Page 75 of Reckless Curves
Chapter Twenty-Four
That evening, Kendra was on her way to Bad Boy Autos. Marcus had called and invited her to dinner to celebrate her success. She had wanted to talk with Tom and tell him everything she was feeling, but Tom needed to be with his father. For some reason he didn’t want her there, which raised her insecurities again until he’d told her Marcus had a huge celebration planned and he would join her there later.
They had bought her song. She would soon be known across USA when Shaina turned it into a hit.
Marcus was taking her to Providence, an upscale restaurant on Melrose Avenue, but she had a stop on the way.
“I don’t know why I had to meet him at the shop,” she muttered as lightning lit up the sky. “We could’ve just met at the restaurant.”
The first raindrops started peppering the windshield when the van jerked and she heard an ominous, familiar flapping sound.
“Oh, no, no, no!” Kendra quickly pulled over on the side of the road before she ruined another rim. “I don’t believe this!” She pounded on the steering wheel. “Shit!”
She sat fuming for several minutes as cars whizzed by her and then opened her door. Rain immediately battered her, completely soaking her nice dress and ruining her makeup and hair. She saw that the driver’s side rear tire was flat. Furious, she stomped as well as she could in high heels around to the hatch and opened it.
“I can do this,” she muttered. “I can put this damn donut on it just as Tom taught me.”
Her anger gave her strength, and she succeeded in getting the donut out of the well. She leaned it against the bumper and grabbed the lug wrench. Now that she knew how to do it, loosening the lug nuts went fast. She laid them in the van and looked at the jack.
“Where do I put it?” She went over her lesson from Tom, trying to figure it out. They hadn’t got to that part in her lesson, but it didn’t take a professor to work it out. But as she made to wind up the jack the handle snapped off in her hand. “Goddamn it to hell. I should have let Tom buy me a new car with self-inflating tires. We will pick one out tomorrow—together and I with the money from the sale of my song, I can finally pay for it.” She put the donut back in the van, threw the lug wrench into the back and shut it.
Back in the driver’s seat, she shoved her soaked hair out of her eyes, and called Marcus’ number. “You better pick up.” When he didn’t, she swore and called everyone else, but no one answered their phone.
At wit’s end, Kendra leaned her head against the headrest and let out a primal scream. There was only one final number she hadn’t called. Bringing up Tom’s number, Kendra looked at his picture and traced it with her finger. He would be with his Dad... but needs must. She hit the call button.
* * *
Tom took his buzzing cellphone out of his pocket and surprise shot through him when he saw that it was Kendra. He hit the answer button. “Hi Kendra?”
“Yes. I’m sorry to bother you as I know you’re with your father, but I called everyone else and no one’s picking up. You won’t believe this, but I have another flat tire. I tried changing it, but the jack’s handle broke. I got the lug nuts off, if that counts. And I must admit I’m feeling pretty exhausted.”
Hearing her voice made Tom happy, but hearing that she was stranded again didn’t. “Where are you?”
“On Welles Street, a little past Carter Avenue.”
“I’ll be right there. You get in that fricking clunker and lock your doors.”
“I already did.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Tom jammed his cellphone back in his pocket and ran from the shop.
* * *
Kendra’s heart kicked into a fast rhythm when she saw a car pull up behind her. A woman alone in a broken-down car on a stormy night; sounded like a good start to a horror flick. When they blinked the lights twice, relief washed through her because she knew that it was Tom.
She watched in her rearview mirror as he got out of his Mustang and walked to the van. Getting out of her car, she met him at the rear. He was already soaked, as was she. Rain ran from his hair down his face and dripped from the suit he wore. He’d never looked better to Kendra.
“Get back in the van,” Tom shouted over the growling thunder. “You’re sick, remember.”
Ignoring his order, she said, “I’m almost fully recovered. I already have the lug nuts off, so it shouldn’t take long to fix it. We could use your jack.”
“Shit, I forgot to bring one to fit this wagon.”
“What do we do now?”
He didn’t say anything as his gaze traveled over her. Despite the chilly rain, she heated under his slow perusal. When his eyes returned to hers, she clearly read the desire in them.
