Just Be True To Me

Chapter 3

Clifford swiped his chest and legs. Not having worn jeans for some time, he had become unaccustomed to how they looked on his body. A bit looser than he liked, he pushed the insecurities to the back of his mind. Pulling the sweater’s zipper down allowed the top of the shirt he wore underneath to show. He pulled it back up.

He was going against his only rule: Never change for another person. Especially when it came to women.

But he liked the current one he was courting. Despite not being able to remember her name. She ridded him of his loneliness and held his attention just enough to keep his mind from the unrelenting problems that gave chase. She was nothing more than a distraction.

Slipping his Rolex onto his wrist, he checked the amount of money in his wallet before putting it in his back pocket. Grabbing his phone, he found himself hoping that a text or call from Mia would be waiting for him. He snapped his finger. Marie. That was the name of his date. Almost as if she felt that his mind was on another woman, a text came through.

Everything okay?

He was late. He was never late. The first sign that he really didn’t want to go. Reading the words a second and third time, the un-want grew. In concordance with others her age, Maria sent four more texts in rapid succession. He shoved the phone underneath the pillows and fell onto his back. Running his hands up and down his face, he felt his age, his fingers catching on the wrinkles in his forehead. His temples throbbed. A sign that he wasn’t living in accordance with his belief. He ruffled around the drawer, grabbing the small pill bottle. With his eyes closed, he shook two pills into his hand. They disintegrated as he chewed them, the bitter taste remaining after he swallowed.

The phone vibrated.

He slammed his fist into the pillow.

It vibrated again.

Air rushed through his nose as his fingertips circled around his temples. He repeated his mantra and focused on taking deeper breaths, just as his therapist suggested.

It vibrated once more.

“Fu*k.” The continuous vibration prompted him to action. Throwing the pillows aside, he snatched the back panel off and took the top of the battery out. The phone slipped from his hand. Picking it up, he realized that the texts and calls were from Mia. With the back panel still off, he held the phone to his ear, pacing across the room while listening to it ring.

“Clifford,” she answered.

“I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon, Ms. Bishop. To what do I owe the call?”

A short pause followed. “I apologize for calling so late.”

Checking his watch, he saw that it was only just past 8:00.

He took the words as a shot to his age. “It’s not that late. I work well past this time. Sometimes until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. I’m not old.”

She giggled. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just don’t like calling so late, don’t want wives or girlfriends to think you’re up to no good.

“I’m alone.”

“The reason I’m calling is because…I need your help. Well, I’d like your help. My car broke down by your office and I left my wallet at home, so I can’t call an Uber. I would’ve called my friend but—”

“Sit tight. I’m on the way.”

“I shouldn’t have called him,” Mia said to herself. She changed the station, not in the mood for love songs. The building looked far less intimidating than it did during the day. Without all the people meandering around, it was no different than all the other offices in the area. She passed it every day on her way to work. Letting her seat back, she began counting the stars. It wasn’t long before the quiet unsettled her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so still, not counting her recent vacation. Reaching her 74^th star, her eyes grew heavy. She managed to count 12 more before the exhaustion began to affect her limbs. The muscles in her neck relaxed five stars later, causing her head to drop.

Her head hit the roof at the sound of a tap on the window.

“You can’t be sneaking up on people like that. That’s how you get shot.”

“Noted. Pop your hood.”

Watching as he tinkered with the hoses and caps, she asked, “Are you wearing jeans?”

“I made an error in judgement.” Pulling his sweater over his head, he tossed it on the hood. Noticing her shocked expression, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t take you for a man who likes tattoos.”

Various images coated his arms, some abstract, others more concrete, capturing images of the people he held dear. There were a few that suggested they were the result of a drunken night out with the boys. They added another dimension to him, making him more complex. More interesting.

Stepping further back to give him some space gave her the perfect vantage point to observe his muscles. With each movement he made a different one flexed. Twisting a cap caused veins to bulge from his forearms. Reaching up to grab the hood stretched his chest. Stretching from one side to the other caused the bottom of his shirt to lift, allowing her to see his V-line.

“Do you need me?” she asked to stop herself from openly staring.

“Nope.”

She got back inside the car and let her mind wander off. She was beginning to picture what he looked like completely exposed when the hood of the car slammed into place. She let the window all the way down, the streaks oil crossing his chest awakened a desire that she thought she’d beat into submission. She relaxed her thighs. “What’s the verdict?”

“Blown head gasket. You’re gonna need a tow truck,” he said.

“Sh*t. Thanks, for your help.”

He opened her door. “Don’t worry about it. I know a guy that can come get it. What’s your address?”

She looked at him out the side of her eye.

“Neither he nor I want your Altima.”

“It’s a very economical choice. The gas mileage is second to none.”

“I wasn’t judging you.” Clifford made sure the passenger and backdoors were locked. “Keys.” Catching them, he placed them under the seat.

Back in his Porsche, the engine growled as he pressed the gas. “Are you hungry?”

“I could eat.”

“That a yes or no?”

“Yes,” she said with a chuckle. Fastening her seatbelt, she melted as the heads in the seat began to massage her back. “Oh my God, I gotta get one of these.”