Stirred
A globetrotting artist, a bus driver who can’t leave home, and the ocean that’s keeping them apart.
Zoe
I got the three A.M. call no one ever wants. After I fumbled and dropped the phone, I finally heard the news I’d always dreaded. My father was in the hospital. And I was in Europe six thousand miles away from Los Angeles.
I hopped one plane, then another. Then I was on a city bus to the hospital because I was stuck in L.A. without a car, which was like being in a river without a boat and without a paddle. The city wasn’t looking like it was going to be so lonely once I got the bus driver Max’s number, though.
Max
Zoe actually asked me to let her know which stop was hers. None of my riders talked to me unless it was go get out of paying the fare. This one did. She was tall, pretty, and looked upset. So I gave her my number. Never expected her to call. But she did and I brought her home and then…I helped her feel better.
But her father got better and she wasn’t planning to stay. She was ready to go off on her next adventure when all I wanted was for her to stay in Los Angeles—for me. I hugged her, let her get on a plane…and now all I have to do convince her to come back to me. For a woman with wanderlust, that’s not going to be easy.
