As Vanessa took care of her car, Richard approached the truck to do the same. The front end was an unsightly, crumpled mess, but when he turned the key the engine still turned over. He tested the brakes. And again. Strange, nothing seemed wrong there. Why had they failed on him, then? If they had caught, he might have missed Vanessa's car entirely, and this whole situation would have been much easier. He pushed the thought aside, waved at an oncoming car, threw the truck into first, and edged his way into a nearby parking lot. Safely there, he parked and turned the truck off, before stepping out of the cab. There was a trail of dark fluid leading down to the site of the wreck. So much for the truck, then. He made the call to his work, fabricating a slight note of shaken determination as he talked to his boss. He would be fine, might have to see about stitches but they weren't likely, the car was completely totaled, the other person involved was in tears, there might be some after effects. Could he come in on Friday? The older man lapped it up, and Richard ended the conversation with an assurance that Friday he would make up all the work he had missed, even if it meant unpaid overtime.
Standing there, his attention wandered to Vanessa. The detachment he had created between himself and the accident was still there, replacing his anger with a vague curiosity. There was something off about her. He had been almost sure that he had gotten a good read on her while he was moving in, and his impression of her personality hadn't involved the ability to lay down ultimatums and turn off her tears like a faucet. But, as she returned and asked her question, he was reassured that the rest of what he had guessed was still true. This could still turn out well.
He raised an eyebrow and joked in a quiet voice, "Cause an accident, then invite me up to the room for drinks...Is this how you treat all the men you meet, or am I just very lucky?" Then again, he was already dressed for a nice dinner. His arms crossed and added, "Take it from me, there are much easier ways to ask a man out on a date."