“It takes time.”
“Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness.”
Snapping my head up, I was a little shocked to see Evan keeping pace with me. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you,” he said with a shrug, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. “Damn, it’s cold today.”
“It is November,” I said, quickening my steps.
“Yeah, November. Not January.”
I didn’t answer, was too focused on my parked car and shelter from the wind. I hoped, in vain, that he would figure out my mood and just fade into the scenery, but instead, he continued walking beside me, jumping into the passenger side of my car once I hit the unlock button on my keychain.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded, standing in the cold wind with my door open.
“I need a ride,” he said, yanking the seatbelt across his body. “Please.”
Groaning, I tossed my bag into the back seat. “What if I have to work?”
“You don’t,” he said, grinning. “I was in there this morning and I asked.”
“I could have other things to do.”
Leaning across the counsel, he stared at me with his dark eyes. “Do you?”
“I…” I said, my mouth wide open like an idiot, while my brain stuttered, not able to come up with a single excuse or lie. Giving up, I climbed into the car and started the engine. “I guess not.”
“Excellent,” he said. “I’ll give you a couple bucks for gas.”
“I don’t need it,” I said as I pulled out of the parking lot and to the intersection. “Where am I going?”
“Plum Park Apartments,” he said as he settled back into his seat, lifting a hand to the radio. “Thanks.”
“Where’s your car?” I asked as I entered traffic.
“I don’t have one at the moment,” he said, flipping through radio stations. “I have a motorcycle and it is just too damn cold to ride.”
Ugh, motorcycle. I hated them. “So, how did you get to campus?”
“The bus,” he said, settling on a station and cranking the volume.
Turning the volume down, I chanced a quick glance in his direction. “Why not take the bus to the apartment complex?”
“Not as much fun,” he said, turning the volume up again.
Groaning, I hit the power button, bathing the car in silence. “So, you take the bus to campus just to have me drive you home?”
“You’re not driving me home,” he said. “I live above the garage.”
I stopped for a red light and glared at him full on. “Why are we going, then?”
He grinned as he pressed the power button and set the volume low. “My aunt manages them and needs me to check out an issue.”
“An issue?” I asked as the light changed and I accelerated.
“Yeah – a clogged sink or something in one of the apartments.”
“Wait – are you, like, a…maintenance guy or something?” I asked.
“Or something,” he said, gazing out the window. “The regular maintenance guys are at the other complex she manages on the other side of town. I just fill in when she needs it.”
“Oh,” I said, turning left to skirt the downtown area. “So, let me get this straight – you work at the garage, at Rusty’s, and as a maintenance guy?”
He snorted a laugh. “I only help out with the maintenance shit when Susie needs help.”
“Susie?”
“Susan,” he said with another lift of the shoulder. “My aunt.”
Out of questions, I focused on traffic until the sign for the apartment complex came into view. I turned into the lot and waited for him to direct me.
“Follow the road around that way,” he said, pointing. “The apartment is in the back.”
I did as he asked and stopped in front of a building that housed at least six units. As the engine idled, I waited for him to get out so I could escape to my own apartment.
“Come on,” he said as he unbuckled his belt.
“Excuse me?”
“I’ll need your help.”
Stymied, I sat where I was as he opened his door. “I know nothing
“Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness.”
Snapping my head up, I was a little shocked to see Evan keeping pace with me. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you,” he said with a shrug, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. “Damn, it’s cold today.”
“It is November,” I said, quickening my steps.
“Yeah, November. Not January.”
I didn’t answer, was too focused on my parked car and shelter from the wind. I hoped, in vain, that he would figure out my mood and just fade into the scenery, but instead, he continued walking beside me, jumping into the passenger side of my car once I hit the unlock button on my keychain.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded, standing in the cold wind with my door open.
“I need a ride,” he said, yanking the seatbelt across his body. “Please.”
Groaning, I tossed my bag into the back seat. “What if I have to work?”
“You don’t,” he said, grinning. “I was in there this morning and I asked.”
“I could have other things to do.”
Leaning across the counsel, he stared at me with his dark eyes. “Do you?”
“I…” I said, my mouth wide open like an idiot, while my brain stuttered, not able to come up with a single excuse or lie. Giving up, I climbed into the car and started the engine. “I guess not.”
“Excellent,” he said. “I’ll give you a couple bucks for gas.”
“I don’t need it,” I said as I pulled out of the parking lot and to the intersection. “Where am I going?”
“Plum Park Apartments,” he said as he settled back into his seat, lifting a hand to the radio. “Thanks.”
“Where’s your car?” I asked as I entered traffic.
“I don’t have one at the moment,” he said, flipping through radio stations. “I have a motorcycle and it is just too damn cold to ride.”
Ugh, motorcycle. I hated them. “So, how did you get to campus?”
“The bus,” he said, settling on a station and cranking the volume.
Turning the volume down, I chanced a quick glance in his direction. “Why not take the bus to the apartment complex?”
“Not as much fun,” he said, turning the volume up again.
Groaning, I hit the power button, bathing the car in silence. “So, you take the bus to campus just to have me drive you home?”
“You’re not driving me home,” he said. “I live above the garage.”
I stopped for a red light and glared at him full on. “Why are we going, then?”
He grinned as he pressed the power button and set the volume low. “My aunt manages them and needs me to check out an issue.”
“An issue?” I asked as the light changed and I accelerated.
“Yeah – a clogged sink or something in one of the apartments.”
“Wait – are you, like, a…maintenance guy or something?” I asked.
“Or something,” he said, gazing out the window. “The regular maintenance guys are at the other complex she manages on the other side of town. I just fill in when she needs it.”
“Oh,” I said, turning left to skirt the downtown area. “So, let me get this straight – you work at the garage, at Rusty’s, and as a maintenance guy?”
He snorted a laugh. “I only help out with the maintenance shit when Susie needs help.”
“Susie?”
“Susan,” he said with another lift of the shoulder. “My aunt.”
Out of questions, I focused on traffic until the sign for the apartment complex came into view. I turned into the lot and waited for him to direct me.
“Follow the road around that way,” he said, pointing. “The apartment is in the back.”
I did as he asked and stopped in front of a building that housed at least six units. As the engine idled, I waited for him to get out so I could escape to my own apartment.
“Come on,” he said as he unbuckled his belt.
“Excuse me?”
“I’ll need your help.”
Stymied, I sat where I was as he opened his door. “I know nothing
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