Page 4 of Benjamin and the Thief

“Lady, is that your car?” she asked, already pulling out her device to issue a ticket. “You can’t stop here.”

“This guy stole my parking spot!” she replied, pointing at the man who was now pulling a gym bag from the trunk of his car.

The meter maid shrugged and started tapping on her handheld device. Catalina looked at her, then back at the guy who’d stolen her parking spot, her brain freezing for a moment. If she engaged with the meter maid, the jerk in the SUV would leave, and she’d have no chance at getting the spot. But if she didn’t move her car now, she’d get a ticket, which she couldn’t afford to pay.

Tears threatened to burst from her eyes. She tried to push them back, but they already clouded her vision. Knowing that she couldn’t risk a parking ticket, she pivoted to cross the street to stop the meter maid. She saw the approaching taxi too late. For a split-second, her entire body froze as panic surged through her.

Somebody grabbed her from behind and yanked her out of the path of the taxi. Her heart raced, and suddenly everything around her seemed to happen in slow motion. The meter maid was simply staring at her and her rescuer. She still held her ticketing device in her hand, but she’d stopped entering information into it.

Finding her breath again, Catalina turned around slowly, breaking the physical contact with the person who’d saved her. At first, she looked straight at his shirt before tilting her head back to look up at his face, because he was about a foot taller than her. From the corner of her eye, she noticed that the guy with the SUV still stood there, a blond woman with a pixie haircut not unlike her own, watching them.

“You okay?” her rescuer said, the timbre of his voice sending reverberations through her body.

He had black hair and blue eyes that bored into her. When she nodded, he looked past her to the blond woman.

“Mom, can you please take care of her while I sort this out?”

Catalina wasn’t sure what he meant by this, but simply remained standing there, her body still trembling from the shock. The blond woman, who didn’t look much older than her rescuer, approached while he walked up to the guy with the SUV.

“I’m Nina,” the pretty blonde introduced herself. “You must be in shock.”

“Yes… I almost…” She couldn’t even finish the sentence, only now grasping the significance of what could have happened. Had she died, who would help her brother get out of prison?

“Well, luckily, Benjamin was able to get to you in time.”

Catalina looked past her and saw that her rescuer, Benjamin, was still talking to the guy who’d stolen her parking space.

“What’s your name, honey?” Nina asked.

“Catalina. My name is Catalina.” With every word, her voice became stronger. “I don’t know how to thank him.” She hesitated before continuing, “I must have heard wrong when he called you Mom.”

“You didn’t. Benjamin is my son.” She smiled gently. “I’m older than I look.”

Just then, Benjamin turned away from the man with the SUV. He gave her a reassuring look.

“Let me speak to the meter maid.” He crossed the street, and it took only a few moments before the woman got back into her vehicle without issuing a ticket and left.

Benjamin returned. “It’s taken care of.”

“Thank you. I don’t know how to thank⁠—”

The last word got stuck in her throat because she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The man who’d stolen her parking spot was backing out of it and driving away.

“What? How did you…”

He smiled. “Go, get your car, and I’ll make sure nobody takes the spot in the meantime.”

Her hands trembled again, and when she pulled her keys from her pocket, she dropped them. Benjamin picked them up.

Nina reached for them. “How about I park your car? You’re still in shock.”

Before she could protest, Nina walked to the car and got in. As they watched her park the old rust bucket, Benjamin addressed her.

“I’m Benjamin. What’s your name?”

Her mouth went dry. He’d slid his hand under her elbow to keep her steady. Only then did she realize that her knees felt wobbly, and that she was swaying.

“Catalina looks a little pale,” Nina said, making her realize that she’d already parked the car. “We live on this block, honey. Come, you need to sit down.”