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The second he did, I almost laughed at how bad he had lied. It only took a moment for me to determine what was wrong. It wasn’t even something difficult. I could do it in a day, with no extra parts needed.
I pursed my lips, twisting them to the side as if I were confused. “Yeah, I see the issue. How long did you say it would take? She’s really hoping to get the car back soon.”
Tony lifted his hands. “Well, as you can see, we’re pretty busy here. Icouldexpedite the service, but it’ll cost extra.”
Nodding, I stepped back and shut the hood. “Well, if you’re that busy, can I make you an offer? I actually have spare parts at my house, including the one needed here. If I’m right, I can finish fixing it up for her. It’s her birthday later this week, and I’d love to give it to her as a gift.”
Tony’s face scrunched, looking furious. “Now look here, you’re not taking this car off this lot. I don’t know who you are and, more importantly, it hasn’t been paid for—”
I held up my hands in resignation. “Oh no sir, I wasn’t asking to take it away without paying! So sorry you misunderstood my intentions. I’ll absolutely pay you what’s owed. I’ll even pay for the part that you ordered and all labor up through today. And for the hassle, I’ll throw in the extra hundred you told her.”
I was relying on my charm to get me through this. And money, of course. Money spoke more than anything else. Offering him the money for the time and the part I doubted he even ordered should seal the deal.
And it did. Tony reached out and shook my hand, then directed me to the office. “Well then. You said you’re a friend of Una’s?”
I nodded, putting on another charming smile. “Absolutely. I’m going to use this as a surprise birthday present for her. She’ll be so excited. If you could maybe not mention it, since it’s a surprise and all…”
Tony stroked the whiskers of a goatee on his chin, but eventually nodded. “You got it. But if she gets mad, it was your idea, not mine.”
It was a highly illegal deal, but Tony didn’t seem to be a person who thought highly of the law to begin with. At least the car was going to end up safer with me than it would have with Tony’s shotty work.
“The keys,” he said after he ran my credit card. “Should be alright to drive. Short distance, of course. And go slow.”
Knitting my brows to appear serious, I nodded. “Of course. I’m not going far.”
Tony gave me a once-over and shrugged. Not that he cared—he got his money either way.
After he opened the garage, I inched the car out and onto the street, stopping to grab my bag and things out of my car. “Can I leave this here for a few?” I called out to him.
“I make no guarantees outside of the doors,” he yelled back, shutting the garage with a crash before locking up and walking away.
I whipped out my phone and texted Phillip and Eric, asking if they could come grab the car and drive it back to my place. They weren’t too far away, so I stashed the keys on top of the front tire and took off.
Making my way in Una’s car was a slow deal. The spark plug wiring was loose since Tony decided not to fix it yet, and I wasn’t sure if there were other problems I couldn’t see in the quick glance—which meant I didn’t push it and took all back roads. While the fix would be rather easy, I didn’t want to add anything to it. She wanted the car back fast, which was the goal.
I got to Dad’s shop just as Doc was closing up for the night.
He waved his hands as I pulled up to the door. “We’re closed! You’ll have to come back tom—Charlie? What on Earth are you doing in… that?”
The glance he gave Una’s car spoke volumes. It wasn’t the type of vehicle we usually saw at the shop, which made him hesitant.
I leaned out the window. “Hey, Doc! It belongs to a friend. Can you open up for me? Just a few things to tinker with. I’ll lock up when I’m done, promise.”
Doc shrugged and pushed the button to raise the door once more, closing it after I made it through. I guided the car onto the bed and turned it off.
“A project car?” Doc asked hopefully.
I shook my head. “Nah, just someone who needs some help and was getting scammed by Tony.”
Doc ground his teeth together, but kept quiet. “Well, if your dad asks, I didn’t let you in. Make sure you clean up and put everything back in its place or I’ll be after ya.”
I waved as he took off through the office door, leaving me alone with the car.
A smile crossed my face as I popped the hood and took another look at the engine. It would take a few hours, but I could most likely get most everything done tonight, finishing up tomorrow.
She’d get her car back faster than she thought. Which should make her happy and potentially let me off the hook for essentially stealing her car.
Chapter 8
