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“Well, you heard the lady, get ‘em fixed up,” he orders.
“I promised Skinner I’d have this gearbox changed by the time he got back,” Jamie tells him.
“Leave Skinner to me, and do what my girl here tells ya. Mia, can I talk to you?” Jessie grabs my arm and steers me out of earshot,
“I heard ya steppin’ out with Skinner.” He lights up a smoke and stares back at me seriously.
“Stepping out?” I look back at him and smirk. When did he turn into an old fucking man? “We've been on a date and he’s taking me out again tonight.”
“Well, your brother seems okay with it, which I’m surprised at, and if it’s what you want—”
“It ain’t what I want. But something’s going on with Dec, and I figure this is the best way to find out what it is.” I know Jessie well, his daddy used to be Prez before mine took over. We used to hang out at the club together when we were kids and I always had a little crush on him. After his daddy died, he moved away to live with Jimmer Carson.
“Sometimes, I worry that you’re too smart for your own good.” He sniggers at me. “It ain’t my place to go over your brother’s head, but be careful and if ya need anythin’...”
“I got your number.” I roll my eyes and kiss him on the cheek, grateful for the way he’s always looked out for me. It’s hard to believe that a man, as kind and beautiful as Jessie Donovan, could be so brutal. But I’ve heard the stories, and there’s nothing kind of beautiful about those.
We head back inside the garage where his old lady has Jamie up on a step ladder fixing a tiny camera to the wall, “Since Skinner isn’t here I’ll have to explain to you how it works.” She tells him, typing way too fast on the laptop she’s brought with her, and when Jamie’s finished he steps down and listens intently to the instructions she gives him.
Jessie heads over to check out Jamie’s bike project and nods his head like he’s impressed.
I don’t know why, but I find myself hanging around and waiting for the two of them to leave so I can be alone with Jamie again.
He takes the laptop Maddy left behind and puts it in the office, then lingers at the door, staring at me like he wants to say something.
“Why are you here Jamie?” I beat him to it because it’s the question that's been burning inside me since he came back. I want him to tell me that it’s because of me. I can’t remember ever feeling as desperate and needy for anyone as I do when I’m near him.
“There’s a few reasons.” His hair flops in front of his eyes as he stalks toward me. When he’s standing in front of me, close enough to touch, I have to clench my fist to stop my fingers from running through it and pushing it back. I watch his teeth graze over his bottom lip, like he’s thinking about kissing me again and I instinctively reach up to be closer to them.
The rumble of a truck engine comes from outside and we both pull apart.
“I should get back to work.” Jamie’s voice comes out growly and his fingertips skim mine as he steps back towards the car he’s working on.
“Oh, hey darlin’.” Skinner looks happy to see me, but his eyes scowl when they look to the floor, where Jamie is back at work. “Come to see what time I’m picking you up?” He sounds so confident, which is a sharp contrast to how he was on our date a few weeks ago. I’ve put off a second one for as long as I can manage, but I ran out of excuses when he asked me again last night.
“I’ll get to the bar for eight,” I tell him.
“I could come get ya,” he offers,
“I’d rather meet you there.” When I go to walk away he grabs my arm and tugs me closer.
“Wear that pretty, little pink dress with the flowers on,” he whispers, loud enough for Jamie to hear him, and when I risk a glance in his direction I hate how disappointed in me he looks.
“I’m not a dolly you can dress, Skinner,” I point out, before turning on my heels and heading out.
* * *
The bar across the street from the club is dead, which makes sitting here with Skinner even more awkward.
“I was thinking about taking a trip out to Nevada next month. Maybe, you could come with me,” he’s suggesting, and when the door swings open I immediately get distracted when Jamie steps in alone and heads for the bar.
I wonder why he’s here. He works for the club, he seems to get on with everyone, and he can get a much better drink in the club bar. Skinner has his back to the room so he hasn’t noticed him yet and the sly smirks Jamie keeps giving me over his shoulder, while I try to listen to Skinner, makes it hard for me to keep focused on what he’s saying.
I watch him knock a few back. The barmaid tries to flirt with him, but his eyes remain fixed on me, and all I can think about is that kiss I missed out on earlier,
Skinner is telling me all about some guy he fucked up while he was serving time in county and when Jamie finishes the last of his drink and tosses some bills at the bar, I follow him to the door with my eyes.
“You ok, you seem distracted?” Skinner looks over his shoulder to see what I’m looking at, but Jamie’s already gone and I have the most overwhelming urge to go after him.
