Lexi shook her head in disbelief. "I don't think I've ever had a mechanic give me so much information. At least not that I could understand."
Zoe chuckled wryly. "All part of the service here at Edgewater Auto."
"Somehow I doubt that's true of your boss." Lexi grinned at the blush on the buff mechanic's face and pulled out her checkbook. Considering all that had been done for her car, it was a ridiculously low price to pay, but she wasn't going to argue the point.
Once the bill was settled and the paperwork taken care off, Lexi followed the tall woman out to her car. It had obviously been washed and waxed. She gave a look to Zoe that had the taller woman shuffling her feet. "It looks great. Thank you."
"Like I said, no problem."
"Well, I appreciate all you did and I will spread the word."
"Thanks."
Lexi unlocked the door and opened it. Tossing her pocketbook onto the passenger seat, she turned at the sound of a throat clearing.
"So." Zoe's hands were deep in her pockets and her shoulders were hunching in on herself. "I was wondering, if sometime, maybe we could go out for coffee. Or something. If you ever want to."
Lexi instantly felt bad because she knew she was going to say no and it seemed so heartless after what Zoe had done for her car.
"You can say no," Zoe added quickly, as if recognizing the inevitable rejection. "And don't think I did the extra stuff to your car to try to guilt you into it. I wouldn't do that."
"It's not that," Lexi said slowly. She could see that in spite of Zoe's physical strength and air of confidence that the asking had been hard. "I'm already seeing someone."
"Oh." Zoe seemed to deflate a bit, then straighten. It was as though she was back on solid ground. "I understand. In fact, I respect you for telling me. Some women date multiples until they decide to settle down. I've never really trusted women like that. I hope things work out for you. Really."
They might be so different that even a simple friendship would seem unlikely, but Lexi suddenly wished she had said yes. "If it doesn't, maybe you could ask me again sometime."
Zoe's smile made the morning seem even brighter. "I'll do that. And I'll work on my delivery. That was pretty pathetic."
Lexi had to laugh. "Well, it's not the worst I've ever heard."
"At least I have that thought to console myself with," Zoe teased. She took a business card from her breast pocket and wrote on the back. "If you ever have a problem with your car, just give me a call, okay?"
Lexi took the card and glanced at it before slipping it into her back pocket. "I will, thanks. And thanks for in the bar the other day."
Zoe waved it off. "That was nothing."
"It was something to me," Lexi insisted. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Zoe said with a nod. "Like I said, we're family and we should look out for each other." Zoe's hands went back in her pockets and she began to back up. "I should let you go. I'll see you around."
Lexi was starting to like this woman. "If you do, say hi."
Another killer smile lit up the day. "Thanks, I will."
Lexi watched the tall butch walk away and realized she was staring at her butt. Shaking herself out of it, she got in her car and headed for work.
Chapter Three
Lexi was in her robe trying to make sense out of her hair when the doorbell rang. She checked the clock on the way to the door and saw that she still had almost 40 minutes before her date. Peeking through the peephole, she saw Miriam on the doorstep.
"Damn," she hissed before opening the door. "Hi, Miriam. I didn't expect you until 6:30."
"I thought we agreed on 6," Miriam frowned. "We have reservations at Los Taquieros at 6:30."
Lexi knew they had decided on 6:30, but it was too late to argue about it. "Just give me 15 minutes and I'll be ready."
A calculating look crossed Miriam's face followed by a knowing grin. "I could always cancel our reservations…"
Lexi played dumb. "It's not a problem. I'll be ready in a flash." She left Miriam in the living room and closed the bedroom door. Unsure about Miriam, she slowly locked it to hide the telltale click. She had originally decided to wear a dress, but Miriam's look made her self-conscious. She pulled out what she thought of as her Jury Duty outfit and put it on. She hoped that it would send a message.
In less than ten minutes she was ready to go. She came out into the living room and found Miriam rearranging photographs and candles on the coffee table. Two of the pictures were from the bookcase.
"Doesn't that look good?" Miriam said proudly.
Lexi could see that it did look better, but the fact that it had been done at all was disturbing. She knew that Miriam was trying to be helpful, but she was afraid to open her mouth. A smile seemed to be all Miriam needed.
"You look nice," Miriam added. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yes." She felt like there were at least a dozen things she had forgotten, but she didn't have time to figure them out. "You be a good boy," she told Cricket on the way out. As soon as the door closed he barked and Miriam laughed.
"He sounds upset."
"He's confused," Lexi said in his defense. "I take him with me almost everywhere, so when I leave him home he thinks he's in trouble."
"I appreciate that you didn't bring him. I'm kind of neurotic about my car." She unlocked the passenger door of her classic green Mustang and held it open. "It'll be awhile before I'll be able to afford another car like this so I'm trying to keep this one in as good a condition as I can."
Lexi felt like her dog had just been criticized. It was tempting to criticize the car in return. It smelled old and the doors creaked, but she had to admit that it looked good. She hid a smile when Miriam started the engine and it promptly died.
"It's rather spoiled," Miriam explained as she restarted the car. "High performance cars like this require a lot of maintenance and I haven't found a mechanic I trust yet."
Lexi remembered Zoe explaining all the work she had done and wondered what she would have to say about Miriam's car. "Have you looked into Edgewater Auto? I took my car there recently and they did a great job. In fact, there's a lesbian on staff there and she did all the work on mine."
"I'd rather find someone who specializes in restoring the classics, preferably a man. I find that they know more and do a better job." Miriam grinned. "On cars, at any rate."
Lexi found this strange. "I usually feel like I've been overcharged by men."
"Really. I guess that's why it's so important to find the right mechanic."
Lexi saw no point in continuing this exchange. "You're probably right."
The conversation moved onto more neutral ground over dinner. Lexi was much more comfortable trading memories of good times and places visited. Miriam had a knack for telling stories and she kept Lexi in stitches. Her special skill seemed to be mimicry. Lexi could almost see the people Miriam spoke of just by the voice she used. When she spoke of meeting Jay for the first time and repeated their conversation, Lexi had gooseflesh at the accuracy in her portrayal of Jay's voice. She had his intonation and inflections down pat.
"How did you learn to copy people's voices?" she asked over her fried ice cream.
"I don't know," Miriam admitted. "I guess I was just born with it. I've come to believe that everyone is born with a gift and this one is mine. I'm good with accents, too. I don't even have to work at it. If I talk to someone for a few minutes I can just do it."
"It's a great gift. I wish I had one."
"Every one has a gift," Miriam insisted. "Some people have obvious gifts like beauty or strength and some have gifts that manifest through a talent or skill, like music or art. But I think most people have gifts that aren't so obvious. Sometimes those gifts are more like a curse."
"Like what?"
"Like always making the wrong decisions," Miriam shrugged. "There are a lot of people out there who just can't do anything right. I would have to work at it and so would you, but lots of folks don't."
"That doesn't sound like a gift anyone would want."
"True," Miriam agreed with humor. "There are people out there who can put a fussy baby to sleep just by picking it up. Some people are completely unnoticeable and others seem to be known by people they haven't even met yet. I've known people who never get lost and I used to know a man who never forgot a name. I even met a woman once who always knew where north was. You could blindfold her and spin her in circles till she couldn't stand, but she could point north without hesitation. Some people know when they're being lied to and others can tell you outrageous lies and make you believe it."
"I've met a few of those," Lexi grinned.
"We all have," Miriam laughed.
"So, what's my gift?"
"I don't know you well enough to say. You'd be a better judge of that than I."
Lexi tried to look at herself objectively, but didn't see anything obvious. "I guess I have one of those obscure gifts. The only thing I can think of is that I've never been bitten by any of the dogs I groom."
"Is that a common occupational hazard?"
"It is for some," Lexi said. "Even the best dogs can react badly when they are stressed or scared. So far, I've been lucky. Tell me about San Diego? I've never been there."
~***~
Sunday morning after breakfast, Lexi sat out on the Murdock’s deck with her grandmother to enjoy the sunshine. The other residents were playing cards, except for Mr. Blackney who was watching a baseball game.
"Is everything all right with you, dear?"
Lexi gave her grandmother a smile. "Yeah. I'm okay."
"You seem a little...off."
"To be honest, I'm a little tired. I haven't been sleeping well. I just can't seem to get my head to shut off at night. I spend hours just thinking about things."
"You get that from me."
Lexi chuckled. "Gee, thanks."
Nana reached out to pat Lexi's arm. "You're welcome, dear. Now, what is it that troubles you?"
Lexi sighed. "It doesn't seem to be any one thing. My brain just starts going and jumps from one thing to another until I feel like I'm going crazy."
"Hmm. Nothing bad is happening?"
"Oh, no. Nothing like that. This just happens to me now and then."
"Why don't you take a nap?"
"I couldn't."
"Why ever not? Even the Murdocks sleep. I'll wake you if there is need."
Lexi thought about it. What harm could be in it? As long as she stayed close to everyone, it shouldn't make any difference whether she was awake or not. "You'll wake me if anyone needs help?"
"Yes, honey. Now, close your eyes for a while and at least rest."
It didn't take long. Lexi fell asleep with the feel of her grandmother smoothing her unruly hair.
Lexi felt much better after her nap. She made lunch for the residents and stayed for awhile to visit with the Murdocks after they got home from church. On the way home, she stopped at Riverside Park to let Cricket chase the ducks and spent a few minutes visiting with a guy she'd gone to school with. They had never been particularly close, but it was nice to visit.
At home, Lexi did a little house cleaning and then worked on the accounts for the shop. When she'd first started her business, balancing the books had intimidated her, but after taking a course at the Junior College, it came much easier to her. In fact, it was down right comforting now. She could see exactly where she was financially and it gave her peace of mind.
Making herself a tuna casserole for dinner, Lexi curled up on the couch with Cricket and mindlessly watched television until bedtime. Crawling between the covers, she knew that she wouldn't spend half the night fussing. At some point during the day, she had re-connected with herself. Lexi promised herself that she would try to do that more often.
~***~
The week started off uncomplicated. Freddie finally hired a woman to fill the station at the salon and he seemed a bit less frazzled in general. Of course, this did nothing to inhibit the overall flamboyance that was such an integral part of his charm. Jay was his usual calm and soothing self and Nana's doctor had her on a new medication that seemed to be helping with the pain and discomfort of her arthritis. Lexi's clients were on time and their dogs were well-behaved and cooperative. Everything was smooth as silk.
Until Wensday night.
After work, Lexi took Cricket with her to go grocery shopping. He had to wait in the car, but Lexi knew he'd rather wait for her there than stay at home. She parked in the shade of a tree and left the windows cracked for him. It wasn't hot in the evenings, but she knew well how car windows seemed to magnify the suns rays and she didn't want him to be uncomfortable.
She was running low on food stuffs, so Lexi took her time and stocked up. She liked shopping in general, but shopping for food was more of a chore for her than anything else. After loading everything in the trunk, Lexi slid into the driver's seat, gave Cricket a kiss and started the car.
At least, she tried to. There was a strange buzzing sound and then nothing. Shocked, she tried again and the same thing happened.
"Oh, crap."
Another try with the same result and Lexi lowered her forehead to the steering wheel. "This is not happening, damn it. Come on!"
It still wouldn't start. Lexi took a deep breath and looked at Cricket. "If this is your fault, I'm taking away all of your toys for a week."
Cricket looked at her and panted happily.
"That's right. Play dumb." She took another deep breath and tried to calm herself. "Okay. I can call the guys and they'll come get me, but that doesn't get my car home. Of course, getting it home doesn't mean it's fixed, but it's a place to start."
Lexi considered the situation for a moment and remembered the card Zoe had given her. She had tossed it in the glove box and Lexi decided it was only appropriate that she call her for help. Zoe must have missed something.
It took a few minutes to find the little square of paper, but when Lexi had it in hand, she went back to the store to use the payphone. "I need to get myself a cellphone," she grumbled as she put in her money and punched in the handwritten number on the back.
"Hello."
Lexi bit her lip and resigned herself. "Zoe?"
"Yeah?"
"This is Lexi."
"Well, hi." She sounded surprised. "How are you?"
Lexi sighed and leaned against the wall, one hand playing with the phone cord. "I'm doing pretty well, but I seem to have a problem."
Zoe's voice deepened. "What's wrong?"
"My car won't start."
"Uh oh. Where are you?"
"I'm at Larry's Food Mart. It's been running just fine, but I came out of the store and when I turned the key, nothing happened."
"All right. I can be there in ten minutes."
This was what she wanted, but Lexi couldn't help feeling bad for calling her out. It was almost as if she felt that the car not starting was her own fault. "You don't mind?"
"Absolutely not. I'm on my way out the door right now. Just hold tight, Lexi. I'll be right there and I'll get it straightened out, okay?"
"Okay. Thanks, Zoe."
"No problem at all."
Lexi spent the whole ten minutes fussing about it. She felt bad for making Zoe come out even if it was kind of Zoe's fault. Well, she wasn't positive it was Zoe's fault, but it wasn't Lexi's fault either. She tried to start it again and it still sat there like a lump. It was frustrating that she'd spent the money to prevent problems like this and was now sitting there while ice cream melted in her trunk.
Then there was the fact that Zoe was coming. The woman had asked her out the last time they'd spoken and Lexi still felt funny about turning her down. It was going to be awkward, she just knew it. If she was going to see her again, she didn't want it to be because she needed rescuing.
And there she was. Zoe was dressed in blue jeans and a yellow T-shirt that said 'Come to the dark side - We have cookies'. The tall woman did not look at all put out about having to be there.
Lexi slid out of her car and didn't know what to do with her hands. "I'm sorry about calling you."
Zoe smiled. "You shouldn't be. Looks like I missed something. Let's see what we can do to fix this." She put her hands on her hips and looked thoughtful. "Okay. Let's start with something simple. Try taking the transmission out of neutral and then putting it back in."
Lexi kept Cricket from getting out of the car with one hand as she got back in. Moving the shift lever out of park, she put it back in firmly.
"Now, try starting it."
Again, there was that strange sound and nothing.
Zoe grinned. "Got it." She moved to the front of the car, rubbed her hands together as if preparing to do magic and placed them on the hood. "Hang on," she warned with a cocky grin. Using her bulk, she pushed down on the car, bouncing it a few times. "Try it now."
To Lexi's utter astonishment, it started right up. She stuck her head out the window. "How did you do that?"
Zoe laughed and moved closer, one hip resting on Lexi's car. "The solenoid on your starter has a flat spot. See, there's this washer inside that sometimes gets a flat spot on one edge. When you shake the car it moves that washer just enough that it will work."
Lexi was still stunned at how easily Zoe had corrected the problem. "Will it happen again? Can I get home?"
"Oh yeah. Once it starts, it's not a problem. You won't stall or anything. And if the car won't start next time, just bounce it a few times and it should start right up."
Pride and Groom Page 3