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“No worries. You still live over on Wilkins at Greenmore Apartments, right?”
“Yeah, you remember?” he says in a tone that suggests he’s flattered.
“You and your roommate threw the Halloween party there last year. It was fun.”
He gives a toothy smile. “Well, I’m a fun guy.”
I force a chuckle and glance out at the weather. “Man, it’s probably going to be hell tonight in the ER. You know how it gets in this kind of weather.”
“You know, we never did get that coffee. I don’t know about you, but I’m a little too wired to go to sleep. What do you say to coffee and a donut?”
I have to make this stop. “Andrew, as inviting as that sounds, I think you should know that I’m seeing someone, so that’s probably not the best idea.”
“Oh, yeah…sure,” he sputters. “I-I just meant as friends.”
“Oh, I know, I just meant for appearances’ sake, you know? I mean, I offered you a lift because it’s pouring down rain and I wouldn’t wish that fate on a dog.”
He blanches at that.
“Oh, not that I’m calling you a dog. I just meant I hated to see you out there like that. That’s all.”
“Yeah.”
We pull up at a light. I take the opportunity to switch on the radio to alleviate the awkward silence. We rode the rest of the way without exchanging another word. When I pull up in front of his apartment building, Andrew kindly thanks me for the lift and I peel out of there.
I chuckle. “Won’t be making that mistake again.”
It’s 11:40 pm. I should arrive home in the next ten minutes. I’m on the highway about one minute before I hear that all too familiar ringtone, Foreigner’s “Waiting for a Girl Like You”.
I answer immediately. “Hello, lover,” I say in my best sexy voice.
“Where are you?” comes Sebastian’s terse reply.
“I just got on the Long Island Expressway, I should be home in about ten minutes.”
“I thought your shift ended at eleven.”
“Yeah, it did.”
“So why aren’t you home?”
I frown at the phone not caring for his tone. “I’m on my way, you do know it’s raining cats and dogs out here, right?”
“You’re saying the rain made you late?” the edge to his voice grows sharper.
“In a roundabout way, yes, the rain caused my delay.” That’s the only reason I gave Andrew a ride.
“Madison, I’m going to ask you one more time,” he says. “Why are you late?”
“Jesus, Sebastian. I gave a co-worker a ride home because they were standing in the pouring rain. What’s your problem?”
“When I ask a direct question, I expect a direct answer.”
“Okay. What’s with the attitude? I feel like I’m missing something here.”
I hear him breathe out on the phone followed by silence.
“Sebastian…you there?”
