18Petrol, Money and Mr Perfect
Chapter One:
By: itsVKEE
Sitting stationary in the three lane highway, waiting for the traffic to actually get somewhere, I sighed. It had been a long, tiring day at work and the last thing I wanted was to be sitting in my car, with awful radio stations and bumper to bumper traffic all around.
I looked at my watch, with 6:40pm screaming at me, I knew I was extremely late. I thought could it get any worse that I needed to fill up on petrol too? I sighed. It was either, find a new route to get home, move closer to work, or find a new job. I wasn't happy with any of the alternatives and according to my GPS; this was the fastest way to get home. 7:00pm came round traffic still wasn't moving. I groaned. I was seriously ready to kill someone. Winding down my window to get some fresh air I noticed someone staring at me.
I turned my head to find a man, in a suit staring contently out the window. I blushed and quickly averted my eyes to the other window. I quickly regretted it. In the other car across from me sat a hairy bearded man with an oversized beer belly singing loudly along to what sounded like Miley Cyrus' 'The Climb', munching away on a Churio's bar. I silently shuddered and looked over to my right where Mr Perfect sat, then back to my left where Mr unPerfect sat. Oh, how I loved my life. Not.
7:15pm came round and I was finally moving. Turned out some jackass had a flat tyre.
I pulled into the petrol station and plugged in the nozzle to fill up my tank. Finally I'd be on my way home to a delicious roast dinner and a good glass of wine. Just thinking about it made me start to salivate. So much so that I had almost missed my tank telling me that it was full. I blinked and shook off my daydreams and closed the cap on my car and rehung the petrol hose. Grabbing my purse from the passenger's seat my phone began to ring.
It was Paige.
"Paige. I'm so sorry! Some loser got a flat tyre on the freeway. I was literally about to kill someone."
"It's alright; I was just calling you to tell you that Daren is coming over." Paige was my best friend and always has been. She was tall and thin, and pretty. She had outrageous flaming red hair that stood out so well. I always loved her hair that was until she dyed it. Blonde.
"Oh." I nodded walking into the store to pay for my gas. "That's- that's cool."
"You sound shocked. Are you okay with that?"
"No- I mean, yeah I'm okay with that, but I was a bit shocked as to why you'd ask for my permission to bring your boyfriend to our apartment. You're not paying half rent just to ask my permission." I laughed shuffling forward inline.
"I was just telling you jeez Mon." Paige laughed. "No need to throw a fit."
"Haha. Very funny Paige. Anyways I gotta go. I'll be home in like twenty minutes. See you soon." I smiled as I finally reached the front of the queue.
"Bye Mon. Oh he said he's also invited his cousin, says he's in town for a couple of days, so yeah."
"Yeah that's cool. Listen I really gotta go." I rushed hanging up on Paige not bothering to wait for her answer.
I stepped up to the cash register and requested to pay for my petrol. The cashier pressed a few buttons and frowned.
"Uh ma'am your petrol has already been paid for."
"What do you mean paid for?" I frowned
"You're petrol's been paid by someone else ma'am."
"Yeah I get it. I'm not stupid." I snapped, "But by who?"
"Uh that gentleman over there." He said pointing at none other than Mr Perfect who had quickly stepped into his car and drove away.
"T-thank you for your time," I said slinging my purse over my shoulder and rushing out to my car. I thought to myself. Why would someone voluntarily pay for someone else's gas? Unless they had the extra money, but with this financial crisis who has the extra money these days?
Pulling into our underground car park I received a message from Paige telling me to hurry up. I sighed and quickly unbuckled my seatbelt and took my bag with me. I locked my car and raced to catch up to the closing lift.
Stepping out of the lift I received a call from my mother.
"Hey mom. What's up?"
"Up?" She scoffed. "Up is the ceiling dear." I sighed inwardly, forgetting that my mother was a prim and proper lady.
"I mean uh, how are you mom?" I cringed.
"Good dear. So I was wondering if you were free for dinner tomorrow night around seven thirty."
"Yeah mom that sounds great." I smiled rummaging through my bag for keys.
"Dress nicely Monica." My mother threatened.
"Wh- mom! I do dress nicely," I groaned as I stumbled into my apartment.
"Yes, well dear, you know what I mean."
"Of course I know what you mean mom." I groaned.
"Tomorrow. Seven. Don't be late Monica."
"Bye mom. I love you."
"I love you too dear."
I sighed and ended the call. Hanging up my coat on the coat rack I walked down the hall and into the lounge. "Hey Paige. I'm ho-"
I stopped dead in my tracks. Of all people that could have been invited to my apartment for dinner. My Mr Perfect. There he was in the flesh, no more than five meters in front of me, and the guy who willingly paid for my gas.
Mr Perfect.