“Battery dead?”
Chloe looked up from the hood of her car to see a man about her age standing in a stained, sleeveless t-shirt and ripped jeans. He might have been cute under the layers of dirt and grease, but either way she didn't care. Her own fingers were sore, she was tired and sweating in this unbearable July heat and was starting to run late. She hadn't been able to unlatch the hood of her old Pontiac, and she was growing more frustrated with every moment.
“I don't know,” she grumbled. “I came out out of the store,” she motioned to the bag of groceries in her driver's seat. “And when I tried to turn the key over it wouldn't start.”
“May I?” he asked, his southern twang slipping through.
“Sure,” she said exasperated and stepped aside, careful to give him space.
With a swift motion, the hood was up and latched. He fiddled with a wire, and rubbed his chin.
“Do you want the good news or the bad news?”
“Bad.”
“It might be your alternator, and if that's the case, you won't be going anywhere any time soon.”
“The good?”
“I own a garage right down the road and I can get you a tow.”
She sighed. Her day hadn't started off great and mother's voice rang in her ears. That man isn't good for you and the universe will let you know, I just have a feeling. She told her mom that Tony was fine, a little eccentric but fine, and it would all be okay. After all it was only their third date, hardly a committed relationship. She was due to be at his house for lunch in ten minutes. But now with her morning the way it was, she couldn't help but question the advice. First, she had gotten her curling iron stuck in her hair, then she dropped her cell cracking the screen, and now this. It always comes in threes.
“So, what do you want to do?”
“Alright, well if I'm not getting anywhere anyway, a tow would be good, thank you.”
He pulled out his cell and dialed a number. “Yeah, I got a Pontiac down here at the Piggly Wiggly that won't start, think you could swing by?”
Chloe opened up her drivers side and pulled out her bag of groceries.
“Hopefully you didn't have anything frozen in there,” he said with a grin.
“Just ice cream,” she laughed.
“Tell you what, I have a fridge as well and you can pop that in there once we get to the shop.”
“Sure, thanks.”
“No problem.”
Chloe leaned against the side of the car while he slammed the hood down.
“Hope you didn't have any big plans today,” he said with that same grin.
“Not really, well, I was supposed to be having a lunch with a friend.”
“A boyfriend?” he asked.
She was a little taken aback, but maybe they were more direct in the South.
“No, well not yet I guess, we haven't known each other that long.”
“Ah, pity. Oh there's my guy now.”
A big green tow truck pulled into the parking lot and lined up expertly with her car. A large man with a name tag that read “Tiny” on his coveralls jumped out of the passenger seat and began chaining up her bumper.
“I didn't catch your name?” he said leaning in on one foot.
“Chloe.”
“Well Chloe, I'm Tim,” he said sticking his hand out to shake hers.
She took his hand and immediately felt electricity in her finger tips, a feeling she wasn't prepared for for. Her eyes locked on his and couldn't steal them away. Her cheeks grew warm. “Hi,” she stammered. Suddenly his dirt and grease didn't exist.
He laughed. “Hello.” He was grinning.
“Let me take those from you,” he grabbed the groceries. “Do you want to ride with me or Tiny?”
“I...” she was having hard time thinking clearly and started looking around like she had forgotten something. Her mind, she was looking for her mind.
“How about you come with me, and we'll follow him.” He opened up the passenger door to his Dodge Ram and she climbed in onto the rough seats. The old truck smelled like gas and spearmint. “It's more comfortable anyway,” he grinned. He set the groceries on her lap and crossed over to the driver's seat.
He turned the key, and truck roared to life.
“So you don't sound like you are from around here,” Tim said.
“No, I'm from Wisconsin originally, then we moved to Ohio and now I'm down here in Kentucky trying to start again.”
“Well, you came to a good place for that. Too bad your car isn't working right, but we'll get you all sorted.”
“I appreciate that.” she said.
They pulled into the parking lot of the garage that had a big sign that read “Ronald's Auto Shop”
“Ronald?” Chloe asked.
“My dad, this was his until about five years ago.”
“Oh I'm sorry, is he..? Did he pass?” she said.
“No,” he laughed. “He's alive and well, laying on the beach with my mom in Florida.”
She laughed at her mistake. “Oh, well then good for him.”
“Yeah, so I bought it from him. He's taught me everything I know, so when he wanted to retire, I didn't want him to have to wait around.” He glanced at her and they made eye contact. She felt her body involuntarily lean towards his sparkling blue eyes. “You ready to head in?” he said startling her out of her daze.
Her cheeks burned, so she ducked her head down towards her seat belt instead, but the buckle stuck and wouldn't budge.
“Oh sorry about that, it sticks, you just have to wiggle it,” he reached over to grab it and their fingers touched. She thought she might come unglued, and decided to focus on getting out of the truck or she might lose her mind.
He unlatched it casually then hopped out. Chloe was convinced it was all in her head, it had to be. She was acting ridiculous. Just get the car looked at, call Tony, reschedule for dinner. Stop eyeballing the mechanic who is only doing his job, she thought.
She followed him into the shop and he offered her a chair across from his desk, and she sat down hard expecting the cushion to be softer.
“Ah, yeah, I keep saying we need to get new furniture in here,” he said.
“What?!” a new voice bellowed out from a corner of the shop, and an older woman with the name tag “Wanda” waddled towards them. “I've been complaining about the chairs in here for the last twenty years! My old bones can't take it, but Timmy, here, says there's no point because everything ends up greasy. But I like this new turn of events. Maybe we should bring more pretty girls in here,” she said winking at Chloe.
Chloe smiled back.
“Sweetie, is that ice cream sitting in the top of that bag? It's going to melt. Give that to me and I'll get it cold.”
She handed over the bag and excused herself to call Tony. Finding a little spot outside, she let him know what happened and that they would have to reschedule for another day. He had offered to pick her up, but she said no.
As she made her way back to the office, she picked up the sound the of Tiny's voice.
“There ain't nothing wrong with this alternator, Tim, it's just the battery.” He sounded bewildered.
“I know...I know. I was standing out there at the grocery store, and honestly just wanted to help, but then there was something about how frustrated she looked, and how this dimple popped up on her cheek when she scrunched her face. Next thing I knew, I was telling her we needed to tow it to the shop.”
“Well, I can keep pretending to fix it to buy you more time, or break something? Either way I'm getting paid,” Tiny laughed.
“No, it's okay. I'll figure out. Go ahead and start it up and pull it around.”
Chloe smiled to herself, a little extra pep in her step as she walked back into the cool office as Tim came through another door.
“So, everything looks good.”
“Oh what a relief! It's amazing how hard it is to identify a dead battery, even for an expert,” she said smiling.
“How did you..” his look changed from confused to embarrassed. “You over heard us.”
She laughed. “It's okay. I won't report you to the Better Business Bureau under one condition.”
“What's that?”
“You take me to dinner tonight.” If he could be direct, so could she.
Thanks so much for sharing this with me! In full honesty, it was not five minutes...once I started going it just went and went haha. For more info on freewrites, check out @mariannewest!
Much love,
Stacie D
Image by Dustin Commer from Pixabay
Hmmmm. Great story. Love the characters.
Thank you!
I wish I had a creative fictional talent like you, unless this is a true story with altered names...
Haha no, I made it all up sitting on my couch yesterday. And thank you! I like jumping into emotions other people could be having in different scenerios
What a sweet story!!! Loooooooove it!
You are so talented! Did you ever finish your book and publish it? We have a place in the Freewrite House discord to drop your links for people to buy :)
Thank you!! I have not...but I want to...so many emotional hurtles and thoughts to conquer. I'm not entirely sure why it's so hard...I keep telling myself that people actually start and finish books all the time, it is possible! Haha Your encouraging words have really brightened my day 😃
I know - we often stand in our own way. I know I do. For what it is worth - we do have a Beta Reader group we are going to revive. so, when you are getting close, you can submit your manuscript for feedback :)
That would be great! Thank you! And I agree...I just need to take three steps to the left so I can pass by and make it happen. And then maybe I'd be able to write a self help book called "Three Steps to the Left" haha
It's a great freewrite. A cheer me up story. Needed it!
Oh good! I'm glad you liked it!