http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news...cal/9031374.htm " " he said, buckling up in the back seat and smiling at the woman beside him. "Sarah," she answered, shaking Paul's hand with a quick karate chop. Is she always that brusque? Divorced just two months, Paul was still wary around women, and the back seat was close quarters to share with a strange one. Sarah Wheeler examined the tall blond man. Handsome. But did he comb his hair with a shoe? Her architect's eye noted with alarm that his socks didn't even match. In front, John Harris introduced himself and settled his monogrammed Coach briefcase between his Cole Haans. Marcel Pittman, who went by "Pitt," turned the ignition. His new electric hybrid Toyota Prius moved, quiet and smooth, into the stream of steel sardines heading 17 miles south on I-77 to uptown Charlotte. In the back seat, Paul took a sidelong glance at Sarah. "Oh God," she thought. "Look how young he is. I am SO not ready for this."
New Installment: http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/liv...ood/9148712.htm You can read them all here: http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/liv...kages/car_pool/ The Car Pool | Chapter 14 Who did the Car Pool hit? Pitt and John scrambled out of the Prius and into Tryon Street. What on earth had the car hit during all the confusion? What if they'd struck a pedestrian? Luckily, it was only Mark Mathis. "I'm OK, though!" shouted the Fox TV weatherman, grinning wildly from his prone position on Tryon Street. "How's the bumper?" Pitt asked, turning to the car. John ran his hand across the front of the Prius, then jumped. "Uh-oh! You've got a little indent in the middle. Must've smacked his head." A Charlotte police officer wandered over, regarded Mathis, and turned to the Prius. "Car OK?" "It's got a little dent," Pitt complained. "Darn it! It's new, too." "I'm OK, though!" Mathis said, smiling broadly as he dusted himself off. The officer ignored him. "Well if the car's OK, I can't see why we should report it." Still in the back of the Prius, Sarah looked at Paul with her large hazel eyes. "You should go out with John's friend if you want to." She put her hand on his knee. Paul looked into her face. "I -- " "OK, it's all set," John said, jumping back in. "The car's got a little dent, but not too bad. If that weather guy would get out of the way we can head on home. Oh, and on Friday I'll drive so Pitt can take the car in. I'll bring Clarisse so we can all have a drink." John gave Paul his PR man smile. Sarah's heart sank. So she was to lose out to the Halle Berry lookalike, after all. Well it was her fault for turning Paul down. "IT'S ALL RIGHT, EVERYBODY!" Mathis yelled to no one in particular. "I'M OK."
