Not Quite Dating(18)

“You can’t accuse me of not being a gentleman.”
No, she couldn’t say that about him. Jessie weaved her way through the cars until she saw her old Toyota Celica. It looked lost among so many fancy, newer vehicles. It ran, and that’s what counted.
“This is me,” she announced as she fished her keys from her bag. She opened the door and tossed her purse in the passenger seat before turning to Jack. “Thanks again, Jack. For everything.”
Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “It’s nothing. I’m glad you came.”
“I had fun. Be careful with the cougar-lady if you go back in there,” she warned.
“Cougar-lady?”
“Yeah, the flashy woman with the shrimp. She looks like she eats waiters for breakfast, and she had you in her sights.” Friends warn friends about bad choices for the bedroom, didn’t they?
“You be careful with Braaad.”
Jessie had to smirk at how Jack drew out Brad’s name. “He said something about calling me next week. I’m not even sure I’ll go out with him.” Now why did she tell him that? Maybe because when he said the other man’s name, he did so with a frown. Unease about the entire evening started to seep into her bones.
Jack stepped back. “Well, good night.”
“Night, Jack.”
Closing the door, Jessie was grateful for the easy exit. No drama, no fuss.
Famous last words.
When she twisted the key in the ignition, the car groaned, then moaned, then gave up trying to start altogether. She twisted it again, but the car made only a clicking noise in response.
Oh boy. Just what she needed. Jack watched her through the windshield. Jessie threw her hands in the air and tried to start it again.
Nothing.
Frustrated, she opened the door and swung her feet out.
“I don’t get it; darn car wasn’t acting up on the way over here.”
“Pop the hood.”
“You know about cars?” Jessie leaned in and pulled the lever.
Jack opened the hood, but the dimly lit parking lot made viewing the engine minimally possible at best. Jack fiddled with a couple of things anyway. “Try again.”
Jessie did, but nothing changed. She pushed out of the car a second time and stood with Jack over the worn-out engine. “I hate this car. If it isn’t one thing, it’s another.”
“How many miles are on it?” Jack asked as he stood and lowered the hood.
“Two hundred and some change.”
“Thousand?”
“It’s an old car, Jack.”
He shook his head. “Here, give me the keys.”
“Why?”
“I’ll look at it in the morning, when I can see what’s going on.”
“You don’t have to do that. I can have it towed. Have a mechanic check it out.”
Jack kept his hand out, palm up. “Save your money, let me see if I can fix it.”
Jessie vacillated over what she should do. “You’ve already done enough.”
“Jessie, darlin’, give me the keys.”
She handed them over. “If it isn’t simple, or it costs you money, I wanna pay for it.”
Jack surveyed his greasy hands.
Jessie opened the back door and pulled out a package of wipes she kept there for her son. “Here,” she said, pulling a couple wipes free and handing them to him.
Cleaning his hands, Jack thanked her. “Let’s get you home.”
“I can call my sister.”
“And wake up your son? Come on.” He grabbed her elbow and led her toward the front of the hotel. “A friend of mine borrowed my truck, so we’re going to have to use a different car to take you home.”
“You have a second car?”
“Not exactly.”
Jessie walked faster to keep up with Jack’s steps.
He stopped in front of the valet porter and smiled. “Hello, Wes.”
Wes stood a little taller at the mention of his name. His eyes swept back and forth between her and Jack.
“Hello, Mr.—”
“Jack,” he interrupted. “Mister is so formal.”
“Jack,” Wes said, his eyes continuing to shift almost as if he was nervous or something.
“Wes, it appears that one of the hotels guests is having a bit of difficulty with her car.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, miss.”
Jessie smiled and Jack continued to talk.
“Is there a car available?”
Wes took short steps as he walked up to his podium to check a book sitting on top of it. “There is, but Mr.…Jack, it seems we are short a driver tonight. The other two are taking other people home at this time. No telling when they’ll come back.”
“That’s fine. I can drive the lady home. Can you have one of your runners bring the car around?”
Wes’s head bobbed up and down, his cheeks rippling slightly as he did. “Right away, sir.”
Jessie grabbed Jack’s arm and led him back a few feet. “What are you doing?”
“Getting you home.”
“In a hotel car?”
“Relax, Jessie, we do this all the time.”
First the dress, then the party, now this? Jack was sure to get canned, and it would all be her fault.
A few seconds later, a limousine pulled up into the circular drive and a porter popped out of the driver’s seat. Wes opened the back door and extended his arm to Jessie.
Her feet wouldn’t budge. This couldn’t be the car Jack spoke of.
Jack pushed her forward. “Get in,” he whispered under his breath. “Act like you do this all the time.”