Page 2 of Crash
“The vibe wasn’t there. I didn’t even want sex. I don’t know, man. She didn’t have any drive or goals. Always on social media, not attentive to the relationship. Wasn’t for me.”
“I hear ya. When I found my wife, I wasn’t going to let her go. Took me three years to get her to say yes, but she was worth the fight.”
A loud, obnoxious ringtone blares from my phone, and I know it belongs to the one woman I love but annoys the hell out of me. “What is it, Court?”
“Damn, bruh. Can’t your loving little sister just call to say hey and hope you’re having a good day?”
“Not you. Spill it.” I smile, knowing my sister all too well for this to just be a casual call.
“Can you please come pick me up from the studio? My car won’t start. The auto club is on the way to tow it to the dealership.”
Bingo! And there it is.
I chuckle. “Can’t you get someone to take you home, sis? I barely finished a double and I just want to go to bed.”
“Everyone is already gone. We are the last ones to leave.”
“We? Who else is with you?”
“No one but Tessa. We rode together, so you’ll have to take her home, too. Please?”
I run my fingers over my forehead in a frustrated manner. “Fine, I’ll be there. Don’t add any extra stops either.”
“Thanks. How long before you can get here?”
“I’m headed back to the station now, so give me twenty minutes.”
“Okay. See you soon.” She disconnects.
I stare blankly at the phone.
“Say, if you’re up to it, a few of us are going to the bar,” Caleb says, when my call ends.
I smile at Caleb’s suggestion. “Thanks, but after I get my sister and her friend, I’m gonna go home, take a hot shower, and commence uninterrupted time off for forty-eight hours as planned. This is just a minor glitch. Even though she’s a major pain.” I stow my phone back into the holster while Caleb backs into the parking spot, puts the gear into the resting position, and shuts off the engine.
“Well, the offer’s there if you change your mind,” he says.
I shrug at the final attempt while we walk into the station to clock out. After I turn in all of our paperwork, I swipe my badge and head to retrieve my little sister and her best friend, Tessa.
“THANKS,AUSTIN.IOWE YOU BIG,”Courtney says, as she slides into the passenger seat of my Jeep after Tessa hops in the back.
I can’t help but notice Tessa’s smooth, long brown legs and the little shorts she’s wearing.
Refocusing on Courtney’s statement, I chime in on her bucket. “How many times have I told you to get rid of that piece of junk?”
“But it’s paid for, and I don’t want a car note.”
“Then pay cash for one. You have more than enough money to find a decent automobile.”
“But I’m saving that money for something. Are you going to crack open your piggy bank to help me?”
Courtney has a way to argue about anything. Our parents said she should’ve been a lawyer, but she instead chose the life of a professional dancer. She and Tessa are part of a dance ensemble and have performed with some of the top artists in the music industry.
“You know I’m saving for a house. So, sorry. This piggy bank is closed.”
“Then I’m keeping my car. That reminds me, what are you doing tomorrow night?”
I hesitate to ask the obvious but can’t resist. “Why?”
