Paula nearly closed her eyes in embarrassment as Len carefully set her down in the passenger seat. Her pride had taken a beating, and now, being helped by the man she least expected, made the situation even worse.
As Len shut the door and moved to the driver's side, Paula took a deep breath and tried to gather herself. The car's engine hummed softly as they pulled away from the underground car park, the silence between them growing heavy.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Paula's mind raced with contradictory feelings as she stared out the window and watched the streets pass by as they grew darker.
She tried to concentrate, but all she could think about was Len, who was seated next to her. She felt as though the silence would smother her because of his overwhelming presence.
"How are you doing?" When Len did speak, it was with a gentle but concerned tone that ended the silence.
