Page 50 of The Syphon King

“Now turn your wheel all the way right.”

“Wait, why right, that’s going to make me go into the sidewalk!”

“You’re going very close to it, not into it.”

She considered what he was saying. “You’re creating more room for me to go left!”

“Very good, Ma Petite.”

“Got it, got it. Checking mirrors again. Turning wheel,” she grunted, yanking it till it would yank no more.

“Ease off the brake now and get a feel of where you’re moving. Slowly. You want to get as close to the car behind you and the curb without hitting them.”

She snapped him a look. “I’m already too close from where I’m sitting!”

“Ma Petite.”

“Itoldyou I suck at this! Now do you see the mess in my head? This is what wrecks look like before they happen!”

“Would you like to do it on my lap?”

She held his serious gaze then faced forward. “God this is stupid,” she barely muttered, not about to get on his lap in broad daylight. “Can you look and tell me how far I have at least? This time? Till I get a feel of how it looks?”

With fun chuckles, he got out of the truck and stood at the back with his hands apart before his face. “You’ve got this much till you hit the curb.”

Finally, something she understood!

She slowly backed up, watching his hands get closer together then hit the brake at six inches.

He gave a thumbs up and returned to the truck. “Now turn your wheel—”

“Left?”

“Already a pro,” he said, getting her snort.

“Real funny,” she mumbled, yanking on the wheel. “Why don’t you have power steering in this thing, I’m already exhausted!”

“This will make you so so strong.”

A horn blew, making her jump. “Shit! Oh no!”

“Take your time, Ma Petite. They’ll wait.”

The ass-beating promise in his tone put her mind on all the wrong scenarios as she put the truck in drive and tried her best to barely press the gas. Another jerk forward brought her foot smashing the brake. “Crap!”

“You’re fine. Keep going.”

She shot forward and jolted again.

“Halfway there. When the right side of your vehicle passes their left brake light, you can start to straighten up.”

White knuckling the steering wheel, she pressed the gas, getting the same vroom/stop result, only now she wasin the road.

“Get straight now, you got it.”

The person honked again and Sahvrin opened his door and stood on the truck ledge. “We areinthefuckingmiddle of maneuveringout of this parking space!”

“Oh God, oh God.” She gave it the gas again too hard and nearly collided with an oncoming car while correcting her trajectory. Now she had another one sitting on their horn as she hit the brake. “I almost hit them, I’m sorry!”

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