Pandora heard a click, and she pulled the cell away from her ear and looked at the screen. The woman had hung up on her.
Groaning, Pandora ran her fingers through her hair. “I will deal with this shit tomorrow, or else I may be the first person to get a restraining order against calling roadside assistance. Now, I need to deal with changing a damn tire.”
She huffed and got back out of her car, making her way to her trunk. She opened the trunk and started pushing things out of the way. She pulled out the tire cover and grabbed for the different objects. Holding the instruction card in her hand, she searched for the thing to lift the car. She finally found the jack and picked it up.
“Well you’re not what I want right now, but you’ll have to do,” she said to it.
She plunked down the jack on the wet ground and lined it up. After finally setting up, she followed the instructions about loosening the bolts on the tire.
“Oh, mother of God,” she yelled. “What the fuck! Are these damn lug nut things glued on?” she asked out loud, though she was alone. She put the long bar- like tool on it again. She pushed it down as hard as she could, but her hand slipped and she cracked her knuckles on the ground.
“Son of a bitch!”
“Pandora?” she heard behind her and gulped, shaking her head. She must have been hearing things. “Pandora, what are you doing?”
She turned her head to the side to see Benjamin running her way.
“Yeah, of course! ‘You‘ would come across me right now. And what does it look like I am doing?” she yelled at him. He raised his brow at her. ‘It’s not his fault!‘ she reminded herself, making her feel guilty immediately.
“I’m sorry,” she blubbered out. “I am tired, and I haven’t eaten since three… and someone fucking glued this lug nut thing on,” she sobbed, throwing the wrench down.
Benjamin snorted but quickly covered his mouth. “Why didn’t you call roadside assistance?”
“Because my damned ‘husband‘,” Pandora make air quotes when she said ‘husband‘. “Canceled all my policies a month ago. The fucker.
Benjamin sighed and moved to her. “Let’s get you off the ground,” he said as he helped her up. “My car or yours?”
Pandora looked at him in confusion.
“To sit in while I fix your flat tire.”
She shrugged, not caring what he was going to do.
“Okay, mine it is then. Benjamin walked to his car and even opened the door for her. After sitting, she closed her eyes and hummed as the door closed.
“Pandora,” she heard and slowly opened her eyes to see that Benjamin was looking down at her. He did have glasses on, but they didn’t seem to be as tinted. “It may be best if you let me drop you home,” Benjamin commented as he touched her face.
Pandora shook her head and rubbed her eyes, knowing she needed to stop trying to concentrate on his eye color. She just wanted to see his eyes for once, look at him as they had an actual conversation.
“I’m okay, I only live a short five or so minutes from here,” she assured as she slowly stepped out of his car.
Benjamin’s hand reached out to immediately help her. “Please,” he whispered, making her look at him. “Please let me drive you?”
Pandora chuckled and shook her head at him. “Really… I am okay. It’s just been a long day, and the fact you’re up this late must mean you’ve had a long day
too.”
The entire time she spoke, Benjamin just looked pained.
“I’m going to follow you home then. Pandora started to refuse but his hand cupped her face, stopping her. ‘Let me do this?”
“Okay,” she gulped and bobbed her head at him.
He walked her to her car and helped her get in. As soon as her door was closed, she watched him run through the rain, back to his own car. She started the car up and drove. For the majority of the drive, her eyes seemed to be looking more in the rearview mirror than in front of her.
She pulled up outside her home, and Benjamin followed suit. She frowned as he walked to her door with her.
“I’ll call in some food to be delivered. You go on up and get washed up and changed. I’ll be up to look you over in about twenty minutes.”
She stood there with her mouth hanging open as Benjamin took his jacket off and started to make a call. She shook her head but soon found that she was following the directions he gave her.
“Two house calls in one week, you’re lucky you’re my favorite two babies,” Benjamin said happily, looking toward Pandora’s bump as he walked into her
room.
She had to bite her bottom lip to hold back the sigh she wanted to let out when Benjamin’s hands touched her bump.
“They sure are active,” he said, looking at her, his tinted glasses back on his face. “They must be making up for lost time, huh?”
“No, it’s you, they just like you, she stuttered out, feeling a little amazed at how active the babies had become. Benjamin just dropped his head from her
view.
“Okay, I want to check your blood pressure, he commented and she held out her arm for him. “It’s high,” he informed and she looked at it and then at him. “I would like you to go into the hospital so we can monitor it.”
“No,” she protested immediately. “It’s just because I got worked up, and haven’t eaten.”
Lack of food drops blood pressure, he argued.
“Yeah but being pissed off increases it.”
“Pandora, Benjamin sighed in frustration.
13
“I’m fine, really,” she pleaded with him to understand. It only made Benjamin groan and run his hand through his hair in frustration.
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