Page 56 of The Beach Shack Summer
“Yeah. It’s quiet. Peaceful. No one asking about napkin angles or counting my arm touches or—“ She caught herself.
“Counting what?”
“Nothing. Hey, can I try parking?”
Tyler recognized a deflection when he heard one, but decided to let it go. “Sure. See those lines? Pick a spot.”
She chose a space approximately forty feet from any other marking, then proceeded to approach it like she was docking a spacecraft. The truck ended up mostly between the lines, only slightly crooked.
“Nailed it,” she announced.
“It’s... not bad.”
“Not bad? It’s perfect!”
“It’s diagonal.”
“Artistically diagonal.”
Tyler laughed despite himself. “Try again. This time, use your mirrors to check the lines.”
She backed out with excruciating care, then tried again. This attempt was better—only slightly crooked.
“Improvement,” Tyler said.
“I’m a natural.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“Okay, let’s try some real roads,” Tyler said after her third perfect parallel parking job. “Just around the neighborhood.”
“Finally!” Stella checked her mirrors with exaggerated care. “I’m ready for the mean streets of suburban Laguna.”
“Easy there, Speed Racer. Residential only.”
She pulled out of the lot smoothly, confidence high from her parking success. The first few blocks went perfectly—complete stops, proper signals, staying centered in her lane.
“See? Natural driver.” She relaxed her death grip on the wheel slightly. “Maybe I should try the highway next.”
“Let’s master right turns first.”
“Right turns are easy—” She started to turn, checking her left but not her right.
A jogger appeared in the crosswalk. Another car swerved around them, honking loud and long.
“BRAKE!” Tyler said sharply.
Stella slammed the brakes and threw her hands up, covering her head. The truck lurched to a stop. The jogger waved and kept running, clearly used to tourist drivers.
“Oh God. Oh God, I almost—” Her hands were shaking as she gripped the wheel again. “I didn’t see—I could have?—“
“Pull over.” Tyler’s voice was calm now, steady. “Right here. Just ease to the curb.”
She managed to get the truck to the side of the road before her hands started really shaking. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I thought I checked?—“
“Hey.” Tyler put the truck in park for her. “Look at me.”
She kept staring straight ahead. “I almost hit someone.”
