Page 11 of Devil's Bargain

I scramble off the hood after him and take another large bite when he’s out of view. It is a delicious sandwich!

While he unscrews the cap and pours the water in, my eyes fall to the sliver of tanned waist visible where his Henley meets his jeans. If my mouth wasn’t dry before, it certainly is now.

“That should do it,” he says, replacing the cap and straightening back up. He closes the hood, wipes his forehead with his arm, and nudges his head toward the car. “Do you want to test her now?”

“Okay.” I place the sandwich on the roof and get in the car. I crank the engine. Much to my relief, it coughs to life and fills the air behind us with a cloud of gray exhaust fumes.

Rick smiles when I squeal with delight and bounce in my seat.

“It worked, Rick. It fucking worked!”

He picks up the sandwich and leans his elbows on the open window. He holds it out for me. “Eat it!”

I glare at him as I snatch it with too much force and take an obscenely large bite. “Do you have a thing for feeding people?” It comes out muffled.

He rubs the corner of his mouth with his thumb to hide his wide smile. I amuse him. “You were hungry. I had a sandwich.”

“That simple, huh?” I say around another mouthful. “Do you make a habit of finding maidens in distress out on quiet country roads and feeding them food?”

He runs his hazel eyes over my face. “I’m a bit of a superhero, you could say.”

I take another bite, watching him while I chew. “Well, Batman. This was fun. I’ll try to break down again sometime soon. But I demand something less common than a sandwich. Think more along the lines of a three-course meal. I want a starter, a hot meal, and a mouthwatering dessert. Nothing less than a thousand calories shall do!”

He hums. Then steals the sandwich off me and takes a big bite. He grins with his mouth full. “See you around, Selina.”

My mouth opens and closes. I stick my head out of the window. “Selina? My name is April!”

He turns, his eyes sparkling in the afternoon sun. “And my name is Rick.” He opens his car door and winks before getting in and pulling the door shut.

The deep roar of his engine puts my shitty little car to shame when he pulls out, leaving me to stare after him. Or rather his car.

“See you around, Selina,” I mutter as I check my mirrors and pull away. “What the fuck did he mean by that? Of course I know his name is Rick.”

I press play on the radio and twist the knob. “You’re talking to yourself again, April. You know what they say. It’s a sign of insanity.”

Shaking my head, I laugh. “Too late for that! I’m my math teacher’s prostitute and I get rescued at the roadside by star quarterbacks in my spare time. Just a regular day in the life of April.”

My phone starts ringing. Startled, I swerve on the road and let out a scream.

I hit answer. “Jesus fuck! you could have killed me!”

Dallas laughs on the other end. “Let me put you on speaker phone. Where the fuck are you?”

“I’m on my way.”

I come to a stoplight.

“Are you driving all the way from China?”

I tap my fingers on the steering wheel while I stare at the light and practice my psychokinesis. Nothing happens. It’s still red. “It’s a long story. My car stalled, but it’s up and running again.”

“Thank fuck for that! You don’t want to end up inside some old man’s trunk.”

I laugh as the light turns amber. “You’re so dramatic.”

“It could happen. Women at the roadside are vulnerable. Your engine stalls, and before you know it, you’re handcuffed to a cement floor in some dingy basement.”

“Who are you talking to?” Ben asks in the background. “Is it April? Tell her to hurry the fuck up.”

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