jenny part3
“Hey, don’t wake her up. I’ll give you a ride.”
Jenny looked at me dubiously, her finger paused over the last number. “I
didn’t figure you for the altruistic type. Isn’t it out of your way?”
“It’s more out of Dianne’s way. The poor woman isn’t a creature of the night
like us. She needs her sleep.”
She considered a moment, then put the phone back with the last number still
undialed. “Okay,” she smiled, “but straight home and no sidetrips. I’m
bushed.”
“No prob.” I assured her. We walked out into the refreshingly cool night
air, across the parking lot to my junkmobile. I saw her giving it the wary eye
and I flashed her a grin, “Don’t laugh, it’s paid for.”
I thought I heard her mumble something about it being paid for in cereal
boxtops but I didn’t pursue the matter. I turned the key and the engine moaned,
grumbled, and finally coughed to life athsmatically. I revved the engine a
couple times and it roared impressively, the sound bouncing off the nearby
building walls in staccato bursts. I really needed to put a muffler on the damn
thing.
Pulled out of the parking lot and into the street–slowly. I was thankful
that it was dark and Jenny couldn’t see my foot which had the accelerator
pressed to the floor. I doubt she would have cared anyway. She was too busy
hanging on for dear life, trying to avoid being shaken out of her seat. I
*really* needed to put a muffler on this car.
Ten teeth-rattling minutes later we pulled up in front of her apartment
building. All around lights were coming on as people were getting up to see
what the hell was making all that racket. I found an empty spot along the curb
and turned the ignition off the keep from waking the other half of the
neighborhood. In the deafening silence I turned to face her. “Well, here we
are.”
She turned in the darkness, “Yep, here we are. Well, thanks for the, uh,
ride…” and opened the door.
I turned the key as she stepped out. I was rewarded by a low groan and a
death rattle from somewhere under the hood. Turning the key again only got me a
faint clicking sound. I hit the wheel with the palm of my hand. “Shit!”
“What’s the matter?” Jenny asked, leaning in the still open door.
“Fucking battery died again!” I groaned. “The alternator belt’s broken. I
was gonna fix it tomorrow.”
“Oh.” She said. “Well, I can go up and get the keys from Dianne and give you
a jump with my car. Hang on…” She disappeared into the darkness. Several
minutes later she returned with a disgusted look on her face. “I don’t fucking
believe it. She’s not there! She left a note on the ‘fridge saying she left
with some guy for the coast and won’t be back ’til tomorrow afternoon. In my
car, damn her! I coulda been stuck at work all night!”
Actually, I had the idea Jenny was more pissed because her roomie had a date
tonight and she didn’t. Which I didn’t feel particularly sympathetic for at the
moment, considering my predicament. “Well, I could thumb it home and have a
buddy bring me back early tomorrow and jump me. That way I can get the car out
of here before it starts lowering property values.”
I got out and shut the door and locked it. I started to walk down the street
and I noticed Jenny keeping step with me, obviously wanting to say something
but not knowing quite how. She said haltingly, “Um, well, since it’s kinda my
…End of the part3. To be continued..
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