Whatever You Call Me

by Leigh Fleming

  “Are you okay?” he asked, brushing his finger along Annie’s cheek.

  With confusion etched across her face, Annie nodded her head and climbed out of the car. Kip joined her at the front of the Lexus and they stared slack-jawed at the blown tire and crumpled bumper.

  “Damn…a flat tire.” Kip stared at the shredded tire while scratching his head.

  “You better hope that’s all it is. Come on, let’s get the jack.” Annie marched toward the trunk of the car, leaving Kip standing in place, still scratching his head.

  “What? We’re not going to change this. I’ll call a tow truck.”

  Coming to a sudden stop, Annie turned and with a tilt of her head said, “A tow truck? Wouldn’t it be easier to just change the tire?”

  “Not really.”

  “Have you ever changed a tire?” Annie squinted her eyes at Kip with a smirk.

  “What…like you have?”

  “Oh, my God, are you serious?” Annie walked to the back of the car and signaled for Kip to pop the trunk. “Didn’t they teach you that in Boy Scouts?”

  Kip reached into the back of the trunk and lifted the carpet to find the spare tire, jack, and tire iron underneath.

  “No, I didn’t learn auto mechanics in Boy Scouts,” he said flatly.

  Annie threw back her head. “Hah, well then, it’s time you learned.” His dad had tried several times to teach him to change a tire, but Kip refused. He had higher hopes for himself and figured he’d save such menial tasks for others to do.

  She bent over and turned the wing nut holding the spare in place while barking orders at Kip to take out the jack and tire iron. “Here.” She shoved the donut into his arms and led him toward the front of the car. In short order she showed him how to place the jack under the car and turn the crank to lift it high enough to remove the tire. Once the blown tire was off and lying in the grass, Annie tucked her skirt under her and dropped beside the car.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Kip reached for her as she reclined onto her back and slid under the car.

  “I’m checking the tie rod and ball joints.”

  Kip tugged on her ankles, trying to pull her out from under the car. She kicked at his hands, freeing her ankles from his grip.

  “Stop, Porter,” she shouted. “Ah ha! Just what I was afraid of. The jam nut on your tie rod is hanging.” She scooted from under the car and sat up, brushing off the palms of her hands. “You do need to be towed. You’re not driving this car.”

  Kip tucked his hands under her arms and lifted her to her feet. “This is a joke, right?” He glared down at her. “You’re just messing with me.”

  Emphatically, Annie shook her head. “No joke. You can’t drive this car.”

  “How do you know?”

  Annie brushed the grit from the back of her skirt and then lifted her hair off her sweaty neck, holding it in a pile atop her head. “I used to date an auto mechanic in high school. On Saturdays, I’d go over to his house and watch him work on his car.”

  “Really? An auto mechanic.”

  “I did.” She held up two fingers. “Scouts honor. Call a tow truck. You’ll see I’m right.”

  As her hair cascaded to the center of her back, she sashayed to the back of the car and lifted the trunk’s carpet, dragging it several feet into the grassy field along the side of the road. Kip watched with his hands on his hips and a crease between his brows as Annie walked back to the car and retrieved the deli bag from the back seat. Little Miss Know-It-All had just schooled him on auto repair. He wondered what other talents she had.

  “Might as well eat since we’re going to be here a while.” She plopped her rear-end on the carpet, extended her slim legs in the grass, and patted the small square of carpet beside her. She unbuckled her sandals, tossing them aside, and arched a brow at Kip. “You’re the one who wanted to have a picnic,” she said, waving a butcher paper-wrapped sub in the air.

  Annie felt the sting and quickly slapped the mosquito nibbling on her calf. They’d been sitting in the grassy field for over an hour waiting for the tow truck to arrive. The subs had long ago been eaten, but they lounged on the trunk carpet sipping what was left of their fountain drinks.

  “Damn, it’s hot.” Kip began unbuttoning his shirt and pulling the tail out of his pants. “I’ve got to get out of these clothes.”

  Purposely looking the opposite direction, Annie fought the urge to take a glimpse of a shirtless Kip, but instead looked out at the baking weeds in the field. She jerked upright when she heard his belt buckle clink.

  “What are you doing?” she shrieked.

  “I’m getting out of these clothes. I’m burning up.” Kip tramped to the car, walking around to the driver’s side back door, and leaned inside where Annie couldn’t see. She strained her neck and rose up on her knees, stretching to see what he was doing. A few minutes later he returned to their makeshift picnic spot wearing gym shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers. Annie dropped back onto the carpet and pulled up a few blades of grass as Kip dropped beside her.

  “Disappointed?” he whispered in her ear.

  “Huh?”

  “You heard me.”

  “Why would I be disappointed?”

  “You were hoping I was going to strip down.” He wiggled his eyebrows and nudged his shoulder into hers.

  “Oh, please.” She went back to weeding the field, furiously yanking blades of grass and letting them flutter in the humid breeze.

  “Come on, Coach. I saw the look on your face when I started unbuttoning my shirt.”

  “Get over yourself.” She shoved back and then stood up, brushing the dust from her dress. “Should you call them again to see where the truck is?”

  “What, don’t you like our little picnic?”

  “Porter…seriously, we need to get back.” Annie glared at Kip where he lay on the carpet, resting his head in his hands.

  “Relax, it will be here soon. Come lay down with me.” He patted his hand on the carpet and gave her his most salacious grin.

  “Not a chance.”

  “Come on…what are you afraid of?”

  Annie stared at Kip, taking a tendril in her hand and twisting it tightly around her finger. She glanced over her shoulder at the car and then back at him, now lying on his side with his head resting on his hand. He patted the carpet once more and invited her over with a swoosh of his hand.

  “Fine,” she said, joining him on the carpet and mimicking his relaxed position.

  “Tell me about the mechanic.”

  “I already told you. We dated in high school and he taught me all about cars.”

  “Nah…there’s got to be more to the story.” Annie watched Kip’s soft lips curl at the corners. The memory of him leaning in to kiss her earlier in the day flashed through her mind. She sighed and flipped flat on her back.

  “Not really. My father hated him…thought he wasn’t a good influence. We didn’t date long.”

  “This is the first I’ve heard about your dad. You’ve never mentioned your family actually. What do they do?”

  “Oh, um…” Annie closed her eyes against the bright sun. “My dad is an attorney and my mom is a professional party giver.” Not a total lie.

  “Sound like interesting people. I’d like to meet them.”

  “Um, they’re not that interesting.”

  “Okay.” Kip threw his head back and chuckled. “That’s it? What about siblings?”

  “I have two older sisters and a younger brother.” She rushed her answer and then sprang to her feet. “Don’t you think it’s strange not a single car has gone by? Should we call someone to come pick us up?”

  “We’re in the middle of nowhere. I wouldn’t know what to tell them.”

  Annie crossed her arms, seeming skeptical of his answer. “Come on, Porter, you have to know where we are. You’ve lived here your whole life.”

  Kip came to his feet and spread his arms wide. “It all looks the same…everywhere…with no landmarks. I do
n’t even think this road has a name.”

  “Why don’t I believe you?” She furrowed her brows and stared at the humor in his eyes.

  “Would I lie?” A rolling crack of thunder shook the ground, followed by a blinding flash of lightning. Kip snatched the carpet from the ground, wrapped his hand around Annie’s upper arm, and said “See? There’s your confirmation,” as they rushed through heavy raindrops toward the car.

  Thirteen

  “Drenched again.” Annie laughed while looking down at her rain-soaked dress clinging to her skin. Pea-sized raindrops pelted the windshield, making it impossible to see the lush fields beyond. Kip stretched to the back seat to retrieve a towel from his gym bag, affording Annie an extended glimpse at his firm abs peeking out below his T-shirt. Pulling her eyes away was a struggle, but she managed to do so as he handed the fluffy towel to her.

  “Looks like our picnic is a washout,” Kip said.

  “And so are we.” Annie mussed Kip’s hair with the towel, laughing at the mess she made of his usually perfect coif.

  “Not us.”

  “You’re kidding, right? Look at us. We’re soaked.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” Kip looked intently into Annie’s eyes and she felt her jaw go slack. Things were getting too heated, too intimate between them and she had to stop the momentum. He was her boss, an elected official, and he was attempting to cross the proverbial line where scandal took place, careers ended, and hearts got broken. He seemed to sense her unease and broke his gaze, looking at himself in the rear-view mirror. He tugged on his short cropped hair so that each strand stood at attention. “You think the voters would like this look?”

  Annie replied with a forced chuckle, “Definitely not,” smoothing his hair back into place.

  A deafening crack followed by a brilliant streak of lightning shook the car, causing Annie to shriek and cover her ears.

  “That was close,” Kip said, leaning his elbow on the console while raking a finger down Annie’s bare arm. “You okay?”

  “I hate thunderstorms.”

  “Well, maybe I should find a way to take your mind off it.” He reached out toward Annie’s shoulder and she jerked back against the passenger door.

  “Listen…we need to keep this professional.”

  “And what if I don’t want to?” His searing gaze singed Annie’s skin, making her feel feverish. Somehow she’d have to get back to business and get his mind on track.

  “Let’s talk about the pipeline.”

  “Let’s not.”

  “What did Martha say today? No one in her area supports the bill.”

  Kip pulled his eyes away from Annie and sighed heavily, leaning against the driver’s side door. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel while looking through the blurry windshield.

  “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” he said.

  “Are you sure? What do the polls say?” This time it was Annie’s turn to lean her elbow on the console, drilling her eyes into Kip’s profile.

  “I don’t think there have been any polls on the subject.”

  “Really? I’m surprised. That’s something I can handle when I get back to the office.”

  “It won’t be necessary.”

  “Why?”

  Kip’s head snapped in Annie’s direction, his brows furrowed angrily. “Because the research indicates the pipeline will be a huge boost to the economy in the area. Tom has all the reports concerning economic and environmental impacts. Trust me; it’s a good thing.”

  “Okay, okay,” Annie said, holding up her hands defensively. “Don’t freak out. I just thought it would make sense to get a read on what your constituents think.” She took a steadying breath. Something had been nagging her and now seemed as good a time as any to bring it up. “You know, I could be doing so much more as your campaign manager, but I get the feeling Tom doesn’t want to give up control.”

  “He’s my chief of staff.”

  “I know, but sometimes I get the impression he’s in control of everything—you, me, the campaign.”

  “Oh, really?” Kip flashed her a quick glance and then looked away, running his hand through his hair. “Fine, go ahead and conduct a survey. You’ll see an overwhelmingly positive response to the pipeline.”

  “Okay then.” Annie bent over and reached into her tote bag, pulling out a handful of envelopes and papers. “How about we go over some of these invitations you’ve received? We’re stuck here so we might as well get some work done.”

  Kip tipped the seat back into a slight recline, stretched out his legs, and released an audible sigh. “You’re a slave driver, Coach. Let’s have at it.”

  “Great. Okay.” The first invitation Annie pulled out was an engraved invitation tucked inside a creamy envelope. “Let’s see. This is an invitation to the Friends of the Bay annual dinner dance at the Chesapeake Country Club.”

  “I think I’m busy.” Kip stared through the windshield at the rain still pummeling the landscape continuing to tap out a beat on the steering wheel.

  “Okay. How about this one?” Annie pulled a photocopied page out of an envelope and read, “You are cordially invited to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for Pets Galore on Saturday, July 14 at 2:00 in downtown Calvertshire.”

  “Uh…no…you know what happens when I get around anything furry.”

  “Okay, we’re zero for two. You need to get out there—go to some of these events. How about this one? It’s an invitation to the Rivermen’s Club annual crab feast. It’s this Saturday at the—”

  “I know where it is,” he barked.

  Snapping her head in his direction, Annie found Kip pensively looking out the steamed up windshield, tapping his knuckles against the window. His silence was in such contrast to his earlier jovialness, she worried she’d said something wrong.

  “So, what do you think?”

  It took Kip a few moments to acknowledge Annie’s question, finally pulling himself away from his private reflection. “I think we go zero for three.”

  “Why?”

  “Not interested,” he replied with a deep crevice forming between his eyes. “I’m not going.”

  Annie dropped the stack of invitations back into her bag and swiveled to rest on her left hip, facing him square on. “Okay, spill it, Porter. What’s this all about? Why don’t you want to spend time with your constituents?”

  “I’m just busy, that’s all.”

  “I don’t buy it. You got awfully quiet when I read the crab feast invite.”

  He threw himself back against the headrest and studied the ceiling, turning introspective once again. Annie couldn’t pull her eyes away from the ever-changing kaleidoscope of emotions scattering his face. One moment he looked sad, the next second he looked angry, all the while withdrawing to his private thoughts.

  She reached out, laying her hand on his arm and said, “Talk to me.”

  As if in slow motion, Kip turned his head, his eyes gravitating to her hand delicately wrapped around his wrist. He captured her hand in his and pulled it onto his lap, keeping his glacial stare locked on her.

  “Just don’t want to go…isn’t that enough?”

  “It’s in your hometown. Wouldn’t you know lots of people?”

  “I’d know everyone.”

  “So?” Annie kept her eyes locked on his.Kip rotated toward her, placing his other hand on hers. “I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll go if you go with me…and it can’t be a campaign appearance. Just regular old Kip taking Annie to a crab feast.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  He tugged at their joined hands, pulling her closer to him, “If you want to make this one for three, you just have to do it my way. Will you come with me?”

  Annie felt like she was floating in a sea of crystal blue, unable to swim away. Kip’s intensive gaze, his firm grasp on her hand, his tender, pleading request was too much to resist. She was entering dangerous waters but couldn’t stop herself from diving in.
>
  “Yes.”

  A shrill ding split the quiet and Kip reached for his cell phone tucked deep in his front pocket, finding a text from Tom.

  Where are you?

  Car broke down…with Annie.

  Perfect. Any luck?

  First date confirmed.

  Now we’re getting somewhere.

  You bet. Talk 2 u later.

  As Kip dropped the cell phone in a cup holder, a pair of bright headlights shone through the windshield. A pick-up truck pulled alongside the car and Kip jumped out to talk to the driver.

  “Having car trouble?” the man asked.

  “Yeah, we hit a deer.”

  “Hey, you’re Congressman Porter, aren’t ya? Can I give you a ride somewhere?”

  “Nah, we’re waiting on a tow truck.”

  “Seriously, I’d be glad to drive you somewhere. You live around here?”

  “Nah, I live in Washington.”

  “I’m heading over there in about a half hour. I just have to stop at my house before I deliver these parts to a contractor working on the capitol dome. I can take you.”

  Kip scratched his head looking over the bed of the truck as rain continued beating down. He offered his hand to the driver and said, “I appreciate that, but I’m sure the tow truck will be here soon. Thanks.”

  Kip climbed back into the car, his semi-dry clothes now wet all over again, and reached for the towel draped across the back of his seat.

  “What did he say?” Annie asked.

  “He said he would have been glad to give us a ride back to DC if it had been earlier in the day, but he had to get home…his wife has to leave for work.” No way was he going back to DC in that guy’s pick-up truck. He was finally making headway with Annie.

  “Oh, no. We’re having the worst luck.”

  “Which makes no sense because Martha Mahan was sure that cat was going to bring me luck.” Kip laughed and reached for Annie’s hand. She busied herself looking at the navigational system, touching the screen, then digging through the glove compartment.