Page 35 of Double Trouble

“I can call Aislynn,” he offers over my head, the rumble of his voice right up against my cheek. “I could probably convince her to take a drive.”

“What about my car?” I pat the reliable—well, up till now—vehicle, adjusting in his arms enough to peer up at him.

“You got AAA?”

“Maybe.” I honestly don’t know. Seems like something I’d get. I’m responsible for the most part. “I think it came with my insurance policy.”

He nods and pulls his phone out, keeping one arm wrapped around me. He gives my hip a little squeeze as he sets the phone on speaker. Ringing fills the air between us, and I watch Aislynn’s name blink across the screen.

“Excuse me,” she answers after the third ring. “Aren’t you supposed to be knocking Vans with your girl? Why are you calling me?”

A snort billows from my nose, and I quickly slap a hand over my mouth and flick my gaze to my very red-faced boyfriend.

Boyfriend. Ireallylike that identifier. Never really used it before now.

“Bit of a favor to ask,” he croaks out. “We can’t get Mad’s car to start.”

“Ahh, and you need a rescue team.”

“Or just you.”

“Ha ha. You just gonna leave the car there?”

Tanner and I share a look, and I take his cue and pull my phone out. Luckily, I’ve got my policy saved in my mobile files.

“Mad’s gonna call a tow,” he says. “Think you can come give us a lift?”

“Hmm… hang on.” Her voice grows distant, and I hear her giving the rundown of our situation to someone else. I hope it’s not Pete or Candace.

Something muffles, and she hops back on the line. “Find something to do for three hours. We’ll be there soon.”

We?I want to ask, but Tanner jumps in with a “thank you, Ais” and hangs up. I scroll through my policy with a relieved sigh, finding the AAA section and calling the number.

“So,” Tanner says when I’m done, “what are we gonna do for three hours?”

“Well, I’d say let’s makeout, but I think the tow truck is going to take our backseat.”

“Damn.” He pushes us off the car and heads toward the trunk. “How about we try to talk the place into letting us play?”

I follow his gaze to the rec center, and that familiar warmth that comes from the thought of jumping on my board envelops me.

“I’m game.”

We collect our stuff—two boards, a camera, and more drinks, then slam the trunk down and plant our butts on the curb until the tow shows. Once they take my car, Tanner grabs my hand and leads us inside.

It’s eerily quiet compared to the zoo it was just an hour ago. Almost like we’re back at Troublemakers, just the two of us and our boards.

Our feet hit the empty hallways, our steps echoing off the walls. A janitor pushes his cart around the corner and nods to us with a grin, his wheels squeaking. Tanner’s camera bag keeps bumping into my hip as we walk, but I like it. I like that he’s so good at it. I can’t wait to see what he does with my audition tape.

“You really think I could land a hardflip?” I say, cutting through the quiet.

“Hell yeah.” He tilts his head toward me. “You thinking of giving it a shot?”

“Maybe.” I lift a shoulder. “I only land it about twenty percent of the time. I think I want the odds to be more in my favor.”

“That’s what practicing is for.” He hops in front of me and starts walking backward, pretending to hold his camera. “I could get a real good wide shot of it for the tape, if you want. But I think you should surprise them during the competition.”

“If I get in.”

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