A taxicab connection

I tossed around the idea of this scene for a while. I finally decided to write it. 

Summary: Immediately after a painful break up, Erica meets a man who makes her feel much better. Could he be her next love?

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She was done.

After hiding in the bathroom for five minutes, Erica rushed out of the restaurant without saying goodbye to Simon. Tears burned the back of her eyes, but she hurried down the stairs and waved her arm wildly to capture the attention of the yellow cab coming her way. The driver pulled to a sudden stop in front of Bella Blu, a high-end establishment with a prix fixe menu and a waiting list two months long.

“Erica, wait!”

Simon’s voice came loud and clear behind her as she yanked open the cab’s back door. She quickly climbed in.

“Go, go!” she begged, voice quivering.

She didn’t turn in the direction of the restaurant, but she did hear Simon yell her name one more time as the vehicle pulled away from the entrance.

“Where to, ma’am?”

She gave the driver her address. Once he had gone a full mile, the tension oozed from her body, and she relaxed into the leather seats and gazed at the passing night time scenery.

It was over. Two years down the drain.

“Are you okay?”

His warm, low voice caught her attention. Concerned eyes met hers in the rearview mirror. Eyes that momentarily stunned her with their liquid brown beauty.

“Yes,” she answered.

Then, as if the question had broken through her protective shell, her bottom lip trembled, and her eyes filled with tears. Those tears overflowed onto her cheeks, and she angrily wiped them away. Humiliated, she sniffled and kept her eyes lowered.

“Here you go.”

The softly spoken words were followed by a tiny box of tissues that appeared in front of her. Her eyes met the driver’s in the mirror again. 

Erica took the box. “Thank you,” she said in a hoarse voice.

She removed several tissues, dabbed her eyes, and blew her nose. 

After a few minutes, the driver cleared his throat. “Want to talk about it?”

She stared at her lap. “Not really.”

He didn’t respond, and the silence suddenly seemed louder and untenable. He was being kind, and his kindness nudged her to share, to get the weight of the night’s trauma off her chest. “I ended a relationship.”

“Male or female?”

“Male.”

“What did he do?” he asked in a resigned voice.

That prompted a smile, albeit a very small one, from Erica. “How do you know it was his fault?”

“Am I wrong?”

“No.” She swallowed the painful lump in her throat and continued. “Tonight was our two-year dating anniversary. He’s been out of town for two weeks on business, so he said. Right before our dinner date, I received a call from a woman who said she’s been having a relationship with him for the past six months. She lives in Cincinnati, where he’s been traveling to for work.”

“Damn. But why did you go to dinner with him if you knew about the other woman?”

“I guess… I don’t know. I didn’t want to believe it. Hoped it wasn’t true. Silly, I know.” 

“I don’t think that’s silly. I think that’s pretty normal. What did he say?”

“Denied it. Then I showed him the screenshots of texts she sent me.” 

They had both sent explicit messages about what they wanted to do to each other when they were apart, as well as recalling the tawdry details of their sexual exploits when they were together. Equally hurtful were the messages Simon sent complaining that he wasn’t happy and how much he missed the other woman. 

“What did he say when you showed him the texts?”

Erica released a little laugh. “He still denied the relationship, but he has a tell. Whenever he lies, his nostrils flare. They flared a lot during our conversation.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

He couldn’t be more sorry than she was. She had been devastated.

She took a good look at her driver. He seemed around her age, early thirties. Dark copper skin, and those beautiful brown eyes. With a trimmed beard and a deep voice, he was kind of attractive. He wore a black hoodie and had large hands with long fingers gripping the wheel, but she couldn’t see much more than that from the backseat.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” she asked, shocking herself that she asked such a question. Hopefully, he didn’t consider it inappropriate.

He shook his head. “Nah. Haven’t had a girlfriend in over a year.”

Surprising. Since he apparently didn’t mind the question, she continued to get up in his business. “Why not?”

They bounced over a pothole, and Erica gripped the door as the cab swerved. 

“Sorry about that.”

“That’s okay.” Erica straightened her skirt and crossed her legs. 

“I broke up with my last girlfriend because her parents didn’t approve of us. She’s wealthy, and I made a bad financial decision a few years ago, so money is kinda short.”

“You have to explain that. What happened?”

“I’ll give you the condensed version. I went into business with a so-called friend. His credit was jacked up, so I signed all the loan documents because I had good credit. When the business fell off, he left me high and dry. I thought we were in it together, but apparently not. Since my name is on all the paperwork, I was left with all the debt for a business that no longer exists, and now I’m stuck driving taxis part-time to pay off the loans and maxed out credit cards.”

“That’s terrible.” She could never understand how people could be so cruel. “So you were trying to be an entrepreneur.”

He nodded. “I believe we could have turned the business around if my friend had stuck with me through the difficult period. I explained to him that a lot of businesses don’t turn a profit in the first year or so, but he wouldn’t listen. Guess he was looking for quick money. Anyway, because I was struggling financially, I told my girl to move on. I can’t support the lifestyle she’s used to, and her parents were threatening to cut her off because I’m not exactly the kind of man they had in mind for her.”

“Did you love her?”

“Yeah.”

“But not as much as you should,” Erica guessed.

Their eyes met in the rearview mirror again. 

“No,” he answered honestly.

The cab fell into silence. The roadway was busy on a Friday night, but not too busy. Looking at the cars and buildings passing by filled her with sadness. She should be sitting at Bella Blu, finishing her lobster and scallop dinner with a glass of champagne, while celebrating two years with the man she loved. Instead, she was prematurely on her way home, heartbroken and wondering what to do next.

Her phone vibrated, and she removed it from her purse. A missed call from Simon. And she’d missed two texts from him, apparently. 

Text one: I know you don’t want to talk to me right now, but when you calm down I can explain.

Text two: It was a mistake. She meant nothing to me.

There it was, an admission of guilt. Erica pressed her lips together, fighting the ache in her chest. At least he was no longer denying the affair. She assumed she and Simon would eventually marry, but clearly that was not the case. She could never trust him again.

Another message popped up on the screen. Please answer. We need to talk.

Erica powered off the phone and slipped it into her purse. “Do you mind making a small detour?” she asked.

“Not at all. I’m on your time.”

“Get off at the next exit and make a left at the fork. There’s a doughnut shop on Eighth Avenue. It should still be open.”

“Oh yeah, I know the one you’re talking about. Donut Parlor. It’s open. On Fridays and Saturdays they stay open until ten.”

She smiled, oddly pleased he knew about the shop. “They have the best cake doughnuts,” she said.

“Yeah, they do. Don’t sleep on their glazed, though. You know which one is my favorite?”

“Which one?”

“The Nutella with Oreo cookie sprinkles.”

“Oh my goodness, they are the best.”

He chuckled at her breathless enthusiasm. “No doubt. Have you ever had their breakfast? The sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits are freaking delicious. The biscuits are so flaky, and they use two eggs, so it’s very filling.”

“No, I haven’t. I’m not usually on this side of town, but based on your recommendation I’ll have to make a special trip one day.”

“You won’t be disappointed, trust me.”

Minutes later, he pulled in front of the shop, and Erica went inside. She placed her order and returned to the taxi with a box of six doughnuts.

As they pulled away, she bit into a cake doughnut and let out a soft moan. There were few problems in life a box of freshly made doughnuts couldn’t fix. For the moment, she looked past her devastating night and enjoyed the simple pleasure.

Scooting forward, she held the open box over the front seat. “Want one?”

He glanced at the box but shook his head. “No, I’m good.”

“You sure? The Nutella with Oreo cookie sprinkles has your name on it.”

He groaned. “Now why did you do that? I’m watching my figure.”

Erica giggled. “It’s okay to cheat just this once. You can make it up tomorrow.”

“I like the way you think.” 

He took the doughnut, and she handed him a napkin.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

They spent the rest of the ride in easy conversation, and she learned he repaired computers in his day job. She shared that she taught third grade and came from a family of teachers.

They ate another doughnut each, and a few times he made her laugh out loud. When he pulled in front of her house, she felt a little sad, as if she was about to be separated from a good friend. 

That’s when she realized she didn’t know his name. Her gaze found his posted identification. Robert. The name fit him.

“How much do I owe you?”

“Twenty dollars and nineteen cents.”

Erica frowned, certain he was wrong. She checked the meter. “We drove much more than that.”

“I turned off the meter when you went into the doughnut shop.”

Her lips parted in surprise. “Why?”

Robert shrugged. “Guess I was enjoying the company.”

The words warmed her heart but also sent a small thrill through her bloodstream. Was she attracted to this guy? Definitely. But maybe it was too soon to be thinking in those terms. She had broken up with her boyfriend less than an hour ago.

She handed Robert a twenty and a ten. “Keep the change.”

He turned in the seat. “No. Come on…”

“I enjoyed the company too. You made a bad night better. Have a good one.”

Erica climbed out the vehicle and walked to the front door of her townhouse. Once inside, the taxi pulled away from the curb. She flipped on the lights and kicked off her heels. Placing the doughnuts on the counter, she realized with a start that she was smiling. Despite the painful dinner and the revelation that the man she loved had been cheating on her for at least six months, she ended the night in a good mood. 

She transferred the doughnuts to a container and poured herself a glass of wine. Strolling barefoot into the living room, she stopped in front of a photo of her and Simon on the fireplace mantle. A bout of nostalgia hit her in the chest. Her lower lip trembled, but she quickly shoved off the desire to cry.

She knew the truth now, and eventually she would get over him. 

She turned the frame face down and took a gulp of wine.

Tomorrow she would pack up his belongings and leave them on the porch for him to pick up. She never wanted to see or talk to Simon again.

The doorbell rang.

Erica frowned. That better not be Simon. If so, she would give him a piece of her mind.

She set down the glass of wine and marched to the door. Peering out the peephole, she drew a sharp breath when she saw Robert standing outside.

She opened the door. “Hi. Did I forget something in the car?”

As far as she could remember, she had her purse, phone, and the doughnuts.

Looking at him head-on, she was struck even more by the beauty of his eyes. But not only that, he had great posture and a muscular build beneath the hoodie and jeans. About six feet tall, his height would require her to raise up on tiptoe if she wanted a taste of his very attractive mouth.

Heat filled her cheeks. Where did that thought come from?

“No, you didn’t. I came back because I figured since we both enjoyed each other’s company, and I found you really easy to talk to, then…” He extended a white business card.

Erica took it.

“That’s my card with my cell number. I’d like to take you out sometime. I can’t afford Bella Blu at the moment, but I can take you to a more moderately priced place, and on the nights we don’t go out, I grill a mean steak. So, whenever you’re ready to start dating again, call me.”

Erica couldn’t suppress the wide grin that overtook her face. “I will.”

His face broke into a full grin too. “I’ll be waiting.”

Oh my.

Robert walked away.

“Robert!” 

He paused halfway to the cab.

“My name is Erica.” She sounded breathless, her heart rate kicking up a notch.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Like I said, I’ll be waiting, Erica.”

She watched him climb into the taxi and drive away.

Walking into the living room, her attention locked on the card in her hand.

Who knows… he might not have to wait too long. 

___________

Hope you enjoyed this short! By the way, do you think it’s too soon for Erica to dip her toes back in the dating pool? Especially since Robert has financial troubles?

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