His Sub by Ellis O. Day
CHAPTER 18: Maggie
Maggie wanted to fling her phone across the room. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t. She dialed Terry’s number but it went directly to voice mail. She didn’t bother to leave a message. There was nothing he could do. She needed her car. She couldn’t afford another one but she was going to have to find the money somewhere.
She could ask David for a loan when he came to pick up the kids for the weekend. Of course, then she’d have to listen to him lecture her about budgets and spending. He didn’t understand that she couldn’t overspend. She didn’t make enough to overspend. She barely made enough to keep the kids fed and clothed.
She had to find another way. Maybe, Terry’s friend was wrong. She should’ve insisted that her car be towed to Tires and More but the thought of free towing had fuzzied her brain. She grabbed her phone and searched for Mattie’s Machines. She called the number and a man answered.
“Hi, my car was towed there last night. It’s a blue Ford Focus. Sure, I’ll wait.” She paced and prayed that there’d been a mistake.
“Hi, this is Mattie,” said a different man.
“Hi, my car was towed to your shop last night.”
“Yeah. I thought Terry was going to call you.”
“He did but isn’t there something you can do to make it drivable? I don’t need a promise of forever just make it work for now.”
“I’m sorry, but it’d be a huge waste of money.”
“I see. Okay.” Maybe the mechanics at Tires and More could fix it for her. They’d done it before. Sure, it’d only lasted a week or so, but maybe this time... “I’ll send a tow truck to get it.”
“You don’t have to do that. I have a call out to junk it. Bring me your title and I’ll give you the money for the scrap.”
“You were going to scrap it?” This was unbelievable. He had no right.
“Ah…yeah. Is that a problem?”
“Yes, that’s a problem. You hadn’t even talked to me.”
“But Terry said—”
“Terry doesn’t own the car. I do.”
“Okay, miss, take it easy. The car is still here.”
“It’d better be.”
“It is.”
“I’ll be there to pay you and with a tow truck in”—she glanced at the time on her phone—“an hour.”
“You don’t owe—”
“You looked the car over, didn’t you?” She should let him not charge her because of his friendship with Terry but right now, her pride had control of her brain.
“Yeah, but Terry—”
“It’s my car. My bill. I’m paying for it.” Luckily, she still had some room on one of her credit cards.
“Yes, ma’am.” There was humor in his tone and if she were in front of him, she just might slap his face.
“Goodbye.” She was so sick of men—all of them.
