Chapter Nine

“A little to the right…A tiny bit more…There!” Nolan shouted from a distance. 

We stopped in the middle of our drive to take a picture with the a structure of the world’s biggest cowboy boot. It was odd yet intriguing and completely unnecessary, but Nolan insisted we pull over so I could take a picture with it. Something about having a physical memory from our trip.

We were four days into our cross country drive and we’d only made it to the Midwest. Of course stopping from city to city for Nolan’s meetings and our nightly hotel stays were causing us to lag a bit. Sure, I could have been back at my parent’s place already with home cooked meals and a nice warm bed, but I wasn’t complaining. I was right on track with writing my article. I’d even picked up a notebook from a gas station along the way. I needed to write down all my encounters to make sure I had enough juice for this thing.

I felt like Kady Herron every time I wrote a new detail. “On February 23rd Nolan Fletcher stared into my eyes.”

“Got it!” Nolan waved his hand. There was a good fifty feet between us. 

“Great!” I huffed as I did a slow jog over. “Now it’s your turn.” I took the camera from his hands and waited for him to switch spots.

He stared at me questioningly before laughing. “What do I look like? A child?” 

“Very funny.” I rolled my eyes. Nolan was already crossing the road over to the tiny restaurant where we’d parked our car.

The place looked like it was owned by the couple sitting at the hostess booth. They were an older couple. Maybe in their 60’s. “Welcome to Aubrey’s!” The older woman chirped. She was a lot more animated than I was expecting her to be. “Table for two?”

“Yes, please.” I smiled. 

The older gentleman struggled to bounce off his raised chair. He grabbed a couple of menus and guided us, “right this way.” He smiled. “Some privacy for the couple.” He winked.

“Oh, no.” Nolan and I both shook our heads. The old man looked at us with squinted eyes as his smile grew. He nodded and quietly left.

We opened up our menus and with drool filled mouths looked over our options. 

“You said you have a sister, right?”

I looked up from my menu interested in why Nolan was asking such a random question. “Yeah, why?”

His eyes were still glued to the menu. “Nothing. You just haven’t had much communication with anyone.”

Great. Nolan could see right through me. Aside from the occasional text from Celeste I’d only used my lifeline to call my mom. On the other hand Nolan spent most of our driving breaks yapping away on his. Whether it was business or family, at least he had someone to talk to. “Yeah, we aren’t as close as we use to be, I guess.”

He set his menu down and looked at me. “Is it because you moved?”

“No,” I shook my head. “We just grew apart when she got married. Her life is like a perfectly wrapped gift box.” I went back to grazing the menu. I couldn’t decide between a steak and the kid’s meal.

“So you think you’re more of a free spirit than she is?” He was a lot more interested in this conversation than I was. 

“I don’t know if I’m free spirited.” I furrowed my brows as I thought about it.

“You joined in on a road trip with a stranger, didn’t you? I think you have some potential.” 

“Are you free spirited?” 

“Of course I am! It’s why I love to travel.”

“I don’t know, it just doesn’t sound like me, you know? Maybe I’m a Type A…and a half. Almost there, but not really. Law abiding citizen that occasionally breaks the rules.”

Nolan’s eyes narrowed as he looked over my shoulder. His attention was no longer with our conversation. “Wait a second.” He whispered as he lunged out of the booth.

He walked around to the other side of the restaurant and pulled a flyer off the community bulletin board. I watched as a smile crept on his face. He swiftly paced back to the table. “We should do this!” He proclaimed as he slammed the flyer onto the table. 

I picked it up as I read it out loud. “57th Annual Founder’s Day Festival.” Below the title was an outlandish cartoon of old men in southern attire. “Come one come all. Join us as we celebrate the birthday of our beautiful little town. Plenty of food, games, and fun for everyone. Don’t forget your dancing shoes. The couple to stay on the dance for the longest will win a mega prize.”

I laughed as I pushed the paper away, but Nolan’s expression remained serious.

“Wait, you actually want to waste your time with this? You have a meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning. There’s no way you’re going to make it in time if we stay here all night.”

“Come on.” He pushed the paper back towards me. “Aren’t you curious to see what the prize is? I mean it’s not just a prize according to the flyer it’s a “mega” prize.”

“I don’t know how to dance.”

Nolan sat back in his seat and looked me dead in the eyes. “You don’t know how to dance? Or you don’t know how to have fun?”

I sighed. It wasn’t like I had much of a say. After all Nolan was driving. “I guess I’m a little intrigued.”

“Great!” He smiled. “It starts in a couple of hours in the center of town. Where ever that is.”

After dinner we drove around aimlessly trying to figure out where we needed to go. There weren’t many people out. The streets were dead silent and all the shops along the road were closed. It was eery yet charming at the same time. the quaint architecture of the town almost looked like a movie set. There was no way a place this cute and tiny actually existed. 

“Look!” I pointed to a family crossing the dark street ahead of us. “People!” 

Nolan followed behind them to figure out where they were head. A slight turn in the road and our scenery completely changed. There was a huge park lit so brightly I could only imagine why the rest of the town was dark and shut down. 

Just about everyone was here. It was mostly families, but a crowd of people nonetheless. Nolan and I looked at each other amazed. This almost looked unreal. A giant gazebo was set in the middle of the park. It was as large as a two bedroom home. There were people dancing inside while others stood around socializing. Two large barbecue smokers were off to the side. There was a long line behind it. The sound of laughing children filled the air as they ran weaving in and out of the crowds.

“Shall we?” Nolan asked as he stepped out of the car. I followed behind him. Every person we past in the crowd stopped and looked at us. It was almost as if they knew we weren’t one of them.

“Well, hello!” An energetic voice from behind surprised us. We turned around to find a rather tall looking gentleman. He was skinny with big teeth and an even bigger smile. “I don’t think I’ve seen you two around town. I’m Jesse.” He said as he stuck out his hand.

“Harper.” I smiled and shook his hand.

“Nolan. We were just passing through the city.”

“Oh, what a great night to pass through!” He clapped his hands together in excitement.

“I have to say, I’ve never seen anything like this.” Our eyes looked up at the hundreds of twinkling stringed lights above us.

“We have neighborhood parties like this almost every weekend. We just need any excuse really.” He spoke through the side of his mouth as he held his hand up to his cheek. “If you stay till Saturday we’re celebrating National Ice Cream Day.” He laughed.

Nolan and I watched Jesse with pure joy. He was springing with life and it was almost impossible to look away.

“Clarissa! Clarissa!” He hissed to get her attention. His hand frantically waved. “Come here!”

A young woman, maybe in her mid-twenties, came prancing over. She had silky blonde hair and envious long lashes. Her A-line dress hugged her nicely. 

“This is Nolan,” He talked slowly as he introduced us. “And Harper. They were passing through town and decided to stop for the fun.”

She smiled and introduced herself. “Hi, I’m Clarissa, Jesse’s wife.” She tugged on Jesse’s arm. “Come on honey bee, the dance is about to start!”

“You two should join us!” We formed a train as Jesse grabbed Nolan’s arm and Nolan grabbed mine. “I heard the prize is the best one yet!”

We stood in the gazebo and watched as an older man explained the rules. No leaving the dance floor and no stopping. Simple, I thought.

There were about thirty other couples participating. Jesse, Clarissa, Nolan and I all wished each other luck and began. 

The first hour was the easiest. The music was fast paced and Nolan and I certainly had enough energy from all the excitement to keep up. 

The second hour things slowed down, including the music. My spastic dance moves were no longer useable. 

“You weren’t kidding when you said you couldn’t dance.” Nolan joked.

As time went by we lost a few couples and were down to eighteen. Clarissa and Jesse were still in the running.

It wasn’t until the third hour when things were getting a little uncomfortable. The music died down with each couple that bowed out. There were only three of us left. We slowly waddled around as a crowded gazebo full of people watched. 

That’s when I remembered my next question. I cleared my throat to get Nolan’s attention. Ironically as close as we were standing he was looking around at everyone else. “What do you think a perfect day would be?” 

There was silence as we let the music sway our bodies.

“I’d say this was a pretty perfect day, don’t you?”

I laughed and nodded. “I guess you were right.” I lifted his hand and spun beneath it. “Maybe I do have the potential to be a free spirit.”

“I can’t, Jesse, I can’t do this any more. My legs are jello!” Nolan and I looked over to see Clarissa and Jesse forfeiting the competition. 

We were one couple away from actually winning. The last couple looked like they were holding strong, but it was just a matter of time. 

“Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?” Nolan whispered so quietly that even standing so close to him I just barely heard him.

I looked in the distance to see what Nolan was talking about. There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. I looked up to see his eyes on me. I fell silent as I was caught by surprise. Nolan quickly looked away.

I felt an arm pat me on the shoulder. “Congratulations! You won!” 

We looked over and notice that we were the only two left on the dance floor.

“Here’s your prize!” The old gentleman from earlier handed us a couple of baked pies. “Two baked pies from Anna’s Bake Shop!”

Chapter Eight

Finding Common Ground

  Opposites do attract, but it is also important in relationships to build a common bond. Knowing where your partner is coming from in their past life and understanding which path they are choosing to take for the future is key. No matter how different two people may be it isn’t until we truly find common ground that we embark on a journey that ultimately binds us together. 

1. Have a three minute conversation with your significant other examining your current similarities. Then continue the conversation and explore where the similarities lie in your future.

1. Break down the walls of vulnerability and tell your partner what you like about them. Don’t be shy. 

1. It is important to understand your partner without verbal communication. Spend the next minute staring into each others eyes in silence.

“Gag.” I mumbled as I tossed the book back into my purse. Celeste never mentioned anything about exercises in this book. It was intimidating enough trying to naturally weave these questions into a conversation, but now this Nottingham guy wants me to physically put in work?

I sat in the passenger seat of Nolan’s truck as I watched as he exited the gas station and walked towards me. His grin turned into a full on smile as he opened his door.

“Ding dongs!” He exclaimed as a package of snacks came flying at me. I yelped as I protected my face with my hands.

“Excuse me?” I peeked through my fingers and carefully picked it up by it’s corners.

“I haven’t seen these in years! I use to eat them all the time when I was a kid.” Nolan excitedly ripped open the packaging as if he were looking for The Golden Ticket. His attention diverted to me after he’d taken a bite and realized I wasn’t reciprocating the same pleasure he was obviously feeling. “Don’t tell me you’ve never had a Ding Dong before.” 

“What are these things?” I looked at them in pure curiosity. 

“Harper.” He took the package from my hand and opened it. “It’s the cheapest form of happiness you can buy.” He took one out and handed it over. “It’s a tiny chocolate cake filled with goodness. How have you never had this before?”

“Oh my God.” I covered my mouth as I chewed an embarrassingly huge bite. I stared at Nolan with wide eyes.

“You’re welcome!” He laughed as he shifted his gears and headed back onto the high way.

The weather seemed to be clearing up the further we drove into the Midwest. It was astonishing to see dead brittle trees slowly growing into life every hour that we continued to drive down the road. Once we’d gotten to our next destination, er, I mean Nolan’s next destination, it was early in the evening and the sun was just a couple of hours away from saying it’s goodbye.

Nolan had another meeting at his family’s store. We both went inside where he introduced me to the team and then disappeared behind closed doors. I waited with a few of the ladies that worked in the bakery. They seemed to be a bit older and definitely a chatty bunch with a lot to say about Nolan. Of course I pretended not to listen only to have my ears glued to the conversation.

“Such a shame he won’t settle down.” A tall red headed woman shook her head as she kneaded a slab of dough.

A shorter, more stubby, woman carrying a tray of unbaked bread walked behind her and said, “would you blame him after…her?”

Who ever “she” was didn’t seem too popular around here. The other women contributed a rumble of grunts in an agreement of how annoyed they were by the thought of this girl.

I didn’t realize the expression my face was making until the youngest looking one of the old lady bakery gang noticed my amusement. “Oh, not to say he wouldn’t settle down with you. It’s just he’s been through some things. Really though, you seem like a great fit for him.”

“No, no,” I shook my head vigorously as I laughed. “Absolutely not.” I hesitated to explain our situation at first, but decided to go with, “we’re just friends. He’s helping me move.”

They all nodded their head as if I were telling a horrible lie.

“Well whatever the situation is…” The tall red headed woman shrugged, “we’re just happy she’s no longer part of the picture.” 

I smiled and turned towards the younger looking woman. “So, what’s the story on this girl?” I whispered. To my surprise she didn’t answer. I didn’t want to come off as desperate for information, but I kind of needed something to work with if I wanted my article to have any sort of substance. 

I stared at her blankly as I waited for a response. Instead her eyes moved up and over my shoulder. 

I turned around to see Nolan standing behind me. He smiled, “ready?” I took a gulp of air hoping he hadn’t heard me and nodded my head. Nolan thanked the team again before we left.

Once we were on the road again I decided to give into the exercises from Nottingham’s book. Maybe they could help me break down Nolan’s walls a little bit more. 

“Isn’t it funny that we both have sisters that are married with children?” I wasn’t sure why I placed such a heavy emphasis on the word we as if Nottingham were here listening to our conversation. 

Nolan’s lip curled in as he nodded. “It seems pretty normal for people our age to have siblings that have already settled down, don’t you think?”

Alright Mr. Sass, I really need you to cooperate with this exercise. 

“Yeah, no, for sure.” I stumbled on my words as I tried to find a way to recover. “I just meant, you know, we’re both career orientated, we’re both family people, we aren’t focused on finding a significant other…” This wasn’t actually as hard as I thought it would be. 

Nolan cut me off before I could continue the list. “Are you referring to what the ladies in the bakery were talking about?”

I tried to play dumb.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to spare my feelings. Besides the acoustics in the bakery are a little more intensified. I’ve tried telling them that before, but they already have a hard time hearing.”

“Look, I wasn’t trying to snoop in your business.”

“It’s okay. It’s human nature.” He sighed. “If you must know, my last girlfriend was a bit of a… control freak. She would come on these drives with me to make sure nothing else was going on, and trust me I’m not that type of guy. She just didn’t understand why I chose to drive instead of fly.”

“Wow,” I whispered. “Was she not aware of…” I wasn’t sure how sensitive of a topic Nolan’s mother was. It had taken a lot for him to finally open up to me about it, and I didn’t want to push any buttons.

“I guess I never built that foundation with her.” He paused for a moment before he continued. “Anyway, the ladies think I should settle down, but it’s unsolicited advice really. I’m just trying to step up in my career. I guess it isn’t off the table, but maybe when I meet the right one, you know?”

“Yeah.” Weirdly I knew exactly how Nolan felt. Finding my significant other wasn’t a priority, my career was. I may not have been comfortable in the murky water of L.A’s dating pool, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want what my sister seemed to happily have. Timing was everything. “I know.” I sighed as I looked out of the window.

A few stars twinkled in the sky as the sun was finally gone for the day. 

“You know what I like about you, Nolan?” I asked as I kept a heavy gaze on the stars. “I like how honest you are.”  I heard a slight release of air through Nolan’s mouth almost like a muted laugh. I turned towards him to catch half a grin on his face as he drove. “You aren’t closed off. You tell it like it is. It’s refreshing.”

I looked ahead when I felt the car slowing down to a stop. We must have been approaching a big city. Traffic was backed up and at a stand still. This is my moment, I thought to myself. I was one awkward stare-off away from completing the exercise. 

“Hey, I think I have an eyelash in my eye.” I lied. ”Do you mind checking it?” 

He leaned in as he turned towards me. My eyes were glued to his. I almost felt like I was violating him by how deep I was able to look into his eyes. I wasn’t expecting this to be so hard. Knowing the little bit I knew about him made me question the reflections bouncing back at me. How could his ex girlfriend look into these eyes and not see it’s purity? How could someone bring life to these eyes and then abandon them? How could…

Oh shit. I blinked my eyes quickly before I pulled away. “I think it’s out.” I lied again. “Thanks anyway.” I mumbled as I sunk into my seat. I shut my eyes tightly and turned away. There was no way I was actually starting to form feelings for a man I hardly knew. 

Chapter Seven

“I’m fine, Mom.” I leaned my body up against the wooden beam in the entry of our hotel lobby. It stopped snowing overnight and the city was finally able to sand their roads. The minute we heard the news Nolan changed into his business suit and packed his bags. His meeting was about a half an hour away and he still had an hour to make it in time. 

I looked like the Vivian Ward to Nolan’s Edward Lewis. Okay, maybe I didn’t look like a prostitute, but I definitely looked like a slob with my layers of over-sized jackets, gloves, and beanies next to Nolan’s suit and tie. 

My mom called just when we made our way down to the lobby to check out. I hadn’t updated her on my trip since leaving California and she was growing concerned for my well being.

“Harper, your father is saying to stay where you are. He’ll fly out there to get you.” 

“Mom, it’s okay.” Nolan nudged my shoulder to get my attention as he walked towards the car. I picked up my bag and trailed after him. “I’m on my way to a car shop now. They’ll have it fixed in no time and I’ll be home in a couple of days. No worries.” I breathed heavily between each sentence. Running in the cold wasn’t something I was accustomed to.

“Are you sure, dear?” I could clearly hear my dad in the background talking about how horrible my car was and my mom repeated it as if it were her own words. “How many times have I told you to get rid of that piece of junk? It’s not fit for a single female living across the country.”

I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Mom, I gotta go. The tow truck is here.” She hesitated at first and then finally said goodbye. I exhaled a long and irritated breath when I jumped into Nolan’s truck. 

“So, is that all you see me as? A tow truck?” He laughed. 

“Sorry.” I tossed my phone into my bag and buckled myself in. “If I told them I was riding along with a stranger who picked me up off the side of the road…” I looked at him with wide eyes. “I should have never told my parents my car broke down in the first place.”

Things between Nolan and I were still a little weird. After our late night conversation at the hotel bar we went back to the room to sleep and that was the end of that. Nolan had a moment of vulnerability and I chose not to open up quiet as much as he did. I knew he was thinking about it just as much as I was. 

I’d never spent the night alone in a hotel room with a stranger, so I was awake most of the night skimming through chapters. I memorized a few of the questions hoping I had enough time to seamlessly incorporate them into our conversations. I didn’t even know if I’d get through all twenty one questions. We were on our way to the next city where we were planning on splitting ways. That would be the end of that.

I leaned my elbow on the arm rest as I stared out at the soft white snow on the sides of the road. There had to be someway I could extend our time together. 

“Do you mind coming to my meeting?” Nolan asked. His concentration was on the slippery road ahead of him. He only glanced over when I hadn’t responded. “I was going to drop you off at a car shop before my meeting, but that was before this whole thing,” he waved his hand around referring to the snow storm. “…happened.”

This. Was. Perfect. I could go with Nolan and it would give me more time. Maybe not enough time, but I could figure that part out later.

“I’m not sure,” I pretended to be uneasy about it. “I’m not exactly dressed for the part.” 

“It’s fine, don’t worry. It’s not like a corporate thing or anything.” 

“Oh.” I sat back relieved. 

“If you don’t mind I’ll just go into the meeting and you can wait…around…maybe do some shopping in the area.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Sounds good to me.”

“Hey, so, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” My lips tensed as I turned from the window to face Nolan. He looked over at me again, briefly. “I just thought I’d ask since we’ve, you know, gotten to know each other a bit. Why are you moving back to the East Coast?”

I waited a few seconds to answer. I still hadn’t figured out the proper way to say it without sounding bitter.

“I moved to L.A after college hoping to land a job, but the market was a little more shallow than I was hoping it would be. Unfortunately, no job equals no money.” It was the first time I talked about my struggle and didn’t completely break down in tears or have an urge to rip something off the wall. “I guess going back home is the safest bet right now.”

“Sometimes the safest bet is the best bet.” Nolan smiled reassuringly. 

A spark went off in my brain as I remembered one of Alexander Nottingham’s questions. 

“Yeah, yeah…” I muttered and proceeded to clear my throat. “I guess I’m grateful for my family…I’m sure you’re just as grateful for something too, right?” I was smiling on the inside. Practicing the questions a night before really helped.

“Of course, family.” Nolan looked at me like he had no doubt about his answer. “I guess my mom skipping town was a good thing in a weird and twisted way. It knit us a little bit tighter.”

“Knit us a little bit tighter.” I laughed as I mocked his drawl. “You sure are from South Carolina.”

“Mhmm,” Nolan shook his head. “If you weren’t going home to the East Coast I’d think you were from the Valley.”

My jaw dropped just before we both laughed and I playfully smacked his arm. “Oh come on!” 

The funny thing about Nolan was that I thought I had him figured out, but his colors ran deeper than the surface. With each new shade I was discovering I noticed something different about his physical features.

When he talked about his nieces and nephews I couldn’t help but envy how light and soft his hands appeared. They were large with long fingers, just like any man’s, but something about them told a story of how gentle they touched. It was only after he mentioned his mother that I noticed how deep his blue eyes really were. Almost hypnotizing. 

And now, knowing that he was a family man I realized how his face sat on a perfect structure. A clean cut jawline speckled with stubble.

“What’s wrong?” He looked back and forth between the road and me. His brows were furrowed and his smiled crooked. He’d caught me staring at him.

“Nothing.” I shook my head. My cheeks flushed with a burning sensation as I turned back towards the window.

It almost took us the full hour, but we made it to Nolan’s meeting just in time. The city we drove into was lively despite the weather. Crowds of people walked around in winter coats completely unbothered.  

I was a little confused when Nolan pulled into a shopping area. It seemed like a strange location to have a business meeting. 

“Fletcher’s?” I stared up at a large sign above the neighborhood market place. “Wait.” I gripped his arm as he shifted the gear to park the car. A smaller sign in front of the parking spot read:

 Reserved for Nolan Fletcher.

“Hold on one fucking second.” I stared ahead at the store and then back at him. “You’re Nolan Fletcher? As in Fletcher’s?”

Nolan laughed. “No I’m Nolan Fletcher the third, grandson of Nolan Fletcher…as in Fletcher’s.”

“You have to be kidding me.” I let go of Nolan’s arm and sat back in my seat. “I use to shop at Fletcher’s in L.A. I was genuinely devastated when I realized I won’t be able to shop there anymore. Wow, Nolan Fletcher picked up a woman off the side of the road.”

“No, no, no.” He shook his head. “Don’t you go and think you can just write an article about me.” 

If only he knew.

“Oh,” I tried to look appalled. “You’re not anyone famous. You just happen to be related to an American tycoon.”

Nolan narrowed his eyes at me. “He’s hardly a tycoon. Who uses that word any way?” He rolled his eyes as he pulled the keys out of the ignition. “Tycoon.” He laughed. “Gramps would love that.”

Nolan stepped out of the truck and slipped on his sports coat. 

“So, is this what you meant by management?” I asked as I jumped out of the truck and followed him inside. “You manage a chain of neighborhood marketplaces that just happen to be owned by your family.”

We were interrupted by a group of people saying hello as he entered the store. He waved, smiled, and nodded to each one. “Since I’m the only one in the family without anything tying me down,” he spoke through the side of his mouth. “I’m responsible for traveling to each of our stores to get updates and make sure everything is running smoothly.”

“So pretty much you’re the Prince Harry of the family.”

“I guess you could say that.” 

“Mr.Fletcher!” A broad shouldered man walked out in front of us. “So good to see you. How was the drive?” 

Nolan shook his hand. “Great!” He turned to the woman next to him. “Do you mind showing my friend around while I’m in the meeting?”

She nodded and pulled me away to the main store area while Nolan and the man went into a back meeting room. 

“I’m Jenny.” She stuck out her hand to shake. “You must not be from around here.” She giggled as she looked at my attire. 

“No,” I smiled. “Just passing through.”

Nolan’s meeting lasted a little over two hours. I knew this because I stared down at my phone every ten minutes until he walked out. Jenny made sure to tell me every last detail imaginable about every section of the store. That wasn’t it. She went on to tell me how she landed the job and how it’s changed her life in the last three years. 

“Oh God, Nolan.” I practically yelped when I saw him. “I never thought I’d be so happy to see you.”

Nolan looked at me then Jenny and then back to me. “Isn’t Jenny such a doll?” He smiled knowing full well she’d talked my ears off. 

“Mr. Fletcher, you’re so kind.” 

Nolan and I headed back to the car. 

“Well, that was something, huh?” I gave him a look.

He shook his head. “I didn’t exactly tell you because I didn’t want this to happen.”

“Okay, okay, that was the last time. I’m sorry.” I held up my hands in defeat. 

“Let’s try to find an auto shop.” He tapped at his GPS screen. I felt my heart beat stop for a brief second. I was hoping by now I would have found a way to extend my trip with Nolan. I was finally getting a vibe that this whole twenty one question thing might actually work.  “Perfect! There’s one down the street.”

He switched the gears on his truck and drove over. 

We pulled into the auto shop lot where a mechanic came and unhooked my car. He was an older African-American man that couldn’t possibly be taller than five foot seven. He introduced himself as Al and took my car back into the garage. Nolan and I waited for the diagnosis in a tiny little room attached to the shop. 

It had been about half an hour when Al finally came into the waiting room. Nolan had stepped away to take another business call, so I was by myself. 

“Ma’am it looks like there’s a few loose parts. A couple of wires came undone, but we’ll have it fixed and oiled up in no time.”

My eyes widened. This couldn’t be the end of my trip with Nolan. I looked over Al’s shoulder to see him hanging up his call and walking back towards us. In a panic I reached into my purse and pulled out any loose dollar bills I had and handed it to Al.

“Please Al, please tell that man that my car can’t be fixed.”

“What?” He looked confused by the cash pressed up against his chest. “I’m sorry, you don’t want me to fix your car? Why bring it in?”

“I don’t have time for questions Al! Just take the money for your time and tell the man my car can't be fixed!”

Al mumbled under his breath as he collected the money and shoved it into his overall pockets. “Well, okay then…” 

Nolan walked in and noticed the devastated look on my face. “What’s wrong? How long will it take?”

“I’m sorry sir, but it looks like the car can’t be fixed.” Al did a horrible job at sounding convincing if you ask me, but Nolan seemed to buy it.

“What?” He looked at me confused and then back at Al. “There has to be something you can do?”

“I don’t know what you want me to say.” Al looked at me and shook his head before he walked away.

“That was weird.” Nolan stood motionless. 

“What am I going to do?” I sat back down and held my head in my hands. “How am I suppose to get home now? My parents were so right.”

Nolan walked back and forth until he came up with an idea. “Hey, you said your dad would be able to fly here right? Maybe he can come and you could box up your stuff to ship there?”

Thankfully my hands were covering my eyes as I rolled them. Nolan wasn’t as stupid as most guys I knew. Damn him for being logical.

“Wait, you said you have a stop in New Hampshire right?” 

Nolan nodded. 

“You think you could swing a state over to drop me off?”

He laughed uneasily. “I have quiet a few stops to go before I get there. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to wait that long. Your family will be worried.”

“It’s no big deal.” I brushed off his comment. “Besides having my dad come out here would be a waste. Not to mention how expensive shipping these boxes would be.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I guess if you don’t mind the long trip than I don’t mind the company.”

“Deal.”