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.
Chapter 3
“What happened to you?”
“A damn Chihuahua bit me at work.” Nate waved his bandaged thumb in the air.
“How the hell did that happen at a bank? Were you at one of those ribbon cutting ceremonies at a school again? You should have the safest job of any of us, barring an armed robbery.” Ruben and Jasper, on leave from the fire station for the day, spoke at once and then burst out laughing. Jasper handed Nate a beer and they waited for his answer.
“Yesterday we were invaded by dogs. A tiny rat took on two snow dogs right there in the customer waiting area. When I caught the little one it bit me!”
Jasper laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. “No way. You let it bite you?”
“It was hardly a choice. It gets worse though. While I was in seeing the doctor, the damn thing chewed the back seat of my car. You should see it. Work is gonna be pissed.”
“What was it doing in your car?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Meh, it doesn’t matter too much. It’s a company car so it’s tough.” Ruben laughed and clinked his beer to Jasper’s.
“That’s what she said.”
“She who?”
“Fang’s owner. That’s the rat dog. She made some jokes about company cars not needing any care before I drove her home.”
“Hang on, you drove a woman home and we’re just hearing about it now? You holding out on us dude?” Jasper plonked himself in the chair next to Nate. “What’s she like? Why didn’t you invite her here?”
“Maybe because you two would grill her until she wanted to leave.” Mimi wrapped her arms around Jasper’s shoulders and leaned down to speak into his ear. “Leave poor Nate alone. No wonder he doesn’t date.”
“What do you mean? I date.”
“Oh yeah?” Ruben stared at him. “When did you last take someone out?”
“You can’t talk, Ruben. Alyssa has been dropping hints for months and you’ve ignored each one.” Mimi chuckled at Nate’s reply and Ruben frowned at them both.
“We’re not talking about me,” Ru
ben growled. “We’re talking about Nate. When was the last time?”
Nate took a swig of his beer and looked across the yard to where Becca and Chris were making a salad. He thought they made a cute couple, even if Chris wasn’t quite talking to him yet. Knocking back your friend’s loan application had the potential to affect your social life. “Not that long ago.”
“Sure, sure.” Jasper and Ruben exchanged a knowing look. “I’m pretty sure the last date you had was a month before Christmas—the year before last.” Jasper leaned in and put his elbows on his knees. “You should ask her out. Get back in the game.”
“She’ll be back to check on my injury on Monday, apparently.”
“So, ask her.”
“Maybe I will.”
“Don’t let them pressure you, Nate.” Mimi squeezed his shoulder on her way to the kitchen. “Only ask her if you like her.”
“Oh, he likes her, baby,” Jasper laughed. “It’s written all over his face.”
“Anyway,” Nate glared at him, “how about we change the subject. How’s that calendar going? Did you sell out yet?”
“Not yet. Mimi has the proper numbers but I think there’s only about a thousand left.”
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
“Yep, she’s done great. I bet you wish you’d lent her that money now, right?”
“You know it’s out of my hands Jasper. Don’t you stop talking to me—I already have Chris holding a grudge about his loan a few months ago.”
“Who’s holding a grudge? You saying no to that money was the best thing that ever happened to me.” Chris walked toward them across the grass.
“Hey,” Becca said from behind him. “I thought I was the best thing.”
Chris laughed and stepped back to wrap his arm around her waist. “Same thing sweetie. That no led to the Love In becoming a reality with you.” Becca wrapped her own arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. He kissed her on the head and Nate watched his friends with a tiny twinge of jealousy.
He cleared his throat and stood up. “I think that’s my cue to head home. Thanks for thinking of me Ruben.”
“It’s only eight o’clock!” several voices chorused at once.
“I know, but I have some work to do since I left early yesterday.”
“Do it Monday.”
“That’s easy for a fireman to say, Jasper. You don’t exactly take your work home with you.”
“True, but don’t you have assistants or something to do the extra?”
“Some tasks I can’t delegate. Besides, I like getting the little tasks done. It means I have an easier day at work.”
Jasper shrugged and Nate shook his hand before he said goodbye to the others. When he slipped behind the wheel of the car a few minutes later he considered taking himself to a movie. There were a couple of new releases he wanted to see. Maybe he could ask Kelly if she wanted to see one with him next week.
He’d never admit it to his friends but they were right—he rarely dated. When he’d said to Kelly that he spent all his holidays renovating, he hadn’t been exaggerating. What he didn’t mention was that he spent every spare moment tinkering on the house, not just his holidays. Even this weekend he had plans to replace the letterbox. His life was quiet with little excitement besides the occasional movie, and he’d been convinced that he liked it that way. Lately, seeing his friends pairing up, he’d begun to wonder whether that was a mistake. At thirty-two years old, he was hardly past it. It could be time to make a change, though.
Maybe he would ask her out when she came in on Monday. If only to prove to Jasper that he could still get a date.
Maybe.
Probably not.
Chapter 4
On Monday, Nate threw himself into paperwork. When he caught himself peering out of his office window for the sixth time, and starting each time he saw someone dressed in red pass his door, he mentally slapped himself and turned his mind to lunch. The last thing he needed was to be thinking about a woman who probably wasn’t even interested in him, except for her guilt over his injury. He made sure he had his wallet and headed out the front door. He turned left and came face to face with Kelly. Seeing her again made him catch his breath—dressed in a skintight black knit bodysuit with a crisp white shirt over the top, and big black boots, she was a spectacular sight.
“Hey,” she said, “looks like I nearly missed you.”
“Just grabbing some lunch.” A pause, to take a second to talk himself into the next sentence. “Want to join me?”
“Sure.” She fell into step beside him. “Are you one of those managers who takes three hour lunches? If so, I have to warn you I’m due somewhere at three.”
He laughed like that was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. She had no way of knowing that he’d never taken a long lunch break in his entire working life. “An hour is all I have. At two o’clock I have to be at the local bowling club to present a trophy.”
“That sounds thrilling.” She smiled. “Where are we going for lunch before that scintillating appointment?”
“I was going to have pizza.” He stopped walking and turned to her. “Do you need something a bit lighter than that? I’m pretty sure they serve salad.”
“Why would I need a salad?”
“You said you were a model.”
“Ha! I eat like any normal person. You don’t need to make special arrangements for me.” She giggled to herself as they continued up the street.
“Sorry. Everyone says models don’t eat so….”
“Yeah, that’s true for some people. Runway models have periods where they have to stay super skinny. I mostly do photographic work though.”
“Oh. Okay. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. Let’s just get our hands on that pizza!”
He laughed and led her across the road to the pizza place on the corner. They quickly found a table and placed their orders. When the waiter brought their water, Kelly leaned back in her chair. “So, how’s the bite?”
“It’s pretty good. It aches a little but the antibiotics will make sure there’s no infection, so the doctor tells me.”
“Fang sends his apologies.” She smirked and Nate grinned at her. “I, of course, am eternally sorry about your hand and the car. I suppose you don’t have a cost for the seat yet?”
“Not yet. The car is booked in for a quote on Wednesday.”
“Ahh… okay. So, we wait. How was your weekend?”
“Full of trips to the hardware store. I built a letterbox. Yours?” He groaned to himself as he realised how boring he must sound.
“That’s funny. I went to the store a couple of times too. Nothing as exciting as a letterbox, though. All I needed were some hooks for the back of the bathroom door.” She smirked at him again.
“Are you making fun of me?” He moved his arm so the waiter could place their food on the table.
When he was gone she looked over at him. “Not at all. I’m making fun of both of us. What an exciting pair we are, huh?”
“Yes, well, at least you have the prospect of some fun. I’m sure your work is exciting.”
“Sometimes. It’s almost all in the studio so some days it’s quite boring.”
“I don’t think you can get any more boring than the life of a bank manager.”
She frowned at him and pulled a slice of pizza onto her plate. “It’s not a competition. Besides, it’s totally up to you how exciting your life is. If you’re bored, do something to shake it up.”
He smiled down at his plate. “I’m not a shake it up kind of guy.”
“Again, that’s your choice. Your Friday was anything but boring, wasn’t it?” She laughed outright this time and he gave her a wry smile in return.
“I’d have to agree with that. I’ve definitely never had half a boarding kennel fight it out in the middle of our customers.”
“What do you normally do for fun then, Nate?”
The way she said his name had his eyes flying up to meet
hers. The pizza cooled on his plate as he stared at her.
Now’s your chance. Ask her out.
“I quite like going to the movies.”
“Me too. What kind of movies do you like?”
“All the popular ones. Anything with a lot of action usually appeals. Nothing by Woody Allen.”
Ask her.
“Agreed! Anything good out at the moment?” She chewed as she spoke and he tried not to smile. Even chewing, with her mouth full of food, she still did something to his insides.
Do it!
“A couple of new releases came out last Thursday.” He pulled his phone out, pulled up the list then slid it across to her. “You can see the two new ones at the top.”
She glanced at the phone while she ate her lunch. “At least one of those look interesting. Do you normally go to the local cinema at the junction?”
“Yeah. I don’t see much point in travelling to the city. I usually just wait if the movie I want to see isn’t on. That movie,” he pointed at the screen, “is about renovating a house full of problems, funnily enough.”
“Hmmm.”
Ask her out you bloody coward. Ruben and Jasper will tease the shit out of you if you chicken out.
“Can I interest you in a movie on Tuesday?” The words stuck in his throat but he forced them out before he could change his mind. “The renovation one if you’re game.”
“Tuesday because that’s the cheap night?” Her eyes sparkled as she grinned at him and took another slice of pizza. So far, she was out eating him two slices to one.
“Tuesday because asking for tonight seemed too desperate.”
Might as well start off being honest.
She looked up at him and grinned. “I’m free tonight and it’s on at seven. Does that suggestion make me the desperate one?”
“I can’t imagine you’d ever be desperate for male company. It just so happens, though, that I have a vacancy in my social schedule tonight, so let’s do the movies.”
Tight Ass! (Panty Dropper Series Book 3) Page 2
