Check out part one here.

Cal sat quietly as Jessica looked him up and down. Something flashed in her eyes, but he couldn’t identify it before it was gone. She glanced around the dealership before her eyes turned back to his.

And he saw raw fury.

‘Shit,’ flipped through his head and before he could backtrack his words, she was attacking him.

“I don’t need to be taken care of. I’m an adult, a woman who has managed to take care of myself for years. I’m not some weak little child who needs someone to do everything for her. And I resent the implication.”

Cal leaned back in his seat, putting as much space between them as possible. “I wasn’t trying to say you couldn’t take care of yourself. I just… I, uh-”

“You were trying to be the macho guy in this situation. If you really think you’re going to pull one over on me you’ve got another thing coming. I don’t fall for pick up lines, and while I’m sure that’s worked for you plenty over the years, it’s not going to work on me.”

Cal blew out a frustrated breath and ran a hand through his brown hair. He could tell there was more than Jessica was telling him, a reason she felt the need to defend herself so harshly, but he let it go. Once she left he knew he’d never see her again.

Cal finished the paperwork and had Jessica sign everything. He insisted on the low price he’d offered her and handed over the keys to a smiling Jessica. And stood back as she drove off.

A week later Cal eyed his phone. He’d been dreading the phone call he had to make, but he knew he couldn’t put it off any longer. It was almost time for him to go home and this was a part of his job, something his boss insisted he do before he could collect the commission from the sale of any vehicle.

Just this call was one he knew wouldn’t go well.

Cal took a deep breath and punched in the numbers on his desk phone. He forced a smile to his lips and glanced down at the scripted message he planned to leave on Jessica’s voicemail asking how the car was and instructing her to call if she needed anything. He would put a coupon book in the mail the next day to help her out with some of the recommended services.

“Hello?” came through the phone.

Cal sucked in a breath. He wasn’t prepared to speak to her, but he couldn’t just hang up.

“Hello?” she said again after his hesitation.

“Hi, is this Jessica?”

“Yes,” she said, annoyed.

“Hi Jessica, this is Cal from the dealership. I just wanted to call and check how your new car is doing. Is everything going well?”

She paused, long enough that Cal started to wonder if she’d hung up on him. He glanced at his screen and saw the seconds ticking past, indicating she was still there, even though she wasn’t speaking.

“I’m sorry I was such a bitch to you. You didn’t deserve it. Especially after you were so nice to me.”

Cal didn’t know whether to laugh or just shake his head. He’d spent the last week wondering what she tasted like. He’d even dreamt of her, something he rarely did.

“I was out of line. It’s fine. How’s the car?” Cal tried to steer their conversation back to where it belonged, away from his need for her.

“You were really nice to be. I was the one who was out of line. And I’m sorry. I was wondering if I could make it up to you. Maybe go out on that date you asked about?”

It was Cal’s turn to pause. He froze, wondering if she was screwing with him or if he heard her right. He knew they would have a good time together and he wanted to see her again, but wasn’t sure if it was a good idea.

“Are you still there?” Jessica asked.

“Yeah, I’m just… shocked I guess. You made it pretty clear how you felt when I met you. I’m trying to understand why you changed your mind.”

Jessica huffed out a breath. “I think I’m going to really like you. You’re not what I expected. You were a lot nicer than I was prepared to handle and it ended up turning me into a bitch. Again, I’m sorry. Can we start over?”

A slow grin spread over Cal’s face. He knew he’d do anything for her, even though he really didn’t know her. “Of course we can start over. And if you’re sure, I’d love to take you out. How about Friday?”

“Sounds perfect. Oh, and the car is great. I’ll make sure to let you know if that changes.”

“Great. I’ll be sending you out a book with discounts for service, in case you decide to use us for your service. It’s definitely been a pleasure doing business with you.”

He heard the faint sound of a giggle and smiled to himself. “Thank you, Cal. And I’ll see you Friday. You have my address.”

“See you then,” Cal said and hung up with a smile. He grinned at the empty space in his cubicle and shook his head. He had no idea how he’d managed to get so lucky, but he was damn glad he did.

Now, to plan the perfect date…

See you next week! Where should Cal take Jessica?