“But she’s your grandmother. Not every relationship should be treated like business, even when it’s business you’re discussing. Shouldn’t you call yourself?”
“Why?”
Charlotte shook her head and exhaled. “Never mind.”
Luckily for me, we drove in silence for a little while after that. Traffic was light, and we managed to make it to the expressway without Little Miss Sunshine telling me how to do my job. I was about to merge onto 495 when Charlotte crossed and uncrossed her legs in the passenger’s seat, and my eyes drifted from the road for a fraction of a second. It couldn’t have been longer than that. Yet the next thing I knew, Charlotte was screaming and grabbing for something to hold on to.
“Watch out!”
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Instinctively, I jammed on the brakes before I’d even had an opportunity to figure out what the hell I was watching out for. Everything that happened after that came in slow motion.
I looked up.
A furry little creature scurried across the road in front of us.
My car came to a screeching halt, and I got a look at what I’d nearly hit.
A squirrel.
A damn squirrel.
She’d scared the crap out of me because a rodent had crossed the road.
Unbelievable. I was just about to give her a piece of my mind when a huge bang stopped me. Startled, it took me a minute to realize what had happened.
Someone had hit us from behind.CHAPTER 9
CHARLOTTE
“Shit!” Reed spewed before exiting the car and slamming the door. He hadn’t been able to move the car to the side of the road. Whatever happened had rendered it undrivable.
My heart was pounding.
It’s okay.
We’re okay.
The squirrel, too.
Everyone is fine.
Still in shock as I got out, I was vaguely able to register the muffled sounds of Reed arguing with the driver of the red SUV that had rear-ended us.
“What can I do to help?” I asked.
“Call the police. We’re going to need a report. Then look up the nearest tow company while I get this guy’s insurance information.” He took something out of his wallet. “Here’s my AAA card. Tell them we’re just off Exit 70 in Manorville.”
An hour and a half later, the police finally left and a tow-truck driver arrived and drove us to the nearest mechanic.
After a long wait, the mechanic came out to see us. Unfortunately, the verdict on Reed’s Benz was not good.
Wiping some grease off his forehead, he said, “You have a dented rear bumper that’s rubbing against your tire. I should be able to get this fixed for you by tomorrow morning.”
A look of concern flashed across Reed’s face. “Tomorrow morning? We need to get back to the city tonight.”
“This is the fastest service ya gonna get around here. Most people would probably tell you a couple of days or more.”
Reed let out a deep sigh of frustration before raking his fingers through his hair.
“How are we gonna get back?” I asked.
“I don’t think we are going back tonight. You can call a car service for yourself and bill the company if you don’t like the idea of staying here in town. Otherwise, book us a couple of rooms nearby. It doesn’t make sense for me to rent a car and drive two hours back to the city if I have to pick up my car here in the morning.”
The shop owner called Reed away to discuss payment while I mulled over what I wanted to do. Even though he had a tendency to get under my skin, I didn’t think that leaving my boss out here in the middle of Long Island was a way to make a good impression. I wanted to demonstrate that I was a team player, show him I was dedicated to my job. There was a lot of potential for growth at the company, and I needed to use every opportunity to prove myself—especially given my rough start. What I had to do was clear. I got to work looking up some phone numbers for local hotels.
Reed looked even more frustrated when he returned from the front desk. “Did you decide what you’re doing?”
“I booked us two rooms at the nearby Holiday Inn.”
“Holiday Inn? Are there no other options?”
“I’m sure you’re probably used to Gansevoort or The Plaza. But I love the Holiday Inn. What’s wrong with the Holiday Inn?”
He muttered something, then said, “Nothing. There’s nothing . . .” He hesitated, then took a deep breath. “It’s fine. Thank you.”
“I’ve also ordered us an Uber. It will be here in a few minutes.”
He smiled through gritted teeth. “Great.”
I could tell he was pissed at this whole situation. The thought of spending more time with me than necessary probably annoyed him. It pissed me off, too, because we’d been getting along pretty well today. I was actually surprised by how well we worked together. This situation put a damper on what was otherwise a really productive day.