tip?”
Feeling as if it was a total exercise in futility, Lily dug into her purse, and she came out the other side with three singles and a handful of change. Wishing she had more, Lily still offered all that he had and hung her head.
“I’ll take that.”
As soon as he ripped the money from her hands, Lily felt as if she was defeated. Robbed and still having to make way on her own, she turned from the cab when the driver took hold of her arm.
‘What do you think you’re---?”
“Fare of the day is a quarter,” he said. “The rest is still yours.”
Lily stood stunned as he handed her back the rest of the cash, and she folded her fingers around the money as he eased her into the back seat with a wink.
“Hang tight,” he said. “I’ll get you where you need to go.”
“Hold up! Did you see what I’m offering?”
The suited man waved his brand of spare change before the driver’s eyes again. Lily started to step from the cab when she heard the door click and the driver laugh.
“Sure the next one will want it,” he said. “That and more. But this fare’s taken.”
The man moved back behind his wheel, and he hit the gas as he glanced over his shoulder.
“Where to, Muñequita?”
“Think you can be so familiar?” Lily challenged.
“You remind me of my own little one,” he said.
“Your own little---”
“My daughter, Miss,” he said. “She is on the cusp of an internship with the Kaufmann Group. Think one day she will be a fine lawyer. But it took some doing to get her foot through the door.”
Feeling more at ease, Lily pressed her fingers to the back of his seat, her lips moving to the man’s ears as she spoke softly.
“I’m just looking for a chance, too,” she said. “Here.”
Fishing a business card from her knock off Coach Bag, she watched the man absorb the address before he smiled.
“From what I hear, Bingham and Pond only takes the best,” he said. “So you must be something special.”
“Not sure of that, but---”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” he said. “You fought your way into my cab, no?”
“Yes,” Lily said. “I’m still trying to make a mark.”
“In a get up like that,” he started. “Already a few steps ahead.”
She knew it looked right when she pushed the items together, and the driver patted her cheek as he lowered his eyes.
“I’ll get you where you need to go,” he said. “Just hang on.”
Feeling as if she could trust him, Lily clung to the leather at her back and let her eyes drift through the window. One high rise after another came into view, and she started to rest into cab when the car came to a stop, and the driver curled around to open her door.
“Here we are, Muñequita.”
Minding the pet name much less, Lily slipped into his arms and steadied her stance around her heels. At the first step, she started to totter, but the driver caught her in his arms and ran his fingers through her flattened hair.
“You will kill it,” he said. “I am sure of it.”
Squaring her shoulders, Lily started towards the revolving door when she turned back and grabbed his chin.
“I
Feeling as if it was a total exercise in futility, Lily dug into her purse, and she came out the other side with three singles and a handful of change. Wishing she had more, Lily still offered all that he had and hung her head.
“I’ll take that.”
As soon as he ripped the money from her hands, Lily felt as if she was defeated. Robbed and still having to make way on her own, she turned from the cab when the driver took hold of her arm.
‘What do you think you’re---?”
“Fare of the day is a quarter,” he said. “The rest is still yours.”
Lily stood stunned as he handed her back the rest of the cash, and she folded her fingers around the money as he eased her into the back seat with a wink.
“Hang tight,” he said. “I’ll get you where you need to go.”
“Hold up! Did you see what I’m offering?”
The suited man waved his brand of spare change before the driver’s eyes again. Lily started to step from the cab when she heard the door click and the driver laugh.
“Sure the next one will want it,” he said. “That and more. But this fare’s taken.”
The man moved back behind his wheel, and he hit the gas as he glanced over his shoulder.
“Where to, Muñequita?”
“Think you can be so familiar?” Lily challenged.
“You remind me of my own little one,” he said.
“Your own little---”
“My daughter, Miss,” he said. “She is on the cusp of an internship with the Kaufmann Group. Think one day she will be a fine lawyer. But it took some doing to get her foot through the door.”
Feeling more at ease, Lily pressed her fingers to the back of his seat, her lips moving to the man’s ears as she spoke softly.
“I’m just looking for a chance, too,” she said. “Here.”
Fishing a business card from her knock off Coach Bag, she watched the man absorb the address before he smiled.
“From what I hear, Bingham and Pond only takes the best,” he said. “So you must be something special.”
“Not sure of that, but---”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” he said. “You fought your way into my cab, no?”
“Yes,” Lily said. “I’m still trying to make a mark.”
“In a get up like that,” he started. “Already a few steps ahead.”
She knew it looked right when she pushed the items together, and the driver patted her cheek as he lowered his eyes.
“I’ll get you where you need to go,” he said. “Just hang on.”
Feeling as if she could trust him, Lily clung to the leather at her back and let her eyes drift through the window. One high rise after another came into view, and she started to rest into cab when the car came to a stop, and the driver curled around to open her door.
“Here we are, Muñequita.”
Minding the pet name much less, Lily slipped into his arms and steadied her stance around her heels. At the first step, she started to totter, but the driver caught her in his arms and ran his fingers through her flattened hair.
“You will kill it,” he said. “I am sure of it.”
Squaring her shoulders, Lily started towards the revolving door when she turned back and grabbed his chin.
“I
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