Page 101 of The Man Next Door
“What’s going on with your car?” demanded her passenger.
“Crap,” muttered Zona, and tried again.
You are out of luck, said the car.
Chapter22
“IS THIS THING OUT OF GAS?”demanded the California cowboy.
“No, it’s not.” Zona swore under her breath and tried again to get the car moving.
Once more, it let her down. A car came up behind her and honked. She put on her hazard lights, let down the window, and waved him past.
The California cowboy gave a snort. “Don’t you drivers get your cars checked out before you start doing this?”
That set her face on fire. “My car’s been working fine,” she informed him.
Up until the night before. She should have stayed home and played cards with her mom and Susan.
She pulled her phone from the dashboard and put in a call to the dispatcher. “Car trouble. I need a relief driver,” she said, and gave her location. “Someone will be coming to take you the rest of the way in just a couple of minutes,” she said to Cowboy.
His look of irritation vanished, replaced by a grin. “I guess we’ll just have to get to know each other better while we’re waiting.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” she said as she unlocked the car hood. She got out to open it—a good excuse to get away from that friendly hand reaching toward her again.
By the time she’d lifted the hood, he was right there nextto her, putting a hand on her shoulder and pretending to look at the motor along with her. “Let’s see if we can figure this out.”
“I’ve got it handled,” she said, and stepped away.
“I know a few things about cars. I can help you,” he insisted. “This has got to be a sure sign that we were meant to meet.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Aww, come on now. It’s fate. You’d better let me stay here with you. You don’t want to be here all by yourself.”
With cars whizzing by. It was hardly an isolated spot. “I’ll be fine. I’ve got Triple A.”
“They could take all night to come,” he said.
There was a cheery thought.
He tried to close the distance between them, but she held up her hand. “I’m not having a good night. You really don’t want to mess with me.”
He blinked in surprise. “Whoa. PMS.”
Yep. Pissed at Male Stupidity.She gave him the same glare that used to make Gary shake in his Vans.
A black SUV flashed its lights as it passed them, then parked a few feet ahead of them in the nearby parking lot of a strip mall. Her relief driver, thank God. She had a grateful smile on her face, ready to greet him as he got out, until she recognized that light brown hair and the slightly crooked nose, the stylish glasses, and the perfect smile.
“Gary?”
Her ex looked equally surprised to see her. “Zona?”
“Zona. So that’s your name,” said the cowboy. “I guess all you rideshare drivers know each other. You two dating?”
Both Zona and Gary ignored the question.
“Have you got luggage?” Gary asked him.
