A Twist of Date Read Online Free

magazines ransom?
    “Aha!” Patti raised a finger in the air and nodded her spiky head. “Your car.”
    I gasped, picturing my beloved blue VW Beetle convertible that had less than five thousand miles on it. I’d babysat through my teens, and taught aerobics classes through my twenties to save every spare penny for that car.
    Betty the Beetle was the love of my life. She never let me down, took me anywhere I wanted to go with no complaints or manipulation, and never judged me. I couldn’t risk losing Betty. Come to think of it, did I really want Patti making my romance decisions? The last guy she’d dated had chanted for an hour before they went to bed.
    Patti guffawed. “See? You were never going to listen to me. So much for your word.”
    Oh, great. I had already given my word. I’d be acting like my mom if I backed out. “Fine.” Stomping out to the living room, I picked up my purse. “Where are my keys?”
    “Huh-uh. Not good enough.” Patti grabbed hold of my arm and whipped me around. “I want the title.”
    My heart stopped and I bit my bottom lip, hoping Patti couldn’t see the fear that was surely visible all over my face. “It’s in the box on my bookshelf.”
    My entire body went numb as Patti disappeared into my room, then came back a minute later with a small pink slip. 
    “Sign it over to me.” She slapped it down on the coffee table along with a pen. “If you don’t follow my advice, and I mean to a T, you can kiss Betty good-bye.”
    With my left hand clutching my chest, I took the pen in my right and poised it over the slip of paper. I paused, knowing Betty—my only true ally—would be safe in Patti’s hands. Well, as long as I did what she said.
    I’d been friends with Patti for fifteen years and I trusted her completely. She may be rough around the edges, but she had my best interests at heart. Although, she wouldn’t hesitate to keep Betty if I failed to keep my end of the deal.
    Holding my breath—and hoping this was the correct decision—I swirled big loopy letters on the bottom line, signing my beloved Betty over to Patti Hartley.
    Patti looked way too satisfied as she picked up the pink slip, folded it, and pointed it at me. “You’ve got more balls than I thought, Melanie Porter.”
    Balls? I didn’t want balls. Unless they were Brad’s, that is. Tall, broad-chested, gorgeous Brad. I wanted him back. Now, I wanted Betty back, too.
    Even more, though, I wanted to find my soul mate. He had to be out there somewhere, and I certainly wasn’t having any luck on my own. Tearing my eyes from the piece of paper clutched in Patti’s hand, I stared up at her.
    She yawned, then covered her mouth. “It’s late. We’ll discuss the dos and don’ts of your love life over breakfast.” She headed for her room, then stretched and yawned again like a satiated feline. “Make that over lunch. I need time to get the good together.”
    Helpless to do anything else, I went back to my own room, threw myself down on my bed and hugged a pillow. It smelled like Brad’s minty-scented hair gel. My nostrils burned as I remembered my plan to buy him unscented gel for his birthday. But I couldn’t buy him new gel now. He was gone, and good riddance. If a man didn’t want to stick around, better to find out now rather than later.
    Besides, that was the last time I’d date the wrong type of guy. By this twist of fate—or, I should say, this twist of date—I’d follow the star of singledom’s advice, which will lead me to Mr. Right.
    At least, I hoped.

 
     
    Chapter Three
     
    The next day, I maneuvered Betty backward into a tight parking spot outside Cherie’s Café in downtown Sac. After circling the block twice in search of parking, I was running late for my lunch with Patti, and determined to squeeze Betty into this rinky dink space no matter what.
    Turning the steering wheel in the opposite direction, I shoved the car into drive and inched forward, then thrust the gearshift into