a

it card to work and lets me drive off in a thirty-year-old Niss

about Eros

p in a warm bed or in the back seat of this dumpy car-and my stomach's beginning to rumble. Fort

t get Eros o

at me, and spoke to me, and touched my skin, and later, the way he gave me his card even though I went full-o

s important as he said, a lesser man would've hurt me ov

he gave m

ew threats, but in the end, h

unders

get Eros

ntil the disaster hits. There's an enormous bang lik

ly manage to pull onto the shoulder

e mess, and I really regret

e anyway. How the hell is this happening to me, now of all times? I was s

and throwing a tantrum. I can handle th

lly goes. "Oh my god. You have to be fucking kidding me! Just fucking great." I w

y made

but no

and wait for them to show up. I keep taking out Eros's card and typ

I won't go crawling

arrives, frowning at the blown-apart rubber, sc

I say. "It'

clucks his tongue at me like I'm some stupid teenager. "All r

h will i

e he's trying to decide how much he c

ight be sick. "I ca

break and do two-fifty. That or

choice do I have? I can't keep this car, and I can't

h I have no clue how I'm going to, get in

----

. "Back already?" he asks, showing his teeth, wh

t and there'

f that tire was going to explode like that no matter what. He's a skinny, slimy dickhead in

my hands. "Pay for what now

pocket. "You've

re's no way I'm paying for a flat tire, espe

You can refuse to pay, but I'll have to call the police and let them

. It's happening again, the anger's getting the better of me, and I wan

step to

outh shut-but, lik

ter how many freaking credit cards I have in my pocket. You're a cheap little asshole, and I could've gottenkill

ce falls. "Okay

, but he's al

am s

ai

can't keep m

egret that wholeembracing

I walk away, shoving out through the door. "Hey

on I see to come to my rescue. Hop on a bus and hope I don't have to pay the fair. Collapse at the feet of th

ith a clipboard. "Like I said, that'll be two-fifty, plus the u

t to

y that I

his hands on his hips, and I'm on the edge of panic, trying not to lose my freaking

scre

r's going

one way out, and it'

number. For the fiftieth time today, I type it into

s if I ask

nd I feel insanely pathetic. I can't even d

only a few hours after he

before-my parents never let me work, and Christopher laughed when I suggested it. The idea of making a fai

in Chicago when C

st Eros when he

op, hand over the cards, and offer to bribe the guy so he forgets my little tirade. I can hope the cards keep o

d, I h

disappointment tightens around

lo,

reath. "How'd yo

s number. Did you think a

s and steady m

nd

nt a

Where a

hing over the gravel in the street. Rental Twerp's looking stupidly smug, and the tow guy's