Page 58 of Fast and Dirty
“Everyone is sick of your shit,” I explain. “It’s like you actively try to make people not like you or give you a chance.
“You got a lady?” I ask, but don’t wait for an answer. “Have you ever had one? Because the one you called a tease the night you got kicked out of the Coyote is mine.”
“Pffft…she is now. Big deal.”
“She was mine then. Just because no one knew it…”
“And because you’ve got a girl, that’s reason to break your ass over restoring a dinosaur of a car? What does it matter if this car runs or not?”
I’m too exasperated and driven to try and hold a wall up right now and so I just spit the words out while I continue cranking the wrench. “So she can stay.”
“A car will make her stay?”
“Fuck, you’re dense. No, the money from selling the car will help her stay. It’s going to take more than some grease monkey falling in love with her to put down roots here. She needs - she wants - to make something of herself.”
“You’re doing all this so she’ll stay? You want her that badly,” he phrases it as more of a statement.
Fucking - A, this was not supposed to be some therapy session where I give the town screwup privileged information, but airing out while I’m working seems to be doing something for me.
“So you love her.” Another statement, and this one makes me lift my head.
What?
I guess I did say the word love. I don’t want to believe this is what I’m feeling for a girl I’ve only known a few weeks, but who am I kidding? I’ve felt it in my bones since day one.
I nod thoughtfully. “She’s fun… and not what I expected, if I’d expected her at all, that is.”
“So you’re pussywhipped.”
My head snaps up and I level him with death lasers comingout of my eyes. “You want me to beat you over the head with this wrench?”
“Go fucking right ahead,” he straightens up and tosses the pliers back in the toolbox.
I blow out a resigned breath and call him back over. “Ry!” I call after him and he turns back with a huff. I subtle wave him back to the car and try to look sincere. “I’m sorry, please come back. I think what needs to happen is I need to have a little more patience - but you?” I cut him off when he starts to look validated. “You need to listen more closely. Can we do this?”
He nods and comes back to pick up the pliers and I get us started on the spark plugs.
“Okay, hold it right there, that’s good. And watch out, I’m about to shock you.” I warn Ryan, but he totally misreads me and receives a zap from one of the sparkplugs we’re replacing.
“Ow!” He jumps back, dropping his pliers and steel brush to the ground with a loud clatter. “Motherfucker!” He curses, shaking out his hand before cradling it with the other. Poor baby.
“Holy fuck.” I hold up the plug we just detached. “This is a fucking lawnmower spark plug!”
“Did you do that on fucking purpose?” He demands.
“No. I meant it literally, not in a I’m about to blow your mind kind of way. But I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. Anyway, get back over here, we only have a couple more to do.” I try to say encouragingly and he swipes his tools back up from the concrete.
I have Ryan watch me and mimic what I’m doing as we each work on one of the remaining sparkplugs.
“Hand me the nine-millimeter diameter thread bolts.”
“The what?”
“Jesus,” I rub my eyes. I give him a quick tutorial on parts before we get to work cracking some fuel lines loose, which he shockingly isn’t too bad at. We’re on our way toremoving exhaust manifolds when he seems to settle in and even relax a little.
“You really think you can fix this old relic?” He asks, watching my movements.
I lift a shoulder and swivel my trusty toothpick to the side of my mouth. “If I can’t, I’ve got a grenade in the drawer.”
