Stalled

At the end of the date, Spencer and The Girl walked back to his car. He parked along a side road in Hollywood to save money and walked to the restaurant. She took a Waymo. The date had been without incident, positive or negative, and Spencer was surprised when she agreed to go back to his apartment. 

Coming up to his car, Spencer mumbled a quick phrase denigrating it: how busted; needs a wash; hand-me-down from his cousin. He inserted the key into the passenger door, opened it for her, knelt down and threw some papers and an empty bottle into the backseat. With an embarrassed smile, he avoided her eyes, then circled the car to the driver’s side. As he removed the steering lock, he turned and said: “I didn’t think you’d say yes.”

He turned the key, and the engine sputtered before stalling. His heart rate quickened. “Sometimes it takes a few tries.”  He tried again, then again, then again. He rested his forehead on the steering wheel.

“It’s okay,” she said. “I’ll get a ride. Thank you for dinner.”

No. 106