Her Dirty Bartenders (Men at Work #5) - Mika Lane Page 0,6
and got lost in the motion. I was stunned. That hula hoop had hung on the gym wall for as long as I’d been a member, and I’d never seen anyone use it.
She was so unselfconscious, enjoying herself, that I couldn't look away.
Until she caught me.
She stopped short, and the hoop clattered to the floor.
That was my sign to get a move on.
She might be cute, but she was a mess. And I didn’t do messes.
5
Stell
“Is this Miss Estella Kline?”
I bolted up in bed. The person on the other end of the line sounded Official. Very Official.
I smoothed the comforter over my lap and pushed my hair out of my face as if someone could see me.
“This is she,” I said.
“Miss Kline, this is Dan calling from Statehouse Insurance.”
Hmmm. Never heard of them.
“Yes?”
“Well, it looks like you got into an automobile accident with a Mr. Robbins Stryker a few days ago?”
Oh, that’s what this was about. I hoped it wouldn’t take them long to cut my check. I had a long way to travel to get to LA and time was wasting.
I loved staying at Marni’s. I really did. Her amazing condo was positively dreamy with its chef’s kitchen, sprawling living room with fireplace, and balcony off every bedroom.
It was better than the Four Seasons. Not that I’d ever stayed at the Four Seasons.
But a new life awaited me in LA, one far away from Vaughn and the wedding I’d called off, far away from my pissed and humiliated parents, and far away from my job as a kindergarten teacher that I’d never been much good at, anyway.
“Yes, Mr. Stryker did strike my car.” I giggled.
The pun went over Dan’s head.
“Miss Kline, there is a discrepancy between your story and Mr. Stryker’s about the specifics of the accident, and therefore which party is responsible. Until this is resolved, there will be no insurance payout.”
Oh no. That wouldn’t work for me. Not at all.
“Dan, I’m not sure you are aware, but I'm on my way to LA. Los Angeles. You see, I had some rough times at home in Philly—Philadelphia—and needed to head west for a change. I got as far as Denver, as you know, but I need to continue on my journey. There are big things waiting for me in LA, Dan.”
I could be persuasive when I had to.
He probably needed my bank account info to forward me the money for the repair. I grabbed my purse off my nightstand and pulled out my checkbook to read him the routing and account numbers.
“That sounds wonderful Miss Kline, but until fault is established, no payments will be made.”
He hadn’t understood me at all.
“Dan, maybe I wasn't clear, but I need my car to be repaired so I can continue to LA. And in order to get my car repaired, I need the money to pay the people fixing it. In fact, Dan, it’s in the shop right now, being fixed. You know what I mean?”
Papers shuffled in the background, and if I wasn’t mistaken, Dan sighed deeply. “I'm sorry. We have to work through the process of assigning fault. Now if you don’t have any other questions—”
I tried to control my voice, but it crept an octave or two higher anyway. “Dan, I need that money. I need the money to fix my car. Rob… Stryker, or whatever his name is, hit my car. He smashed the shit out of it, if you want to know the truth, and I don’t have the money to get it fixed. That’s why I need your insurance company to pay for the damage he inflicted.”
Was it too late to claim neck pain? Shit, why hadn’t I thought of that when Mister State Trooper was on hand?
“I'm sorry. We aren’t paying for anything until this is resolved.”
No, no, no.
“Dan. Where am I supposed to GET THE FUCKING MONEY TO PAY FOR MY CAR?”
Silence.
“We’ll be back in touch when we know more.”
And the line went dead.
Was he kidding?
Some asshole hits my car, and it’s not absolutely clear that he was the one who fucked up?
I jumped out of bed and pulled on the plushy pink robe Marni had loaned me.
“Marn,” I hollered.
Coffee bubbled in the kitchen.
“Oh my god, Marn,” I said, rushing toward her.
She stopped mid-pour. “Coffee?”
I nodded. “Marn, you won’t believe what I have to tell you—”
She raised her arms and shushed me. “Wait. Wait. Now come here. Look at what a beautiful day it is,” she exclaimed, opening the shutters on the span