Chasing the Storm

Introduction

Beam hated this time of year. The weather was so unpredictable and it would start pouring down with rain at any given moment. Which was how she found herself driving home during a storm.

Come on, Beam. You can do it. Not much further.

Having only recently passed her driving test, Beam wasn't a very confident driver. Actually, she hadn't wanted to learn, but now she was away at college she needed to be able to get around. However, as a new driver, driving in the dark and rain was her worse nightmare.

There was a loud bang, making Beam jump in fright. She screamed as she realised that it had come from the car and something was wrong. Managing to pull over so that she was out of the way of the traffic, she sat for a moment waiting for her heart to stop pounding. It took her a few minutes to remember to put her hazard lights on.

What do I do? What do I do?!

She was startled again by a knock on her window. It was someone on a motorcycle. They gestured to her car, but Beam couldn't hear what they were saying through the window because of the rain. Cautiously, she rolled down her window slightly.

"Sorry, what was that?"

The motorcyclist lifted up his visor and she realised that it was a young man.

"I'll check your tyres for you."

"Oh! Thank you!"

Beam watched the man through her side view mirror as he crouched down and started poking at her back tyre. Feeling slightly comforted that the stranger seemed to know what they were doing and was going to help her, she grabbed her umbrella and joined him. He looked up at her as she approached.

"The tyre's blown. You're going to need to change it."

"Okay."

The expression on her face must have told him that she didn't know how.

"I'll do it for you."

"Really? Thank you."

As he got her spare tyre out of the boot, she held her umbrella up to cover them both.

"Go sit in the car. Its raining hard. I can do this."

"No, I can help, even if it's just holding an umbrella. Is there anything I can do?"

"Hold this."

He passed her his helmet.

"Thank you so much for helping me. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't stopped."

"Don't just drive. Learn the basics about cars, so that you can fix it yourself next time."

She wanted to tell him that she was a new driver, that she hadn't had anyone to show her how to do these things, but instead, she nodded.

"I will."

Beam had been watching him as he changed the tyre and she thought she might be able to manage it herself if it happened again. Although as he lifted the damaged tyre into the boot of her car, she doubted that she would've been able to lift it so easily.

"All done."

When he pulled down the scarf which had been covering the bottom half of his face, Beam's eyes widened. The man was younger than she expected. It was too dark to see clearly, but his hair seemed to be slicked back with a few pieces hanging down on either side of his face.

He's so

"Handsome."

"Thank you for the compliment."

Realising she had said it out loud, Beam blushed and looked down.

"Can I have my helmet back?"

"Oh, of course."

As he took his helmet from her hands, the material of his gloves brushed her fingers.

"Be careful driving in the rain. You should go now, or you'll get sick in the rain."

Beam couldn't believe that someone so handsome could also be so kind and caring.

"Okay... Thank you."

Nodding her head in thanks she hurried back to the driver's door. Once she was sitting in her car she looked in her review mirror to see the guy with his helmet back on. He got back on his motorcycle, but she noticed that he waited until she started driving off before leaving himself.

Oh! I never got his name.