Page 7 of Crash
He whipped his head to glare at her. She was unprepared for the intensity of his ire and flinched backwards. His facial expression softened slightly as he placed his hands on his hips. Quynh watched in fascination as he threw his head back with a groan.
He’s so tall.
It was hard to judge, but she guessed he was probably at least 6’4”.
“That fucking bastard.” Griffin covered his mouth with a giant hand. She watched the muscles of his biceps flex as he rubbed his hand across his five o’clock shadow.
Quynh crossed her arms as she tried to make sense of what was happening.
“Umm…can you tell me what’s happening here?”
At her words, he turned to face her, so they stood toe to toe.
“Yeah, Ricky’s a dumb bastard trying to get me back for something.”
“So…he…pranked you?”
She tried not to shrink as he looked her up and down. When their eyes met again, his anger dissipated. In the retreating light of the sun, she saw flecks of green in his eyes.
“Listen, I don’t have a tow truck. That’s Ricky’s job. He tows it, and I fix it. I’ll give you a ride into town and come back for your car later.”
She turned to look behind Shelly, finally noticing the big truck parked right behind hers.
“Yeah, ok. Let me just grab my things from the trunk.”
Making her way to the back of her car, she popped the trunk and grabbed the single bag she’d packed. She didn’t plan to stay in town for long. Honestly, Quynh didn’t think much beyond the next couple of days.
She left her suitcase and rounded to the passenger side door. Leaning in, she grabbed the heavy cat carrier from the back seat. Pickles was still snoozing inside without a care in the world. He normally hated car rides, but she’d given him some extra catnip to keep him comfortable for the ride. She might have given him just a little too much catnip in her rush to get out of her apartment. He had not made a peep in a couple of hours.
She rounded Shelly and noticed her suitcase was gone. Griffin approachedher warily.
“What is that?”
He waved his hand at the cat carrier.
“Oh, this?” She flipped the oversized carrier to show a still snoozing Pickles lying on his side. “This is Pickles, my emotional support cat.”
She could see the skeptical look in his eyes. He probably thought she was crazy, but she didn’t care. Pickles was her constant companion for the past decade. He’d been there for her through nursing school and then later when she went back for her master’s degree. Not to mention, he helped her through her failed relationships.
“Well, Pickles is not getting in my truck.”
“What?” she sputtered in surprise.
“He is not getting in my truck.”
Her jaw dropped in shock and anger. She would not leave her cat behind, even for just a few minutes. She hugged the carrier to her chest.
“I am not leaving him behind.” She balked at the suggestion.
Quynh glared at him. Making sure he knew how ridiculous his suggestion was. Judging by the muscle clenching in his jaw, he was not happy with the idea, but too fucking bad. She’d wait in the car and call for another tow truck if it came down to it.
She knew the moment he relented as the tension bled from his shoulders. Griffin dropped his hands to his sides and gave her a curt nod before turning back to the truck.
The passenger door was left open for her, and she gently placed Pickles down in the seat before climbing into the truck. At her height of 4’11”, it was a little difficult, but she made it inside the cab of the truck without falling on her face. She saw it as a win, considering how her life turned upside down in such a short time period.
She placed Pickles in the middle of the bench and reached for the seatbelt. Only then did she realize she’d left something important behind.
“Oh, shoot. I forgot my purse!”
