“The air conditioning in my car gave out yesterday. Got an appointment for tomorrow to get it fixed.”
“Couldn't have told me that before we decided to get trapped in your black box of sweltering heat?”
He chuckled. “Nice try at a diversion. But it’s not working.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, just like your A.C. Fuck!”
I stuck my head out the window. And to my shock, it was cooler outside with the sun burning the top of my head than it was inside his car. His leather seats made my skin stick to the fabric. I breathed in deeply as sweat dripped down my face. And since my head was out the window, I tried to see what the fuck the hold-up was.
Then my phone vibrated in my board shorts’ pocket.
“That Rae?” Mike asked.
I sat down. “Probably.”
“What does she want?”
I pulled my phone out and looked at the text.
Rae: You guys close? Pretty sure I pissed Allison off with more college talk.
I sighed as my fingers flew over the screen.
Me: At least you’ve made a decision. Mike’s about to wind up and knock it out of the park with how bullshit it is that I haven’t made a decision yet.
I sent the message off and promptly got one back.
Rae: I mean, it would be nice for you to make one. You know, so I know how to declare my housing. Which I have to submit by the end of next week. Just letting you know.
I rolled my eyes and put my phone away. But I felt Mike’s eyes on me. I jammed myself against the door, hanging my arm out as Aerosmith came on over the radio. I reached over and turned it up, trying to drown out his eyes with music. I bobbed my head and murmured the words. Thanking my fucking stars that traffic was slowly starting to move. For two whole blocks.
Until it stopped again.
“Fucking hell!” I exclaimed.
Mike snickered. “Maybe if you talk about your game plan for August, the traffic will pick up as a reward for your service.”
I sighed. “You’re not going to stop riding me about this, are you?”
“Not at all.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. What do you want to know?”
“Have you figured out what you’re going to do?”
“You’ll have to be a bit more specific with that request.”
“Okay. Did you apply to college? Or are you still sticking with the whole ‘no college’ deal?”
I sighed. “No. I didn’t apply to college. School isn’t for me. Not even some pointless two-year school.”
“Good. Off to a nice start. So, are you staying with Cecilia? Or moving closer to Rae?”
“I’m… not sure on that yet.”
“Which is fine. You got choices to talk through?”
I snickered. “Sure. I’ve got choices. I’ve always got choices. I can choose to stay with Cecilia in the apartment. Or I can move out and live in some downtown studio apartment close to Rae’s school and hopefully convince her to move in with me. You know, if she doesn’t already get a place of her own.”