by Anna Black
Her ride on the train was horrible. There were no seats until three stops before it was time to get off and her feet were aching. She had on her tennis shoes, but since she wasn’t used to doing a lot of walking, the bottoms of her feet burned. After the last bus she had a two-block walk, so her shirt was stuck to her back from sweat. Her hair was glued to her forehead, and she just wanted to shower away the day and put her feet up.
When she finally made it home that evening, the sun was going down. “Damn, I miss my car,” she said as she climbed the steps in her building. She got inside and headed straight for the shower. Then she settled on the sofa with a glass of wine to watch a little television.
The next morning, the beeping of her alarm jerked her out of her sleep. She sat up and realized that she had fallen asleep on the sofa. Her neck hurt from the odd position she’d slept in, but she had to go to work. She didn’t want to take time off, because she was saving all of her personal, vacation, and sick days to move and get settled in.
She made a mad dash to the shower and put on something quick so she could get to the bus stop.
Although she ran almost a block, she still missed her bus and had to wait for the next one, and when the next one came, the bus didn’t stop, because it was full. She winced and peered down the street, praying that another was close, but it was ten whole minutes before she was sitting next to a woman with a cranky baby. She was by the window, and she prayed that the woman would proceed, but she flopped down in the seat next to her.
Running late for work with no time to get her morning coffee, November wanted to gag the temperamental child who squirmed in his mother’s lap. By the time she got onto the train, there was again standing room only. She hiked the steps from the subway and hoped she’d make it to her office building before the drizzle turned into a downpour, but as luck would have it, she didn’t. She jogged to her building to get out of the rain as quickly as she could.
Once inside she was winded and soaking wet. She peered at the clock over the information desk, and she was over an hour late. She was grateful she didn’t have a meeting, but not being on time for work wasn’t professional, and being the only black woman in the office, she had to be ten times better than her coworkers, because they weren’t comrades. They were opponents. That was it. She had to call Tracy.
After she got to her office, she headed straight to the ladies’ room. She used the hand dryer to take some of the moisture from her blouse, and she dried her face with a paper towel. She slicked her hair down as best she could, and she reapplied her makeup so she could look presentable. As soon as she made it back to her office, she asked her assistant to get Stone Cold Towing on the line. By the time she made it to her desk, the call was on the line.
“Tracy Stone, please,” she asked.
“Ma’am, I’m sorry, he’s in the field today,” the man on the other end said. “You can try to reach him on his cell phone.”
“I don’t have his card with me. Can you give me that number?” She reached for a pad and pen.
“Sure.” He recited the number to her, and she wrote it down.
“Thank you, sir. Have a good day,” she said and hung up. She then had second thoughts about calling. Was it the right thing to take an offer so great from a complete stranger? She questioned herself and then thought about her crazy morning, and dialed Tracy quickly, before she lost her nerve.
“Hi, this is Tracy.” His voice was so deep and sexy to her.
She paused and almost forgot why she had called him. “Tracy, hi, this is Sha . . . I mean, November,” she said nervously.
“Novey, how are you?”
Now he wanted to shorten her name, she thought, but she didn’t address it. “Not too good.”
“Why? What’s going on?” He sounded concerned.
“No car is what is going on, and it is killing me. I need a car, and I wanted to know, does your offer still stand?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she said, letting out a sigh of relief.
“No, it’s no problem. I can get you the car today if you need me to.”
“Can you? I’d really appreciate it. This bus thing is not working.”
“I feel you on that. I’ve owned a car since I was sixteen. No way can I do CTA.”
November leaned back in her chair. “I know that’s right.”
“So what time will you be free?” he asked.
“Whatever is convenient for you. I don’t wanna interrupt your schedule.”
“It doesn’t matter to me. I don’t have a set schedule.”
“Well, I get off at four thirty today. I am leaving a little early so I can try to beat the work rush.”
“Okay. Will six thirty be cool? I can come by and pick you up.”
“That is fine. I should be home by then.”
“Okay, great,” he said.
“Tracy, I do appreciate this, and I owe you big time. If ever I can do anything for you in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Oh, really? I will keep that in mind.” His voice sounded seductive, and she wished she could take that statement back.
“Okay, Tracy, I guess I’ll see you later.”
“Okay.”
They hung up. November felt so much better knowing that was her last day on the bus. She could have back those few extra moments of sleep in the morning she’d had to sacrifice.
She looked over a couple of accounts but couldn’t stop thinking about Tracy. She wondered how many other helpless women he had done this for. How many women had he just hooked up with a car? Was he single or did he have a woman in his life?
He’s fine as hell, and his body is so sexy. She wanted to know how good he tasted. She had wondered that ever since she’d seen him looking as good as he did the other night. And he was smooth and easy to talk to. She knew how Sagittarius women were, but this was her first experience with a male Sagittarius. He seemed outgoing like she was, and he did have his own business. Can he be dateable? she asked herself.
If he was dateable, would he even want to date her? He had come over and chilled with her for a minute, yes, but that didn’t mean he would want her. Hell, he had waited until it was time to go before he finally flirted with her a little so, honestly, she didn’t know what to think. She didn’t have a lot of experience in the relationship department. She had had a couple boyfriends in the past, but nothing long-term, just a bunch of crap.
She had been living in and out of her parents’ house during her college days, so that limited what she could and could not do. Having a relationship with a man while living with her parents was like trying to escape from Alcatraz. It was just not going to happen. When she did like a guy and thought it was cool to let him come over, her daddy preached to them about fornication. After, they’d be scared to touch her, like her daddy was God and could see them sucking on her nipples in the dark. Her experiences with the guys she did date were short. She had never even been in love before. Nothing had lasted long enough.
All she focused on lately was moving into her new condo and her career in advertising. Love had been the last thing on her mind, but she found herself thinking of putting it on her “things to do” list. She wondered if she should ask Tracy out or just leave it alone. Hell, she didn’t know. When it came to men and relationships, she was stumped.
Shaking her head, she put him out of her thoughts and thanked God that she would no longer be riding the bus.
Chapter Four
“Hey, come on in,” she told Tracy, inviting him into her apartment. “I’ll be ready in a moment.” She walked toward her bedroom to change. She still had on her work clothes because she had just walked in about five minutes before he got there. “Have a seat,” she yelled over her shoulder.
She went into her room and found something cute to put on. She fingered through her short bob, which was finally dry from the morning rain, and she ran her Clinique sponge over her face to take away the shine. Then she app
lied a fresh coat of gloss to her lips. She changed her jewelry to more casual pieces and slipped on her light leather jacket and grabbed her purse. She did a quick squirt of cotton blossom and did her last mirror check before rejoining Tracy in the living room.
He was still standing when she came back, and she wondered if he had heard her offer him a seat. “Hey, thanks for waiting. You could have taken a seat.”
“Naw. I got on these dirty clothes, and I didn’t wanna sit on your light-colored furniture.”
“Oh, thanks, but don’t worry. That sofa is not going to my new place. God willing, I plan to have new furniture when I move.”
“Oh, I see. But still . . .” He looked down at his uniform.
“No problem. Are you ready?”
“Yeah, let’s go,” he said.
They walked out to his SUV with every eye in the building on them. Her nosy neighbors never missed a thing, because most of them were always perched in their windows peering out at all the things that went on in their courtyard.
Ms. Wanda, being the boldest of them all, spoke up. “Good evening, young man. You taking my Shareese out for the evening?”
“My Shareese.” She ain’t my damn momma, November said to herself. “Ms. Wanda, leave folks alone and mind your business. Don’t worry about where I’m going.”
“Chile, somebody ought to know in case old Boris Kodjoe here tries something. Just because he fine don’t make him sane.” Ms. Wanda popped her gum and took a puff of her Newport.
“And neither does he concern you. Good night,” November said. She and Tracy hurried to his truck and rode out.
By the time they made it to the car lot, it was dark. “Are they closed?” November asked suspiciously. She was a little scared, and she wondered if he was into some illegal mess.
He pulled up in front. “Yeah, but I have the keys,” he said.
They got out, and he put his key inside of the glass door to unlock it. November looked around, praying that the feds and helicopters wouldn’t come out of nowhere and take her to jail.
Tracy opened one of the glass doors and let her go in before him. Inside, November could hear a man’s voice from the lit-up office a few feet away from where she was standing. She hadn’t thought anyone was there. She had never been in a car dealership after business hours, and she felt like something may be a little fishy with what they were doing, but she didn’t ask any questions.
“Trey, is that you, man?” the voice yelled from the office.
“Yeah, it’s me!” he yelled back at him as he locked the front door.
“I’ll be out in a second. I called Shawn to pull the truck around before he left,” the voice said.
November walked over and looked in the window of a Maxima that was on the showroom floor. She was careful not to touch the glass because she didn’t want her prints on anything. She noticed cameras in the ceiling, so she went to sit on the leather sofa. If they had her on tape, there would not be much to pin on her if she was just sitting, she thought.
After a couple moments, a handsome, older version of Tracy came from the office. They were definitely brothers. November laughed on the inside because she didn’t think he looked like a typical car salesman. He wasn’t what she expected when she had heard his voice coming from the office.
She gave him a once-over. He was dapper, clean-cut with a nicely trimmed beard and mustache, and he had what looked like an amazing body under the expensive-looking suit that fit him to perfection. He and Tracy were almost the same height, but Tracy may have been slightly taller.
“Hey, li’l brother, what’s up?”
“Nothing too much, man. How are things around here?” Tracy asked, looking around the room.
“Good, man, things are good. You must be November,” he said, extending a hand to her.
“Yes, I am,” she said, standing and shaking his hand.
“Nice to meet you. So, Trey tells me that you need some wheels until you close on your new place?”
“Yes, sir, that is correct.”
“Okay, but please call me Trent. I’m only three years older than Tracy, and ‘sir’ is not the way you address a young man.” He laughed.
“Well, that means you are right, since that makes you two years older than me.” She looked at Tracy, bragging that she was older.
“Yes, Tracy did mention that your birthday was on the same day as his.”
“Yeah, that shocked me too,” November said.
“Well, come on out and let’s see if you like the vehicle he picked out for you.”
She looked over at Tracy. She was sure that Trent was not supposed to say “the one he picked out for you.” When they got outside, she followed Trent apprehensively. She was still a bit uneasy, but she did her best not to let it show. They stopped at a Denali.
“Do you like it?” Trent asked, handing her the keys.
“You’re joking, right?”
“No. Open the door and get in and tell me if this will be okay.”
“I don’t have to get in. This is more than okay. I mean, I expected a Dodge Neon or a Hyundai or something, but this is a Denali,” she said, shaking her head.
“Do you like?” Tracy asked, walking up behind her.
“Tracy, thank you, but I can’t take this.” She tried to hand him the keys.
“Why not?”
“’Cause I can’t. Trent, do you have something else? I mean, something less expensive, like a Corolla or a Sentra or a Yugo? I will take a Yugo, I swear.”
The men burst into laughter.
“So this means you like it?” Tracy asked again.
“Yes, I like it. Who wouldn’t like a pretty, shiny black Denali with rims and gold accents?” She touched the door. “But, Tracy, this is a bit much, don’t you think?”
“Why don’t you get in and take it out for a spin and then tell me if you want something else?” Tracy said.
Trent backed up. “Yes, that is a good idea. Take it and test it out. I betcha then you will love it.” Now he sounded like a car salesman, November thought.
She hesitated for a moment then agreed. Even if she wouldn’t keep it, she could take the opportunity to drive it. She and Tracy got in, and Trent went back inside.
They pulled out, and November was excited. The truck was fully loaded. She stopped at a light and could see the reflection of the Denali on a mirrored building. She liked the way it looked.
The longer she drove, the more she relaxed and enjoyed the smooth, comfortable ride. It was spacious, and she knew she wasn’t driving an Accord.
“So you think you can live with this for a few weeks?” Tracy asked when he saw her smiling.
“Hell, I could live with this for a few years,” she said. They laughed.
“Well, when you close on your place, you can always purchase it.”
“Man, are you crazy? This is not in my budget, especially after I get my new mortgage.”
“Don’t worry about all of that. I’m sure my brother will give you an excellent deal.”
“Oh, yeah?” she said, thinking that maybe then she could.
“Yeah. We can see about you getting the family discount.” He smiled.
By the time they got back to the dealership, Trent was getting into his Mercedes to leave. When he saw them pull in, he put his briefcase on the seat and went over to them.
“So you like it?” he asked.
November smiled. “Yes, I like it.”
“Well, good. Y’all have a good night. I gotta get home to the fam.” He walked away, and Tracy and November sat in the truck for a few moments.
“Tracy, this is very generous of you and Trent. I have to give you something for allowing me to use this truck. I will write you a check.”
“That won’t be necessary, November. All the paperwork is right here in the glove box, and if you have any problems with it, let me know and I’ll take care of it.”
“Please, Tracy. I really appreciate this, and I wouldn’t feel right not giving you s
omething.”
“Listen, I am only helping a person I am in a position to help. Your thank-you is enough.”
“Okay, I understand, and I do thank you for helping me out. This is above and beyond the help I thought I’d receive. I will take care of your Denali, and I will do my very best to get it back to you in the condition that it’s in,” she said. God was finally cutting her some slack. After all the pain and anguish she had been going through, losing her car and the horrible accident she was in, things were taking a turn for the better.
“I’m sure you will. Now, do you know your way back from here?”
“No, not really. I have never driven out this way before.”
“Well, follow me and I’ll get you to the expressway. Unless you wanna use the fancy navigation system that is in here.”
She gave him a warm smile. “No, I prefer to follow you.”
“Okay.” He smiled back at her.
He closed the door, and she squeezed the steering wheel. She smiled and looked over her shoulder to see if Tracy had gotten into his truck. He pulled up to the side of her and got out and handed her her purse. She had forgotten that she’d left it on the front seat floor when they went inside.
“Oh, shit. Thank you, Tracy. I forgot all about my purse.”
“No problem. Just follow me,” he said and got back into his truck.
She rode behind him until they reached her exit and she flashed her lights to let him know she was getting off. She wished he were coming back to her place, but since he didn’t ask, she didn’t offer. When she got home, she got lucky and found an open parking space right in front of her building.
As she approached the building, she saw Roderick looking down at her. “Hey, November,” he said like he had always called her that name.
“Roderick, I ain’t in the mood,” she said with attitude.
“Nice set of wheels there, Miss Shareese. Wanna take an old man for a ride?”
“In your dreams,” she said and entered the building. On her way down the hall, she heard his door unlock, so she tried to hurry past his unit.
“Umm, who wheels you pushin’? That drug dealer we saw you leave with?” He moved to stand in front of her and lowered his voice. “You know I need me a few trees for my glaucoma.”
