Change

The third e-mail was from a Nick Rader with Jupiter Insurance. Evidently, the filing of the accident report on her car by the police had triggered a claims inspection by the insurance company. Mr. Rader left a phone number for her to call and discuss the results of the inspection and her options based on her policy coverage.

She began by accepting the meeting invitation from Karen Mason and then composing an e-mail thanking her for her confidence in her and expressing her gratitude for the opportunity. Rockie then asked the IT technician to switch her computers as early in the day as possible so that she would not be interrupted in the middle of a project. She also detailed for him who her Internet service provider at the condo was, as well as the service plan she currently has, asking if that would be adequate. While awaiting his response, she called the insurance adjuster, Nick Rader.

When he answered the phone, she identified herself and provided the claim reference number that Mr. Rader had listed in his e-mail. Once he had the insurance file pulled up on his screen, he apologized for not getting the inspection completed before this morning, but the delay was due to the police report not being available until late yesterday afternoon, and by then the fading daylight would have made the inspection problematic.

He assured her that the claims adjuster had been waiting at the impound lot for it to open to inspect the damage as soon as possible. He went on to explain that the damage was centered around the undercarriage of her car, but due to the severity of the damage, consisting of both axels, the frame of the car, the exhaust system including the catalytic converter, and the fuel tank, they were declaring her car a total loss.

Her audible gasp gave the insurance man pause.

"You realize that your policy provides for the replacement cost of your vehicle, don't you?" he said.

"I'm not sure that I understand exactly what that means in my situation," she confessed.

"What it means," Nick Rader explained, "Is that we will cut you a check for what it will cost for you to replace your damaged car with the same make and model at its current market price, less your five-hundred-dollar deductible. My preliminary research shows that a Honda Accord with the same options as your existing car sells for approximately $34,875 at dealerships in your area. If you accept our settlement offer, I could message you a cashier's check in the amount of $34,375 by the end of business today."

Rockie was dumbstruck. Not only did she not remember having replacement cost insurance coverage, but she was certain that she had signed up for a one-thousand-dollar deductible to get a lower premium. She considered the offer for several minutes while Nick Rader waited patiently on the other end of the phone.

Finally, she said, "Could you send me a copy of my policy's declaration page? I would like to confirm the details of my coverage before I agree."

She heard the clicking of a keyboard on the phone before Nick responded, "I just e-mailed you a copy of your policy declaration page along with the details of the settlement offer to you. Read them over, and if everything meets with your approval, print the offer, and then sign it where indicated. There will be a fax number in the e-mail that you can send it to, or if you want to scan and e-mail the signed form, you can return it to me that way."

She waited until she had received the e-mail and could confirm that she could open the attachments before thanking Nick, "I will print these out and read them right away. Thank you."

"It's a pleasure serving you. You should receive a customer satisfaction survey within a couple of days. We would appreciate your completing it at your convenience. Have a good day."

She read the declaration page thoroughly and thought that she must be going senile. The coverage was listed exactly as Nick Rader had described, and her signature was on the bottom of the page acknowledging the coverage details, but she could have sworn that she had elected the minimum coverage to keep her premiums lower. She made quick work of reviewing the settlement offer, signing it, and faxing it back to the number Nick had provided.

When she was done, she read the response from the IT technician telling her that he would be by her desk in thirty minutes. The message had come in five minutes earlier, so she knew that there wasn't much point in starting on any audits or projects, so she decided to handle a little personal research in the meantime.

She Googled "James Robert Brandt" and immediately knew that she had the wrong person. Her results showed hits related to several patent filings from before JR would have been born, and not much else.

Not to be deterred, she next searched for "James Robert Brandt, Jr." and thought that she had succeeded. The few newspaper articles that she could click on referred to someone who would be about JR's age, but only reported on several baseball honors that he had been awarded. All the articles were from Texas publications, so that was a positive. The latest article mentioned that he had been selected first in the amateur baseball draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but made no mention of what had transpired after that.

She had to stop her research when the IT technician showed up to deliver her new laptop and retrieve her desktop computer, keyboard, and mouse. He said that she could keep the monitor to use at her desk. He plugged the laptop into the power brick, so it would continue charging.

After turning it on, he showed her how he had copied her credentials from her desktop computer, so she should have no difficulty logging back onto the system. He then explained to her how to launch the corporate VPN, which would allow her secure access to the company network when working from home or anywhere else. She didn't need the explanations, but politely let the technician do his job of instructing her.

The technician was crawling under her desk unplugging cables, so she decided to use the time to send a text to JR.

ROCKIE: I hope I'm not bothering you, but I was wondering if you would let me fix YOU dinner tonight?

JR replied within a minute of receiving her text.

JR: That's not necessary, but thanks for the offer.

Rockie rolled her eyes and replied.

ROCKIE: I want to do it. Please, there's something I want to discuss with you.

JR's response brought a smile to her face.

JR: I haven't said no to you yet, so why start now? Dinner would be great. Can I bring anything?

ROCKIE: No, but we'll need to stop by the supermarket on the way home if that's okay.

JR: That won't be a problem. Thanks for the invitation. I'll see you around four-thirty.

ROCKIE: I could leave earlier today. Could you pick me up at two o'clock instead?

JR: Sure. That will work out better for me. I have a video call at three and this way I won't have to worry about getting done in time to come get you at four-thirty. I'll text you when I get to the parking lot.

ROCKIE: Thanks for being so accommodating, JR. I look forward to making you dinner.

JR: 😊

~~~

When Rockie received JR's text notifying her of his arrival just before two o'clock, she had already packed her computer into its bag and was soon on her way to the lobby.

Two of her male coworkers hurried to catch up with her and were trying to persuade her to join them for drinks. She continued declining their invitation as she walked through the doors to the parking lot and over to the curb where JR stood holding the door open for her. The men gave up their cause when they saw him, even though he hadn't said anything to them.

Rockie slid onto the passenger seat and held the laptop bag on her lap. As JR closed her door, he noticed the bag and asked her if she wanted him to put it in the trunk.

"That would probably be best," she said, "because I wouldn't want to leave my new computer just sitting here in the open while we are shopping, and I certainly wouldn't want to have to carry it around the store with me."

He reached in and took the computer bag from her extended arms, and then walked to the front of the car and raised the trunk lid.

"What are you doing?" screamed Rockie as she tried to find the handle to open her door.

Since JR had always opened it for her, she hadn't paid attention to where it was.

JR glanced around the side of the trunk lid and saw her panicked expression. He realized the cause immediately and walked around to open the door for her.

"Calm down, Rockie. Come and watch me."

She grabbed the computer bag from him but silently followed him around to the front of the car. Where she expected to see an engine instead was a spacious cargo area.

"The Corvair is a rear-engine car," he explained. The trunk is in the front as a result."

He held out his hand and she let him take the computer bag and place it into the trunk alongside a picnic blanket, a first aid kit, and a small toolbox. The area was amazingly clean.

She shook her head and said, "Darn you, JR, even your car is full of surprises."

He laughed and walked her back to her door, let her get settled, and then closed it for her again.

Before getting behind the wheel he asked, "Are we all set now?"

She stuck her tongue out at him in response but followed that with a nod and a smile. For the first time since high school, she was tempted to take a man's hand, but as he shifted and began driving, she resisted the urge and paid attention to his actions.

"Could you teach me how to drive a stick shift?" she asked.

"I think so," he said. "Let's try something. I want you to press down with your left foot while raising your right foot."

Doing as requested, she said, "There's got to be more to it than coordinating your two feet..."

"Keep doing it, only each time you do it, now reach up with your right hand and touch the tip of your nose."

She complied with his instructions. "It still doesn't seem that challenging."

"Then maybe you'll catch on fast. Now, keep doing those movements, only this time, after you touch your nose, raise your left foot as you press down with your right foot."

"Oh, come on," she said. "Are you going to have me patting my head while rubbing my belly next?"

"It's all about developing muscle memory. After that, you just need to recognize the right times to shift, and that is dependent upon speed and road conditions mostly."

She kept practicing the movements that he had taught her, even trying to time them to when he actually shifted his car.

She said, "You talked yesterday about the trust that needs to exist between friends. Well, I trust you JR. I trust that you're not making me look like an idiot to every other car on the road."

As they pulled into the parking lot of the supermarket, he glanced at her and said, "You can always trust me, Rockie."

Chapter Five

They pulled into his garage at two-forty-five, leaving JR fifteen minutes to help Rockie get her groceries into her condo before his three o'clock appointment.

As he opened her door, he said, "Too bad you don't have a garage door opener in your garage. It would save us from having to walk all the way around the building."

"I do have a garage door opener," she said. "But it stopped working years ago. Brad kept saying that he would fix it, and I stopped asking him to avoid making him mad. I'll need to go around and open the garage door from the inside."

"If you're renting, shouldn't the owner pay for any needed repairs? Do you mind waiting here and letting me go and open it for us?" he asked.

She smiled and handed him her condo keys, "I could have done that, but I was appeasing Brad's ego. I expect that this is another of those gentlemanly gestures towards a lady that I am supposed to just go along with. It's the blue key for the front door."

He found the right key and replied, "You could be a three-hundred-pound linebacker and I would still make the offer."

Her quizzical look made him explain, "It's your shoes. I would offer to make the walk for anyone wearing high heels."

She didn't know whether she wanted to slap him or hug him. "Well then, would you mind carrying my laptop over on your way to open the garage?"

He did as Rockie requested, while she waited at the car to hear her garage door next to his opening. She had a bag of groceries in each hand and passed him as he came back to the car from her garage. He took the last four bags over in one trip and then asked her to follow him back out to the garage.

She stood at the door to the kitchen while he walked through the garage, flipped the opener drive release to re-engage the drive mechanism, went to the right side of the garage door, and moved a paddleboard oar about a foot, to rest against the garage wall.

"Try the button now," he yelled over to her.

Rockie pushed the button to close the garage door and was amazed to see the door start to move.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"Your sensor path was being blocked by the oar. I moved it so the two sensors on either side could see each other. Problem solved. Now, if you'll open it for me again, I will go over and close my garage. What time would you like me to come over for dinner, and can I bring anything?"

She pushed the button and let the garage door open before replying, "Dinner will take about forty-five minutes but come over whenever you want. I would love the company while preparing it, and there is something I want to discuss with you."

He stepped outside the garage, and said, "I do have the video call in a few minutes but it's with my sister. I could bring my laptop over and do it from your place if you don't mind me using your Wi-Fi. Then you'd get a chance to meet her if you wanted, otherwise, you'll have to wait for her to visit over Christmas break."

"I would love to meet her today," she said. "I'll get started on dinner and leave the front door open for you."

"No need," winked JR. "I still have your keys. I'll be over shortly."

He then walked into his garage and she heard the garage door begin to close. She walked back to her kitchen door and pushed the button to close her garage door. She turned to watch it descend and had the sense that there wasn't much in her life that someone like JR couldn't fix.

She hurried into her bedroom to change into a simple summer-style dress and then returned to her kitchen to set about preparing the ingredients for the tacos she had planned for dinner.

When he had seen the items that she had been selecting while they were at the supermarket, JR had mentioned that he liked homemade tacos. She hoped that he liked hers.

She was going to prepare them the way a high school friend's mother had taught her, with potato and cilantro mixed into the meat. She didn't have the homemade tortillas that her friend's mom always made, but she felt that the store-bought corn tortillas could be used as a substitute, especially if she fried them in lard instead of cooking oil. She had been told that lard made all the difference when frying corn tortillas, and she had never had anyone complain before.

~~~

Rockie heard her front door open.

JR called out, "Is everyone decent?"

She laughed and replied, "Not a good question to ever ask where I am concerned. Come on in anyway."

Rockie came out of the kitchen in her bare feet to meet him and handed him the bottle of beer she had opened in anticipation of his arrival.

"Why don't you use the dining table for your video chat? I can work around you there."

He took a moment to admire her casualness and the fact that it emphasized her sexy, innocent look even more. He then followed her instructions and began setting up his laptop at the head of the table.

"I was thinking," he said while turning on his laptop. "I can probably get the signal from my Wi-Fi in here since I can get yours next door in my condo. If so, I won't need to use yours."

"How do you know that it was my Wi-Fi signal that you are seeing in your condo?" she teased.

"Who else would have a wireless network with the name 'RockSolid' but the very impressive Rockie Preston?"

She giggled, "Okay, you found me out. But, seriously, if you need to log onto my Wi-Fi, just let me know."

As the laptop booted, JR examined what he could see of Rockie's condo. There was a futon sofa, two folding directors' chairs a couple of potted plants, and folding TV trays placed in the room to use as side tables. The wall art consisted of a poster for a movie that he had never heard of and an amateurish painting of a seacoast. He figured that someone could have bought all the furniture he saw in the condo for less than $500 at Walmart.

He looked down at the laptop screen and saw that the network signal was in the good to excellent range. He launched his Skype application and waited for it to start while checking the time.

"The signal from my place is strong enough for this, but thanks."

The Skype window opened, and JR had barely adjusted the angle of the display for the camera to be positioned to show his head before Rockie heard a squeal coming from the laptop's speakers.

"JR!"

Rockie stifled a laugh at the exuberance of his sister's greeting.

JR teased, "Hey Katie. It's good to see you too. What's it been, a whole week since we last chatted?"

"Where are you, JR? That doesn't look like your home behind you."

"I'm next door at a neighbor's place. She's fixing dinner for us, so I decided to chat with you from here. Would you like to meet her?"

"Hang on. I need to get off for a minute so that Mom can go put the clothes in the dryer, but don't you go away." she admonished before leaving the screen.

He turned around to face Rockie and explained, "My parents don't allow Katie to be on the computer unless one of them is in the room with her. So, when my mom has to leave the room for any reason, Katie has to stop chatting with me."

"That sounds like a reasonable rule in most cases," she said, "but surely chatting with her brother can't pose the risks that unsupervised chats with strangers would."

"As my dad would tell you, there are no exceptions where rules are concerned, or they aren't rules ­they're guidelines. We had plenty of both - well Katie still has - but we learned the difference between them quickly. My dad made certain of that."

"So, your dad is pretty strict, is he?"

"That is never a word that anyone who knew him would use to describe my dad. He is the smartest person I have ever known. When I said, 'We learned the difference', that is exactly what I meant. My dad teaches us the things he thinks we need to know and how to accomplish them, then he coaches and encourages us to live our dreams."

She was preparing to comment on apples not falling far from the tree when she heard JR's sister returning to her computer.

"Mom says you need a haircut." Katie chided, "And I agree. Are you still going to take me out on Halloween? Mom said she would cut your hair while you are home."

He chuckled and said, "You're lucky that Mom and Dad are letting me take you. After that stunt you pulled you would have been grounded if I wasn't going to be there. Spending Halloween with you is still my plan, but I will only be able to stay for the weekend. I will fly in on Saturday morning, take you to the `Trunk-N-Treat' event, spend the night, and then fly out Sunday afternoon. Do you want to chat with me next Friday or wait until you see me on Saturday?"

"Why don't you two wait for Saturday?" Said a voice out of view of the camera.

Rockie assumed it was JR's mother somewhere in the room.

"Your dad and I may want to go to a Halloween party next Friday, and if we do, Katie will be spending the night with Cile."