you have someone else to pick you up?”

“Uh, no,” I said truthfully.

“So what are you planning to do? Walk? Because there isn’t a bus running right now, and from what I can see no cabs are out either.”

I snorted and glanced toward the empty street. “No one is out except us.”

The word us lingered on my tongue, sounding more suggestive than I intended. I’d never been more thankful for shitty lighting and a blown streetlamp so he couldn’t see the embarrassed flush of my cheeks.

“Precisely. Stop arguing with me and let me help you.”

I wanted to ask him why he wanted to help me, since he didn’t know me. But instead, I clamped my mouth shut and stood there while he spoke to the tow truck driver. I listened as he chatted to the person on the other line for a few minutes, and it was evident they were also friends as well as businesses that worked together.

“Hey, bud. I need you to come to Clancy’s to pick up a car.” He quieted for a few seconds as he listened to the driver on the other end. Then he let out a low chuckle.

Only then did I wish for better lighting to see if his entire face transformed as he laughed. Did his eyes crinkle at the sides as they squinted with laughter? Did they sparkle? Did his entire face turn youthful? And why did I want to know so badly?

“Yeah, yeah I know. But do I really need to remind you of the favor you owe me? Exactly. It’s at Clancy’s over on Elm. The only car out here, and I’m in the parking lot. Yeah. Tow it to Baker’s. Great. See ya.”

“Do people always do what you say?” I blurted out and winced at my rude sounding question.

But he didn’t seem offended. Instead, he took a step toward me and leaned closer. “If they want it done right, they do.”

I suddenly found myself wanting to know what it was, because I had a feeling it was more than just fixing cars. And an involuntary shiver ran down my spine at the endless possibilities.

Not sure how to respond to that, I swallowed audibly in an attempt to get rid of the lump in my throat and let the conversation die. Neither of us said anything for a few minutes, and the silence that stretched between us became awkward. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore, and I asked what had been on my mind since the second I saw him in the parking lot.

“What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you’d left.”

“I did.”

“But you came back?”

“I did,” he repeated.

“Why?”

I noticed the rise and fall of his shoulders as he shrugged. “I left my sunglasses in the bar. I was hoping someone was still inside so I could get them.”

“The sun isn’t even shining,” I pointed out.

“They’re my favorite pair.”

He sounded so defensive I had to hold back a