Page 135 of Nothing Like the Movies

“Hang on for a sec,” I said, trying again to get it to start. “It just needs a minute.”

Dammit, dammit, dammit.

Liz got out and stepped onto the curb, while I kept trying the same things to get the car to start, even though they weren’t working.Insane much?I could feel the valet glaring at me from his spot beside the car.

“I don’t know what the problem is,” I said, repeatedly turning the key like an idiot.

“Sir, we need this car out of the valet lane,” the valet—Gregor, according to his name tag—said.

Oh, no shit?

“I’m trying, buddy,” I snapped, wanting him to disappear.

“We cannot have it stalled here.” The valet looked over the top of the car and gestured to Liz, like she had the power to make it magically start again.

“Neither can we,” she said, her voice loud. “We’re doing our best here.”

“Sir, you’re going to have to push it out of the way,” the guy said to me, pointing to a spot farther down the street. “Over there, and then you can have it towed.”

I could sense the eyes of other customers on me, as well as Liz’s, and I was mortified. She was probably so embarrassed to be seen with me.

With all this.

“Well, I’m going to need your help, then,” I growled at Valet Dude, gritting my teeth and wanting to rage. “Can you at least get in the car and steer while I push?”

“That’s against policy, I’m afraid,” he said, looking very happy with that fact.

Yeah, you should be afraid, you dick.

“I will,” Liz said, coming around the car. “But I have to say, you are very not helpful, Gregor.”

I would’ve laughed at that, but I was too busy climbing out of the car and being up-close-and-personal with all the onlookers who were staring. I could see in my peripheral vision that my tie was wonky, and my face burned as I said to Liz, “I’ll call Mickey, because you arenothelping while dressed like that.”

“Yes, I am,” she said, rolling her eyes as if the thought of not helping was ludicrous.

“No, you’renot,” I repeated, rollingmyeyes.

“Shut up and push, Bennett, while I steer,” she said, putting her hands on my chest and giving me a little push out of the way. “And quit looking so grumpy.”

God, I love her.

I looked down into her stubborn face and said,“Fine.”

She climbed into the car and put it in neutral, and when I yelled “go,” she steered while I pushed. It was a warm evening, so I was sweating my ass off when the car was finally parked and Liz got out.

“I amsosorry about this,” I said, taking the keys and setting my hand on her lower back, guiding her toward the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.

“It doesn’t matter.” She shrugged and said, “It’s not even your car.”

I called a tow truck, and once it was arranged, I held out the keys to Gregor, that fuck. “We have a reservation inside, and the tow truck will be here in an hour for the car. Here are the keys.”

Gregor looked at the keys like they were filthy. “I’m sorry, sir, but you’ll have to stay with the car until the driver arrives.”

“But we’ll miss our reservation,” I said calmly, refusing to let my anger get the best of me. “I already told the driver to get the keys from the valet.”

“It’s company policy—you have to stay with the car.”

“Can we change our reservation?” Liz asked. “We’ll be in as soon as the car is picked up.”

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