Chapter 6

One thing Mark thought that should be done to his new house was to replace the electric wall toggle switches with modern rocker switches and new faceplates. He counted up the number needed and was on his way to Home Depot to purchase these items.

As he was driving he noticed a car pulled over to the side of the road that had its flashers on. Driving by he could see the car had a flat tire. Standing outside next to the car was a young woman and he could see she was not a happy camper. Mark turned around and parked behind this car which he noticed was a BMW. He remembered what Yogi Berra had once said, “That it was Deja vu all over again,” since this was how because of car trouble Mark had met Emily.

Walking up to this lady he could see that she was about his age and that she was attractive with a nice figure.

“I can give you a hand on changing that tire.”

“Thanks, but I only have one spare tire and I have two flat tires.”

“Well in that case I guess we then need to go to Plan B.”

With a questioning smile on her face, she said, “What is Plan B?”

“That I drive you into town to the tire store and you let them solve the problem.”

“I’ll go with Plan B,” she said and laughed a little after saying it.

“Take what you need and put it in my SUV and we will go there.”

Mark watched her take a small suitcase, her purse, and a box that had a bow on it that was probably a gift and she put them in his SUV.

During the drive, he introduced himself to her and told her what he did. When they passed by the fitness center he pointed it out and told her that is where he worked.

She said her name was Paige Turner and she worked in the food industry.

At the tire store, Jim recognized Mark, and after shaking hands asked him what he could do for him.

Mark pointed to Paige and told him of the problem that she had with her car having two flat tires and where her car was located.

“I’ll have the car towed in but I know the tow truck now is busy and he won’t be able to tow in the car till this evening, well after we are closed. I can get to it first thing in the morning.”

Paige gave the necessary information and a copy of her credit card to Jim along with the car keys. She turned to Mark and said, “Now what?”

“As I see it you have two options with the first one being I can drive you to a motel by the university since we don’t have any here although one is in the planning stage. The second option is that you can stay at my house in my second bedroom and I promise you will be safe. Now if you choose option two that will only happen if you take a picture of me, my driver’s license, and my business card and send them to someone to tell them I am who you are staying with. I wouldn’t send it to your parents because if you did that they will worry about you staying at a stranger’s house.”

“I think I am a pretty good judge of character. Since this man knows you and with taking those pictures I will go with option two.”

“Have you eaten yet?”

“No, why?”

“The local diner here is featuring fish and chips as their special today and it is delicious. Let’s stop there first and get something to eat.

They did stop at the diner and both of them ordered the fish and chips. Paige agreed with Mark that the food was delicious.

During the meal and later the drive to his home Mark was forming an impression of Paige. She was of average height, had a nice figure, shoulder-length dark hair, and a pretty face. Besides being good-looking and intelligent he thought that she had a strong sense of self-confidence which normally you don’t see in people. She certainly was attracting his attention.

At his home she put her suitcase in the bedroom he showed her. She remarked that the open floor plan made his house seem bigger than it was. She asked him if she could look around and he told her she could look to her heart’s content. He offered her a soft drink.

She noticed the notebook computer on the dining room table and after looking at it said it should be in a museum. He told her she was probably right since he had purchased it when he first started college. It had served him well but was slowing down and it didn’t have the required specifications to install the new operating system that was now available.

Paige continued to look around and picked up a book that was lying on a shelf which caught her attention. Opening up the back cover of the book she saw the picture of Mark. “Why didn’t you mention you were a published author? I am going to read this book.”

“That was my first book. Right now I am almost ready to submit number three to the publisher. I just enjoy writing in my spare time as it gives me something to do.”

They sat on the couch and watched a little TV. She did comment on the size of the large television and kiddingly asked him if he couldn’t find a bigger one. He told her they are soon going to be making them ten inches bigger and when they make them twenty inches bigger he will probably upgrade. Initially, Paige thought he was kidding in saying that but in looking at him she could see he was serious.

After watching the news they both agreed to call it a night. He watched her walk to the bedroom but then she stopped and came back to take her purse that was on the dining room table with her.

Mark was up first the next morning and had made the coffee. He was frying up some bacon when Paige came out of the bedroom. He offered her a cup of coffee and told her to have a seat and he will make her breakfast.