“Damn.” Aubree rested her forehead on her hand, her elbow propped on the table. “I had hoped you wouldn’t say something like that. How much time do you think I have?”
He shrugged. “These things are hard to predict. It might go on a couple of months. It might blow tomorrow.”
Aubree compressed her lips. “I’m a realtor. Reliable transportation is not optional.”
“That’s what I figured,” Rick agreed. “Okay, so, I’ll just install that new battery. It will be no problem to have it done today. Then, let me know if you want me to look around for a new tranny. Sound good?”
Aubree nodded. “I suppose so.”
“Okay then.” Rick grinned at her.
“Okay then,” she repeated. “See you later. Do I pick up the car around five?”
He opened his mouth as though to speak, and then closed it again. A quick dip of his chin and he said, “Okay, sure.” Then he turned and left the office.
Aubree exhaled through pursed lips, in an equine snort. “A couple thousand,” she muttered. “More than the car is worth. And then, who knows if something else will go wrong. A couple hundred today for the battery. A couple thousand for the transmission. If something else breaks down… how much do I invest in an old car? But on the other hand, do I really want to commit to payments?” She shook her head. “I’m screwed.”
***
A couple of hours later, Aubree emerged from the office, her paperwork completed but her mind still racing. She had no idea what to do about her vehicle dilemma, and a late call had her needing to go to a house in Holcomb, fifteen minutes away.
“Hey, sis,” Michelle called from her office.
Aubree frowned at the empty reception desk. “Where’s Mom?”
“She had a hair appointment,” Michelle replied. “And then she’s picking up the kids from the daycare since I have a late showing over by the zoo.”
“Smelly,” Aubree commented.
Michelle shrugged. “This whole town is smelly. What’s the difference? What about you? Where are you off to?”
“Holcomb.” Aubree made a face. “These new arrivals think they’ll find something better over there. I wish them luck. Personally, I think they want to gawk at the Clutter house.” (1)
“Ew.” Michelle wrinkled her nose. “I don’t even like being on the same block. Not even all these decades later.”
“Tell me about it,” Aubree agreed. “So, at any rate, if I’m going to be there on time, I guess I need my car back. I hope Rick has it finished.” She zipped her jacket and tugged her hat over her head, so it covered her ears.
“That Rick sure is a fine looking man,” Michelle commented. “His tattoos are just dreamy.”
Aubree rolled her eyes. “I guess, if you like tattoos.”
“You don’t?” Her sister stared, wide-eyed. “Tattoos are the coolest. They make a guy look so… manly.”
Aubree examined the potted palm near the door, poking at the soil and discovering it to be appropriately moist. “Not especially. He seems nice enough, but his look doesn’t do anything for me. I prefer clean-cut.”
She dared glance at her sister, who stared in open-mouthed horror. “Are you joking, Bree? Do you even have lady bits? Come on.”
“Why is it so hard to understand,” Aubree groused, “that I’m not exactly like you and don’t have to like what you like? Why does it bother you so much?”
Michelle regarded her curiously. “It’s fine for you to like whatever you want, of course.”
Aubree pursed her lips. “Then why don’t you ever stop trying to squash me into your definition of what a woman ought to want? You and Mom both do it.”
“We don’t want you to miss out on life, honey,” Michelle said in that pseudo-sympathetic voice that drove her sister up the wall.
“I’m not!” Aubree insisted. “I’m not missing out on anything. I’m living my life, and I’m doing it exactly the way I’ve chosen. I’m happy with it, or I would be if my family would quit meddling in my decisions.”
“What about love, marriage, children?” Michelle pushed. “Remember, when I turned thirty, Mom started working on me, reminding me that my time was running out. I listened and I’m glad I did.”
“No you’re not,” Aubree retorted, turning at last to glare at her sister. “You married the first man who came along, and while Jay is nice, he’s certainly nothing like the tattooed mountain man you must surely want, since you keep trying to push them in my direction, even though you know that’s not my type. And then you popped out three kids as fast as you could, which eats up every minute of your time. So you tell me who’s living. You don’t hardly leave your house except for work. I think you’re jealous of my freedom and that’s why you keep trying to take it away from me, or make me feel guilty for enjoying it.”
Michelle’s jaw flapped, but no sound emerged.
Aubree hadn’t finished. “Furthermore, even if I were interested in dating, I wouldn’t choose someone like Rick. He’s not my type at all. I’m not into beards and tattoos. Forget it.”
“That’s a pretty shallow reason to reject someone,” Michelle pointed out, finding her voice at last. “Isn’t it more important what a person’s character is like than his appearance?”
“Well, maybe, if I was in the market for a life partner,” Aubree admitted, “but I’m not. Besides, we’re not talking about the color of his hair or eyes. We’re talking about his style. The hair and beard and tatts aren’t my thing. I’m not attracted to him.”
“He could get a haircut…”
“Michelle!” Aubree shouted. “Stop it. Listen, I’m not interested in dating anyone. I keep telling you that. A person would have to be an improvement over what I have now for me to consider making a change, and at this time, no one is. Besides, he shouldn’t have to change his style for anyone. If he was interested in dating – which we also don’t know – he should date someone who appreciates him for who he is.”
Michelle sagged in the chair, turning to her keyboard, shoulders hunched and mouth turning downward. Then she suddenly straightened and turned back, finger pointed skyward.
“I’ve said what I care to say on this subject,” Aubree declared. “You made your choices and you have to live with them, but you have no right to pester me about mine. I will not engage in any further discussion. If I find someone I’m interested in dating, I will date. If not, I will be fine remaining single, but one thing is for damned sure. I will not hear another word from you about it.”
Aubree yanked open the door and stormed out into the cold. Though the late afternoon sun streamed feebly into the parking lot, a mass of low, dark and swirling clouds concealed it in patchy darkness. There’s bad weather coming. That’s just what I need. She hurried past the row of cars parked at her office, the laundromat next door, and the tax preparation center at the end, skirting a low and twisted tree, and made her way to the cross walk, pushing the button several times and then hugging herself to keep warm as wind bit through her coat and into her skin. Her face passed through the stages from cold to burning to numb just in the short time it took for the light to change. She hot-footed it across the street and sprinted for Rick’s. Pushing open a heavy glass door caused a bell to ring, but also rewarded her with a blast of heat that began immediately to thaw her frozen nose. She sniffled, then looked around herself.
The lobby, small but tidy, contained several comfortable looking chrome and vinyl chairs, shiny and new, along with two small tables stacked with a variety of magazines. Another low table near the service desk boasted a single brew coffee pot and a box of java selections. Aubree’s mouth watered at the thought. Easy, girl. You drink that now, you’ll be up all night. Behind the counter, a young lady with wide blue eyes, long blond hair, and a ready smile stared at a computer screen. Her fingers flew as she typed… something.
At the sound of the bell, the girl lifted her head, revealing a nametag labeled Liz. “Hello, welcome to Rick’s. How can I help you?” she asked
.
“I’m Aubree. I run the real estate office down the street.” Aubree waved in the general direction of her place of business. “Your dad gave me a tow this morning, and I’m checking to see if he’s replaced the battery on my Cavalier yet, since I need to get to a showing in a few minutes.”
“You bet,” Liz agreed, returning to her computer. “The Cavalier is ready. It’s out back waiting for you, new battery and all. That will be $197.50.
Aubree blinked at the price. “That’s less than he said.”
Liz grinned. “New customer discount.”
Best news I’ve gotten today. “Sure thing.” She fished in her purse for her credit card as Liz rang up the sale, and then the girl grabbed a walky-talky. “Dad, can you bring the Cavalier around? Aubree’s here.”
A crackling sound that might have been an affirmation emerged from the radio.
“Walky-talkies?” Aubree asked.
Liz nodded with a cheerful smile. “We’re saving up for an intercom, but we’re not there yet.”
“That makes sense,” Aubree agreed.
A reassuring rumble sounded in the back of the shop, and proceeded around the side, until it vibrated the front of the shop with joyous familiarity. “Take care,” Aubree said.
“Thanks, you too,” Liz replied.
Nice girl, Aubree reflected as she made her way out to the lot, where her Cavalier waited, purring like a kitten. “You fixed it. Thank you!” She cried as Rick emerged from the front seat, leaving the engine running.
“Yup. No problem. You have a new battery and you’re good to go, but remember that the tranny is weak, so be careful on quick accelerations and whatnot. I’d suggest city streets as often as possible.”
Aubree nodded. “I’ll try. Oh, and thanks for the discount, by the way.”
“No problem.” He rubbed his ungloved hands together and blew on them, but made no move to walk away. His gaze lingered on her.
“What’s up?” she asked, twisting her lips to the side as she considered what his expression might mean.
“Just wondering if you might be interested in grabbing some lunch sometime… or maybe a movie?” His tense shoulders made her think he might be holding his breath.
Oh, good Lord. What next? “No thank you,” Aubree said, trying to sound both gentle and firm, though she was sure a bit of her irritation bled in. “I’m not really interested in dating.” His face fell, and she hastened to turn the conversation to impersonal friendliness. “I should tell you, though, that our town has a great council of small business owners. I’m not sure if you’re aware, since you opened up pretty recently, but you should consider joining. You’d be a great addition to the group.”
He considered, a wry expression on his face that seemed to be half smile, half frown, though his beard concealed his lips somewhat. “I’ll look into that. Thanks for the tip and… thanks for not beating around the bush.”
She shrugged. “I try to be honest, that’s all. It saves time and hurts less in the long run.” She regarded the shivering mechanic. “You’d better get back inside. It’s cold out here. And I need to go. The showing in Holcomb will wait a while for me, but being late is rude. See you around, Rick.”
He waved and ducked back into the building. Aubree hopped into her Cavalier and turned out onto the street, heading north toward the highway. Just what he said not to do, but there’s no choice. Good thing I don’t have far to go.
***
“Well, what did she say?” Liz demanded as her father entered the lobby.
His chattering teeth at first resisted answering her. “Sh… she… she said no,” he stuttered out. Then he took a moment to blow on his fingers.
“That’s too bad.” His daughter’s mischievous expression drooped. “She’s a pretty lady. I can see why you’d be interested
“Yeah, well, it happens. I didn’t have much invested in the question, though her sister hinted pretty strongly that she’d agree. I guess that’s the confusing part. Michelle insisted Aubree… how did she put it… ‘ought to be dating’ and urged me to ask, but Aubree just completely shot down that idea.”
“She shot you down?” Liz’s golden eyebrows drew together.
Rick waved a hand he could now feel again. “No, not really. She was quite polite. She shot down the idea by saying in all blunt firmness that she wasn’t interested in dating at all.”
“Sounds like you stepped into a family cow pie,” his daughter informed him, wrinkling her nose at her own imagery.
“Yeah, sure does, doesn’t it?” Rick grinned, but his ready smile gave way to contemplation. “I wonder what the story is… if she lost someone and doesn’t want to move on…”
“Or maybe she just isn’t interested,” his daughter pointed out. “People seem to think every woman is itching to get married and the ones who don’t are somehow less of women or hiding some dark secret. Guess what, Dad, not every woman needs a man to be happy.” She delivered her speech in her usual, happy tone.
“Feminist,” he teased. “Is this the whole fish and bicycle thing? What did you learn at that college anyway?”
Liz snorted, an inelegant sound that clashed with her cuteness. “No, of course not. That was a huge overstatement. A lot of women want a relationship, and that’s okay too. What I’m saying is that if someone chooses to be single, it doesn’t make them weird, and I learned that by observation of humanity, not in a classroom, Dad.”
“You should go into psychology,” he commented, glowering at his daughter in a fake and dramatic frown. “You psychoanalyze everyone.” And I couldn’t be prouder of you for it.
“I might do that someday,” she agreed. “For the moment, I’m quite content where I am. I get to meet a few normal people now and again, and they want to talk about their car’s problems, not their own.” She grinned.
“Good point,” Rick agreed. “So, is anyone else scheduled to come in today? Any oil changes or tune ups?”
“Nope,” Liz informed him. “I made the executive decision that I would not be scheduling any appointments after 4:30, so you’d be able to go home on time. I seem to recall you saying there was a show you wanted to watch tonight, and I have a date, so I didn’t want to hang around waiting on you.”
“So you made sure of it? I don’t know whether to thank you or spank you.”
“Thank me,” Liz insisted. “You’d have to catch me to spank me, and I’m faster than you.”
“Snotty little brat,” Rick teased. Liz grabbed her coat and the two of them began their closing routine.
__________
(1) In the 1950s, two convicts broke into the home of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, looking for money they believed the family had hidden there. Upon finding nothing, they murdered the couple and their two children. Truman Capote wrote his novel In Cold Blood based around this crime.
Chapter 3
“I’m totally serious,” Aubree said into the phone as she microwaved a small portion of pasta in marinara sauce. Her glass of red wine called her from the counter, and she made her way over and took a sip. “Michelle must want everyone to be as unhappy and overwhelmed as she is. I won’t do it, though. I’m not settling for Mr. Wrong. Not ever. I’ll stay single first.”
“What went so wrong with your sister? I feel so out of the loop. I remember her being this happy-go-lucky artist. I still have some of her found object bouquets around the house. Next thing I know, she’s married to the bug man and piled with kids. And selling houses of all things. What happened?”
“After she and Paolo broke up – artistic differences – she moped around for about a year, and then Mom started in on her. She basically bullied her into marrying a man Mom chose. Don’t get me wrong, Jay is a nice guy, but he’s a lot like my dad. Sweet, a bit clueless and unpretentious. My mom always loved that about Dad because he let her be in charge, but it’s like she forgot that Michelle has always been drawn to artist types, the kind with tattoos and wild hairdos and extreme piercings. Paolo had no
t one but two gauges in his lower lip.”
“And she’s married to…”
“Mr. Joe average. It’s a tense relationship to say the least. The saving grace is that Jay doesn’t even seem to realize, they’re both so wrapped up in their kids. But now Michelle doesn’t seem like herself anymore. I’m sad she felt compelled to settle, and now Mom is trying to do it to me. She’s chosen someone she met at the VA, and Michelle only encourages her to keep picking at me. I hate it.”
“Settling is bad,” Nancy agreed, “and a guy who isn’t your type probably wouldn’t be a good choice.”
“I hear a butt in that,” Aubree cautioned, “and mine’s big enough.”
“Bullshit,” her friend snorted. “You have a little junk in the trunk, but you don’t look a bit fat.”
Aubree twisted over her shoulder to regard her offending rear. “Glad I don’t have a desk job,” she commented darkly. “But at any rate, what were you going to say, Nancy?”
“Just that you should be sure of two things… that you’re sticking to your guns, not just reacting. No, there’s nothing wrong with being single, but only if that’s what you really want. Don’t refuse to date just to spite your mom, or just to avoid your sister’s fate. You’re good at not getting entangled with people you don’t have a future with.”
Aubree pouted. “You too? Why does everyone think I need this? I’m happy just the way I am. Until someone improves on that happiness, I won’t consider changing my status.”
“No, you’re right,” Nancy agreed. “I always felt the same way. The thing is, eventually someone might just do that; you know, improve on your happiness, and I’m reminding you to be open to the possibility. It’s your life. Enjoy being single, but if you find a great partner, don’t let a meddling mother and a whiny sister get in the way. That’s all I’m saying. I’d never suggest you settle.”
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