Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 132(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 132(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 88(@300wpm)
How did I mess this up?
I get out my wallet and put one of my own five-dollar bills into the deposit bag just as Shawn comes into the office. I haven’t seen him since he walked me home the night before last. He asked me out, but I told him the truth, that now wasn’t a good time, and even though I turned him down, he was still friendly and is smiling today.
“You have to pay Austin to work here?” he asks playfully.
“No, I must’ve miscounted someone’s cash. I was five bucks short. But I fixed it, so shhh,” I tell him, holding my finger to my lips. “Are you scheduling or picking up?”
Shawn shrugs. “I’m due for a tune-up. Got any openings for tomorrow?”
9
Austin
The pace at the shop has been brutal. It’s a busy shop, but not usually quite this busy. I had planned to take Laney out for lunch but we were so slammed that I would’ve skipped it altogether if she hadn’t brought me back a sandwich from the café when she returned from her shortened lunch break.
I planned to tell her that she can be finished for the day at four since she came in to work early and only took enough time for lunch to order the sandwiches and bring them back. I’d seen her taking quick bites from her own sandwich up at the front desk between customers.
The reminder alarm I set on my phone to take the deposit to the bank goes off and so I explain to Rod what I want him to do to finish up on the Ford Taurus. Then, as I turn to head to the office, I spot Shawn standing in the front office with a stupid fucking smile on his face.
I charge toward the front to tell Shawn to stop harassing Laney, but when I see her smiling and happily talking with him before I reach them I just can’t justify throwing Shawn out of the shop like I want to, even though I want to really bad.
With my fist clenched at my sides, I tell her, “Laney, you did great. I can help this customer since you’re over on time already.”
“No worries, Laney took great care of me,” Shawn says with that stupid smile still on his face. “See you tomorrow,” he says, looking at Laney.
I watch him leave and it takes everything I have to not tell him to leave and not worry about coming back.
“Bye,” Laney says to Shawn as he leaves and then turns her smile toward me. “I’m not in any rush to get home. Would you like me to make the deposit for you? Or I could stay here and run the desk while you’re gone.”
I feel better seeing that she is giving me her full attention even though Shawn is taking his sweet-ass time to get into his fucking car and he keeps looking back inside trying to get one last glance at Laney.
Like a jealous boyfriend, I move around and block his view. Fuck him. Laney’s still smiling at me, telling me she’s still as clueless as she was in high school when it comes to men hitting on her. “If customers flirt with you and harass you, please don’t feel like you have to put up with that for me. I don’t expect you to take anything off of anybody.”
She looks confused for a second and then says, “Okay,” dragging the word out like she doesn’t know what I’m talking about. “I’ll remember that. Don’t worry, everyone has been really nice.”
“Mm-hmm,” I grunt. I could say so much more, but I’m not going to. Like Hey you need to stay away from Shawn or I’m going to fuck him up. That’s what I want to say. But instead, I grunt. “Well, I’m glad. Mike is on his way up here to take over at the desk, and I’ll tell you the truth, I need to get a breath of air out of here.”
She shrugs her shoulders and starts getting her stuff together. “Well, all right, if you insist on turning down my help.”
“No, I never said that. In fact, I was hoping you’d come with me. We could take the bike.”
Her eyes light up and she chews on her lip, showing that she’s nervous and excited about the prospect.
I put my open palm over my chest. “I’ll behave myself. No wheelies, I promise.”
She laughs, pushing the deposit bag against my chest. “That’s what you said when I let you talk me into standing on the back of that BMX bike you got in ninth grade.”
The memories then start tumbling back, and I seize her hand with mine. “I’ve grown so much since then. Remember how responsible I was on the ATVs in eleventh grade?”
That heated charge rushes through me again, but this time I’m surprised to find that it’s reassuring to me when I find it’s still there between us.