8 Weeks

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter 24 -Shelly

"Shit!" I exclaimed when my truck began to slow down to a stop, barely giving me enough time to pull over to the side of the road. I slapped the steering wheel with my hands and groaned.

I was going to be late for work.

I looked around the car, helpless, as if surveying the interior would give me some idea as to what went wrong.

I knew next to nothing about cars. I was married to a mechanic, it had never been something I'd had to worry about. Cal always took care of it for me.

I picked up my cell and dialed Sasha, without bothering to look at the time.Gaby had to be to the bakery early every morning, so I knew she'd already be at work. I had a better chance of catching Sasha.

"Hello?" a male voice said over the line.

I pulled the phone away from my ear to look at the display. It said Sasha.

"Hello, is Sasha there?" I asked.

"Uh ... Yeah,"came the reply. The sound became muffled, so I assumed he placed his hand over the speaker.

"You Sasha?"I heard him ask.

I put my handover my mouth to contain my laugh when I heard her reply, "You bet.Give me the phone, big guy."

"Shel?" Sasha said sleepily when she got her phone.

"Hey, Sash, I hate to bother you," I said with a barely repressed giggle. "But something's wrong with my car. Do you think you could come get me?"

"I'll be there in ten," she replied.

I gave her the cross streets and hung up.

I loved Sasha more than I could ever say, butI never understood how she could handle the casual relationships she had with men.

I'd always been a one-man woman.

Whereas Sasha made sure that no man was ever around long enough to matter. The only people she let in were Gaby,Cal, TJ, Scott, and me.

She'd moved around a lot as a kid. Her parents were big in the world of fashion, so she'd spent her childhood all around the globe. Paris,Florence, England. When her parents divorced, she'd moved here with her father, and begged him to let her stay here to finish out high school. He had, but he'd never been around much. Sasha had been mostly left with the housekeepers, but at least she'd gotten to stay and graduate with us. Her dad moved soon after she graduated,but he'd bought her a townhouse, and she'd stayed.

Although Gaby and I always envied the places Sasha had gotten to see, Sasha always envied the fact that we had been born and raised here.

I was startled out of my thoughts by a knock on the window. Sasha managed to look fabulous, even with no makeup and her hair pulled back and covered by a hat.

I opened the door and got out, grabbing her in a hug before pulling back to say,"Thank you!"

"No problem,I needed that guy to hit the road anyway," Sasha replied with a grin. "Hey, I knew you wouldn't want me to call Cal, so I called TJ..."

"You did?" I asked with a frown. TJ was just going to run and tell Cal. I wondered if he would be upset that I didn't call him.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, but you know I'm even more inept than you when it comes to cars. Do you want to wait for TJ, or do you want me to take you to work?"

"I'll wait,"I said with a sigh. "So, who was the guy?"

"The guy I was telling you about the other day, the one I sold the house to,"Sasha said with a shrug.

"Again?" I asked, surprised. "What's his name?"

"Sean," Sasha replied. "But don't get your hopes up, it's no big deal."

I nodded, butI couldn't help but get my hopes up a little bit. I wanted Sasha to settle down and be happy. I just wasn't sure if she would allow herself to.

At the sound of a car coming up the street, we both looked up. TJ's latest salvage, a beat-up old El Camino, came rolling up to a stop behind us.

"Where did you get that piece of shit?" Sasha asked when TJ got out of the car.

"Woman, this fine piece of machinery is a classic," TJ said with a grin, running his hand along the hood as he walked toward us. "When I get her fixed up, I'll let you take her for a spin, and I guarantee you'll eat your words."

Sasha didn't reply, just watched him walk toward us with narrowed eyes.

TJ stopped in front of us and pushed his sunglasses up to the top of his head before giving Sasha a wicked grin. "Got an itch that needs scratchin', Red?"

"Nope," Sasha said with a popping sound on the p. "I've already had areal man take care of that for me this mornin'."

TJ just gave her a wink, then turned to me, all traces of humor gone, and asked,"What seems to be the problem, babe?"

"I don't know," I admitted, feeling like a first-class idiot. "It just stopped working."

TJ held out his hand and I dropped the keys in it, stepping back to give him access to the truck. He opened the door and sat down, putting the key in the ignition and turning it slightly.I looked over at Sasha when TJ got out of the truck, eyes bright and looking like he was trying not to laugh.

"What?" I asked.

"When's the last time you put gas in it?" he asked with a chuckle.

"No ..." I said softly, mortification slowly taking over.

Sasha let out a bark of laughter, and beforeI knew it, we were all bent over laughing.

"Shit, Shel,even I know to put gas in the tank," Sasha said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Shut up," I managed to yell between breaths. "Cal always took care of everything with my truck."

"Even the gas?" TJ asked incredulously.

I nodded, bringing my hand to my side as it began to cramp.

"Wow, that boy really was whipped," Sasha said with a giggle.

I sobered instantly, suddenly feeling stupid and ridiculous. What was I doing? How was I going to move forward and get through life if I couldn't even fill up my own tank?

TJ's arm came up around my shoulder, and he pulled me to his side. "I gotcha,Shel. I have a gas can in my trunk. I'll run and get some gas and we'll get you to work in no time."

I nodded and put my arm around him, pulling him close for a half hug."Thanks."

When he pulled away, Sasha wiped her face and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

I shook my head. "No, it's not your fault. It's stupid that I didn't think of it."

"Hey," she said, putting her finger under my chin so I was forced to look her in the eye. "You aren't stupid. You're just trying to figure out how to be on your own. You guys were together for six years,Shelly. It's going to take some time. Don't be so hard on yourself."

I smiled up at her, but couldn't help but wonder ... When was it going to get easier?