Page 38 of Wildcat
He answers, phone to his ear, but when he sees me, he pauses.
“I have to call you back,” he says and ends the call without a goodbye. “Everything okay?”
“My car won’t start. I’m going to call a tow, but is it okay if it sits in your driveway for awhile?”
He starts outside without answering. “I can take a look.”
“That’s okay,” I say, but it falls on deaf ears.
After a few minutes of staring under the hood of my car and having me try to start it again, he shakes his head. He pulls his phone from his pocket and puts it to his ear. “Hey, Frankie. It’s Leo. Can you get a tow out to my house tonight?”
“That’s not necessary,” I whisper.
He ignores me. Again. “Yeah. I think it’s the timing belt. No, not the Jag. It’s a friend’s car.” His eyes bore into mine, and I get butterflies in my stomach. Friend. Is that what we’re calling it? “Thanks.”
“We can take my car to the arena.” He takes off without giving me a chance to speak. I hustle to keep up with him in my heels.
He opens the garage door and gets in his car, starting it. I open the passenger side door, but don’t get in. “This isn’t necessary. I can call an Uber.”
“You need to get the form to the arena in the next thirty minutes, yeah?”
I check the time on my phone.Crap.
“Get in, Scarlett.”
He’s quiet as we back out of the drive and head out of his neighborhood.
“Sorry for ruining your plans tonight. Looks like Ash is having a party.” Cars line his driveway and down the street.
“Eh. We were just hanging out, getting to know the new guys a little more.” He glances over at me. “Where were you headed? A funeral?”
“What?”
“The dress. It looks like you’re going to a funeral.”
Laughing, I tug on the short, black dress showing way more thigh than would be appropriate for mourning. “I look like I’m going to a funeral?”
He mutters under his breath. Something about the dress being the death of him.
“I have a date. Or I did. I’m not sure he’s still going to be waiting for me by the time I get there.” I sent Chad a text to let him know what happened. In a way, I’m hoping he decides he doesn’t want to wait an extra thirty minutes for me. I only accepted the date because Jade vouched for him. And also—I wanted a distraction from the guy sitting beside me.
It all sounded fine until an hour ago when it hit me that it was really going to happen. I’m nervous about putting myself out there. And now I’m going to have to Uber to and from the restaurant. Just my freaking luck.
“Who’s the guy?” The car seems to speed up and the muscle in Leo’s cheek flexes.
“A friend of Jade’s boyfriend.”
“A college guy?”
“Yes.” A nervous laugh bubbles in my chest. “What’s with the third degree?”
“Just making polite conversation.” His tone still has a hard edge.
We make it to the arena in half the amount of time it would have taken me. I fling the door open. “Well, thanks for the ride. You’ll let me know where they towed my car, so I can get it?”
“I’ll have him drop it off at the arena tomorrow.”
“Wow. He can fix it that fast?”
