Hand Tossed

by Knox, Abby

  Chapter Seven

  Diana

  “What did you do?”

  Leo lifts one shoulder and looks up at me innocently. “I was just following you home to make sure you were okay.”

  I squint down at him, revving myself up to really let him have it for sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. For intervening as if I’m some sort of damsel in distress.

  To my surprise, he gets out of the car while I’m in the middle of my speech and says, “Passenger side. Now.”

  He grips me under my arm and escorts me swiftly to the curb side. “What are you doing!?” I shout.

  “It’s not safe to have a conversation by the side of the road, especially not on that side. Get in.”

  He holds the door open for me.

  “I’m not getting in your car,” I say, squaring my shoulders.

  “Yes, you are. And then I’m driving you home. And then I’m taking that rattle trap you call a car to my brother’s scrapyard.”

  “What am I supposed to drive?”

  He growls, “I’ll pick you up for work tomorrow; now would you get into the car so we can talk?”

  “If you expect some kind of repayment for bribing the cops back there, you are sorely mistaken,” I say, my voice cracking.

  This makes him step back, his face a little hurt. Instantly, I regret what I said.

  What he says next, though, is so perfect it breaks my heart and puts it back together. “Diana, I see you. I understand why you would think that about me or any other guy. And I’m not going to stand here and pretend I’m any different from any other jerk who has mistreated you in the past. So I’m not going to force you into the car. But the truth is, your car is not safe to drive. And you’re not allowed to drive, anyway. But I promise you are safe with me. Here,” he says, handing his phone out to me. “Call my sister. Her contact is right there. Call her and ask her if I’m safe.”

  I look at his phone, then up at his face. His words are pleading, but his tone, and his face, are not. He’s serious. He does see me. And he doesn’t care what I’ve done or what the police believe I’ve done.

  My hands wave in surrender. “All right. I’ll get in the car. We probably do have some things to talk about.”

  After I get inside and he slides back into the driver seat next to me, I watch as he texts someone then throws the Jeep into gear. He cranks the wheel and heads toward the back of a nearby mini-mall. “Where are you taking me?” I ask.

  “Dunkin’. What do you want?” he asks as he eases into the drive-through lane.

  I tell him a raspberry jelly, and he orders a sour cream for himself, plus two coffees.

  “Coffee, huh? This really is going to be a conversation,” I comment.

  He winks at me and then parks behind the Dunkin’, and we eat our donuts together.

  “What’s going to happen with my car?”

  Leo gestures with his phone. “My brother’s gonna have your car towed to his scrapyard. I wasn’t kidding about that.”

  I shake my head. “I don’t suppose you’re going to listen when I tell you I can’t afford to have my car towed.”

  He shakes his head. “Nope.” The grin that follows slams into me with such unexpected sweetness. Why should I be surprised to see him smile? Everything he’s done for me today has been massively sweet and above and beyond what an employer should do for his brand new employee.

  “What is it you want to do with your life, Diana?”

  I shrug and sip my coffee. “Right now, I just want to get my shit together and stay out of trouble. And then I want to find an apartment that allows pets, so I can get a dog.”

  Leo smiles and listens while I talk about all my immediate needs. Paying my electric bill. Paying off court fines. Tracking down my ex so he can clear my name.

  At his curious expression, I then launch into the whole story. “My ex framed me for drunk driving, but nobody believes me. One night we were at a party. I was bored and not feeling well from the disgusting punch somebody made. Too strong. He was pissed and told me I had to wait. I sort of fell asleep, and the next thing I knew, I was sitting in the driver’s seat of Gary’s car, being awakened by a policewoman, after the car had crashed into a metal barricade on a country road. Gary was nowhere to be found, and I haven’t been able to track him down since then.”

  I look over, and Leo’s eyes could burst into flames. His jaw tics, visible even from under that lovely dark beard. He sets down his coffee and rubs his palm over his face. “Fucking asshole. Could have gotten you killed.”

  A lump forms in my throat at the memory. “I know. Thank you for saying that.”

  “Did your parents help you hire a lawyer?”

  “I didn’t tell them.”

  “Sweetheart, you gotta tell ’em.”

  I shake my head. “Can we just not talk about this? I’m already going to have trouble sleeping tonight because my crazy boss just promoted me to line cook or whatever.”

  Leo’s hand is still rubbing his beard as if he’s trying to get control of his emotions.

  “I’m glad you told me that story. But what I really wanted to know, Diana, what you want to do with your life. Like, down the line.”

  I lift one shoulder. “Fuck if I know.”

  Leo pivots in the seat to lean in closer to me. I can feel his zest for life pouring off of him. I wish I had that. “What have you always wanted to do? What’s your passion?” He says the word passion with his whole body, his brows furrowed in challenge and his hand gesturing while gripping the sour cream donut.

  I feel heat flood all through me, and I can’t tell if it’s because it’s the first time in a long time that someone has asked me something so deep, or because his attention doesn’t creep me out.

  The way my heart races when he looks at me with those intense eyes, I don’t want to be careful. I can tell he doesn’t want to be careful either.

  “I’ve always wanted to go to art school,” I say. I can’t believe I said that out loud to someone on the first day of knowing them. How did he make me do that? “But I’m 25, and I think I’m past that now.”

  “Hold up,” Leo says. “If you want to go to art school, you’re going to fucking art school. What do you want to do? Paint? Draw?”

  I smile shyly. “Sculpt,” I say. “But I can’t afford art school.”

  “No, but I can.”

  I back away from him because suddenly, everything is clear. He’s not just interested in me for who I am. It makes sense: showering me with opportunities and making problems disappear. And now, trying to fund my education.

  My throat dries up. “Listen, I can’t accept your help if this is a sugar daddy type of offer. You will be disappointed at my sexual prowess, I’m just saying.”

  Leo’s brow angles up in confusion. “What? I don’t know what you mean by ‘sugar daddy.’”

  I scoff. “Yes, you do. Everyone knows what that means. An old man offers to pay a young woman’s way through school in exchange for her company.” Around the word “company,” I use air quotes.

  This explanation seems to shock him. “Diana.” That’s all he says, but it says a thousand different things. All of which soothe my unease. He’s telling me that’s not what this is. That I should know better, and that he would never expect anything in return for his kindness. That he wants me to see him as an equal even though he’s my boss.

  “I understand why you think that. But no, that’s not it.”

  “You keep saying you understand my reasons for acting or behaving a certain way, and I’m going to fall in love with you, Leo,” I joke and then take the last bite of my jelly donut.

  He blows out a breath. “Let’s hope so.”

  My gasping causes the last chunk of donut to get caught in my throat. I can’t breathe. My hands go to my neck. When Leo sees this, he springs into action, of course. What follows might be the most humiliating moment of my life.

  Even more embarrassing than being strip-searched at the precinct. />
  Leo’s thick body is all around me, and his arms surround my torso, his closed fists clasped together in the middle of my sternum. Oh god. I’m either going to barf or crack a rib, and either way, I hope the earth swallows me up when it’s over. One quick thrust, and the chunk flies out of my mouth onto the floorboards of the Jeep. Tears stream from my eyes.

  “Oh my god, why am I crying?” I mutter between coughs.

  “It’s your gag reflex; it’s normal. Here, drink some water.”

  Leo sets about cleaning me up and wiping the tears from my cheeks.

  “That’s one way to ruin a possibly romantic moment, Diana,” he says with a smirk.

  I can’t help but laugh. “You shouldn’t have made me laugh in the middle of eating a donut.”

  He stares me down, and I know from the look in his eye he wasn’t joking.

  “Well, any romantic things you might have been feeling are surely out the window now, now that I’ve barfed all over your car.”

  He’s still dabbing my cheek with his thumb, even though I’ve no tears anymore. “Just a little bit of donut. No big whoop. Worse things have occurred in this Jeep. A lot messier things.”

  I don’t know why my mind goes there, but I do not want to think about him having sex with other women, especially not here in this Jeep, where I’m sitting.

  “Whoa,” I say. “I think it’s time for me to go home.”

  I stay silent and think things over as we make our way to the shitty motel. When we arrive, I say, “Wait a minute. How did you know where I live?”

  “It’s on your job application, and I already Google-Mapped it.”

  “Creepy,” I tease.

  He lifts one shoulder in acknowledgment. “Runs in the family. By the way, I don’t like this neighborhood.”

  “It’s all I can afford,” I say.

  “Let’s talk more later tonight.”

  I shake my head. “Whatever, Leo. I hope you’re not expecting a kiss goodnight after I horked up a donut.”

  “No, but I am expecting a phone call when it’s time for bed.”

  “Why?”

  “So I can confirm with you that my family’s security guys drive by the house while they’re on the job tonight.”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “Meh. They’re over here often enough catching bail skips. It won’t be like they’re going out of their way.”

  “None of this makes me feel any better,” I say.

  “Good night, Diana.”

  The trembling is from the choking scare, I tell myself. Not because the more protective Leo gets, the more I want him.

  I go inside and lock the door behind me.

  I kick off my shoes, gather my pajamas, and get ready for a night in front of the television. Cara was nice enough to give me her streaming service password to at least enjoy some entertainment. While I’m pulling down my pajama top, I see a shadow across the window, nearly giving me a heart attack. “Holy shit!”

  And that’s when I peek through the blinds and see who it is. Leo is checking to make sure all my doors and windows are locked. I don’t say anything. I know there’s nothing I can do to make him calm down.

  I have to admit to myself it feels good to have someone be so protective of me. As I watch Leo drive away, I try to identify this feeling that I’m having.

  It’s goodness. Not since I lived with my family have, I felt this. Like I’m almost home.

  Chapter Eight

  Leo

  I crack open my second beer of the night and sip from the brew as I wait for Diana to call.

  My brother Christopher calls while I pace around the pool in the backyard. He lets me know he’s got Diana’s car at the scrapyard.

  “Thanks, brother. Just hold tight until we get the title and everything switched over.”

  Christopher has a few questions for me. Of course, he does; he’s related to me.

  “What’s the deal? I don’t mind holding on to some chick’s car; I’m sure you got your reasons. I just wanna make sure everything is on the up and up.”

  I snort.

  “Dude, it’s not of my business, but I gotta ask just like I would if it was anybody else telling me to keep a car off the street.”

  This makes sense. “I get it, Christopher. The woman it belongs to is in some trouble, and I’m helping her out. If people see her car on the street, she might never drive again.”

  “Cop troubles. I hear ya,” Christopher says. “So, are you going to tell me about the girl?”

  “There’s nothing to tell.”

  Christopher laughs. “Sure, sure. You involve your brother in helping you take care of problems with just any woman who walks into your pizza establishment off the street. I get it.”

  “It’s very new, and I don’t want to jinx it by saying too much.”

  Christopher pauses, and I wait for the wisecrack. But he doesn’t make one. Instead, he says, “I hope we all get to meet her at the family reunion.”

  I hold my breath, still expecting the punchline that never comes.

  “I’m planning on it,” I tell him.

  We hang up, and it’s clear that my brother heard something in my voice that wasn’t there before.

  I flip through my choices on TV, but nothing grabs my attention. Waiting for her to call me tonight is excruciating.

  I pace around my house, repeatedly checking my phone. After a couple of hours, I start to think she’s not going to call.

  Stepping outside to stare at the small backyard pool that I never use, I think I must have screwed up somehow.

  You blew it, man. You said too much, and you freaked her out.

  Just as I’m about to give up and head inside, away from the mosquitoes, her number appears.

  She doesn’t even say hello; she just jumps right in.

  “Why did you hire me on the spot?”

  “And good evening to you, Diana,” I reply.

  “Are you going to answer the question?”

  I smile as I get myself ready for bed. I hate placing her on speaker while I do my nighttime routine, which makes me notice how much I enjoy her voice up close to me.

  “I knew you were a good fit,” I say.

  “Bullshit. You thought my car was a death trap, and you could see on my job application I had no experience in the food industry. Now tell me the real reason.”

  I spit out my toothpaste in the sink and clean myself up, taking a sip of water. I take her off speaker and look at myself in the mirror. That is the face of a man who is about to give up the truth.

  “Because I was attracted to you as soon as I met you.”

  “Do you see how sexist that is?”

  “I don’t care. And it’s not just because you’re a woman and it’s not just your looks. You’re just an objectively attractive, intriguing human and I didn’t want you to leave.”

  Diana’s voice sounds slightly indignant. “Listen. I can’t have you fighting my battles. I can’t have you solving my problems with money. It’s weird and creepy, and I already watched two of my sisters let older men change their life with money, and I don’t want that for myself.”

  As I strip off my clothes and get ready to shower, I have to ask the obvious question. “Tell me, would your sisters have fallen in love and married these men if they had no money?”

  “Yes.”

  “So your sisters are not as shallow as you think.”

  “Dude, why are you busting my chops so hard?” she says with a laugh.

  “I don’t know. Every time I try to have a romantic moment with you, one of us fucks it up,” I say.

  “Throwing up will do that.”

  “Hey,” I say, turning on the spray. “At least now I’ve already seen you at your worst, which was still pretty fuckin’ sexy, to be honest.”

  “Why do you have to be like that?”

  “Like what?”

  “Pushy, forward, demanding but yet also so sweet that I’m waiting for the ax to fall.”

&
nbsp; I hate that she feels that way, but there’s nothing I can do to change that but be who I am. “Baby, no axes are falling anywhere near you as long as I’m in your life.”

  She sighs heavily, and I can’t tell if it’s a swooning sigh or an “I’m going to regret this” sigh. “Why did I have a feeling you were going to say that?”

  I reply, waiting for the water to heat up, “Because I’m predictable. That’s my goal. I’m not going to pull any shady shit on you. I’m your brick wall, baby.”

  She says, “I believe you, but I feel bad getting you involved in my situation.”

  “I’m here by choice. And I believe you. What’s Gary’s last name?”

  She tells me, and that’s all I need.

  “Thanks, doll.”

  “Why did you need to know that?”

  “Have a good night. See you in the morning.”

  I don’t know if she meant to keep me on the phone until I can hear her sleeping, but I’m glad she does. It hurts to hang up after listening to her even breathing for about thirty minutes, but then I have another phone call to make.

  Chapter Nine

  Diana

  When I arrive at work the following day, Leo is waiting for me in the kitchen with a mischievous look on his face.

  “For the record, since I’m trying complete honesty now, I know nothing about making pizza,” I tell him.

  “For the record, your skill level doesn’t matter; as you probably know by now, this promotion is a ploy to keep an eye on you.”

  He hands out a white double-breasted jacket and I take it, saying, “Cherise is going to kill me for having the audacity to wear one of these.”

  He raises one eyebrow while helping me button the buttons, and I explain that sister number four went to culinary school.

  “Well, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” Leo says. As he says this, his hand accidentally brushes against my breast. My cheeks explode with red, and I look down at our hands grappling with the large buttons, and I decide to not acknowledge what has just happened.

  He definitely accidentally grazed my boob last night while saving me from choking to death, so maybe just get over it, Diana. Tell that to my hardening nipples, which only grow harder as I look down at our hands fussing with these buttons.