Naked Thrill

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Warmth. Understanding. Connection.

“Probation doesn’t last when you’re found squatting in rentals, blowing off school and getting high. They dragged me in before the same judge from before and she gave me a choice. Jail or the CW Transitional Center. I was almost stupid enough to say jail, because self-destruction was a way of life for me by then. Another one of the few things I shared with my mom. But the center was my last shot, and something inside me made me keep my idiot mouth shut. I remember the first day there, I— Damn! Would you look at that.”

Hayden straightened in her seat and glanced left and right but only saw the outlying indicators of a small town. Gas station, a roadside strip hotel and a car dealership. “What?” she asked.

“There’s my car.” He pointed to a sleek navy roadster, older but obviously well loved, parked in front of the dealership. Brightly colored helium balloons were tied to the side mirrors and a large placard announcing For Sale was stretched across the dashboard. “Or that was my car.”

Tony flipped on the blinker and pulled the Ladybug into the row of spaces outside the floor-to-roof glass windows advertising no credit checks, 0 percent down and low cost financing.

A man sporting the smooth fabric of a very expensive dress shirt and a muted silk tie shoved open the door and scurried toward them.

Hayden stifled a groan. She’d rather give up chocolate for a month than step on a car lot. Who loved feeling stressed, pressured and patronized? She hated buying anything that didn’t have a set price anyway, and salesmen seemed especially adept at locating and zeroing in on her weaknesses, ensuring she got the worst possible deal available every time.

“We need some kind of a plan before we get out,” Tony said.

“When he comes up to us, no matter what he says...just act natural. Like it’s absolutely normal for us to be here today.”

His lips twisted and he raised a brow. “You’re really good at this whole subterfuge business.”

“It’s all I got,” she told him with a shrug.

“Works for me. Unless...” His voice lowered, and he looked behind his shoulder quickly.

“Unless what?”

“How natural should we react when the police pull up beside us because we took this car for a test drive last night and never came back? Or maybe we just walked around the dealership and snatched the keys from someone’s desk and ran. Damn, I shouldn’t have parked so far away from the exit.”

Her chest constricted in alarm. “Tony, why in the world did you pull in here? Forget your old car. Put Ladybug in Reverse and gun it.”

Then she spotted the playful twinkle in his eyes. “Okay, cut it out,” she demanded with a wag of her finger. “I know you’re messing with me. Are you sure it’s documentaries you make? With that imagination maybe you should be writing films.”

“Well, those two scenarios did cross my mind. There was a time in my life when...” His words trailed off.

“Oh, stop it.” She had another fact to add to the file marked Project Getting To Know The Man You Plan To Romp On Later—Tony liked to tease. She’d squirrel that away for later and simply enjoy the moment of appreciating his playful smile. Yeah, before they were arrested, because it would all be downhill from there.

He engulfed both her hands in his, his palms warm and comforting. “I’m positive you wouldn’t steal a car, Hayden. And just to reassure you, my lawless days went the way of my baggy cargo shorts and soul patch. I’m a good guy now.”

That was the second time he’d assured her he was one of the good ones. Clearly, her knowing that was important to him. Although she hoped he wasn’t too good.

She reached for the door handle. “I guess now’s the time to see our fate.”

The smile slowly faded from his face and the teasing glint vanished from those deep, dark eyes of his as he looked at her. “I see my fate.”

Her heart pounded in her chest and her chin would have dropped if he hadn’t suddenly winked and opened his door.

“Ah, Tony. So glad you’ve come by again. Is Hayden with you?” asked the approaching salesman, with both hands in the air in welcome. Ah, yes, already in pretend best-friend mode. At least he wasn’t secretly pocket dialing the police for help.

Hayden’s shoulders slumped and her breath came out in one long, relieved hiss. No way would they be greeted so enthusiastically if they’d done anything illegal last night. Tony glanced her way and gave her a wink as if to say, told you it’d all work out.

“And the car looks...interesting,” the salesman managed to say.

Poor Ladybug. Even a man trained to lie for a living couldn’t give the girl a real compliment. Hayden climbed out of the car and joined the two men inspecting the black dots on the shiny red hood.

Their salesman sported a lanyard proclaiming his name was Jeff and he’d been salesman of the year three quarters ago. Jeff scratched at his head. “I wasn’t sure how well the touch-up paint would work making the spots, but it came out pretty much how I imagined.” Still not a compliment. “Did you use all six bottles?”

Tony and Hayden looked at each other. “Hayden, I don’t remember, did we?”

Great, thanks, funny guy. That was his idea of playing it normal?

She nodded her head with a smile. “We sure did. Isn’t it pretty?”

“It’s something else, I tell you.” Which, of course is southwestern speak for it’s awful. “But you were insistent. Anything for the ladies, am I right, Tony?” He slapped Tony on the back.

Now it was Tony’s turn to nod his head and act normal.

“But you were happy to trade your car in for, uh, what were you going to call it?”

“Uh, Ladybug?” she offered.

“That’s it. Tony, hey, man, are you okay?”

Tony’s face had grown pale.

“I traded my car for that?”

Was that incredulous pain in his voice? Tony looked as if his favorite football, baseball and basketball teams had all lost at the same time on the last play in the final round.