Prom Night in Purgatory(74)

“I’m guessing you’ve got a spare in the trunk, but one spare isn’t gonna do us much good,” Johnny sighed. “Who would do something like this?”

“Did you notice all the looks you were getting from the ladies?”

“Absolutely.” Johnny smiled deviously, his eyebrows waggling.

“Yeah, well so did all the other guys. I’m guessing one of them - and his name starts with ‘D’ and end with ‘erek,’ was a little jealous of your hot moves and decided to take it out on our cool ride.”

Maggie hunched down beside him and sighed. “How many blondes does it take to change a tire?”

“Only one, sweetheart, but this blonde can’t work a miracle.”

Gus’s portentous words echoed in Maggie’s mind. Don’t forget your miracle so quickly. “This blonde IS a miracle,” Maggie said quietly, sliding her hand into his.

Johnny’s eyes softened, and he leaned in and kissed her slowly and then stood, pulling her up beside him.

“We aren’t taking this old girl home tonight. You got any friends who could give us a lift?”

Maggie looked around at the mostly deserted car lot and then back toward the tree-lined dance floor. The band was disassembling and moving gear into the back of an old Ford pick-up overflowing with speakers and equipment. They weren’t going to be able to squish in there, and Maggie didn’t know any of the band members. Her eyes roved past the few remaining couples all walking out to their cars. One car pulled away as she watched, and another couple she knew only vaguely climbed onto a Harley Davidson Motorcyle, the girl hiking up her skirt and pulling on a helmet. The hog rumbled and belched, and they pulled away without a backward glance at the marooned Cadillac.

“Maggie! Do you guys need some help?”

Maggie swung around to see Jody Evans turn off the twinkle lights at the perimeter of the dance floor and head towards them. Jody was on her dance team, and she had always been nice to Maggie, helping her out with her make-up the night of the fateful winter formal, and never letting Dara’s opinions sway her.

“Jody!” Maggie called, relieved that someone she knew still remained at the dance. The place was now almost deserted. “We’ve got a little car trouble here. We need a lift. Could we catch one with you?”

“Sure! My boyfriend manages the band. We’re just helping them load up, and then we’ll drive back to the lead singer’s place to unload. The committee will come back tomorrow to take down all this other stuff. It’s way too late tonight to mess with it, and I don’t think anyone’s gonna run off with silk trees or twinkle lights. ‘Course, judging by your car tires, there are some definite jerks out there. Geez! Who did that?” Jody’s eyes widened at the damage done to the Caddie’s tires.

Maggie let the question slide by, not wanting to point fingers when she wasn’t absolutely sure of the offender. “Are you sure we could squeeze in? The truck looks pretty full.”

“Oh sure. We’ll figure it out.”

But Jody’s optimism was short lived. The lead singer, the drummer, Jody, and her band manager boyfriend were all going to cram into the front seat of the truck. There was no way Johnny and Maggie were going to fit.

“We might be able to get one of you in the back if you hold one of those speakers in your lap, but it ain’t gonna be comfortable man,” the drummer volunteered hesitantly, addressing Johnny.

“I’m not leaving Maggie here alone.”

“Johnny, I’ll get in the car, turn on the radio, and lock the doors.” Maggie shrugged. “Plus, it’ll take you ten minutes to get to Jillian’s house and be back here with your car. I’ll be fine. I used to ride my bike to and from this very school by myself, day in and day out.”

Johnny shook his head again. “No. We’ll walk. It isn’t that far.”

“In those shoes?” Jody laughed, looking at Maggie’s high red heels.

“I’ll carry her,” Johnny offered, as if he thought he really could carry her for three miles.

“In that dress?” Jody laughed even harder. “I’ll stay with Maggie. You jump in the cab with the guys, Johnny, and you and Maggie can take me home when you get your car,” Jody suggested cheerfully.

“Uh, Jody?” Jody’s boyfriend definitely did not like that idea. He obviously didn’t want Prom Night to end so soon, especially without even taking his date home.

“This is crazy,” Maggie sighed. “I can’t hold a speaker on my lap. It’s bigger than I am, and I sure as heck can’t walk home. Jody, we’ve already kept you guys long enough. Just let Johnny jump in the back, and I’ll wait here for ten minutes for him to come back with his car.”

Johnny scowled. He didn’t like her idea, not at all. Unfortunately, it seemed the only solution, so after some growling and some worrying, he wedged himself into the crowded bed of the truck, straddling a speaker and keeping the cymbals from crashing together while he kept the snare from toppling over on top of him. The others piled in front as planned, and Maggie walked to the pink Caddie, now alone in the completely deserted lot. She waved and climbed into the car. She turned the key and lit up the console, flipping on the radio to keep her company until Johnny returned.

Her phone bleeped. It was going dead. Maggie clicked on the picture messages Jillian had sent, hoping she had enough power to open them. The first picture that opened was the first one Jillian had taken. She and Johnny were standing close, and her head was tilted up to his. They were gazing at each other, smiles of pleasure curling their lips. Maggie caught her breath and felt her eyes swim. It was perfect; finally, a happy ending. Her phone bleeped again. She turned it off and sat back, smiling, with the picture filling her vision behind her eyes.