The world officially hated Sandy. She was never listening to Amanda again. Especially not when Amanda gave her bad directions to a party, and then said that she should just meet Amanda and Allie at the party after her lab.
Because Sandy had the kind of luck that meant driving alone at night guaranteed that she was going to get a flat tire…when it was raining.
It shouldn't be such a big deal. She wasn't some helpless girl in the eighteenth century. She could change a tire. So she'd just change the tire and head back to the dorm where she could get out of her wet clothes and have a nice, hot shower.
The whole thing would have been over in an hour if that stupid truck hadn't driven by close to the car and doused her in water, making her drop three lug nuts. Of course, they rolled away and even with a Maglite she had to give up searching for them in the dark.
So now she wasn't just that helpless girl. She was that helpless girl in a dirty, wet, white shirt. Any minute now, that guy from Texas Chainsaw Massacre was going to show up and try to chop her into pieces. She was in Travis County, after all.
Calling Amanda was no use. She'd called when she got the flat tire and both Amanda and Allie had already had too much to drive. So that left Jared and Jensen, which was really better anyway. They would actually know how to change a tire and what to bring with them.
"Hey! Aren't you supposed to be partying by now?" Jared's voice was warm, but a little slower than normal. Dammit. Didn't anyone stay sober anymore? It was only nine o'clock.
"Well, that was the plan but the world hates me, so I'm stuck on the side of the road instead. Please tell me Jensen's not drunk yet."
"Sorry?"
"It's nine o'clock!"
"I know! But Jensen's been stressed all week with that test. I'm sorry."
"I know. It's not your fault." Sandy sighed. She'd spent half the week listening to Jared complain about how busy Jensen was. They deserved to unwind. Her stupid tire just had really bad timing.
"Hey, you know what? Chris just came in and he hasn't gotten started yet."
"No! No way. I look like a truck drove by and splashed water on me while I was trying to change the tire."
"What? How'd that happen?"
"A truck drove by and splashed me while I was trying to change the tire."
"Oh. That would do it. But hey, aren't you the one always telling me, 'If he doesn't like you at your worst, he doesn't deserve you at your best?'"
"Yeah. That's about you. Not me. And we've been on two dates-one of which was a total disaster. He hasn't gotten to know me at my best yet."
"So you'd rather call highway patrol?"
"Are you implying that would be insane?" She could almost see Jared rolling his eyes. "Fine. Get Chris."
"Come on, he's dying to make up for last night." Jared insisted and a second later he wasn't talking to her anymore. "Hey man, it's Sandy. She could use some help and somehow you are the only person still capable of driving."
"Hey sweetheart. What's this I hear about you being in trouble?"
~*~
Fifteen minutes later, Chris was running through the rain and climbing in the passenger side of her car. His eyes took in her clinging white shirt but to his credit he only lingered on her chest a second before focusing on her face and reaching over to push back a damp strand of hair.
"Damn, you must be freezing." Chris pulled off his flannel shirt and handed it to her. "I'll finish changing your tire and follow you home, okay?"
Sandy nodded as he climbed back out of her car and walked around to work on the tire. This whole thing was crazy. They weren't really even dating yet, and Chris didn't even blink at being asked to drive out in the middle of a thunderstorm to change her tire.
She started to pull his shirt on over hers, but really, the wet fabric was starting to itch. After a glance to make sure he was busy with the tire, Sandy peeled off her wet shirt, tossed it in the backseat, and wrapped herself in the warm flannel. Damn, it still smelled like him. Now she was going to turn into one of those stupid swooning girls she always made fun of.
When Chris knocked on her window to let her know the tire was fixed and motioned that he was going back to his truck, all she could do was nod.
~*~
"Well at least you look as much like a drowned rat as I do," Sandy laughed as they ran through the rain to the dorm.
"You look much better than a drowned rat, sweetheart." Chris smiled and it warmed her more than she wanted to admit.
"You wanna come in? We could watch a movie or something." Shit. Why did she say that? He was dirty and soaked. Of course he just wanted to go home and find some dry clothes. "Or you know, you probably want to go home and change and it kinda sounded like there was something going on at your house."
"Nah, I'm pretty sure I left some clothes in Jensen's room last time I crashed on his couch. Nothin's going on I need to see over there. Sometimes Jensen just needs to get away from this place and he's got this idea he still lives at the townhouse."
"And I'm sure he didn't get that idea from you at all."
~*~
"Tell me I get to pick the next movie." Chris groaned as the credits rolled on The Notebook.
"Well, you did save me tonight. I suppose I can sit through one guy movie. Just don't tell Jared. He's been trying to get me to watch Die Hard all year."
"You've never seen Die Hard? That's just wrong. Everyone has to see Die Hard."
"Well, too bad. I don't have it."
"You're in luck. I saw it in Jensen's room when I changed." Chris smirked and hopped off the bed they'd been sitting on. Sitting. Not lying down. Because Sandy was determined to keep a grip on things somehow. Somehow, Chris looked hotter in sweats and a t-shirt than he ever had before and he must know he was getting to her because if she had any sense, she would have changed out of his shirt into one of her own when she changed from her wet jeans into her own sweat pants. But she didn't.
~*~
"Admit it. You're into the movie. You don't hate it."
"Maybe. A little." Sandy rolled her eyes and reclined on the bed, pulling Chris down to stretch out behind her. Maybe she was breaking her rules, but he hadn't tried anything yet, so maybe this would be okay.
Chris propped himself up on his elbow and leaned over to meet her eyes.
"I don't expect anything. Okay? And I mean, I get it if you haven't…"
"I have. It's not because I'm a virgin." Okay, how had this happened? Why did she tell him that? "I mean, I had a boyfriend, for a couple years in high school. So you know…"
"Okay." Chris paused, looking a little lost for words.
"I just, I take it seriously." Sandy glanced up, trying to figure out if she sounded as stupid to him as she did to herself. He wasn't rolling his eyes or laughing. That was a plus. "I'd want it to mean something and third date rule aside, I don't think it really would yet."
"Third date huh? Shit. How'd that happen? You were at least supposed to be my girlfriend by the third date." Chris smiled, and he didn't need to say it for her to know everything was okay. He wasn't going to ditch her because she wanted to wait.
"Well, I think that can be arranged." Sandy turned so they were face to face. She never said she had anything against making out.
"Yeah?" Chris smiled and leaned down to press his lips against hers. She let the kiss deepen, opening her lips to let his tongue press against hers. The kiss was soft and slow but they were both still breathing a little heavy when he pulled back.
"You're missing the best part of the movie."
"I'm sorry. You want to stop and watch the movie?"
"I was just offering for you. I've already seen it."
"In that case? I'll let you tell me how it ends later."
~*~
