Page 45 of Shut Up and Drive
“For that…nightmarethat I just experienced back there!” I shout, my hands flapping wildly to punctuate the severity of my trauma.
She laughs again. “Thane, you did that to yourself.Youbought the burritos knowing how sketchy gas station food can be.Youran into that bathroom first, where agentlemanwould’ve let theladygo first…”
“There are no grounds for propriety at a time like that, and you know it,” I interrupt.
“But did you have to slam the door so hard? I swear, that knob was on its last leg even before you went in there.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t notice the condition of thedoorknobwhile I was fighting for my last shred of dignity, Fina.”
My misfortune must be the funniest thing in the world to her, because the more I describe how awful the whole thing was, the more I feed her horrible little revenge monster.
“It’s just very convenient,” she says, not even trying to hide her amusement, which irritates me more.
“What is?” I grumble.
“That after all these years of being the victim of your pranks and jokes, I finally got recompense for it.”
I narrow my eyes at her.
She laughs. “Come on, you know you’d have done the same thing had the tables been turned.”
She’s got me there.
I exhale in defeat. “You’re right, I would’ve. But did it have to bethat?!You know how much I hate bad smells.”
“Yes, I do. And that is what makes this victory so delicious,” she says with a grin. “Now, can we just call truce since the playing field has been leveled?”
“More like carpet bombed…” I growl under my breath, which only makes her laugh harder.
“Why don’t you try some of that breathing guru’s advice and just laugh about it? You’ll feel better, I’ll bet,” she says.
I take a few deep breaths in and out until I breathe out the last of my anger. “Fine. It is pretty funny if I can remove the trauma that I endured.”
“See? That’s the spirit!” she says, smacking my knee.
I let a small chuckle escape—but not because I want togive her the satisfaction—I just want to loosen the tension in the car. It doesn’t work.
“Maybe we just need some music to reset the vibe a bit. What do you think?” she suggests.
I pick up my phone. “What did you have in mind?”
“Hmmm, I don’t know. How about your most-listened-to songs?”
I open the Spotify app and my thumb hovers over the “liked songs” playlist. I close my eyes and hit shuffle, knowing I’m handing my fate over to chance. But what are the odds that out of over five hundred songs, it’ll land on thatone?
Apparently so good, we should change course and head to Las Vegas, because the unthinkable occurs. When the Goo Goo Dolls’Irisblasts through the speakers, Sera stiffens, and my whole body goes numb. For what feels like an eternity, the song blares, crowding out the space between us. When my limbs can finally move again, I reach for the skip button on the radio.
Her hand reaches out to stop mine, arcing with electricity when she touches me. A soft, “Don’t,” escapes her lips like a whisper in a storm and slams me in the chest.
I lower my hand to the seat beside me and listen to her sing along. I want to belt out the chorus like we used to in my truck. Windows down. Hearts open. But I’m afraid to step too close too quickly. Instead, I watch her in my periphery as the words slip out past her smile. For four minutes and forty-nine seconds, everything feels a little bit lighter and a little less impossible. I breathe in and out and let the song flood my mind, feeding me with hope.
When it ends, silence wraps us both in the aftermath ofour sacred memory being forced upon us. Do I say something about it? Do I let the moment move on? She clears her throat. I adjust my seatbelt that has suddenly tightened too much. The next song that plays is completely wrong for the moment, and I turn down the volume. I’m desperate for a segue. When I’m just about to succumb to death-by-awkwardness, I get an idea.
“Hey, since you’re driving, you’re in the hot seat, right?” I ask.
She hesitates for a moment, then answers in the affirmative.
“So, that means I can ask youanythingI want and you have to answer honestly?”
