I can hear a cartoon in the background, andGaby belting out the lyrics. This is as much family as I can muster. Every time I have a day like this, it’s hard not to feel like maybe I should have this one day, and then I think of my mother and what good love ever did her, and I’m sobered.
* * *
The shrill of my phone wakes me, and I’m on high alert, throwing off my covers, my eyes darting around the room. I reach for the phone on my nightstand. It’s a number I don’t know. My digital clock on my dresser reads three a.m. Who could be calling at this god-forsaken hour?
I press the answer button. “Aidan Wild,” I greet.
“Aidan Wild,” a woman slurs, attempting to imitate my voice.
“Who is this?”
“Florence,” she blubbers.
“I think you have the wrong number, Florence.” I’m losing my patience.
“Can you come get me? My car broke down.”
“Florence, should you not be calling someone, you know?”
“I know you. You said we’re like fire and water.” She giggles.
I frown. “Ocea?”
“Yeah.” She laughs again, and so does another woman in the background.
“Where are you?” She stumbles over a few words, but I know the club on the other side of town. Not a very good side of town. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“Great. See you there. Here.” She falls into a fit of laughter and cuts the call.
When I pull up outside the club, three women are leaning against her car. As I near them, I notice it’s the doctor and another woman I don’t recognize. Ocea’s face splits into a grin when she sees me. The closer I get, the more annoyed I am. “Hey, Wild.” She beams and tries to take a step forward. She stumbles into me, her hands against my chest. Her eyes widen, her gaze falls to my lips, and I push her back against the car.
“Ocea, ladies. I hear you have some car trouble.”
“Uh-huh.” She nods.
“Where’s that handsome friend of yours?” the Doc slurs.
“Probably in bed, where you three should be,” I tell them.
“I’m Tamara, but my friends call me Tam,” the other woman says, twirling her hair between her fingers.
“Nice to meet you, Tamara,” I tell her.
“Thanks for coming to our rescue,” Ocea says, her thick eyelashes kissing her cheeks when she blinks.
“I’m gonna pop the hood and see what’s the problem,” I tell her.
They all nod simultaneously, their eyes roaming my body like I’m their next meal. They all giggle and whisper to each other. They may find this amusing, but I don’t.
I pop the hood and let out a growl.
“Everything okay?” she asks. She did it and did a pretty bad job of it.
“Seems like the battery cables are loose.” I grit my teeth. “It’ll be good to go in a few minutes.”
I tighten the cables and go around to the driver's seat. The engine roars to life on the first turn.
“Oh wow, thank you,” Ocea exclaims, jumping in the front passenger seat. I look over at her, and my anger dissipates. There is something about this woman that fascinates me, and even though I should call her on her bullshit, I can’t.
