Baby Be Mine(Spinsters & Casanovas Series Book 1)(88)

A sudden cough from her car drew her attention away from her mulling thoughts.

“What’s wrong, Red?” she asked. In reply, her car just continued to spatter and cough.

Was it playing up? Oh, please, don’t play up now. Not when she was already halfway to Silverton Hotel.

“No, no, not now, Red. Why must you get sick now?” Thank heavens it wasn’t a busy road and she was able to park on the curbside just before it released a final hacking cough. Sadly, Red died a sudden death, smoke drifting from its bonnet.

“I just took you for your six-month checkup. They said you were fine, and now you do this to me? Just when I need to meet Anton too,” she grumbled and stepped out of the car.

She lifted the hood and more smoke came billowing out. She stood back before it could make its way into her lungs. Once it dissipated, she went back to look at the engine. She saw all the wires and containers, but having no knowledge of cars, she just couldn’t diagnose the problem.

“What am I supposed to do with you? Replace you?” she asked in frustration. But inside, she knew she could never replace her beloved Corolla, or Red, as she so lovingly named it.

She had bought Red during her final year of dentistry, after working so many different jobs, as a kind of reward for finishing her degree. Now, almost eight years had passed, and Red was still with her, through thick and thin, through sadness and happiness. She had money now, which could easily afford her a brand new car if she so wished it, but it was the sentimental relationship she had with Red that had stopped her. Red meant a lot to her. But looking at its condition now, with its brand new door—some unknown person had crashed into her a few months back—and its sickness, she wondered just how much longer her Red would last.

Sighing with resignation, she checked her whereabouts with her cell phone GPS and found it was an hour walk to Silverton Hotel. Deciding a car would be better, she decided a taxi should pick her up, but first she rang her car insurance company to have Red picked up. Once all that was done, she phoned the taxi company.

“Hello. This is Efficient Taxi. How may I help?” she heard the operator say.

“Hello, I would… Hello… Hello?” Clarice looked at her phone and wanted to drum her head against poor Red’s bonnet. Oh dear heavens, why didn’t she charge her phone? Just when she needed to call the taxi too. She’d never been careless like this before, well, before coming back from Queenstown anyway. Lately, she seemed to miss so many things.

Glancing at her wristwatch, she saw she had but an hour left before her meeting with Anton.

She glanced around. The scenery looked picturesque, like the houses from The Stepford Wives, starring Nicole Kidman. This was Herne Bay, the suburb where the rich lived. Dear heavens, it was exactly the same suburb where that Casanova Hunter lived. She just hoped she wouldn’t meet him today, what with that kiss he’d imparted on her that she just couldn’t stop thinking about it. If he were to appear, how would she face him?

She could still remember the feel of his lips resting upon her own, so soft, as he tasted her, teased her, as if searching for something. She touched her own lips, tracing her index finger softly along. Yes, right there, those lips touched hers right there, so silky smooth, so velvety, like the taste of a plum, ripe and juicy, deli—

“Clarice, stop it right now.” She lightly slapped herself on the cheek when she realized she was fantasizing about Hunter. “Why are you fantasizing about that Casanova kissing you? Why are you comparing Anton’s kiss to that Casanova? Start walking now.”

Yes, she should start walking. Walking was good exercise. It makes you fit and strong… like that Casanova, so big and strong and… and… that kiss… ahhhhh, so sweet. He was tormenting her, but she liked it.