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They traveled downthe slushy path of Lake Shore Drive in Mavis’s former little blue Ford Fiesta. Casey switched lanes, weaving in and out of the stop-and-go traffic.
“Casey!” Austin slammed on the imaginary brake in the passenger seat for the eighth time.
“Oh, my God, Austin! Relax! I’m just switching lanes!” She rolled her eyes as the engine died. “God damn it! I hate this car!”
“Do you even know how to drive a manual?” Austin turned, peering through the rear window at the line of angry traffic behind them.
“I mean, kinda?” She rammed both feet against the clutch and brake. “Mavis taught me.” The car resumed life as she inched forward in the line of traffic again with a grin. “See... no big deal!” Her fingers twisted the dial on the dashboard, turning down the heat blasting into the cabin. A sea of red taillights emerged again, and she slammed on the brakes, lurching the car forward.
The blood drained from his cheeks as his heartbeat tripled in rhythm. “So, umm... how far away are we again?” Austin clutched the seatbelt, tightening it across his chest.
The tiny snowflakes that freckled the sky on the plane had now morphed into heavy lumps of cold snow. Flakes fell in droves, coating the road in dirty slush.
“Well, like twenty minutes with this stupid traffic.” Casey craned her neck to see beyond the car in front of her.
Austin sucked in a deep breath and turned the knob on the heat back up to full blast. Tugging his sweatshirt tighter around his body, he shivered and snuck a peek at Casey with a grin.
How are you not wearing a jacket?
“So, what’s on your agenda for the rest of the day?” She snickered and aimed the middle vent in his direction as the engine hummed, working overtime.
“Oh, ah, just thought I’d hang out with you if you don’t have any other plans. The Cubs play later, right? In Atlanta?”
She nodded, her smile alight in her eyes as she turned and tilted her head. “They do.”
His heart fluttered. And for the first time since landing in Chicago, a natural warmth washed over him unaided by the questionable heating system of the Ford. Austin cranked the dial again, adjusting the heat to a lower temperature. His eyes grazed the rearview mirror as a stilted laugh escaped his lips.
“What the hell?” He tapped the mirror, running his finger over the duct tape holding it to the windshield.
“Oh! Don’t touch it! You have no idea how long it took me to tape it at the right angle!” Casey slapped his hand away as the traffic inched forward.
“That can’t be legal, Case.” Austin shook his head as he leaned forward, examining the DIY job closer.
“Oh, it’s fine. Put your badge away, officer.” She flipped the turn signal on and exited the highway.
Austin exhaled, thankful that their time spent on Lake Shore Drive had ended. “I’m gonna get that fixed for you,” he muttered.
Several turns and one clutch slip later, Casey pulled into the building’s parking garage and squeezed into a tiny space on the fourth level.
Austin tugged at the handle and pushed the door open, gaining a mere twelve inches to squeeze his body out. “Everything in this city is really close together, isn’t it?” He shuffled sideways, exhaling only when Casey popped the trunk.
“Did you really move across the country with just one bag?” She pointed at the single duffle bag in the trunk.
Gripping the straps, Austin slung the bag over his shoulder and grinned. “I’ve got everything I need right here until I can find a place to rent.” He tapped the bag as her face fell. “You okay?”
“Oh! Yeah, sorry... just spaced for a second.” Gripping his arm, she led him to the elevator.
Austin pushed the call button with a finger tucked beneath his sweatshirt sleeve.
“A tad pretentious, no?” She rolled her eyes and stepped inside.
Hardly! Who knows what germs are on that button!
“Josh is worse,” he mumbled. His brother appeared in his mind, the slowly repairing relationship left two thousand miles behind.
She snorted and shook her head. Her blonde curls bounced, distilling the scent of lilacs. And what had just been a smelly urine-soaked parking garage elevator moments ago transformed into a field of fresh wildflowers. Austin closed his eyes, inhaling the sweet scent as a sense of calm radiated throughout his body.
A fresh blast of icy air stung his skin as the doors opened, the field of lilacs wilting as quickly as they had bloomed.
