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“To give you a ride to work.”
My eyes flash to the motorcycle behind him, bringing a blush to my cheeks that I try to hide by messing with my hair. “No, you don’t need to do that,” my words rush out. “You’ve done enough. Thank you. But Devon has a barre class across the street in the morning, so I’ll catch a ride with her.”
“Alright, sweetheart. You know how to reach me if you change your mind.” He dips his chin at me in a movement that echoes a cowboy in an old western, tipping his hat to a lady, then walks down the driveway. I close the front door and collapse back against it, listening to the sound of his motorcycle disappearing.What just happened?
~
“I would’ve come to pick you up,” Devon says, as she pulls out of our driveway onto the street the next morning. “I wasn’t even asleep yet.”
“I know, but he was justtherebeing so helpful and—insistent. Andmuscularand—I don’t know. I couldn’t think straight.”
“Mmhmm.” She smiles, infusing the two hummed syllables with pages of unspoken observations.
Pulling my purse into my lap, I dig around for my red lip liner, lipstick, and cherry gloss. “You can say it. Go ahead.”
“Do I need to?” she asks, flipping on her turn signal.
“No. You don’t. I’m fucked. I know I’m fucked. And he’s going to fix my car, even though I really don’t want him to. So I’m going toowehim.” I find the gloss in the little zipper pocket and tuck it into my palm.
“You won’t owe him anything but money, which you have,” she says, firmly.
“I know, but it’s a huge favor anyway, which sucks.” I hold the lipstick next to the gloss as I continue searching.
“It’s okay to ask for help,” Devon says, insistently, for the probably the millionth time in our friendship.
“I know,” I drag out the word in a way that I’m sure makes me sound like a petulant child. “Ah!” I exclaim when I locate the lip liner. I flip down the passenger-side visor and apply a bright red lip. “I’m going to make him teach me,” I say, admiring my cherry-scented crimson smile. “That way, I’ll never have to ask anyone to help me with a starter on my car ever again.”
“And the lipstick is for…?” Devon asks, glancing over at me when she stops for a stop sign.
“It’s part of myI’m a pin-up girl fixing a carlook, duh,” I say waving my hands over my denim romper, fitted navy t-shirt, and white low-top Converse. I don’t dare pull out the red bandana for her to judge me.
“Oh yeah, very necessary for fixing a car,” Devon smirks.
Chapter 14
Luke
“As soon as you get it running, I’ll teach you how to drive it.” -Grandad Ernie, to twelve-year-old Luke, after handing him the keys to a rusted-out Oldsmobile
“Morning, Luke! Morning, Betty!” Allie calls from behind the counter when Betty and I walk intoTurbine. Usually it’s only Betty she greets.Interesting. She slides an Americano across the counter to me. This is the first time she’s had my drink ready before I ordered.Very interesting.
She stops me when I reach for my wallet to pay. “Nope, free coffee. You’re fixing my car.”
I drop cash in the tip jar instead. “Can I get your keys?”
“You’re fixing it right now?”
“Yeah, I picked up the parts on the way here. Want to get it done before it’s too hot out.”
“Oh, sure,” Allie says, cheerily, before leading me back to her office, giving me a view of short denim overalls that barely cover her ass cheeks. I’ve been watching them since Allie pulled thecurtains back open this morning, mercifully restoring my view into her life.
Sitting down at her desk, she pulls her purse into her lap and digs around for her keys. Her hands pause, and she speaks into her bag, instead of looking up at me. “Would it be alright if I helped you today? I’ll probably slow you down. And I know it’s actually extra work to have someone help who doesn’t know what they’re doing, but I’d—”
I cut her off, “Of course, I’ll teach you.”
She smiles, cheeks blushing, as she thanks me.
Grandad taught me about fixing motorcycles and cars as soon as I could grasp a wrench. I complained once when my little sister said she wanted to help too, thinking it would take too long, and he told me he was teaching Skye no matter what, because‘only assholes hoard knowledge.’
