Chapter 18
It wasn’t until they passed a near-empty Kroger parking lot on the drive back to Little Creek that Tai got the idea to teach Evangeline to drive a manual transmission.
“Why are we stopping here?” she asked as he pulled the car to a stop under a streetlamp in front of the deserted grocery store.
Besides the beat-up El Camino with a busted tire parked on the other side of the lot, the place was empty. Perfect for an impromptu driver’s ed session.
Tai killed the engine. “You’re going to drive the rest of the way home.”
Her eyes went wide, the light shining down on her from the streetlamp making it look like she was the star of the night’s stage.
“But I already told you I don’t know how to drive a stick.”
“I know.” Tai could justify his wanting to teach Evangeline the mechanics of operating a vehicle with a manual transmission, but the truth of the matter was, most drivers in the United States no longer had the skill.
Nor did they really need it since automatic cars were the majority on the road.
Really, he just didn’t want the night to end, and teaching Evangeline was the best excuse he could grab at when the opportunity presented itself
Tai opened the car door, a gust of a breeze wafting inside.
His nose crinkled against the assault. Cool evening air mixed with the offensive odor of a blooming Bradford pear tree.
How the pretty white blossoms could emit a smell that rivaled rotting fish, he’d never know.
They were like the Trojan horses of trees, completely innocent and magnificent to look at but hiding something deadly you’d never expect.
“Those things are foul.” Evangeline scrunched her face, pinching her nose against the onslaught of stench. “Tai, I can’t drive. Take me home.” Her voice had a clogged, nasally tone to it now, slightly muffled because of the hand in front of her mouth.
Tai pinched his own nose. “This is as far as I’m taking you. If you want to get home, you’re going to have to drive yourself.”
He couldn’t believe she’d accused him of being a player.
If he were experienced in the art of wooing the ladies for the fun of it, would he really have brought her to a place reeking like a wharf on a hot summer day, where they both had to plug their noses and talk like cartoon characters with bad sinus infections?
This was not suave. This was not charming.
This was probably not getting her to see him in a better light either.
Oh well.
Before she could offer another argument, Tai unclicked his seat belt and climbed out of the car.
He left the door open, both as an invitation for her to take his place behind the wheel and also because the stench would work in his favor.
The longer she sat there, the longer she’d have to endure the tree’s odor.
Sure enough, by the time he’d rounded the car and stood in front of her door, she’d pushed it open and was scowling at him.
“The sooner you get behind the wheel, the sooner we can shut the doors and we won’t have to smell the blooms anymore.”
“It’s coating the inside of my mouth,” she complained as she stalked around the front of the car, the headlights illuminating her shapely legs as she passed through the beams. “I can taste the smell.”
She wasn’t wrong, and Tai wished he’d chosen some other deserted parking lot. But they were there now. The only thing to do was make the best of it.
“Try this.” He opened the glove box and retrieved a container of chewing gum. He offered her a piece and took one for himself.
“I’m not sure this is helping.” She grimaced as she chewed. “Now it’s like minty fish.” Her body shivered in disgust, but she didn’t spit the gum out.
“Okay, the first thing you need to do to start the car is—”
She held up her hand to stop him. “I may not know how to drive a stick, but I do know how to start a car.” She reached forward to press the start button on the dash.
Nothing happened.
Her brows pulled together in confusion. She pressed the button again.
Still nothing happened.
Tai cleared his throat to combat the laughter bubbling in his chest. “As I was saying, the first thing you need to do to start the car is engage the clutch.”
She flipped her hair over her shoulder and gave him a look out of the corner of her eye. “I knew that.”
Tai swallowed his mirth. He watched as she correctly used her left foot to press the clutch pedal down to the floor, then tried the start button for the third time. The engine roared to life.
“Good. Now, press the brake pedal and release the parking brake.”
She found the parking brake lever and pulled. A small pop sounded when the brake released.
“The car’s in neutral. Do you know how to put it into first gear to move forward?” There weren’t any cement parking blocks separating the spaces, and Tai figured she’d rather go forward than in reverse for her first attempt.
Evangeline licked her lips and stared at the gearshift.
“It won’t bite.”
She blinked wide eyes at him. “I know it won’t bite. I’m just nervous.”
“Don’t be.”
“I don’t want to ruin your car.”
“You won’t hurt it, I promise,” he said, infusing his tone with reassurance.
She swallowed, then gripped the shift, pulling it toward the left as far as it would go, then up into first gear.
“Perfect. Now all you have to do is give the car a little bit of gas while slowly letting off the clutch.”
“That’s all, huh?”
He grinned. “Yep. That’s all.”
She hesitated. “Okay. Here goes.”
Except the only muscles that moved were those of her eyes. Her green irises flicked up and down between staring at her feet and peering out the windshield.
“You got this, Evangeline Jezebel Kelly.”
The panicked look that had started to cloud her vision receded like sun burning off fog in the valley.
The muscles in her shoulders lost some of their tension, and her grip on the gearshift loosened enough to allow color back into her white knuckles.
“You’re the worst guesser in the history of guessing. ”
The engine more moaned than revved as she slowly put pressure on the gas pedal. The car inched forward.
Evangeline’s jaw unhinged in surprise but also delight. She pushed down with one foot while lifting up with the other. Tai opened his mouth to warn her to give it more gas, but before he could get the words out, the car lurched, throwing them against the seat belts, then stopped altogether.
“I’m so sorry.” Her hands rose to cover her cheeks. “I’m so sorry.”
Tai covered her hands with his own and lowered her palms from her face.
He squeezed her fingers. “I told you, you’re not going to hurt the car.
Everyone stalls. Shoot, I still stall every now and again.
It’s not a big deal. And I promise, accelerating from stop is probably the hardest part of driving a stick.
But once you get the hang of how much gas to give while you let off the clutch, it’s a breeze. Now, try again.”
She stalled a few more times, but each time she looked less horrified and more determined.
“That’s it. Just ease off the clutch a little more . . . Just a little more gas . . . You’re doing it! You’re driving a stick!”
Evangeline beamed as she drove five miles per hour around the empty parking lot. Could a person on foot have passed her? Yes. But that didn’t detract from her victory.
“Okay, give it some more gas. Listen to the engine. I’ll tell you when to shift, but see if you can hear it yourself.”
She gave the gas pedal more pressure, and the speedometer rose. The engine revved.
“Now. Shift to second.”
A terrible grinding sound came from under the hood, and Tai couldn’t help but wince.
“Oh my gosh. I just murdered your car.” Evangeline’s hands fluttered, and the car jolted to a stop again. Once more, she covered her face with her hands. “I can’t do this.”
“Yes, you can. You’re doing great.”
Her palms lowered until just her eyes peeked out from above her fingertips. “Great? Your car sounded like I was torturing it to death.”
It did. Honestly, grinding gears could damage certain parts of the car, but light grinding here and there wasn’t going to kill it. “Just make sure the clutch is pushed down when you shift and don’t release until the car is in gear.”
It took a bit more encouraging before Tai could get her to try again. He walked her through every step, offering reassurance when needed and more encouragement. Finally, she was shifting between first, second, and third with confidence.
“Pretty soon you’re going to be zipping around the raceway.”
She laughed and shook her head. “Yeah, because going”—she flicked her gaze down to the speedometer—“twenty-five is going to give Chase Elliott a run for his money.”
“An empty Kroger’s parking lot today, the Daytona 500 tomorrow.”
She snorted, but her shoulders relaxed. Tai had her practice in the parking lot for another twenty minutes. He hadn’t really planned on making her drive the rest of the way home, but she’d learned fast and he didn’t see why she shouldn’t.
“Ready to take this baby on the road?”
She slammed on the brake, forgetting to engage the clutch, and the car stalled violently for the first time in a while.
“Sorry.” She patted the steering wheel as if she were apologizing to the car. Wariness and uncertainty lined her brow. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? A road with other cars is a totally different beast than an empty lot.”
“You’re ready. I believe in you. You just have to believe in yourself.” Tai pointed out the window. “Plus, don’t you want to get away from the Bradford pear’s own special take on the fresh scent of spring?”
Her lips tilted in a soft smile. “To be honest, I don’t even notice the stench anymore. I must have gone nose blind.”
“Then quick, we need to leave before the damage becomes permanent.”
She laughed as she restarted the engine.
Tai had stopped at the Kroger just outside of town, so it didn’t take long for Evangeline to pull up to her house, even with her going under the speed limit to reduce the number of times she’d have to shift gears.
She didn’t turn off the engine after she put the car in neutral and pulled the lever for the parking brake. “Don’t think you have to walk me to the door since this isn’t a real date.”
Tai reached over and pushed the button to kill the engine.
“Just because you keep saying that doesn’t make it true.
This is a real date.” He opened the door and exited the car.
He knew she wouldn’t wait for him to get her door, and he was right.
Her door shut a second after his did. He met her at the bottom of her porch steps.
“Thanks for coming out with me tonight.” He shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from reaching out and touching her.
“You make it sound like I had a choice.” There was a hint of amusement to her voice that lent to banter.
He shrugged and grinned. “You did. You chose to use my help with your matchmaking.” He leaned his shoulder against the post of her front porch. “You know, you never did answer any of my three questions.”
“Oh, look at the time.” She glanced down at her wrist even though she wasn’t wearing a watch. “I have to get up early so—” She spun on her heels and scurried away. “Good night!” she called over her shoulder as she unlocked the front door and stepped inside.
Tai chuckled, pulling out his phone as he ambled back to his car. He opened his messaging app and clicked on Angel’s name.
You can run but you can’t hide, Evangeline Puddin’ Tame Kelly. Braves home opener is Sunday. I’ll pick you up at ten.