Joe continues the undercover drill. Andy has no clue what he's doing but Sam is well aware of the help he's providing. The whole chapter occurs in public but hopefully the partner's repartee will entertain and amuse you.
Chapter Thirteen – A Time to Run For Cover
Sam fired up the grill as instructed. Jenny returned to the kitchen to help Andy finish setting the table and Joe, off duty Joe, brought Sam another beer. "Well, Jimmy, how long you and Carol been together?" The question seemed innocent enough, but Sam knew some times the easiest questions could lead to the biggest problems when you were being who you weren't. He found keeping the answers short and as near to the truth as possible presented the smallest risk of tripping yourself up.
"Almost six months."
"Love at first sight? Joe asked. Just then Andy appeared on the porch with the steaks.
"You tell him, Jimmy. Was it love at first sight?" Andy was sure she knew the answer but she couldn't remember them ever talking about that day. It wasn't her finest hour and since his ranting at the station when it happened, he hadn't mentioned it to her.
Sam took the tray and began putting the meat on the grate. Andy turned and started to go back inside. "Carol you really need to stay and hear this. You might want to defend yourself." This was clearly a part of their cover that they hadn't addressed. Whatever story they told, they needed to be in it together. "Unless there's something you need to do inside, you probably should take a seat. This could take a while."
She did sit but not before, "Jimmy, darling, it shouldn't take long. Just tell him, was it or wouldn't it?"
"It defiantly was not." Sam said, defying her to disagree.
"Oh, I don't know about that." She countered.
"What'd you mean? You scared hell out of me. I ran didn't I?" He asked.
"He doesn't mean he actually ran. He just played hard to get." She clarified.
"Playing hard to get, didn't slow her down a bit. When she wants something…let's just say she was on me like a hen on a June bug."
"I did actually get to pat around on him a little bit that first day we met."
"Yeah, she kind of cornered me. It wouldn't have been gentlemanly to hit a woman, but I did tell her I really wasn't worth her attention. She didn't listen."
"I eventually got the message." She said.
"By then you had already damaged my….psyche." Sam said.
"Damaging your….psyche….didn't keep you from doing a strip tease for me later that day, did it, Jimmy love?" Andy taunted.
"Carol! Don't tell all our secrets."
Joe laughed and asked, "So after that fateful meeting, what'd it take, a couple weeks to get together?"
Sam snorted and answered. "More like, almost a year, she had to get through her pretty boy stage before she put me out of my misery."
"Enough of your sad story, is dinner about ready? We are all waiting on you?" The words said one thing but the hand on her hip and the look in her eyes said I Love You as plain as day. It wasn't lost on Sam.
"I'm on it, Hot Stuff!" Sam replied to her retreating figure before saying to Joe, "She makes me feel like I'm nineteen again."
"If you work at it, time won't change that." Joe's reflective smile attested to the fact.
Sam's skill at the grill was recognized around the table, as the couples enjoyed their simple dinner. The meal was concluding when Joe asked about Carol's transportation arrangements for the evening. "I suppose Jimmy's taking you to work tonight?"
Sam answered the question for her. "You bet. I understand the bartender she's working with is hot and likes men. I wouldn't miss checking that out."
"And I warned him, he better be checking from a distance, since I knew where you kept your gun." Andy teased.
Joe's question was unexpected and Andy's initial response was not good. "Do you even know how to shoot a gun, Carol?"
"Why, of course I do!" Holy shit, why did I say that? She didn't see the disapproving look on Sam's face. She had enough disapproving thoughts of her own. Her girlie laugh was perfect and she recovered admirably. "How hard can it be? You just point it and pull the trigger."
"In that case…Jimmy you better watch your step. This girl knows her firearms." Joe said with a grin.
"I'll be on my guard, thanks Joe."
Jenny joined the conversation. "What are you going to do all evening, while she works? Carol you better be serving him sugar water or you'll be doing the driving on the way home."
"We don't have to worry about that, he doesn't let me drive often."
"I won't be drinking tonight, I brought a book. I'm sure there's a comfortable chair in a quiet corner of the lobby waiting for me." Sam answered.
The Bishop's might have the impression Sam had a date with James Lee Burke or John Grisham but Andy knew that wasn't likely. It wasn't a murder book; that would have been Luke. It was more likely files relating to the Broken Spoke and its accumulated players. She knew Sam wasn't much of a recreational reader.
Their dishes went in the dishwasher. Thoughtful guests get invited back. Andy grabbed her purse and they were out the door. "Where'd you park the truck? I didn't notice it when I came in last night." She grinned. "You parked it around the block so I wouldn't know you were here. Which way?"
"If I'd brought the truck, I would definitely have parked it around the block, but I didn't bring the truck."
He had her mystified now. "Well how did you get here? I'm the only one who flies in on a broom and that's only every month or so."
He laughed. "I thought I'd been very understanding about that."
"You have, but we aren't talking about girlie stuff right now. What are you driving?"
"I have our new car, darling, and if you're good I may let you drive it tomorrow." He took on the role of the 60's condescending husband.
"Stop the games, Sam."
"Jimmy! I don't want to hear about your old boyfriend." He reminded.
"Sorry, Jimmy! About the car….."
"It's right in front of you Carol." He motioned toward the car parked in front of the neighbor's house.
"The little silver thing? That car looks good. What is it?"
"That, Carol, is a '95 Mustang GT, with leather interior, 5 liter V-8, with a 5 speed transmission. It has AC, air bags, AM/FM radio, CD player, cruise control and tinted windows. The interior has been detailed, the exterior, washed, waxed and polished, and you accused me of getting us a dog. Aren't you ashamed now?" He asked. She could tell he was as proud of that car as a new father is of his first born. "Hop in."
"I didn't think the cars at the….how do I say this? I didn't think the cars at the lot where you shopped would be this nice." This undercover talk was a real pain sometimes.
"It wasn't this nice when I got it. The inside looked like a garbage can from the dining area at McDonalds. The car hadn't been washed in years. It had two flat tires and… a blown engine."
"You're exaggerating!"
"I am not. I didn't mention the brake pads or the ball joints it needed."
"I haven't been gone that long. How did you get all this work scheduled and done over the weekend?"She still couldn't believe his story.
"The auto parts houses are open seven days a week and some of them stay open to almost midnight. Our chubby friend who likes to eat so much did parts runs for me and your girlfriend's boyfriend handed me wrenches." He said.
"Wait a minute. You did all this work?" She paused, tried to digest what he was saying. "You didn't do all this work." She said with authority. "Did you do all this work?"She asked incredulously.
"You knew I know how to fix cars." He said.
"No I didn't." She was sure she knew no such thing.
"I told you on the trip back from Sudbury. I remember."
"When you were patching up my leg?" It was as though the proverbial light bulb had come on. "I had screwed up so bad and you were so mad at me, I was just excited you were even talking to me. And then there was all that nursing care. I could barely breathe, much less think."
"So, I should have pressed my advantage?' He asked.
"Now, there's a thought." She observed and nodded. "I certainly wouldn't have resisted. We could have worried about the witness later."
"I knew there was a reason I held back. That and the fact I was so busy patching up things between you and Luke. I thought that was what you wanted." The sadness of time lost was written all over his face. He recovered quickly and asked, "You ready to hear it start?"
"I'm ready." Reminiscing wasn't always pleasant for them.
He turned the key. The car started immediately, as did the rumble of the muffler. Not loud, just definite. "You got a bad muffler?" she asked.
"What kind of a country girl are you?" It wasn't a question as much as it was an accusation.
"The muffler is intentional?"
"Why have a little extra under the hood and not advertise? It's the look-at-me factor like a push-up bra."
"What'd you know about push-up bras?"
"I know I like 'um, what else is there to know?" An explosion of dimples followed.
"Just drive!" She said. He dropped the transmission into first and peeled out. "My God, you're in your second childhood. Will you please not get arrested before you get me to work?"
"Oh, admit it, this is fun."
Andy sat back in the seat. The leather had a bit of wear but it was still soft and supple, it sat well and it felt nice to the touch. She was sure the car's new smell was in no small measure, the result of Sam's hard work. His truck was nicer but for an old car, this was nice. "I can tease but you really did a great job. There's only one problem."
"I'm listening."
"I can't drive this car." She said.
"And that would be because us country boys do all the driving? We know a woman's place and it's not behind the wheel of our car." He had a bit of theatrics Andy hadn't been aware of.
"No, Jethro…, it is not because of your antiquated attitude about women. It's because I can't drive a stick."
"What am I doing with you?" he teased. "You don't know a woman's place and you can't drive a manual transmission."
"Afraid not," she answered.
"Do you come with a money back guarantee?"
"Afraid not," she replied again.
"In that case, if you'll let me out of the bed anytime tomorrow afternoon I'll teach you how to drive a stick."
"If that's the only way, I'll pass."
He laughed, "That must be why I keep you around"
The Airport Hilton was coming into view. The trip had passed in a flash. Time always passed fast when they were together, probably because there was never a dull moment. "Just go into the parking garage. I'll validate your ticket." That was common practice at the hotel.
"Are you sure you have time to validate my ticket?" He asked.
"What?"
"Validate my ticket…, do you have time. I knew eventually we'd christen the car. I just didn't know you had time, now."
She finally figured out what he was talking about and joined the game. "You're right. I keep forgetting how thorough you are. Validating tickets is definitely going to have to wait."
"OK, but later?"
"Well actually, I kind of thought…, maybe later…, you'd punch my ticket."
He laughed so hard, parking the car was a challenge. By the time they got to the lobby he had almost regained his composure.
He pointed to an easy chair tucked behind a column and patted the four inch binder under his arm. "There's my spot and here's my entertainment. Time spent on the car has left me way behind on my reading."
"Come meet the infamous bartender and get a drink. I'll check on you when I have a break."
-0-
Knowing the fun these two get out of teasing each other, has me filled with anticipation. With luck, the upcoming meeting will be worth the time it takes to commit it to the printed word.
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