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“Give me five minutes,” Judy said, and she stared at him. Hard.
And kept staring. Like he was a whole different mammal. He fought the urge to turn around and see if someone was sneaking up on him, so he just smiled instead.
“Uh, clock is running, Carrots,” he teased. She squeaked, nodded, and turned to dash into her apartment… and ran into the door.
“Not one word,” she said, glaring at him. “I’m still mad at you. Pickles, no matter how good, aren’t getting you out of trouble.”
“What if we split a soda?”
“Individual sodas.”
“Deal.”
Plea bargain complete, she yanked the door open and bolted. The door had barely closed when he saw the light flick on in her window and heard her door slam.
He’d known she’d be quick, but that was impressive. It also meant they’d be leaving in exactly four minutes and change.
Time to perform a little black magic and make this thing rise from the dead long enough to get them to the park.
He fished into his pocket for the paper Finnick had given him with the scooter. He hadn’t asked where the little fennec had gotten a retro Volpe model for him to borrow; Finnick had only said no one would come looking for it.
That was either an upsetting statement about its legal status or that whoever owned this thing would be upset if they brought it back.
“Doesn’t seem like there’s much risk of that,” Nick said to the depressed-looking thing. “Let’s make a deal. You don’t kill me and Judy, and I’ll make sure Finnick puts you out of your misery. Deal?”
He reached a paw toward the bike and a mirror dropped off when he grabbed the clutch.
“Don’t threaten me, bub,” he muttered, pointing the screwdriver that served as its key at the scooter. “And don’t blow this for me either… I don’t need any help with that.”
1. IGNORE THE WARNING LIGHTS. THIS IS NORMAL FINE NOT THAT BAD. Check for leaks—it will be leaking. Not leaking is bad.
“Junie, Jenny, I need help! It’s happening!” Judy’s voice launched out of her open window. Nick looked up and shook his head, then twisted the ignition. A riot of warning lights lit up the dials. Something started clicking and the headlight flickered.
He checked near the rear wheel and was reassured to see a puddle of noxious ooze still growing. All good, he guessed.
“What do I mean ‘it’s happening’? Nick is happening! Nick and me is happening, I need help! I’ve only got a few minutes to get ready! What do you mean am I sure?” Her paw thumped on the floor above. He smirked.
Good to know he wasn’t the only one nervous.
2. LIFT THE SEAT AND MAKE SURE THE CARDBOARD IS THERE… no cardboard = fire. Fire bad!
He flipped open the seat and checked the cardboard twice. The battery’s safety cardboard seemed properly positioned, but something else seemed to be leaking from the battery and bubbling cheerfully. He shrugged. Finnick hadn’t mentioned it and given that the brakes acted more like suggestions than… well, brakes, he decided that not thinking about it was the best solution.
If he didn’t mind, it didn’t matter.
“He said date. It’s a date… what do you mean, is it a date or a date date? Did you have a stroke? You’re just repeating yourself and making air quotes… your camera is on, that’s how I know!”
3. SHIFT TO NEUTRAL, HOLD CLUTCH, STOMP ON STARTER… if possible wet yourself down first.
Nick spotted Judy’s landlady watering a few pots and waved. “Excuse me, I was wondering if you could spray me with your hose if I need it in the next few seconds.”
The armadillo stared at him for a moment and shrugged uncertainly. “I suppose, but why would you need that?”
He winked at her. “We’ll find out together,” then stomped on the starter. Remarkably, the engine roared—or more accurately, wheezed—to life. He smiled up at the armadillo, who looked more than a little put out that she hadn’t gotten to douse him.
Or that he’d burst into flames. Either way.
He had a plan. Transportation. All he needed was his date.
“I cannot believe I’m saying this, but put Mom on. I need to get ready, and since everyone’s version of helping me do that is to ask me seventeen times if this is really a date. I know what a date is and this is a date! A date date. Of course I know what those are, I’ve been on dates before! OH MY—JUST GET MOM!”
Nick nodded. That was shockingly close to how he’d imagined that conversation would go. He checked his phone and they were right on schedule. Honestly, this was going better than he’d expected.
She’d said yes, he wasn’t on fire, and after a short ride they’d be at the park with the food trucks and mammals busking. They’d walk and talk, listen to music, and watch the sun go down together. It would be perfect.
“Mom? Thank goodness, I’ve got a date… stop cheering for a second so I can talk. You too? Yes, it’s a date date. Stop cheering. With Nick. Which Nick? How many Nicks do you think I know? YES… that Nick. Why are you yelling ‘told you so’ to Dad? Pay up? Did you bet on me dating him?”
He congratulated himself. Not too bad for an honest fox cop with deep-seated emotional issues. He leaned against the scooter and took a satisfied breath.
He coughed.
The air smelled a bit like burning. It had to be the scooter. He glanced up at Judy’s window; it would be nice if she came down before his scooter decided to shuffle off its mortal coil.
Or melted.
Or ran out of whatever was leaking out of it.
No, he wasn’t going to rush her.
He was going to wait here and just concentrate on not freaking out when she came down. She always looked great. He kicked himself for not changing into something… else. Better. Changing into someone else, while he was at it.
He snorted. That was all his insecurities in one sentence.
He couldn’t help but let a paw steal into his pocket, stroking the brass of his badge. Maybe changing into someone else wasn’t that crazy.
He lifted the tie she’d given him. She’d said it was a joke when she’d draped it around his neck and tied it for him. They’d been so close while she tied it, it had been distracting. Those eyes of hers were a drowning hazard.
But he was changing things now.
He’d heard her last night, talking to a Nick he didn’t recognize, but one she saw something in. She thought she loved him. He knew he loved her. He wasn’t going to burst through her door and fall to his knees and expect her to leap into his arms.
He was going to earn it. He was going to be worthy of her.
He’d battled his way through the academy to be her partner. Now he was going to battle to be more than that.
Of course, she’d have to come down here if he was ever going to start doing any of that…
“Now that you’ve gotten that out of your system, what should I wear? Uh-huh… uh-huh… I don’t have any of those. We’re going to a park for dinner… He’s got a plan, it sounds really sweet, how would I get him to stay here instead… You did that for Dad? That’s… inappropriate. NO! You must stop talking, I’ve only got—sweet cheese and crackers, I’m late—goodbye. And Mom, you’ve got a fresh mouth.”
Nick slung a leg over the scooter and tugged on his helmet. A second later Judy burst out of the door, her eyes a touch wild and her fur bristled.
She looked annoyed, but when they locked eyes she beamed at him.
He slouched over the handlebars and smiled. “Ready to go?”
Judy squirmed and the words came tumbling out. “I’m sorry I didn’t change. I didn’t know what to wear and I called my family and they were no help and—”
He held up a paw. “Why would you change? You look beautiful.”
That made her stop and she just stared at him again. She gave him a little smile, a touch shy. “I look the same as I always do. I’m still in my work clothes.”
He grinned back. “Like I said, beautiful.”
Her ears swept behind her back, he thought he detected a flush of color before they swept down, and she smiled at him. He patted the seat. “Hop on—get it?”
“Wow—puns, high fashion, and a cool bike,” she said as she took the helmet he held out to her and climbed on. “Remind me, why are you single again?”
“Long answer is I’m a mess,” he said with a shrug. “Want to get off?”
She shook her head as she strapped her helmet. “Me too. Nice to know we’ve got so much in common. Is there a short answer?”
“Sure—I was waiting for you.”
She didn’t have anything to say to that. Her eyes went wide and she looked… something. Maybe surprised. Definitely happy.
“You ready?”
She nodded again and tentatively squeezed him in a hug, and he felt her take a deep breath.
“I feel like I’ve been ready for this for a while,” she called over the motor’s plaintive chugging.
“Hold on tight, then,” he said, and kicked the scooter into gear, twisting the throttle.
It died.
He frantically tried to bring it back to life. Screwdriver, clutch, throttle, stomp, in an increasingly frantic circuit.
Nothing.
It had gone from a vehicle to trash in the space of seconds.
He started to bang his helmet against the handlebars and groaned.
“Engine trouble?” He felt Judy give his side a little tickle. “I rescind my question—you being single makes way more sense now…”
“Sorry about that,” he said with a sad shake of his head. “I know you look at me and you’re dazzled by the sweet ride, the threads, the good looks, but the truth is…”
“It’s an elaborate con?”
“No, it’s just that my limo is in the garage and this is all I could get on short notice.” He winked at her. “Rain check?”
Judy hopped off the dead machine. “No way—I’ll push, you steer. This is happening if I have to carry you.”