Chapter One
Hal
Commuting into the city was no big deal when I worked at my old office. It was a drive, but I hadn’t minded it. Plus, the office was close to my bestie Ernie’s house, so, on days I didn’t feel like driving, I could just stay with him.
The writing had been on the wall that the transfer was inevitable for my department, and I began looking for places closer to the new office once the rumor mill began. Technically, it was in the same city, but it was across town and would make my commute an hour on a good day. No, thank you.
Quite a few people quit when the transfer announcement became official. That didn’t cross my mind. No one would say my job was my passion, but I didn’t mind office work. The hours were good, the pay was fine, and, when my first new paycheck hit, it would include a nice little raise.
Lucky I started looking early, though, because decent places weren’t easy to find, which left me moving right before I started my new position. It was still unclear if my place was “decent” or not. Three flights of stairs weren’t great, but not the seven a few of the places I toured required. It was dated, a couple cabinets off hinges, a piece of the bathroom tile missing, a cracked toilet seat…the list went on and on. But the rent was within my budget, the commute decent, and they allowed a single house pet if I got one.
I was still on the unsure side of getting a pet. I loved animals. Nothing would make me happier than coming home and being greeted by a cute little ball of fur. Pet ownership was so much more than that and could get expensive. My buddy Ridge got paid pretty well to stay at people’s homes with their pets when they were out of town. That was outside my current budget.Not to mention vet bills and being available to give them all the attention they needed.
Before moving, I’d stayed in the city enough to know that it was louder and different than living in someone’s garage apartment. I already missed my backyard and the quiet that came with having more than a wall separating me from my neighbor.
This part of town was intense, too. It had traffic, sirens, and my building was very alive; the paper-thin walls keeping nobody’s secrets. I hadn’t been able to sleep last night and was exhausted. It didn’t help that I needed to make one more run to my old place to grab the last of my things. On my way home, I followed my GPS to a twenty-four-hour pharmacy, hoping to snag a pair of earplugs. What a mistake.
The rain was coming down at a decent clip. Driving in a storm had never been my favorite thing, but doing so in the dark in a place I was unfamiliar with was a new level of awful. And the GPS was a hot mess, sending me to a road closure, twice. I eventually found my way there, but I wasput a fork in medone and still needed to find my way back.
There were no commuters at this time of night, traffic no big deal, which was good because when I hit a pothole and blew out my tire, I lost control for a few terrifying seconds. I limped to the curb, parked in a tow zone, and got out. How ironic to break down next to a tow zone, when a tow wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
I had many skills. Fixing a flat was not one of them. I wasn’t even sure where my spare was or if I had a jack. Because I had roadside assistance, I told myself I didn’t need to. I called the 800 number, and the bot said it was going to be an hour’s wait. Fuck. I hung up.
There had to be another solution, but the more I thought about it, the more I saw there wasn’t one. Not all my friends hadcars, and waking one who did to come get me on a work night would make me a crappy friend. This would’ve been a good time to have a daddy. Fine. All times would, but I really needed one now.
I gave up and dialed the 800 number again as the rain fell on me. I had left my umbrella at the apartment. Some help that was. As I waited on hold, I squatted to snap a few pictures of the damage. It looked like the rims were fine, but it was best to document in case they weren’t and I needed to file an insurance claim.
The road was eerily silent until it wasn’t. A truck barreled down the road as if it wasn’t navigating a torrential downpour and the streets weren’t falling apart. He hit a puddle, splashing water up at me with a force I wasn’t expecting. The next thing I knew, I was looking down at my phone as it fell right into the storm drain.
“Asshole,” I muttered.
I got on the ground and tried to reach in, but the water was rushing too hard, too fast. It was long gone. That didn’t stop me from trying, until a car’s headlights shone on me, and I froze. A car had stopped for me.Please, please let this be a good guy and not someone trying to steal my wallet.
A man got out, dressed in a suit and holding an umbrella. He did not look like he belonged in this part of town. If anything, he was from where the apartment buildings had doormen and people manning the elevators. But also, he was hot.
“Do you need any help?”
Did I? Of course, but why would someone in a suit think they could help me? Was I judging? A million percent, and I was instantly mad at myself for it. So I said, “No, I’ve got this.”
He stepped closer, holding the umbrella over me and not him. I looked up, and something told me he was safe. His eyes,maybe. Or his smile? Whatever it was, in that moment, I knew everything was going to be okay.
“Actually, can I take it back? I’d really like some help. I was going to call roadside assistance, but my phone went into the drain, and I can’t get it out.”
He glanced down at the water rushing in. “Yeah, it’s probably long gone. Why don’t you stand up? Get in your car, and I’ll take care of this for you.”
“I’ll hold the flashlight.” It was the least I could offer.
He knew exactly what to do. If he had said he was a mechanic in a former life, I’d have believed him. He made quick work of changing the tire, always stopping when he realized the umbrella was over him and not over me. He insisted he was helping me, and if I got sick, that would go against everything he was trying to accomplish.
He was so sweet, so kind. So daddy.
“There, you’re all set.” He stood up. “You’ll need a new tire soon. Donuts aren’t good for long.”
“Thank you.” I was about to burst into tears, the adrenaline of all that happened wearing off.
“You okay?”
“Yes. No. Yes…no, I’m not. I had to move at the last minute. The apartment is pretty crappy. I need to fix a lot, and I know my friends have told me repeatedly that the landlord needs to do it, but I don’t think they will. It’s loud, and I miss my old apartment, which was quiet and calm and had a nice little lady who brought me cookies. And my tire is flat, and I’m tired…”
