by Jolie Day
“How in the world could anyone not see my car there, I mean I pulled out easily enough, I have a dark red car it’s not hard to spot or anything. What were you thinking?” She stopped as the figure came into focus and she stared up into the bluest eyes she had ever seen.
It was a rare thing for her to be speechless. Her years in the speech and debate club had taught her to stake a claim, and go for it. She even surprised herself at her momentary loss for words. She gave him a once over and took in the rest of him. Cargo shorts and an 80’s T-shirt for some hair band and he sported two sleeves of ink. He was probably some delinquent and she would be shocked if he even had insurance.
“If you’re finished checking me out I’d like to defend myself Mrs.…?”
“It’s Miss, actually and don’t flatter yourself, I wasn’t checking you out, thank you very much,” her face was on fire now having been caught.
He shrugged his shoulders at her. “Ok darling, whatever you say. I came off the ramp and you cut me off, simple as that,” he crossed his arms and she saw red.
“There is no way in hell you’re going to blame me for this.” She clenched her hands and continued to point out where the car had hit her. She paused for effect, but he seemed to be carrying a half smile the entire time she was talking to him.
“I don’t have time for people like you…oh my God, the time.” She scurried into her car and noticed that she now had 20 minutes to make the 25-minute ride to get to her pitch on time.
She noticed he was leaning on his car now waiting for her to finish ranting and raving. He didn’t even seem remotely bothered by the whole thing. He had probably never had a deadline to meet in his entire life. If they called the cops she would definitely miss her meeting. She knew she didn’t have any other choice but to get his information.
“Listen, I have a very important meeting I have to get to. Neither car is immobile although yours certainly seems to be on its last leg.” She gave his car a once over. “I guess we can just exchange information and handle this between us. If that works for you?”
“Well, I certainly appreciate you allowing me to have an opinion, sweetheart.” He unfolded his hands. He walked over to his car and jotted down his information.
She watched him, taking in his situation entirely. He was gorgeous, she would say that much about him, but he was obviously a bad boy. His car was a mess. It was older, nothing abnormal there, but the driver side door was a hideous orange color as if it had been pulled off of an orange pumpkin and plastered onto it. More than likely he was headed to court over something he had done. She rolled her eyes. Why can’t men just grow up? Every decent single guy she ever met was only interested in her blonde hair and how big her breasts were. The only thing odd about this situation was that he hadn’t tried to ogle her once. He made his way back over to her and they swapped sheets of paper. Once again, she was struck by the rugged features of his face. She noticed for a split second he looked her over as well and she blushed. What was happening to her? She shook it off as an adrenaline thing, having been hit by some jackass. She looked down at the paper. Well, at least he had insurance; that was something.
“Thank you, I’ll have to give you a call tonight,” she turned to go and he touched her arm.
“We could go have coffee now and talk about it,” he offered.
“I...I well, I can’t, I have a meeting,” she stammered.
“I see…well have a good day now, sweetheart.” He turned to walk back to his car and whistled.
What a complete jackass, she could think of nothing else as she got back in her car to try and make her way back onto the freeway. He had acted as though he didn’t believe she had a meeting. He may be handsome, but he was a jerk, plain and simple. She saw him pull out behind her and she was once again struck with the idea that he must be off to court. He was nothing but trouble, she could tell by the nonchalant way he carried himself, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. It was really unsettling, no matter how good looking he was. Looks certainly were not everything and she wouldn’t be taken for a fool at any cost. It just would have helped if he had had a wart or something to remind her of that. He could have at least looked bothered by the fact she couldn’t have coffee, it would seem like it didn’t matter either way. She pulled into the lot with a huff and made her way up the stairs with less than three minutes to spare.
*****
He sunk down in the worn seats of his car and watched her pull out, giving her a wave of his hand telling her to go first. That one was a handful that was for sure. But damn if she wasn’t something doing it. She was all fire and he loved just watching her go. Even now it made him smile. He could tell she tried to hide behind the suit, covering up her beauty, but he could see it there, just below the surface. Her hair was tied up tight and her suit a bit too big, she wanted to blend in, but that wasn’t possible. She was beautiful. He could have told her he would just pay for the damages, but he had enjoyed watching her fight for it far too much. Besides, he wasn’t entirely sure he was at fault, and now he would have a chance to see her again.
He pulled out and headed into town lost in the sea of cars behind her. She had given him the once over and dismissed him entirely. He was in his street clothes, in his beat up car, and if he did want to impress her today wasn’t the day to do it. She had judged him as a bad boy and a troublemaker. The thought made him smile again. She didn’t know him… yet anyway. He planned on getting to know her by using the slip of paper lying on his seat. It was rare he had an opportunity for someone to get to know him, it was even more fun if they judged him by his looks and he had to convince them to even try. He was still smiling as he carried his suit into the tower where his meeting would be in 25 minutes. Traffic was the reason he never scheduled anything before 10 am.
Two hours later he emerged from the building back in his street clothes, having secured a deal that would give him creative freedom, something he truly loved. He had been commissioned to paint a piece to hang at the museum in Washington, D.C. It was truly an honor and one he would take great pains to complete. It had to be perfect, and he could almost feel his fingers itching to get started. He thought about the beauty from this morning and he smiled at what a good day this was turning out to be; despite her refusal to have coffee with him. He had done his best to seem as if it didn’t matter one way or the other and that seemed to infuriate her more. She would be something in bed…he couldn’t stop himself from thinking it. He wondered how long all of that glorious hair was and what it would feel like in his hands. It had been a long time since anyone had struck a chord in him like this and it would be fun. She wasn’t some meek and willing female that wanted a part of his fortune. She would be all fire and he would do the convincing.
*****
All she could do now was wait. The entire process was more than a little frustrating. She was good at this. She worked hard to get here and she could take something as simple as a box of salt and make it famous, if she was ever given the chance. They had watched her presentation; the managing team was made up of five men and one woman. Two of them seemed uninterested, three had been focusing on her breasts and the woman seemed bitter that she was even up there at all. They had all been semi focused and it wasn’t easy to work with such an uninterested audience. Despite all that, she finished her presentation and made her way to her own office, which was more of a cubicle than anything. She spent most of her time here writing for others, or finishing up work that needed to be completed. What she wanted was a chance to make a difference, to create something bigger. She wondered if there would ever be a chance to do it. She glanced down at her desk and cleared off the trash. This day had to get better, it just had to. The rest of her day went by slowly until her phone went off making her jump. The only person who ever tried to contact her was her mother, and for her to text would be something of a shock.
Want to talk about this morning? Text me back.
It took her all of five minutes to figure out this must be her
tattooed friend from the morning.
Fine, what do you want to do about the situation?
Have dinner with me, I’ll pay for the damages.
She frowned. He was still pushing. The problem was there was a part of her that wanted to go, if for no other reason than to get her car fixed, and get a drink.
When and where?
Genos, 45 min?
See you then.
This guy was relentless, she glanced at her watch and decided not to even try to make it home to change. He would just have to be ok with her the way she was. She didn’t want to primp for him anyways; he was completely not her type, besides he had hit her car! Nonetheless, 30 minutes later when she headed out to her car she had changed into some jeans and a T-shirt. She always had them with her and today it was a good thing she did. She still kept her hair up and was looking forward to a leisurely evening at home, once this nonsense with tattoo boy was over.
She made her way to Genos, a pizzeria downtown. She loved being in the city with all the sights and smells. She took in a deep breath and made her way inside. She saw him almost immediately, slunk into a corner booth with his baseball hat on. He smiled at her with a half grin as she made her way over to him. He gestured towards the seat across from him and she frowned at him. Apparently, manners weren’t his strong suite. She looked over at him and was once again floored by his eyes. She would be lying if she said that was all it was. The fact of the matter was that he had a defined face, and just enough razor stubble to make him sexy. Plus his mouth.
“I take it you think I’m cute?”
She jumped. How many times would he catch her looking at him? She had the decency to blush this time around. He was infuriating.
“Don’t be so sure of yourself…” she replied.
“You don’t even know my name do you, Amelia?” He leaned forward in his seat and grinned at her as he folded his arms on the table. Something about the way he looked at her made her feel flushed. He looked at her face, but nothing more and she felt like he was looking right into her soul. She was being ridiculous of course.
“Actually, no I don’t. I cleaned my desk today and unintentionally threw away your information. I know that makes me irresponsible and a number of other things, and to be honest, I agree.”
She shifted into the booth more mindful of the way his eyes followed her. The waiter came and they ordered some individual things. He ordered the lasagna and she a salad. She sat stiff as a board as he leaned back in his seat. He was probably some sort of criminal. Yet here she was.
“So now that you’re admitting fault and are willing to pay for the damages what should I do about the car? I mean, where do I take it?”
“My name is Luke…in case you were wondering. As for the car I am in no way admitting it was my fault, however, I’ll have someone pick it up to get it fixed and have it dropped back off to you. That is if it’s ok with you, sweetheart?”
She watched him for a moment. Have someone pick it up? More than likely to part it out. That was awful, really, the car wasn’t much newer than his no one would possibly want or need parts from it. Still, he seemed awfully arrogant about it. There was some air of mystery with him. Luke…it suited him. It was the kind of bad boy name that fit his image. Before she could respond to him a nice older lady walked by and dropped her cane tripping over something. Luke jumped up to steady her before she fell and scooped up the cane and carried it over for her. She watched him even more intrigued. What was it about him she was so damn attracted to, anyway? He slid back in the booth and went back to his food, all the while watching her.
“Ok, Luke. I am a very open person for the most part. I don’t like to beat around the bush about most things so I’ll just ask. Why are you looking at me like that?” Even as she said it she blushed.
“I like looking at you,” he shrugged. “If you’re so open, then tell me, are you married?”
She gulped. “No, I’m not married.” She picked up her fork again and tackled the salad with an eagerness to finish this and leave. She heard his chuckle as he leaned back.
“Don’t worry, Amelia…may I call you, Amelia? I’m not out for marriage or anything of the sort. I’m merely curious about you.”
She stopped her fork midway to her mouth. “Curious about me? Why? Trust me, I’m just a girl.”
He leaned forward towards her again. “No, I don’t think so, Amelia, not at all. Tell me, what do you do that has you rushing to meetings in the early-morning rush hour?”
“I’m in marketing, well, I hope to be, and it’s a hard business to get into.” She chatted along about work until she realized she was rambling and she stopped.“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to go on and on like that,” she looked down at her hands for a moment before she glanced over where the waitress had just been moments before.
“She will be back, don’t worry, Amelia.” He gave her a half smile and she felt the heat rise in her cheeks again.
“What about you Luke, what do you do?” She sipped her water to calm her nerves.
“I am an artist.” He held up his hands to show her the stains. “Don’t you want to ask me if I am married?” He gave her a grin.
“No, I mean, well, yes that is if you are…I-I mean, why would I be here?” She abruptly stopped and took another drink. “Well are you?”
“No…not yet.” He looked at her over the rim of his drink and enjoyed the pink in her cheeks.
She was one of those women you want to play with, like a cat and mouse game. She was a breath of fresh air and at the same time her presence almost suffocated you. She would bounce back and forth between businesswoman and back to being a blushing bundle of nerves. She was intimidated by him, but fought it on all counts. She was also strikingly beautiful and he wanted to get to know her more. This was no simple conquest, this would be more than a simple challenge for him and he would love every minute of it.
He took in her attire for the night, she dressed down all the time, something ingrained in her. There was a story there, one he wanted to hear. She seemed to be fidgety one moment and then head held high, fighting mad the next. It was always something different and it was refreshing.
“Now that we’ve discussed it, can I assume it's ok to have someone pick up your car in the morning?” He placed his napkin on the table and leaned back once more.
“I suppose that’s ok, since it's Saturday, I don’t have any real plans. How long will you have it?”
“That won’t be an issue, just trust me.” He gave the waitress a wave and handed her his credit card.
“You didn’t have to pay for mine Luke, I could have done that,” she frowned at him.
“I asked you to come, it’s on me.” He stood from the booth and she couldn’t help but notice the strength in his legs. He was all solid. She swallowed hard and stood up herself.
As she turned they were face to face for a second. He towered over her just enough that his mouth was at eye level and she glanced up at his eyes, still smiling. She backed away from him and turned quickly. Her heart was beating madly in her chest. She was losing her mind, there was no adrenaline to blame this on now and she had to admit he was attractive. She never fell for this sort of thing. Google-eyed over some guy and all. She had had her share of boyfriends, sure, but it was all very well thought out. Her dating life had been limited to people from school and work. Since her college days she was focused more on work than anything else. How long had it been? She thought back and knew it had been more than 4 years since she had even been kissed. It was somewhat depressing and as if he read her mind, he gave her a wink. She headed out the front door and he followed behind, but not before stopping to chat once again with the elderly lady who he had spoken to earlier and returned the cane to.
She could see him out of the corner of her eye and he caught up with her fairly quickly. He walked in line with her until they reached her car. He was much taller than she remembered. She turned to look up at him and thank him once more and he smiled down at her
before dropping a quick kiss, which strayed just a second longer than it should have, on her mouth. She took a step towards him subconsciously. She had that angry set of her jaw he was getting used to so he swiftly headed towards his car.
“I’ll be there by 10 to get the car, Amelia.” He never even turned around as he jumped into his car to leave her standing there, thinking.
She gingerly touched her fingertips to her lips. She wasn’t even sure what to think about that kiss. Maybe he was just being friendly? Whatever it was wouldn’t happen again that was for sure. She made her way home and did her very best to not think about him. As she pulled into her driveway, she saw that the light inside was on. Her mother was probably up and around doing something she shouldn’t be. She made her way inside to see her mother pushing the vacuum around the living room singing along with Conway Twitty. She rolled her eyes with a smile. She had a mind of her own and would do things her way not matter where she was living.
When she was 23 her father had passed away, leaving her mother alone. Amelia had two younger siblings, but both had families and lives of their own and it had seemed like the most normal thing in the world for her mother to live with her. That had been five years ago and her mother wanted only to help in some way. Amelia loved it, really. To come home and spent time with your best friend was something many people didn’t get.
“Hello mom,” she tried to yell over the vacuum and the twang of the radio but her mother did nothing more than give her a wave.
