Chapter 2
Shit! Shit! Shit! Why the hell didn’t I get the keys from her before she left? Because you were more distracted by her legs than you thought, idiot!
He changed direction and walked slowly toward the glass doors that led to the street as he searched the internet for the taxi number. No doubt the keys had been chewed to pieces by her mutt by now. Or worse, a little voice whispered. His car might no longer be parked downstairs. His hands stilled on his phone screen as the prospect of reporting his company car stolen occurred to him. He’d have to tell them he’d given her the keys.
Fuck!
He veered toward the elevator again. Maybe she’d realised and had left the keys under his tyre. She couldn’t come into the medical centre to return them so that’s what she’d most likely done. He mentally crossed his fingers as he punched the elevator button for the basement level. The doors opened on the basement level and a relieved sigh burst from his lips when he saw his black Ford parked exactly where she’d left it. At least she wasn’t a thief.
Intent on checking for a hidden key he felt around the front right tyre. No key. He moved to the driver’s side, and an abundance of red caught his eye inside the car. There, like goldilocks about to be discovered, was Kelly Foster sound asleep in the front seat. For a moment, he gazed through the window, watching as her chest rose and fell. The top of her dress was stretched tight against her breasts, her hands tucked snugly under her legs. Her hair cascaded over her arms and his fingers suddenly itched to run themselves through it. Slapping that idea away, he licked his lips and considered the best way to wake her. If he knocked on the window she might get a fright; if he opened the door without any warning she definitely would. Whatever he decided to do, it needed to be soon. If she woke up and found him drooling over her that would be much worse. And where was that damn dog, anyway?
He glanced into the back seat and gasped as he saw what the mutt had been up to while he’d been unsupervised in the car. All thoughts of waking Kelly gently, and maybe even asking her to dinner as a thank you, evaporated as he banged his hand hard on the window.
As expected, Kelly woke with a squeal. “What are you doing?” she gasped as she opened the door. “I was just waiting because I had the keys. You don’t have to lose your shit over it!”
“Lose my shit? Lose my shit?” he bellowed. “Have you seen the back seat of my car?” His hand shot forward as a small black body jumped onto Kelly’s lap and then tried to jump out of the door. “Oh, no you don’t,” he said, as he grabbed the dog and thrust him into Kelly’s arms. “You need to be bloody put down!” Kelly slid out of the car as she clutched her pet. Nate pulled the back door open and waved his arm as he kept yelling. “Look at the damn seat. He’s eaten the seat. Chewed it to shit. Why the hell weren’t you watching him?”
“I was! He was settled and sleeping and I just closed my eyes for a second.”
“Well, it was a second too long!” he kept shouting. Couldn’t seem to stop. The dog cowered against her and she watched him wide-eyed as he inspected the damage. He closed his eyes for a second as he tried to get himself under control.
It’s just a car. The company will claim it on insurance. You’re scaring her with your screaming. Her dog ate my fucking car!
“I’m so sorry. This is totally my fault and I’ll pay for any repairs.” She stood behind him and danced from foot to foot. Nate straightened and ran his hand over his face. His head was bowed and he kept his eyes closed; every time he opened them and saw the damage he wanted to shout all over again. “Say something, please.”
The dog let out a yelp and Nate finally turned around. “It’s okay. It’s just a car. Just a car. It’ll be okay.”
“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”
She watched him from a safe distance and he let out a short laugh. “Myself mostly. It’s a company car so I guess it’s even more okay.” He frowned as his eyes raked over the damage again.
“I hear company cars run on barely any fuel,” she said in a quiet voice, “and hardly ever need their oil checked.”
He turned wide eyes on her and let out a brittle laugh when he saw that she was making a joke. She smiled and he noted that she seemed shorter than when he’d seen her earlier. His eyes dropped and took in her bare feet. “Where are your shoes?”
“In the car. I slipped them off so I didn’t damage the heels while I waited.”
Something about the way she said she’d slipped an item of her clothing off in his car made his mouth go dry. He thought back to how she’d looked asleep in the front seat and his previous plan to ask her to dinner surfaced again.
No. Time to get her home.
He held out his hand, “I’ll be driving this time.”
“Oh, what did the doctor say? Are you okay to drive?”
“Definitely. I have to get some antibiotics to stop any infection but he doesn’t think there’s any serious damage.”
“I’m so glad!”
“Me too.” He grimaced and wiggled the fingers on his still-outstretched hand. “The keys. Then you can tell me where you live and I’ll drop you home.”
“We’re fine. I’ll just jump on the tram. I couldn’t leave until you had the keys, that’s all.” She put the dog on the driver’s seat and he quickly bounced into the back to inspect the damage he’d caused. Nate averted his eyes while she bent down to retrieve her shoes from under the accelerator pedal. She straightened and then hopped on one foot to put her shoes back on.
“I insist. The pharmacy is open late so I’m in no hurry to fill my script. Come on,” he indicated the other side of the car, “don’t make me kidnap you. I don’t want to risk another bite.”
She smiled and inclined her head. “Okay. Let me catch the beast.” A few moments later he was secured in her bag and she slid into the passenger seat as Nate started the car. She tapped her address into her phone and propped it into the centre console so he could follow the instructions. In ten minutes, he’d have her home.
They pulled out of the carpark and Nate asked, “So, I’ve dubbed him Cujo, but what’s his real name?”
Kelly giggled and he glanced at her as she said, “You won’t believe it. His name is Fang.”
“No way. Really?”
“Yes, and that’s normally funny. Not so much today.” She looked out the window as they followed a tram along the busy road. “How much do you think that damage will cost to fix?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve never replaced a seat. I’ve only ever dealt with damage on the outside. Even then, I’ve only had the odd scrape in the supermarket carpark.”
“I bet it’s expensive. You can send me the bill once you know.”
“I think insurance will more than likely cover it. Maybe there’ll be an excess to pay but that’s probably about it.”
“Okay, well make sure you let me know as soon as you find out.”
“I will. Do I turn here?” Nate indicated a laneway on the left.
“That’s the one. You go all the way to the end and I’m the last house on the left.”
“I’ve never been down here. The houses look bigger than I would have expected.”
“Yes, it’s a bit of a hidden paradise. Decent sized houses not too far from the city. I bought here about ten years ago.” He frowned and she laughed. “What?”
“Ten years ago? Did you buy when you were fifteen or something?”
She laughed again. “Hardly. I’m nearly thirty.”
“Really?” His tone said he wasn’t convinced. “That’s still pretty amazing. You bought a house when you were twenty.”
Her shoulders raised in a shrug and she looked out the window. “Nineteen actually. What can I say? I’ve always been good with money. I saved from my first job and I have low expenses.” She looked over at him. “That’s why no car. It’s an unnecessary expense.”
“Well, you’ve done well. Not many teenagers these days can manage to buy a house so early and so close to the city.” He glanced at her profile as he drove slowly down the lane. “Trust me. I know this from work.”
“You’re right, I guess. None of my friends own a house. They’ve all travelled, though. Or they have expensive university degrees. The only travelling I’ve done is for photo shoots and I never went to university.”
“I’m the same. Early home purchase and not much fun since.” He pulled up outside the house she’d indicated and pulled the handbrake on. “I’d love to travel one day.”
“So, go. That’s what annual leave is for when you have a full-time job.”
“I usually renovate when I take holidays.”
She smiled as she undid her seatbelt and held tightly to Fang and her handbag. “We’re a fine pair. I don’t have holidays since I’m not a full-time employee anywhere. When I have time off I never want to spend the money to travel, in case it’s a long time between contracts.”
“I thought models made bank.”
“Well, truly we do, but I pour everything into the house.”
“Planning for your old age?”
“Yep. You?”
“Same.” He grinned as she opened the door wider and stepped out. “At least we won’t be homeless.”
“True. Have a good weekend. I’ll stick my head in on Monday to see how you’re doing and find out about the seat.” The door banged closed and she waved before disappearing through a side gate.
I’ll be there on Monday. Leaving a message for her now would just be rude.