Thursday, March 15, 2018

Oscar Friedman's Freakish Occurrence - Part 3 by Dellani

Oscar makes the offhand comment that he wishes the damn car would get struck my lightning. Little does he know that later that night, it will. No one believes the car is unscathed.

They stood around nodding agreement as Oscar checked his rented car. Aside from a little soot on the hood, there seemed to be nothing wrong. Sighing heavily, he went back to his room determined to sleep more, but his rest refused to come. Instead, he lay awake with visions of the car's demise playing in his head over and over. He finally fell asleep around four in the morning. He woke to a phone call from the hotel manager at around 8:00.
"Mr. Friedman, so sorry to wake you, sir."
"Yeah?" Oscar sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"We took the liberty of contacting the rental company for you. The representative is here at the moment and would like to speak to you."
"Thanks. Give me a couple minutes to wake up. I'll be down."
"The representative is on the way up and should be there any minute."
"Shit."
Cursing, he hung up and dressed quickly. He was just starting the coffee pot when there was a knock on his door. Oscar answered, anticipating a fat, balding man. Instead, an attractive woman in her early forties stood there in a navy blue suit. Her skirt was flared and just above knees, revealing a shapely lower leg. Strawberry blonde hair curled below her ears, brushing the top of her collar. Knowing blue eyes held his for a moment before she spoke.
"May I come in, Mr. Friedman?"
"Sure. Knock yourself out." He held the door for her to walk through.
He finished setting up the coffee and waited for her to speak. Barefoot, standing with his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his faded blue jeans, he looked rather lost and alone. The woman gave him a thorough examination before speaking. Her voice was sultry and low.
"Mr. Friedman, the company sent me over as a courtesy to you, sir. Although I'm not overly sure what they expect me to do."
"Neither do I, Miss...?"
"Bond. Jasmine Bond."
Oscar laughed somewhat derisively. When the woman didn't join him, he stopped abruptly. "I'm sorry, Ms. Bond. I thought you were kidding. I apologize. I imagine you get that a lot."
"Unfortunately, my parents were way too creative with their naming. Be that as it may, I'm curious as to what you want from the company."
"Obviously, I want a different car. That one has been problematic since I got it. The GPS seems to be faulty as well as the alarm. I figured I'd go talk to the agency today and ask for a different car. I'm going to be here all week, I need a reliable vehicle."
"What brings you to town?"
"Business. I'm an author. I'm here for a book signing tour. I've got three venues in four days, rotating with other authors under the same publisher. Would you like to see our itinerary?"
"Sure."
He dug through his bag, handing her a crumpled sheet listing his appointed times per venue. Some were scratched through and changed.
"One of the authors got sick at the last minute, so we're covering her times as well. So you see why I need transportation."
"Interesting choices. Who set this up?"
"The publisher."
"Well, the most I can do for you is examine the car and take you to the office so you can see about a new one. I wouldn't hold my breath. Memorial Day is a busy weekend. I'm surprised we had one at all."
"I made the reservation several months ago. Even if it's a different kind of car, I don't care. I need something to go from point A to point B, and not get me lost in the meantime."
She smiled, tossing her hair with a laugh. "I understand. Well, when you're ready, we can go together and talk to Don. I'm sure he'll help all he can."
"Thanks. I'd like that. Um, have you had breakfast?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Breakfast. Coffee, Danish, scrambled eggs? My treat. I hear this hotel has a nice breakfast buffet."
Jasmine Bond was about to refuse when her stomach growled. She'd gotten the call to come by here on her way to work and hadn't had time to stop and get her breakfast. Sighing, she shrugged. "Sure, why not?"
The food was delicious. Oscar ate well, having skipped dinner the night before. Jasmine was reluctant to eat as much as she wanted, but he encouraged her to fill up.
"It amazes me to see a woman who won't eat until she's full for fear someone will comment on how much she eats. I like a woman with a healthy appetite and a little meat on her. Bony women...." He didn't finish, shaking his head in disgust.
"Don't like bony women?"
"I find them—uncomfortable."
"That's an odd word. What do you mean?"
"I bruise easy." He shrugged.
Ms. Bond laughed happily. "You're so silly. Do I dare ask where?"
Oscar chuckled, shaking his head. "Probably not."
© 2018 Dellani Oakes


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Old Time Religion ~ A Love in the City Romance by Dellani Oakes – Part 51

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