Perfect Strangers

“And I will add childish to the list of things I dislike about you,” she growled as she made her way around to the driver’s side. Climbing in the car, she chucked her purse into the back seat and buckled herself in. Starting it up, she sat pumping the gas pedal with her foot. Slowly she placed her hands on the wheel and closed her eyes.

“Are we going to actually move or are you going to sleep?” Kai barked causing Myla to jump and snap her eyes open again.

Ignoring him, she flicked the indicator on and turned the steering wheel right to maneuver out onto the road. They jolted forward before stopping, then jolted forward again before stopping across the middle of the road. A loud honking of a horn reared upon them from behind, turning to look, Myla was met with an angry man mouthing obscenities at her as he shook his hand in her direction.

“What are you doing, Myla? Get the car out of the middle of the fucking road and drive.” Kai screeched in her ear as he frantically tried apologizing to the driver behind with hand signals.

“I can’t drive,” she whispered meekly.

“Are you kidding me? Jesus Christ, woman!” Quickly, he undid his belt, unlocked the door, and jumped from it. Unbuckling her belt, she slid over to the passenger seat.

“I’m so sorry, dude. My woman is as dumb as she looks,” she heard Kai holler to the driver behind. Myla sat trying to control her frantic breathing, “Asshole,” she mumbled when he slammed the door shut and drove off.

“Why an earth didn’t you say you couldn’t drive? You made me look a right idiot.”

Turning to face him, her face was red with rage. “Made you look an idiot? No, Kai, you did that all by yourself. Did you even ask me if I could drive? No! You just assumed. You are a real freaking asshole!”

Chuckling to himself, he moistened his lips. “Well, I’ve found one thing I like about you, Capulet.”

“And that is?” She snapped, throwing herself back into the seat childishly.

“You are feisty. I like a woman that can stand up for herself.” He smiled and quirked an eyebrow at her.

“I’m not normally like this, it’s like you bring the worst out in me.” She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. Her eyes remained on the road ahead, and neither one of them spoke for the remainder of the five-minute journey.

“Here, stop here,” Myla instructed, when she spotted the shop she wanted.

“What, here?” Kai asked. With a look of puzzlement, he killed the engine. “This isn’t a jeweler’s, My–”

Without responding, Myla freed herself from the car and slammed the door shut on him, leaving him to talk to himself. She walked to the window to peer in and her eyes glanced at the price tags first before looking at the actual rings.

“You can’t seriously be thinking of getting an engagement ring from here?” He asked when he came to a stop behind her.

“Why not? I’m paying for it, not you,” she shrugged with a wide smile pushing past him and heading towards the door. A little bell rang above as she pushed it open and stepped inside. The shop was dated and had wooden counters with glass tops. Myla balked slightly when her nasal passage was assaulted with the smell of old and musty.

“It’s like stepping back into the 1920’s,” said Kai at her side. His face scrunched up in disgust when his nose was hit with the same putrid scent of the shop.

“Good afternoon, how may I help you?” Asked an older lady who suddenly appeared behind a counter on the far side of the shop. She was a burly lady with a chubby face and bright red cheeks, her white hair was pulled tight into a bun that sat at the back of her head, making her eyes looked pinched, but her smile was warm and welcoming.

Myla felt at ease instantly as she walked over towards the lady. “Hi, I’m Myla and this is uhm my, this is…”

“Hey, I’m Kai. Pleased to meet you ma’am,” he smiled warmly. He took her outstretched hand and kissed it.

“I’m Pat,”

she replied “and aren’t you a gentleman?” She brought a hand to her chest dramatically and her smile widened. Kai returned her wide smile causing Myla to roll her eyes.

“Don’t be fooled, Pat.” Myla mumbled under her breath, her eyes glanced at the price tags housed in the glass topped counter.

“So, are you here for a nice necklace or a bracelet for your good lady?” She asked Kai.

He coughed into his hand and then drummed his fingers onto the counter as he pondered on the best way to say it. “Uhm, no. We are here to buy an engagement ring, but–”

“Oh, my dear lovelies, how wonderful,” she replied excitably clamping two chubby hands together, cutting Kai off from his speech.

“I wouldn’t say wonderful, exactly,” Kai mumbled to himself.

Ignoring him, Pat moved herself along the counter towards Myla, “What about this one, my dear?” She asked pointing a chubby finger to a gold ring where a ruby red sapphire sat surrounded by a small cluster of diamonds. Myla looked at the price tag. Ninety pounds? No thank you.