Page 13 of Phoenix Rising

"Maybe I'll just die here."

"Planning your funeral already?" a smooth voice asked.

Lucinda had been so consumed by her situation she didn't even notice the black Jeep that rolled up next to her car.

Chief Thompson leaned out the window casually, looking Lucinda up and down.

Oh god, this wasnotwhat she needed. Her hair was wild, and her clothes were already covered in dirt from the abandoned lot. Blood rushed to her cheeks as she looked at the attractive fire chief. She tried to smooth her hair down to the best of her ability.

"I have a flat," she said dumbly.

"I see that." Thompson looked like she was trying to fight a smile. "Did you call a truck?"

"What? You don't think I know how to change a tire?"

Thompson raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you?"

Lucinda pressed her lips together. "No, I don't."

"I imagine you never get your feathers ruffled like this." She chuckled and got out of the car. "You got a spare?"

Lucinda hurried around to pop her trunk, but before she could return, the fire chief was already digging the tire out.

"What are you doing, Chief Thompson?" Lucinda squeaked.

"Becky's fine."

Becky opened the back of her Jeep, taking out afew tools. "I'm changing your tire, Doctor. What's it look like?"

Lucinda twisted her fingers in her hands. "You don't have to do that, Chief?—"

"Becky," she corrected, a soft smile spreading across her face. "We're outside the office. Besides, this is what I'm paid the big bucks for."

Lucinda was dumbstruck. Were they not in a feud? Was Rebecca Thompson not Lucinda's sworn rival? That's how it had seemed in the city hall meeting this morning. Becky had torn her presentation apart and left its remains on the floor. When Becky had said she enjoyed their conversation, Lucinda thought she was being sarcastic. But here Becky was helping her when she was at her wit’s end. This woman confused her endlessly.

"What happened? Did you hit something in the road?" Becky kneeled in the dirt and cranked up the jack below Lucinda's car.

"Must've." Lucinda sighed. "Someone pointed it out on my way home. I knew I was fucked once I realized my mobile had died."

Becky laughed. "Oh, I didn't know the posh doctor swore!"

Lucinda rolled her eyes. "Only when I'm very fucking upset." She kicked the dirt. "Lucinda."

Becky stopped her work and glanced up at her. "Hm?"

"Lucinda. Since we're out of the office." She motioned to the empty wasteland around her.

Becky licked her lips and nodded. "Seems like you've had a tough day. This was the perfect thing to top it off."

"Something for the history books, I suppose."

Becky nodded, letting the scrape of metal fill the silence between them.

"I liked your ideas this morning." Becky continued to work like she hadn't just uprooted Lucinda's whole perception of the city hall meeting.

"You did?"

"Yes." She didn't elaborate.

---