Best Served Cold

10: The Gathering of Ammunition

By the time I had officially come to terms with my situation it was past two, meaning I had only three hours left to get to work – not that there was any point in going and not that I had any real excuse for being so late apart from I had to nurse a hangover, start my revenge scheme on the cheating bastard I called a fiancé and find my car which I had so elegantly left at a run of mill bar last night. How I even got from this place to Jordan’s condo on the other side of the city was beyond me. Although walking would explain the blister I can feel on the bottom of my foot.

Looking at my car I was horrified. There she laid, held up by three bricks, her beautiful red body scratched like shredder from ninja turtles had decided to use her as a sharpening tool. Her windows were smashed in and bits of graffiti were scribbled all over her.

My mouth has been gaping open for the past half hour as I looked at her. Why?

I shook my head as I approached her once beautiful frame. We had so many great times together, the times you broke down on the freeway, the road trips we went on, the speeding finds we collected and then hid from my step dad and Broody. Why did this have to happen to you? I was such a bad parent.

“Mia, the tow truck is here.” Joe said from behind me. He said we should just walk away and claim someone stole it, that way I would probably get more for the insurance but then I realized I may have been a bit late with that payment and so his advice was have her scrapped for parts so that I may have enough money to find a little cheap car that would take me from A to B. She didn’t have much to bargain for but Joe assured me that her engine – which, for some weird reason the people who trashed my car and stole my tiers didn’t take – was worth a bit and would help.

I nodded and said my goodbyes to my car before retreating to the town car. I looked over and watched in horror as the team hooked up my car and pulled it onto the tray, the metal scraping against the concrete parking lot as it went. They had argued relentlessly about the best way to do it, most of them seemed to think that they should just pull it apart now but Joe said no as it would cost me more money for their time. They buckled up what was left of my car and drove off down the street, headed for the nearest junk yard to dumb my car and pawn the parts.

I looked over and found Joe on the phone, his head nodding in understanding a couple of times before hanging up. He walked back over to me and smiled warm heartily. “It would appear that I am to be your personal driver until you can find other suitable arrangements.” He said, putting extra emphasis on the ‘suitable’ part. Who gets to decide whether or not something is suitable or not?

I was in no state to argue at the present moment. I had no car and no idea how I was getting anywhere without his assistance, my only other option was public transport and not only would that cost me more in money but also time, waiting for trains, trams and busses.

“Thank you so much Joe.” I thanked him, walking over and giving him a hug. I needed a hug in this moment, I had just given my car to the grave yard to have her organs ripped out, a hug was just the start of what I needed.

“You’re welcome. Now, where to?”

I stopped and pondered that question for a minute. I only had about an hour, maybe two left of work after all the time, waiting for the tow truck, watching them pull it on and now driving to work. There was no point in going at all. I was just going to have to convince a doctor that I have a cold and ask for a medical certificate, at least that way I can get paid for the day.

Where to go?

I didn’t want to go home and Julie was probably still at work so I couldn’t go to her place. How about…

“Let’s go shopping Joe.” I beamed and turned around headed for the front seat. There was no need to sit in the back.

Joe looked a little stunned and taken a back for a moment but quickly recovered himself. Jumping in the car we drove – well, he drove; I changed the radio stations like there was no tomorrow – to the nearest shopping center. Joe let me out exclaiming that he had to run an errand for Mr Wilder and would be back once I had called him and asked to be picked up.