"Then can you drop me off at Barron's? I'll borrow his shoes."
Sofia groaned in annoyance. "Can't you just apologize to Maria?"
"No, she's - uh...pretty pissed," I finished, embarrassed and ashamed of my behavior with her. I wasn't used to feeling this contrite, and I didn't like it one bit. "I'll wait until she calms down."
Sofia clenched her jaw as she stared a hole in me. Indecision was once again written on her face as she regarded her options.
"Oh, God, fine!" She held a finger up to me. "But only because their apartment is on the way. Now can you get a move on?"
As she drove the short distance to Barron's, I again breathed in her unique scent. She didn't have an air freshener in her car; she didn't need one. She kept her car clean, and the only scent coming from inside the confines of her vehicle was an intoxicating mix of watermelon and a subtle hint of flowers.
"What are you doing?" Sofia asked, glancing quickly at my wriggling form before observing the road again.
I tugged at the collar of the hoodie. "It's itchy." I rubbed my back against the seat of her car.
"Maybe you have crabs."
"I donothave crabs. I get tested every six months." I was indignant that she would even suggest it. Surely I wasn't that much of a playboy?
"Please wash those clothes before you return them."
"I'll send it off to get dry cleaned."
"It's a t-shirt, hoodie, and sweatpants; they don't need to be dry cleaned. Just pop them in your washing machine."
I rolled my lips in and folded my arms. I flushed slightly when Sofia glanced at me again in the heavy silence.
"Youdohave a washing machine, don't you?" She probed.
"'Course I do."
"Oh my God, you don't know how to use it."
I huffed in annoyance at her aghast tone. "Why learn when you can pay people to do it?"
"Wow."
I ignored her as the flush crept up my ears.
I cleared my throat. "That painting on your wall is actually really good," I offered.
Sofia side-eyed me but stayed silent.
"Why are you an elementary school art teacher when you can be doing real art?"
Sofia let out a choked gasp. "Iliketeaching art to kids, and I consider what I dorealart."
"Yeah, but...isn't elementary school art just paper mache and learning the difference between primary and secondary colors?"
Without warning, Sofia jerked the wheel of her car and pulled onto the side of the road. With a fierce pull, she jerked the hand break up before pointing at my door. "Get out," she snapped.
I held my hands up in apology. Sofia's brown eyes were seething with barely controlled rage. "What did I say?"
"I let you into my apartment out of the goodness of my heart."
I snorted at that, but she ignored me and continued. "I let you borrow Brian's clothes and offer to drop you at Barron and Eden's. Yet you've done nothing but insult me," she spat out.
"Who's Brian?"
