“One.”
“Your lunch is going to get cold if your ass doesn’t get moving.” He pats my shoulder and laughs before walking away. There’s no sympathy anymore. It’s back to work for me, and I smile because it’s just what I need. I decide to skip lunch and knock out the oil change and two rotations as well as fixing two belt replacements. It takes me a little longer to do one because the fucker is in a tricky spot, but I get it done before two, and then I go around hunting for a drink. I’m thirsty as fuck.
I walk into the breakroom and see Petrol talking to Vivian again. “Don’t you have work to do?”
“I’m on a break,” Vivian says. Petrol takes off without daring to challenge me. He knows damn well that I’m not asking him a damn thing. This is my family business, which means it’s mine, and although Vivian doesn’t know it yet, she’s mine too.
“Scaring off the guys?”
“They should be working, not trying to get you alone.” She blushes, looking so damn beautiful that I’m doing my best to keep myself back and not give in to the longing that I have for her.
“Please, you’re overreacting, Simon. They are just helping me with questions I have.”
“If you have questions, you come to me. Okay?”
“You’re busy. You have a lot going on.”
I close the distance between us, sliding my fingers under her chin, cradling her jaw when I say, “I don’t care. You come to me.”
“Yes, Simon.”
“Good girl. Now, excuse me. I’m thirsty, and as luscious as your lips are, now isn’t the time.” I gently push away from her and go to the fridge, snagging a bottle of water, twisting off the cap and guzzling it down quickly. The sound of her shoes padding away is the only thing saving her because now that I’ve quenched one thirst, my body needs to slake the other.
Ignoring the lust and jealousy that dominates me, I work even harder than before, making sure that I knock out most of the solo projects. It’s almost three when I meet up with Axel and Petrol, who are working on a classic Mustang that needs a full rebuild.
“We’re glad you’re here. We could use your help.”
“I’m finally done with my list.”
“Did you hand all your paperwork in?” my father asks as he comes up behind me, handing me a sandwich. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you didn’t eat. Any other time, I’d let that shit go, but you’re on meds, Son, and that can’t happen. We’ve all had injuries and know that you can’t do that shit. Eat, help these guys for an hour, and then get your paperwork to Vivian. She’s got a lot to learn, and we don’t need to make her job harder than it is.”
“I understand, Pops.” The fucks around me smirk until he scowls. I muscle down the rest of my sandwich while my father lays into these assholes.
“That goes for you shits too. Any trouble out of you guys, and you’ll find your asses unemployed and my foot up your rears.”
“You got it, Wrench.” We all get back to work for over two hours before I remember that I owe Vivian paperwork and am going to get chewed out. The customers receive their copies, but there are things I need to submit to the office. Most of it is done on paper so we don’t ruin the tablets with oily or greasy hands. Fuck—not only was I going to have to face the love of my life, but now the wrath of my parents.
I rush to my station and snag all the filed paperwork in my organizer on my desk that my mother set up for me and then take the stairs two at a time. Knocking on the door is a standard operating procedure if you don’t want your eyeballs ripped out of your head, or in my case, ripping them out myself. My parents have enjoyed many passionate moments in there. Hell, I might have been conceived in the office. A fucked-up vision of bending Vivian over the desk and joining the family tradition is something I can actually get behind.
“Come in,” she calls out, and my hand just lingers on the knob like I’m terrified to open up. Since I take too damn long, she whips the door open. “Simon,” she gasps.
I rub the back of my neck. “Sorry. I know I’m behind with the paperwork.”
“Well, come in here already.” She steps out of the way.
“My parents aren’t in here?”
“No, they stepped out for a bit.” She gives me a knowing smirk, and I know damn well that they needed their afternoon delight. Shaking my head, I laugh and hand her the documents. “So are these all the ones you had today?”
“Yes, but there’s no charge on Mrs. Colson.”
“Yes, your father has a note for me on that one. I’ve already worked on preliminary reports, but I need these.” Shetakes the papers from me and walks back to the desk, taking a seat and organizing them in some sort of system.
“You’ve got everything under control already, it seems,” I remark, impressed at the way she moves around the desk with ease. I’ve tried to keep things neat so my mother doesn’t ring my neck, but when I’m left in charge, nothing looks that organized.
“Hardly. I’m over my head, but your parents are extremely laid back and are giving so much grace.”
“Nah, they know you’ve got this.”
