Page 18 of Leashed

What did she want from him? Part of her wanted to toss out a request for some silly prize, knowing he’d likely scoff and forget about it by the time his hangover set in.

But another part of her, a whisper deep in the back of her mind, wanted more than a stuffed turtle or a novelty mug. Despite all the warning bells he should be giving off to her, there was something about this snarky, growly guy she was drawn to, a pull she felt every time they crossed paths. And while he was everything she’d been warned against for years by her mother, it wasn’t like she was looking for a relationship. She had Nixon, after all. But there was one thing she’d lacked enough of throughout her life.

Decision made, she extended her hand to him. “I know what I want my prize to be.”

He cocked his head, studying her hand. “What, a ring?”

“No. A handshake. Between friends.”

*

Hunting for aclean section of the rag in his hand, Bo gave his fingers a quick wipe down and yanked his buzzing phone from his back pocket. Waiting until the unknown number went to voice mail, he sauntered over to his truck and pulled a fresh pack of cigarettes from the glove box, listening to the message with mild interest. He flipped back to the missed number and called it, lighting a smoke and taking a deep drag. “Hey. So what’s wrong with your car?”

“I’m so sorry to bother you,” Sage replied, the sound of chatter in the background almost drowning her out. “Nixon’s out of town and not answering his phone, and I found your card in my purse. The one with the orange and blue we didn’t like? Anyway, one of the guys in my Restoration Ethics course said I’ll need to get it towed into a shop, but I don’t even know what shop to have it towed to. And I figured you would know somewhere close and reliable.”

He sifted through her rapid speech and exhaled. “The car,” he said slowly. “What’s it doing?”

“It just won’t start up. I think I left the driver-side light on when I got here this morning, so I don’t know if that’s it. I’m so sorry to bother you at work, but I thought maybe you might know a place that won’t charge me an arm and a leg.” Sage’s words tumbled out before she went silent, giving him a moment to process.

He tossed his cigarette down and dug it into the gravel with his boot. “Did anyone help you jump it?”

She went quiet.

“Cables,” he clarified. “Is there someone there that can give you a boost?”

“Oh!” she exclaimed. “Yes. I’m sure someone can do that. Thank you so m—”

“Not so fast,” he muttered, pulling his phone from his ear to check the time. “Here’s what you’re going to do. Get someone to help you boost it and let it run for twenty minutes. Then you’re going to turn your car off, give it ten or fifteen, and try to start it again.” He listened with amusement as she repeated his instructions back to him slowly. “Are you writing this down?”

“Yes.”

Holding a hand up to a waiting tech, he strode through the shop into the parts department and began scanning the walls. “If it starts, text me. If it doesn’t, call me. I should be wrapping up here in an hour or so. You need to be anywhere?”

“I was going to head to the library for a few hours before close, but it’s not necessary,” she said, her speech returning to its regular speed. “I appreciate this so much, Bo. Thank you.”

“Wait until you’re mobile again before you thank me,” he muttered, closing out the call and leaning across the counter to get a better view of the shelf piled with batteries.

*

Sage shoved herhands deep into her coat pockets, her fingers numbing from the damp cold. “Are you sure you don’t want me to hold the flashlight?”

Bo slid the wrench he’d been using into the back pocket of his cargos and glanced over at her. “You’re fucking shivering,” he stated, grunting as he hoisted the old battery from her car and set it down. “I’ll be done in ten. Head inside and warm up.”

Her guilt was already sky-high over her car’s dead battery and the second phone call she’d reluctantly made to him. She couldn’t leave him to freeze outside alone while he saved her hundreds of dollars in towing and shop expenses.

Choosing to ignore his instructions, she wrapped her arms tight around herself, pulling the sleeves of her coat over her hands while she watched him haul a new battery from the back of his truck and lower it into place. Absently tugging an elastic from his wrist, he put his long hair back into a ponytail and knelt on the bumper, narrowly dodging the hood while he reattached the wires. After a few more minutes passed, he tapped his knuckles on the frame. “Start it.”

She raced to the driver side and pushed the key into the ignition. “Okay. Step back, please.”

His low chuckle cut through the quiet of the empty campus parking lot. “It’s not going to explode. Start ’er up so I can make sure the alternator isn’t fucked.”

The car revved to life and she sank back in her seat with relief. “Oh my god, you did it,” she called over the familiar knocking of the engine. “Thank you so much.”

The hood of the car dropped closed with a bang and he popped open the passenger door. “I’ll follow you to the library.” Without waiting for a response, he slammed it shut and straightened, leaving her with the view of him pulling a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket, the low ride of his cargos definitely putting the laws of gravity to the test.

Blinking away the unexpectedly appealing visual, she slipped her phone from her purse, checked for any word from Nixon, and pulled onto the road. The lights of Bo’s truck reflected in her rearview mirror as she wound through the streets and turned into an open space along the road. He pulled into a spot behind her and turned off the engine, dropping his cigarette to the ground when he exited.

“It’s running great,” she said, hefting her purse and book bag onto her shoulder. “I’ll stop by a bank machine on my way home and pick up the cash for the battery, if that’s okay.”

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