Weathering the Storm Ch. 01

She closed her eyes and hummed along to the music, and as I glanced over after a while I was relieved to see that she had stopped shivering. "Feeling any warmer?" I asked.

Her eyes opened and she rewarded me with a smile. "Mm-hmm, much. Thanks for being so kind - I don't know what I'd have done if you hadn't stopped to help."

"I could never have just driven past and left you there," I responded. " I'm just not that kind of person."

"Yeah, you certainly do give off that vibe. Plus, I was blocking the road, so you didn't have much choice," she added with a giggle.

I laughed, glad our earlier awkwardness was forgotten. I was almost sad that the rain continued to ease, as it gave me less reason to drive slowly and prolong our time together. All too soon we were approaching Whitechapel, weaving our way along the lane that led into the village. "Well, I expect you're relieved to be nearly home now, eh?" I remarked. "Whereabouts to I need to go?

"Next left," she said. "And no, despite the fact that I'm sitting in someone else's car, dressed in only my wet underwear, I'm actually having a nice time. I should be feeling awkward, I guess, but Im actually strangely comfortable."

I smiled. Maybe I wasn't doing too badly in this 'talking to girls' thing after all, though perhaps that was because I knew that this beautiful, vibrant young woman would never be interested in me and I therefore wasn't messing about trying to impress her. "Well, that's good to know," I said softly.

"That's my place," she pointed to a small white cottage to the left of the road a hundred yards or so ahead of us; a stone wall separated it from the narrow lane, with a path and a short flight of steps leading up to a little porch in the centre. I drew the car to a stop next to the gate.

"Wait there," I told her as I opened my door and climbed out. Opening the rear door I retrieved her bag from the back seat and her sopping clothes from the footwell, bundling them up before going around to the passenger side to open Scarlett's door and help her out. I took care to ensure that she remained fully covered by the blankets as she lifted herself from the car, and refused to let her take her wet things out of my arms. "You keep yourself wrapped up. I'm seeing you to the door - what kind of a man would I be if I just dumped you at the side of the road and drove off?"

"My dates normally do just that," she retorted as I followed her up the steps.

"Well, I'm not one of your dates," I said.

"Indeed you're not," she answered, muttering something else under her breath.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that," I commented, cocking my head to one side as I held out her handbag for her to find her keys.

"That's because you weren't meant to," she giggled. "Hey, that bag really suits you. Pink suede is a good look for you." I blushed, and her giggle developed into a full-blown laugh, a delightful sound to my ears.

She retrieved her keys but fumbled a little as she tried to slot one into the lock. I stood back to give her some space, but she turned to me without opening the door.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked tentatively.

More than anything, I thought, but I dared not say that. "I'd better not - I'm wet through and could do to get home and dry," was the response I gave, after a moment's pause.

"I guess," she said. Was it my wishful thinking, or did she look disappointed? I must be imagining it, I decided. Turning the handle, she opened the door of her cottage before adding, "I still feel horrible even without most of my clothes. I need to get out of these wet knickers quickly."

Surely she must know how that sounded! I was struggling to keep my thoughts out of the gutter as she stepped in and flicked on the light, and for the first time I got a really good look at her. She was breathtaking, even wrapped in a couple of old car rugs. Her copper hair was at last drying nicely, and though dishevelled it shone beautifully in the light.

Conscious that I was staring at her yet again, I cleared my throat and stepped back a little. "Well, I guess you need to get yourself into a nice hot bath and warm up, and I need to get home and dry off. Maybe we can have more of a chat tomorrow when we go and sort your car?"

"You still want to do that?" she asked incredulously.

"Of course. I never make promises I don't intend to keep. What time shall I pick you up?"

"I don't know yet - it depends on whether my mum needs me to do anything in the morning. Can I have your number? I'll text or phone you or something."

I rummaged in my pocket for a second before handing her a damp business card with my mobile number on it. "There you go; I'll wait to hear from you then. Oh, and just out of curiosity, are you going to tell me what you said before, when I said I wasn't one of your dates?"

She blushed. "Not now - maybe later on. You know, a gentleman would have let that drop," she admonished.

"Sorry," I said. "You don't have to tell me. I'll see you tomorrow then!"

I started to turn, but before I could take a step Scarlett placed her delicate hands on my shoulders and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for rescuing me, Joe," she whispered. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come along." Just the feel of her breath on my ear had me harder than a steel bar in a fraction of a second.

"You're welcome," I replied, feeling a deep blush creeping up my face due to my inappropriate thoughts. "See you tomorrow."

It took me another hour and a half to get home; the rain had picked up again and was coming down in buckets, and the thirty-six mile drive took twice as long as it should have done. When I finally stepped in through the front door I stripped out of my sodden clothes on the mat, walked naked to the drinks cabinet and poured myself a Baileys before mounting the stairs and running myself a hot bath. Sliding into the tub, the water lapping around my chest, I reached for my iPhone and put some Pink Floyd on to play while I soaked, my mind wandering back to the beautiful and intriguing girl I'd met that evening. The music was suddenly silenced and my phone vibrated in my hand, a number I didn't recognise flashing up on the screen.

"Hello?" I answered tentatively.

"Hi," said a girl's voice, breathy and quiet.

"Can I help you?" I asked, not recognising the voice.

"It's me, Scarlett," she said. "Just ringing you as promised."

I sat up in surprise, sloshing water all over the floor. "Hey! It's nice to hear from you so soon!"

"Well, it's been two hours since you dropped me off. I wasn't even sure you'd still be awake if I left it any later," she explained.

"Yeah, I've not long been home. The weather got worse again and it took forever to get back. Anyway, what's the verdict? Are you free tomorrow?"

"Sure. Mum doesn't need me so I'm free all day - would morning be any good? I guess it'll take us a while to get to my car, and God knows how long it'll take to fix - say nine o'clock?"

My phone told me it was after eleven, and it would mean an early start for me to pick her up at that time, especially as I'd have to root through lots of car spares first to find bits for her Mini. That said, what the hell else did I have to do?

"Sure, no problem. I'll be there."

"Thanks. I really, really appreciate it." I could hear the smile in her voice.

That was really all she had called me to say, but I didn't want her to hang up just yet. "So... have you warmed up now?" I asked, immediately cursing myself for what must be the dumbest and most obvious line ever for drawing out a conversation.

"Yes, thanks," she giggled. "I followed your advice to the letter. I lay and soaked in a nice hot bath for about an hour, and I feel so much better. How about you?"

"I'm getting there," I said, laying back in the water again.

"I'm glad. Listen, I'd better go as I'll have to be up early for you tomorrow."

My mood plummeted dramatically. "Oh. Okay. Sleep tight then," I said, sadness creeping into my voice despite my effort to stop it.

"Yeah, good night. Oh, and Joe? That thing I said earlier, about you not being one of my dates? What I actually said was, "More's the pity."" She let out a shy giggle and rung off.

In that instant, my mood soared. She couldn't have meant that how it sounded, but she must at least like me a bit. I went to bed feeling happy about the prospect of the following day.

***

The morning soon came, bringing with it a tinge of metallics in the air and the promise of a cold start to the day. I rose just before my alarm was due to go off at six, heading to the bathroom for a quick shower before trying to work out what would be best for me to wear. Normally I'd have thrown on my scruffiest gear to work on an old car, but I found myself wanting to make a good impression on Scarlett. Suppose she asked me in again after I'd made sure she was safely home? I had spent most of my time since the previous evening cursing myself for turning her down last time she asked, and I certainly had no intention of doing it a second time. In the end I settled on a pair of blue chinos and a dark blue casual shirt, with a burgundy polo neck jumper over the top to keep out the cold while we were outside. The dark colours should at least help disguise any dirt that might end up on them.

Rummaging in the garage, I managed to find the Mini bits I thought I might need - HT leads, coil, spark plugs, distributor cap, condenser, points, fuel pump, alternator and fan belt. I also packed my portable tool box with a good selection of tools and some disposable latex gloves, collecting a set of long jump leads, a tow bar (just in case) and my vintage mechanic's overalls from the hook on the wall, putting everything in a large cardboard box. As I carried it outside the first light of dawn was just beginning to show in the sky with the promise of a beautiful day ahead. Rather than put everything in the boot of the Golf, I thought I'd make the most of the drive, instead pulling the dust cover off the Austin Healey 'Frogeye' Sprite. This was the car for a day like today!

The temperature was still in single figures as I set off, burbling along the country lanes rather than taking the main roads. Though the car was a classic I'd uprated the heater at the same time that I'd installed a bigger engine, and the cockpit was tolerably warm even with the roof down. I was at Scarlett's house just before nine, and she was waiting at the window as I drew up. She came bounding down the steps to meet me before I'd even switched off the engine. Her hair glowed a rich and glorious red in the early morning sunlight, contrasting beautifully with the green jumper and skirt she was wearing. The skirt bounced as she walked, giving me a brief, tantalising glimpse of her long, slender legs tapering outwards from her ankles to almost the top of her shapely thighs. I glanced away just in case the skirt want any higher - I got busted once last night, and it wouldn't do to start things off on the wrong foot today!

"Hey Joe! Wow, is this the car you were telling me about last night?" she asked, admiring the sleek red paintwork.

"Yep. Same type of engine as yours - I thought it would be a good point of reference if it was needed." Plus I wanted to show off, just a little... I am only human after all!

"Cool! Well I'll just maybe put some tights on to keep my legs warm, grab a jacket and I'll be with you. Do you want to come in for a minute?"

"Sure," I answered, climbing out. I followed her up the steps, inadvertently catching a brief flash of her delectable taut bum cheeks clad in black panties as she bounced ahead of me. Thankfully the flight of steps was only a short one and I managed to avoid any further distractions!

As Scarlett darted up the stairs to get changed, I daren't watch and instead found a few curios on the mantelpiece to be extremely interesting! I was startled by a discreet cough behind me as a lady stepped into the room. She was older, I'd guess around fifty or so, but still very good looking. She had blonde hair, though its colour was a little flat, so I guessed that it was probably out of a bottle. Her face was quite tanned, and she was of medium height, medium build and her facial features bore more than a passing similarity to my companion from last night.

"Hello, I'm Scarlett's mum. You must be Joe," she said warmly, holding out her hand.

"How do you do, Mrs... er..." I stammered. Shit, I realised, I didn't know Scarlett's last name!

"Mrs. Cooper, but please call me Susan. I can't thank you enough for bringing Scarlett home safely last night. She said you took really good care of her - in fact, you're all she's talked about since I got up. I've never known her be up so early before - I think she's quite excited about today," she chuckled. I liked this woman, so warm and friendly, and found myself instantly at ease.

"I somehow doubt that's the case, Mrs. Coo... erm, Susan. But it was no trouble, I couldn't see her stuck out there."

"Where is it that you live?" she asked.

"Euxley, more or less opposite Myershaw College," I answered, as we heard footsteps treading softly down the stairs.

"You never told me that!" Scarlett said, stepping into the room. She had put on some footless tights and a sheepskin jacket, and looked totally ravishing. "It must have taken you ages to get home last night! You really should have stayed here."

"It wasn't so bad," I protested. "It was no trouble at all, and I didn't want to inconvenience anyone. Plus I got to enjoy a nice drive here this morning and I've got all the bits I'm likely to need to get your car sorted."

"Have you had breakfast, Joe?" Susan asked. "I could make you something if you like?"

"Honestly, I'm fine. We'd better get going; there's no telling how long it will take me to get Scarlett's Mini started."

"Well perhaps you could stop for dinner tonight?" Susan said.

"Sorry, mum," Scarlett interrupted. "Joe and I have plans later." With that, she seized my hand and dragged me through the front door.

"We do?" I asked as soon as we were out of earshot.

"Well, not really - at least, not yet. But I didn't really think you'd want to spend a Saturday evening getting the third degree from my mum - plus I thought maybe I could take you to dinner somewhere, my treat, to say thanks for all your help?"

"Dinner sounds lovely, apart from one thing - I'll take you. While I appreciate the offer, I was brought up to know that a gentleman always takes the lady, and pays for everything. I hope that doesn't offend you?" I offered.

"Um... no, not at all, but you've already done so much!" she blushed.

"And getting to spend a few more hours with you is more than an ample reward!" I said, bowing with mock gallantry and doffing an imaginary hat before opening her door. Glancing back, I could see Susan practically pissing herself with laughter at my antics. Scarlett merely giggled as she slid daintily into the car. Closing her door, I walked round to my own side, climbed in and pulled on the starter switch. The engine immediately roared to life and we set off.

"Shit, how fast are you driving?" Scarlett exclaimed as we trundled out of the village. I pointed to the speedometer, with the needle resting right on 30mph. "Wow, it feels much faster!" she exclaimed.

"It's because we're so low to the ground in this thing," I explained. "Everything is so much nearer so you get a different perspective to other cars, even a Mini!"

Once out of the village, I opened the car up on the side country roads and Scarlett shrieked with laughter. "For such a small car, this thing is amazing! So much fun!"

"I'm glad you like it. It's just the kind of day for a car like this! Are you warm enough?" I asked.

"Oh yes, if anything I'm too hot. That heater is much better than mine!"

I turned the heater down a little. We took the scenic road through the forest, where the last vestiges of a golden autumn hung stubbornly to the trees that enveloped the road. The car stirred the leaves lying on either side of the road, the slipstream flinging them into the air in our wake. Scarlett saw the beauty in everything, pointing out this and that as we drove along, and before long she was leaning on my shoulder to talk into my ear above the road noise as we gathered speed.

All too soon we arrived at the spot where I had left her Mini. Other than being a little muddy, it appeared visually none the worse for its adventures of the previous night. I pulled up in front of it and, taking Scarlett's keys from her and leaving my engine running I opened the bonnets of both cars and hooked up the jump leads.

"Okay," I said to Scarlett, "climb in to my driver's seat and rev the engine a bit."

I sat in the Mini and listened to the revving of my own engine for a few seconds before trying the key. The little car's engine turned over but failed to catch. I climbed out, signalling to Scarlett to take her foot off. Beneath the Mini's bonnet I could hear the click of the fuel pump and there was a smell of petrol from the carburettor, which narrowed the problem down to faulty ignition - not really surprising after all the rain the previous night. On closer inspection, I noticed that the HT leads had seen better days, and removing the distributor cap revealed a badly burned out set of points. Heading to my boot, I slipped on gloves and overalls and retrieved a new set of spark plugs, distributor cap, HT leads, points and condenser, along with a plug spanner, feeler gauges and a small screwdriver. I may as well change the lot and give the old car its best chance of starting, I decided.

"Is everything okay?" Scarlett asked.

"Should be in just a few minutes," I answered.

As I tinkered under the bonnet, swapping the various components of the ignition for the new parts I'd brought, I became aware that Scarlett had got out of the car and was watching me with keen interest. "Sorry," I said apologetically, without taking my eyes off the task at hand. "This can't be very exciting to watch. It shouldn't take long."

"You really seem to know what you're doing," she said. "Are those butt inspection gloves you're wearing?"

I laughed so hard at that unexpected comment that I dropped my screwdriver, which clattered its way through the engine bay and onto the ground below. I quickly dropped to my knees and grovelled blindly beneath the car until my fingers closed on the handle of the lost implement.

"Sorry if I distracted you," Scarlett murmured, stepping closer. I turned my head to look up at her, finding bare legs stretching up beyond the hemline of her skirt to her black panties. I gulped.

"You've... erm... taken your tights off," I commented in surprise.

"Yeah. I got really hot in your car. I feel quite refreshed now that I can open my knees and feel the breeze," she giggled. I experienced a sudden coughing fit and quickly returned to my adjustment of the points.

Slipping on the distributor cap, I told her to climb into the Mini and crank the starter. To my great satisfaction, the engine started immediately and ran smoothly and sweetly.

"You're amazing!" she yelled out of the open window.

"Hardly. It was nothing to fix. You drive home and I'll follow you, just to make sure everything is okay. Once you've dropped it off, we can go and have that lunch, rather than wait until dinner - that is, if you still want to?"

"Absolutely! Lunch and maybe a walk somewhere? It's such a beautiful day," she beamed.

"Sure thing. I know just the place!" I said.

"Right, lets get going!" she grinned. "The sooner we get this thing back home, the more time we'll have together afterwards!"

That sounded promising, I thought. Closing both bonnets, I climbed into my car and executed a three-point turn in the narrow road. As I straightened up and pulled onto the verge a little, Scarlett shot past me in her Mini and roared off along the lane. She really seemed to be in a hurry! Fortunately the little Frogeye had no problem keeping up; Scarlett kept to the main roads and we were back at her place in a little under half an hour.