In Need of a Lyft

If it was his ex he had no intention of even listening to it. At least not right then. But it was from the restaurant, so he opened it immediately and listened.

"Mr. Knapp? Hi, this Paul from Biaggi's. One of my servers found your wallet, and I wanted you to know we have it. I'm the general manager, and I've put it in the safe. Please stop by anytime to pick it up. And thank you for letting us serve you this evening."

Brian breathed a sigh of relief as he got ready to go to bed. It was about a quarter to one, but he was so wound up he knew he couldn't sleep. Since he didn't need to go to work the following day, he decided to run back to the restaurant and pick up his wallet.

He'd agreed to let his now ex-girlfriend drive that evening because he'd planned on having a few drinks. But when the conversation went south he left the one cocktail he'd ordered sit there untouched. The conversation quickly turned into a disagreement and within minutes became a full-blown argument.

Several people turned to look when voices got loud, and after the third time that happened, Brian got very quiet.

"That's it. I'm done," he told her firmly but without any anger.

"What? What do you mean--'you're done'? Can't you even stand up for yourself anymore?" she'd said so sarcastically it pissed him off.

"Stand up? Yeah, I can stand up," he told her, his voice suddenly calm as he did just that. He knew she was talking about their argument, but he had a more specific meaning in mind.

And then it hit him. It was then that he lost his wallet. He'd pulled it out then opened it to grab some cash, but he was so angry he closed it and put it back. Or so he thought. He obviously missed the pocket and didn't realize it as it fell to the carpeted floor without making a sound.

He glared at her then said, "Tell you what. Since you seem to know everything about everything, you can go ahead and pay for everything."

He regretted that now, and he regretted even more what he said before turning around to leave.

"And why not? Let's be honest for once. You've never paid for a damn thing since we met, so...this one's on you."

He used his right hand to gesture toward her then to himself before finishing, "This... this, you and me, this is over. Have a good life."

He barely noticed the hurt look on her face as he spun around trying not to lose control again. He prided himself for being a calm, quiet person who was confident and very well adjusted and couldn't remember the last time he'd been that angry about anything. The anger faded quickly, though, and by the time his Lyft driver showed up, those feelings had been replaced by a sense of relief mixed with a touch of sadness, but at no time had he felt that he'd made a mistake.

His now ex-girlfriend, Deirdre, was an incredibly beautiful girl, and when she was pleasant, being with her was nothing short of amazing. Over time, however, her normally pleasant attitude became increasingly rare (and often replaced with a kind of snotty, sarcastic, know-it-all air) and she was anything but pleasant to be around.

Brian finished his mental recap of the evening's event as he walked back into the restaurant and asked for Paul. The manager promptly showed up, wallet in hand, and turned it over to its rightful owner.

Brian thanked him and offered to pay him, but he refused.

"Just come back and see us," the older man said. "That'll be payment enough."

"I'll uh, I'll do that," Brian promised as they shook hands and parted ways.

He thought about having a drink--or two--but decided against it. Now that he had his wallet back, the frustration of the evening faded, and he found himself thinking back to the short conversation he'd had with the very attractive, older woman who'd driven him home.

He looked at the text again and smiled as he thought about her 'taking him home.'

"Randi Olsen," he said out loud as he thought about how to go about making things right with her even if she really didn't care.

Around 10 o'clock the next morning, after he finished a long run, Brian grabbed his phone, found the number he wanted then hit 'dial.'

"Yo, Bri. What up?" his younger brother asked.

"I need a favor."

"Whoa. You need a favor? I'm usually the one asking for help."

That was true several years before his little brother, Mike, got his act together. But since then he'd enlisted in the Army, done a four-year hitch, and had even graduated from the police academy. For the last year or so, Mike had been a patrol office for the city of Evansville and had received several accolades for a job well done.

"Just ask," Mike replied.

"I need an address."

"You got a name and license plate?"

Mike knew that wasn't kosher, but he also knew other cops routinely ran plates they had no official business running, and he was happy to help out his big brother who rarely asked for anything.

Brian gave him the needed information, and within a minute he had an address.

"You need a phone number?"

Brian chuckled then said, "Yes, but I'm hoping she'll give it to me herself."

"Ah, okay. I take it things with Deirdre took a turn for the worse?"

"Not just a turn. They uh, they kinda fell off the cliff."

"Look, Bri. I gotta tell you, I don't know you stayed with her that long. That chick's a bi...she's insufferable."

Feeling better now, Brian laughed again, told his brother he wasn't wrong, and thanked him for the info.

"So who's the lucky new girl?" Mike asked with that 'you gotta tell me' voice.

"To be honest. She's a long shot."

"Huh? What does that even mean?"

"If she does give me her number, I'll tell you everything. If not, it's no big deal."

"Okay. So this new girl isn't the reason you and Little Miss Smarty Pants broke up?"

"No. Not at all. I only met her after I walked out after calling things off. She uh, she gave me lift. With a 'y'."

Mike got it and laughed, too, along with his brother.

"Well, if my big brother's got a thing for her she's gotta be hot as hell. I just hope she's not a...hot mess. Like someone else we both know."

Brian laughed again and told his brother he didn't think that was the case.

"You need anything else?" Mike asked. "We just got a call and I gotta move out."

"No. I'm good. And thanks, bro. I appreciate it."

"Any time, Bri," Brian heard as he heard the sound of the patrol car's siren just before the phone went dead.

He looked at the address then smiled. After doing that he checked his wallet again and realized he didn't have enough cash to tip her. There was enough to cover the fare, but he wanted to let her know he payed his debts, and when appropriate, tipped well, too. And this was definitely one of those times when tipping was called for.

For now, though, he was finally tired and laid down and got a full six hours of uninterrupted sleep and felt like a million bucks (and 125 pounds lighter) when he sat up in bed.

He showered, got dressed, grabbed something to eat then brushed his teeth and got ready to go.

He arrived just before noon, and when he saw where she lived, he had kind of sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. The apartment complex was horribly rundown and in a part of town that wasn't exactly known for being safe at night. Or during the day.

He entered the building then took the stairs to the second floor, walked down the hallway until he found the correct number, then turned and faced the door. He raised his hand to knock when he heard the door behind him open up.

"There's no one home now," he heard an older woman's voice say.

He turned around, smiled at the frail-looking woman, then asked if she knew when that might change.

"She gets off work at 4:30, but you gotta catch her quick because she's off to her second job by six."

Before he could thank her a young girl appeared in the door between the older woman and the jamb. She looked up at him but didn't smile even though he smiled at her.

"Hi there," Brian said as he looked at her.

"She's a little shy," the woman told him as she, too, looked down at the girl.

"That's okay. I was shy, too," he replied without taking his eyes off of the girl who wore black-rimmed glasses.

"You were?" she asked very quietly.

"I was. Very shy, actually."

"How did you stop being shy?" she asked.

"Well, if it's okay with your...."

He looked at the woman who filled in the blank.

"I watch her while her mom's away. We're usually in her apartment, but I'm expecting someone to take a look at my clogged toilet, so we're over here. You're not a plumber are you?"

Brian laughed and told her he was not.

"Is it okay if I show the young lady something?" he asked as he held his phone out.

"As long as I can see, too," the woman said, a smile appearing on her thin, leathery face.

"Sure. Of course."

He opened up his photos, scrolled for a couple of seconds, then knelt down near the girl."

"First, my name is Brian. May I ask yours?"

"Emma."

"Pretty name for a pretty girl."

Emma's cheeks glowed as she thanked him very quietly.

"So this was me," he told her as he showed her a photo of himself from when he was about her age.

She looked at it then looked up at him then repeated that two more times.

"Yeah. I was shy because...."

Just then he saw the first hint of a smile, and when he did, he realized Emma had the same kind of problem he'd had, and his heart went out to her.

"Hey, listen. I have two brothers. One of them is a police officer...."

"I like police officers," Emma said, now almost smiling revealing the worst of her dental issues.

"Me, too," Brian told her before saying, "and my older brother is an orthodontist. Do you know what that is?"

"Uh-huh. My mom's taking me to see one when she saves up enough money. That's why she has to work all the time."

Brian saw sadness in the young girl's eyes and gently touched her forearm.

"I can tell she loves you very much."

"Uh-huh. And I love her, too."

"Well, here's the thing. My brother would be more than happy to help you and your mom get those braces as soon as you're ready for them."

He could see she didn't quite understand and explained what he meant.

"We don't usually put braces on someone until all of their permanent teeth are in place, but you might just be old enough. My brother can check that and let you know if you're ready, and if not, when you will be. And...he won't ask you for any money to check."

Emma's eyes opened wide in disbelief then said, "Can I tell my mom?"

"Of course. Or...maybe I could come back later and tell her myself?" he said without letting on as to why he wanted to see her mother and in a way that sounded like he was asking her to wait.

"Come back around five," the older woman said, just as Brian stood back up.

"All right. I'll uh, I'll do that."

He looked back at Emma and told her, "It was very nice to meet you, Miss Emma."

"You too," she said, the glow in her cheeks returning.

"I think someone thinks you're very handsome," the woman said as she pulled Emma close and smiled at her.

The rosy cheeks became fiery red and nary a sound came out of her mouth, but Brian understood. Since he had his braces removed he'd gained more and more confidence each day although it took a very long time for his brain to think of himself as anything but the kid with the bucked teeth. Thanks to the amazing smile and some good genetics he was considered a very good looking guy but had never let his physical appearance change the kind, tender-hearted person he'd always been.

"Nah," he replied with a laugh. "That's my little brother, Mikey, the police officer. He's the hunk in the family."

He quickly looked at the woman then said, "Hunk. Gee, I have no idea where that word came from. Maybe my dad. He still uses it all of the time, but...."

"I know what it means," the woman said, a bigger smile on her face now. "If he's better lookin' than you, I wouldn't mind meeting him, too."

"I'll let him know," Brian said.

He leaned closer then said as though he was telling a secret, "Just between us? He is single."

The woman laughed louder than Emma had ever heard, and for a moment she forgot about her teeth and laughed, too. But just as Brian looked down at her she stopped and closed her mouth so fast it made him feel bad for her again.

"It was nice meeting you, too, ma'am," he said before winking at Emma and promising to come back at 5 o'clock--sharp!

"Pinky swear?" she asked as she held up a hand with the pinky curled.

Brian put his in hers and said, "Pinky swear."

As he went to leave the woman asked, "Do you want us to keep your visit a secret?"

"Would you?"

She did the 'my lips are sealed thing' and Emma 'threw away the key' which made him laugh then wink at her again.

As he got near the end of the hall he heard Emma say, "He's really nice, huh?"

"Yes. Yes, he is. In more ways than one, sweetie."

Their door closed, and Brian was all smiles as he headed back downstairs and out to his car.

Over the next four hours he checked his watch and his wallet a half dozen times to make sure he wouldn't be late and that the money was still there. He told himself each time he looked that he was being a little ridiculous, but that was okay because he wanted everything to be perfect and even told himself why it was okay.

"You just broke up with someone yesterday. And maybe this Randi woman will be like Deirdre. Or worse. Or maybe you'll see her in full light and realize she isn't as hot as you thought she wa. Last night. After just breaking up with someone."

The talk didn't help, so he checked his watch again. It was too early, but he decided to leave anyway. He even told himself he wasn't leaving early to stop by a flower shop on the way until he pulled up in front of it.

Inside he asked about the best kind of flowers for a first date even as he told himself this wasn't a date.

The woman who worked there told him it that would be red roses. Without a doubt.

"Unless it's not really a date date. In that case, you want...daisies."

"What? Daisies?"

"Yes. That way you can hand them to her and tell her she looks fresh as a daisy."

The woman laughed at her own goofy joke loudly enough that it made Brian laugh, and he told her he'd take a dozen.

"No. Make that two dozen," he said as he thought about Emma and how much he hoped he could help out with her quest for the perfect smile which was also her mother's quest but....

"That'll be...."

Brian didn't hear the total. He just thanked her then checked his watch again.

"Ten minutes," he told himself, "and it's about a ten-minute drive. I love it when a plan comes together!"

Brian Knapp had been on dozens of first dates, met countless attractive women, and while he wasn't one to talk about it, there were a lot of mental marks on his headboard. So why then were his palms sweaty as he made his way back down the hallway to the apartment where she lived?

As if on cue, the moment he stopped to turn, the older woman appeared, her door only slightly open.

"I wanted to let you know Emma and her mom are home, and I also wanted to wish you good luck."

"Oh. Um...thank you," he told her, not sure what else to say.

"My name's Edna, by the way...Brian."

He smiled, nodded, then said, "Okay...Edna."

"She's a wonderful girl," Edna said quietly. "I see you're quite a bit younger than her, but I was 15 years younger than my late husband, and we were both SO in love!"

Again, Brian was at a loss for words when the door he was obliquely facing opened.

"Brian!" a young girl said.

He saw Edna smile then close her door as he turned to say hello.

Just as he did a woman called out, "Honey? Who's there?"

"A man. With flowers!"

"Tell him we don't need any!" the woman called out.

"Your mom doesn't know I'm here, does she?"

A smile revealed the 'bad grill', but this time Emma didn't seem self-conscious as her mom's voice once again rang out.

"Emma. Please tell him we're not interested and come finish dinner!"

The voice got louder, and by the time Brian heard 'interested' Emma's mother was standing behind her.

"Listen, I know you're only trying to make some m...."

She stopped talking in mid-sentence then said, "Oh, my goodness. It's you."

Brian smiled sheepishly then said, "Hi."

"I...I had no...please, please come in," Randi said as she opened the door.

Emma stepped aside, and once he was also in, she closed the door.

"These are...for you," he said, his mouth feeling dry as he held out one of the bouquets.

"And these are for you," he told Emma as he handed her the one in his left hand.

"I...I don't understand," Randi told him even as she accepted them.

"They're uh, they're...daises."

"Yes. I see," she said with a smile as she took a whiff. "And they're very pretty. Thank you. But I still don't understand."

"Thank you!" Emma told him as she, too, inhaled the fresh scent just like her mom.

He was staring at her, and didn't hear a word she said. She was wearing a gray t-shirt with jeans and had no makeup on at all, and yet she looked so naturally beautiful that his body instinctively reacted.

"They're...fresh as a daisy," he blurted out, unaware that he'd kind of used the corny line himself until Randi started laughing.

"Yes. Yes, they are, aren't they?"

She was asking Brian, but Emma answered with, "Uh-huh. And they're beautiful, too, huh?"

"So this is a very pleasant surprise," Randi said before asking him if he'd like to sit down.

"Oh, no. I...I didn't meant to interrupt," he began as he noticed half-empty plates on the little table for two.

"We eat dinner crazy early because of my other job," Randi explained. "But you're welcome to join us."

"No, I couldn't," Brian replied.

"Please? Can you eat dinner with us?" Emma asked, nearly pleading.

"We have plenty," her mother assured their guest.

"I really just came to, you know, make things right. For last night."

"You didn't need to do that," Randi assured him as she took both bouquets and put them on the counter. "I'll put them in some water in a bit."

He ignored the flower comment and addressed the reason he was there, or at least the pretext for the reason he was there.

"No. I did need to do this. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't pay you."

He fished out his wallet, and as he did, Randi asked him to sit with them.

"It may be too early for you to eat, but we'd like it if you stayed for a bit. Right, Emma?"

"Uh-huh!" she said, her head bobbing up and down.

"If you're sure."

"We are. Please have a seat."

"Let me give you this first, okay?" he said as he folded the bills before offering them to her.

There was a five on the outside hiding two twenties, so Randi took the cash, assuming it was three fives to cover the $12 fare plus a small tip and thanked him as she set it down on the kitchen counter near the flowers. When she did, the bills unfolded and the twenties appeared.

"Brian. What...what's all this?" she asked as she picked the money back up and showed it to him.

"It's...money."

He saw her both trying to laugh and not to cry.

"But...why? The fare was only $12 and change."

"Because I really did enjoy talking to you, and I meant it when I said how much I appreciated you coming to pick me up."

"I enjoyed talking with you, too, but I can't take this much. It's a very nice offer, but...."

He moved a little closer then reached out and gently folded the fingers of her outstretched hand and closed them around the paper bills as their eyes met and locked.

"You can and you will," he told her directly but so nicely that it touched her heart. But it was the touch of his hand on hers that triggered something even stronger inside of her her somewhere a couple of feet lower.

"Okay," she replied very weakly before adding, "thank you. Very much."