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It hadn’t been difficult to get in. Chad had just given the doorman a nod, and the man didn’t give me a second look. It was like magic. I wondered how many people Chad knew. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had tons of friends all over the place.
Of course, that also reminded me that he did have women all over the place. But I tried not to think about that. Focusing instead on the fact that he was there with me. Driven by unknown forces and desires, I was determined to make him mine. Or at least give it a good try. Not really understanding what this would entail at the time. I was still young and naive, and all I knew was I was attracted to Chad, unlike anyone I’d ever met before. If the old saying was true, there really was someone for everyone. I was as sure as I could be that he was mine — my soul mate.
“So, how’d you get into cars?” he asked, passing me a beer.
“My daddy, actually. He is really into classic cars. Mostly Fords and Chevys.”
This was true enough. Though I lightly glossed over the fact that he owned several in a collection also including Jags, Mercedes, and more than one Rolls-Royce.
“Taught you at his knee, did he?”
“More or less. What about you?”
“Not so nice, I’m afraid. My mom walked out on my dad and me when I was younger. Ran off to marry some rich bastard. Really left us in the lurch. Anyway, the only way I could deal with it was to work on my car — a 1960 Ford F-100. Damn near rebuilt the thing. Only the frame was original by the time I finished with it. From there, I started the garage.”
“Do you and your daddy still talk?”
“He’s dead,” Chad said bluntly after he took a gulp of beer.
I was struck silent. My question clearly bringing up some bad memories. That was the last thing I wanted to do. Without thinking, I squeezed his hand. He squeezed back and didn’t pull away. I could almost see the bright blue jolt crackling between us — like a lightning bolt of desire.
“I had to sell that Ford a couple of years ago when things got tough with the economy. I’d just started the garage and was determined to make a go of it. It still hasn’t been easy, but I’m proud of what I’ve been able to build after starting from nothing. Very brave if I may say so.”
I got the impression Chad didn’t like rich people very much. Kind of understandable considering one of them almost ruined his life, even if it was indirectly. I could tell there was still a lot of bitterness there — a lot of sadness. Suddenly I was glad I hadn’t told the whole truth about my daddy’s car hobby. My boss seemed to like me alright, but that could quickly change if he knew who I was.
There were lots of Dunns in Texas, so he probably wouldn’t be able to figure it out from that. Even if Chad was suspicious, possibly knowing about Dunn-Ross Oil because of his job, he probably would have said something at the beginning. I was glad he didn’t because it would likely have just been another reason not to like me. A pretty little rich girl trying to play at being a mechanic. That would have gone over even worse than a pretty tomboy who’d proven herself.
“Sorry,” he said, gently moving his hand away.
“It’s fine,” I said, honestly meaning it.
“So, what’s your family like?” he asked, almost laughing.
Shit. What was I supposed to say? I didn’t want to lie because I was horrible at it. I also had the mad idea that I might be able to build some kind of relationship with this man. If that did happen, I didn’t want it to be built on a foundation of lies.
“Supportive,” I fibbed, “my daddy is actually paying for me to get certified. He thinks important for me to follow my dreams and have a skill. I’m staying with my Auntie Blair while I’m here.”
Okay, not entirely a lie. Blair really was cool, and Daddy did pay for the program and was happy if I was happy… at least in my hobbies. As to following my dreams, I was pretty sure he would rather I didn’t have any dreams at all. Unless they conformed to his plan for my life and ideas of who I should be.
“That’s cool. What does your daddy do?” Chad asked, gently mocking my childish phrasing.
Another good question that could quickly end things before they could start if I said the wrong thing. I couldn’t even say he worked in the oil industry, despite being one of the state’s leading employers. There was too much of a risk of Chad linking oil with the name Dunn.
