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I merged into the assembled crew, none of whom knew what was going on with me and Chad. If I had my way, it would stay that way as long as possible. It was still somewhat embarrassing to be having a fling with my much older boss. Though it was much too late for that to do any good.
Taking my position at the back of the group, between Juan and Eric, my two new best friends, I prepared for the inevitable.
“You okay?” Eric asked.
“Um, yeah,” I said, only slightly lying, “why do you ask?”
I did my best not to be paranoid. There were so many very real things going on for me to worry about.
“You look different,” Juan added.
“I do?”
“Glowing,” Will observed, “my sister got the same look when she was expecting.”
So much for keeping things secret. I didn’t really know how much they’d figured out, but the guys were clearly catching on. I tried to come up with a believable explanation when the big black truck came roaring around the corner. Though it didn’t seem like it was coming to save me… at least not intentionally.
Chad was avoiding me. Never once even looking in my direction. Like I was dead to him. I’d planned on waiting until lunch or even the end of the day when I could get him alone. As time went on, the tension built too much, and I was afraid I might actually explode.
Hanging up my wrench on the board. The spark plug change was already done, and I headed up to Chad’s office, determined to at least try and have it out with him.
“Come in,” Chad called after I knocked, his voice muffled by the door.
With a deep breath, I went into the office, planning to say everything I had to say before he had a chance to throw me out.
“Look, I know things are bad, and you’re probably recalled angry at me right now, but you should know some things. First, I’m so sorry I left with my dad. I’m in no way proud of it, and I thought I was keeping you safe. It was a mistake, and I’m really sorry. I really hope we can try and start again because I love you. I love you so much it hurts, and I want to follow my heart. I’ve given up on any kind of money, including my trust fund. I’m a mechanic now, just like you. Working-class and honest.”
His eyes were as cold as a glacier, and I wasn’t sure if he’d actually heard a word I’d said. I knew all too well how anger could make one blind and deaf to all other perspectives. Chad surprised me a bit then by getting up and storming out of his office.
“Get back to work!” he bellowed as I followed him out.
“Hey, don’t you yell at her.”
We both looked to see the entire crew of trainees and pros coming toward us. The words of defiance had come from Juan, who proceeded to put himself between me and Chad, protecting me like a big brother. He was joined in front of me by Eric, the others coming up behind and beside us. Will put a protective hand on my shoulder.
“It’s okay, guys,” I said, not wanting to explain why Chad and I were in a fight, “I messed up bad and understand if Chad wants to fire me and never see me again.”
Well, that was a surprise. Despite his evident anger, Chad had apparently not considered either of these actions, looking both hurt and shocked.
“If you fire Nina, I quit,” Will announced, “she is the best thing that’s happened to the shop, and we are getting so much more work done.”
“Yeah,” chorused the rest of the crew.
I looked back to Chad, who seemed truly surprised to be facing an open mutiny. His expression softened considerably.
“Business is up since she started,” the boss admitted.
I couldn’t help but smile. My skills, which I always thought were pretty good, had been vindicated by my peers. Some of whom have been pros for years. I had finally found my place in the world. A place I could be the girl I was always meant to be. I just had to convince Chad to let me stay.Chapter Twenty-Five - ChadThings were really getting out of hand. I really hadn’t thought about how I was going to handle the Nina situation. Or how it might affect things at work. I’d noticed that she was getting along better with the crew, but I had no idea they’d built up that kind of bond. All of a sudden, I was in danger of losing my entire business. I had to re-establish dominance and put on my big boss hat — at least in the metaphorical.
“Okay,” I said, pretending I’d given it a lot of thought. A trick I’d picked up from a management book I’d read while preparing to open the shop, “if you stay and are looking for a raise, you can forget it. There just isn’t the money, no matter how good you are.”
