Page 19 of Dreams
“It’s Friday,” he said. “You’re in college. Shouldn’t you be at a party with your friends?”
“Friends?” She wanted to kick herself as soon as she said it. It sounded so pathetic. The girl with no friends. Josh’s expression didn’t change. He cocked his head to the side and gave one small nod. Taylor suddenly found the table very interesting. “Not my scene,” she muttered.
“Mine either.” He smiled and Taylor lifted her eyes to meet his.
“So, you know I’m a student, but I don’t know what you do.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly, considering something. “I work downtown,” he finally said.
Taylor let it go at that. He obviously didn’t want to talk about it and she wasn’t going to pry. Downtown probably meant he worked in one of those high-rise office buildings.
“I bet you’d look good in a suit,” she blurted, her face immediately going red. “Oh my God.” She covered her mouth with her hands. “I can’t believe I just said that.”
Josh’s smirk spread as he leaned forward with his elbows on the table. “I bet you look good in everything.”
Her face grew even hotter. It’d been a long time since someone looked at her the way Josh did. She squirmed in her seat, and Josh chuckled softly before focusing on paying the bill.
“You ready to go?” he asked.
Taylor drummed her fingers on the table nervously. She wasn’t ready to go back to the dorms yet, not when being around Josh felt so comfortable.
“Sure,” she said quietly.
Josh walked her out to her car and waited as she got in. Sparse raindrops hit the windshield. She put her keys into the ignition and turned. The car sputtered and then went silent. She tried again, pressing lightly on the gas pedal this time. The sputtering lasted a little longer, but ultimately died once again.
“Dammit!” She banged her head against the headrest.
“Dead battery?”
“Can’t be.” She sighed. “The battery’s brand new and it’s not like I left the lights on. It’s probably the alternator. It’s not the first time I’ve had problems like this.”
Josh pulled a card from his wallet, dialed a number into his phone, and then spoke to someone for a few seconds before hanging up. “Tow truck will be here soon.”
They waited for half an hour before the truck arrived. After Josh gave the driver instructions on which garage to bring the car to, he loaded it up and was on his way.
“Come on,” Josh said. “I live nearby. We can grab my car, and I’ll drive you home.”
“Yeah,” she said. “Okay.”
As they walked, his shoulder bumped into hers and she almost froze on the spot, but then forced herself to keep going.
It was getting dark, but the street lamps illuminated their path.
“Shit,” Josh said suddenly.
“What?” Taylor asked.
“You didn’t feel that? I swear there were a few raindrops.”
“You’re delusional.”
Taylor felt a raindrop hit her face. “Shit.” She looked to the sky and they started to come faster. Josh tugged on her arm, trying to get her to move.
“We aren’t far.”
Taylor started to run with him. Her glasses tried to slide from her face, but she pushed them back up her nose, her feet never slowing. She couldn’t remember the last time she ran.
Her clothes were soaked, her lungs burning, but it felt good, free. The realization hit her that she was having fun. That’s what the feeling was.
