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Garrett grabbed her, plastered her mouth with a juicy kiss, released her and said, “Tonight, I’d like to discuss with you a plan to continue what we would have started if your motel room hadn’t been such a mess.”
“I’d like to be a part of that discussion,” Seth said.
Jessica laughed. “Okay, we can discuss any plans you’d like. However, I start my first day of work tomorrow and I want to make a good impression, so no staying up all hours of the night for the sake of carnal activities. Okay?”
“Carnal activities?” Garrett said as if he were shocked that she’d say it out loud. “I wasn’t even thinking of such a thing.”
Seth chimed in. “Yeah, because carnal is too delicate of a word for what he had in mind. Decadent might be more accurate. Maybe even depraved. Trust me, that was what was on his mind.”
Jessica laughed. Seth was relieved that things were back to the way they should be. They walked down the sidewalk three abreast, with Jessica tucked between them, headed to the diner parking lot. Seth liked it. A lot.
Marching along, delighted to be looking forward to yet another amazing night, Seth figured all the signs were aligned perfectly in the right direction.
Until Jessica stopped suddenly at an empty space directly in front of the diner, and said, “Where is my car? It was right here. I don’t understand.” She walked to the center of the oil-stained space and turned in a circle looking around as if perhaps she’d merely misplaced something and it would rematerialize if she searched hard enough.
Her gaze roamed here and there to all corners of the diner parking lot as if pranksters had rolled her car to another spot to trick her, finally shaking her head as if in disbelief. “My car is gone.”
Seth looked on glumly, hoping she didn’t take this as a renewed bad sign and decide to leave them forever.
* * * *
Anxiety filled every fiber of Jessica’s being. Her car was missing? Really? She walked from one end to the other of the empty space where she’d left her vehicle.
Everything she owned in the world was in her car, beyond the contents of her purse and the little bit she’d put in the bank. “Did they tow it because I left it behind for too long?”
“No. They wouldn’t do that,” Seth said. He was trying to be calm and rational, but she wasn’t in the mood. She paced around all four sides of the parking spot again. She studied each and every car in the vicinity, hoping against hope that she’d maybe forgotten where she parked it. But she knew she hadn’t. The premium spot had opened up the minute she’d entered the diner’s parking lot.
New job. Great parking space. Excellent sign she was finally on the right track.
Garrett pulled out his phone again, dialing with his thumb. “Duke. Are you still over at the motel? Good. Could you come over to the diner next door?”
She didn’t hear what the sheriff said, but Garrett rolled his eyes at the comment. “No. The parking lot out front.” There was a pause. “Because Jessica’s car is missing.”
There were a few more whispered comments before he hung up and turned to her. “He’ll be right over.”
Jessica felt a bruiser of a headache coming on. She trapped her face between her palms and squeezed as if the pressure would help. It didn’t. “What is going on?” she asked herself over and over.
Garrett looked inside the diner. “Why don’t I go see if Delilah or anyone else inside saw who took your car?”
“I’ll go with you,” Jessica said.
Seth pushed out a sigh. “Go on in. I’ll wait for Duke.”
She followed Garrett inside. The crowd had thinned to only a few people. Garrett slid his arm around her shoulder firmly and motioned the waitress over.
Delilah grinned. “What’s up? Back for an afternoon snack?”
“No. Unfortunately, Jessica’s car is missing.”
She pointed out the front to where Seth was standing. “It was right out there in that center spot. Did you see who took it?”
Delilah glanced out the window and frowned. She looked at Garrett and then blushed. “Um. I think your friend drove off in it.” She looked at Jessica like she’d just busted the unspoken girl’s bond of camaraderie.
