Frozen

Chapter 4)

I stared straight ahead, not knowing whether to burst into tears or get really pissed off. For good measure, I tried the key one more time, and again the car made an angry sounding gurgling noise but didn't start. I growled low in my throat and was well on my way to pissed off when there was a banging sound on my window. I jumped and turned with wide eyes to see none other than Barney, who had changed from his suit into a black tee and faded jeans, bent down staring at me through the window. I opened the door as he took a step back and unfolded myself out of the tiny vehicle.

"Car trouble?" Barney asked. I sighed and started to run a hand through my hair before remembering that it was up.

"Yeah, I don't know what's wrong, it just won't start," I said softly while pulling out my ponytail holder and bobby pins and ruffling my hair with my fingers to get it to fall right. When this was done, I looked up to see Barney staring at me with a pained expression.

"What?" I asked.

He cleared his throat and shook his head, pulling out his phone.

"Hey, man...yeah, I'm at the club...no, no, but I need a favor...great, come by and pick up a car, silver Hyundai Sonata parked a block away from the club, pair of shoes in the passenger seat-yeah, take it to the shop and do whatever needs to be done-put it on mine, yeah-thanks, dude-see ya."

After he hung up, he placed a hand on my lower back and started to guide me somewhere.

"Um, where are we going?" I asked, more than a little panicked by whatever just happened, "And what did you do to my car?"

"A friend of mine is going to fix up your car, and I'm giving you a ride home," Barney stated like it was obvious.

"What?" I screeched, stopping in my tracks which caused Barney's hand to press harder into my back which led to all sorts of wonderful images I shouldn't want to think about.

"I'm giving you a ride home," he repeated patiently, turning so that he was facing me without removing his hand.

"No, that I can deal with, but I don't have money to pay for car repairs," I said, keeping my head held high so it didn't look like I was ashamed of my financial instability. He didn't bat an eye.

"Taken care of," he said easily, shrugging and starting to walk away.

"As in, you paid for it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"As in, this place is run by an old friend of mine, he gives me a serious discount, all the shit I get done there is automatically billed to my card, and this will barely make a blip on my radar," Barney explained again patiently.

I ground my jaw for a second.

"I'll pay you back," I finally said.

He opened his mouth as if to argue, then his head ducked and he looked into my eyes. Whatever he saw there made his own gorgeous blue eyes soften and he nodded.

"All right, baby," he drawled gently and he slipped his arm more firmly around my waist and continued to guide me to his car.

Or...not so much a car.

My eyes widened when we stopped next to the black, gleaming beast and I circled it, stroking my hand over the seat.

"I've never been on a motorcycle before," I said in almost an awed whisper.
"Well, then tonight is your lucky night, darlin'," he said in a fondly amused voice. My eyes went to his face to see him watching me with something in his gaze that I had never seen before. I wasn't totally sure what it was, so I narrowed my eyes to get a better look, then it was gone and he was pulling a helmet onto his head. He pulled up the seat and nabbed an extra.