Page 100 of The Man Next Door
“I’ve been told I’m pretty funny,” he said. “Seriously, what’s a pretty woman like you doing working as a HopIn driver?”
“Earning money, like all the rest of the world,” she said.
Her stony tone of voice should have been a clue. Mr. California Cowboy wasn’t good at picking up clues. “Maybe we were meant to meet. You know, like in one of those chick movies.”
“Or maybe you just needed a ride home from the airport.”
“A pretty woman like you shouldn’t have to be driving strange men around.”
Like you?
“Why don’t you have a sugar daddy taking care of you?”
“Not into sugar daddies,” she said, then added, “Not into men.” That ought to shut him up.
“Oh, come on now. You’re not into women. I can tell.”
She frowned at him. “I think this conversation needs to end.”
“Just trying to be friendly,” he grumbled, and settled into a pout.
Good. Maybe he’d pout all the way to his destination.
He didn’t. They were almost to the freeway exit when he tried again. “I’m really a nice guy.”
Good for you.She probably wasn’t going to get a big tip from this man, but there was no sense reducing bad tip to no tip, so she kept her smart remark to herself.
Instead, she said, “I’m sure you have more than one woman in your life who’s crazy about you.”Flattery and diplomacy, good job, Zona.
“Yeah, but I haven’t metthe one. You know?”
There was nothe one. She’d found that out the hard way.
“But maybe I have. Right here, tonight.”
“Sorry, not interested.”
“I know how to show a woman a good time.”
“I bet there’s somebody waiting right now for you to call her.”
“There’s not. Honest.”
They got off the freeway and started down Grand Avenue. Another ten minutes and she’d be rid of him.
“No, really. There’s no one,” he said.
They stopped at a signal. He stretched out his arm and rested his hand on the top of her seat. She could feel her blood pressure rising. If this little Twinkie put his hand on her shoulder, he was going to lose it.
“I think you’d better keep your hand on your side of the car,” she said sternly.
“Hey, just stretching,” he said with a frown, and pulled it back.
The signal turned green and she put her foot on the gas to move the car forward. The car said,No. Not going anywhere.
Oh, no. No, no, no.She pushed again.
Still not moving, said the car.
