Page 61 of Ice Mechanic

He keeps yammering. “You’re doing a fantastic job by the way. Really killing it. I knewthis guycould sell it.” Derek clamps a hand over my shoulder. “He’s so charismatic, every girl he dated thought she was ‘the one’.”

I wince.

Derek laughs. “But you? You were a wild card. So I’m relieved you guys have enough natural chemistry to pull this off.” Hewiggles a finger. “But don’t get too carried away. The moment I get this man back to the leagues, it’s over.”

April’s open, trusting eyes instantly shifts with suspicion and I pin my agent with a dark, flaming look. With one word from Derek, what little trust I was starting to build between me and April just crumbled.

And now I’m back to square one.

CHAPTER

EIGHTEEN

APRIL

My pride stingslike I stepped in a beehive and attacked the queen.

Smarting and feeling a little exposed, I answer the guy in the flashy suit harshly. “Thank you for the reminder, but I’ve never forgotten what this is.”

Lies. Lies. All lies!

If I were Pinocchio, I’d be balancing a limbo stick on my nose right now.

The truth is that Ididforget.

Not just that.

While Chance had me backpedalling to the wall like a cement truck on a construction site, my brain slipped out of my head and splattered to the ground. I’m surprised I didn’t slip on brain fluid.

Thankfully, I’m not alone in catching the Chance-flu. His agent made it clear that there have been a long line of women before me.

So honestly, this isn’t my fault.

It’s Chance’s fault for being so freakishly charming.

Chance spares the flashy suit guy a dark look and says, “April, this is my agent Derek. Derek, this is April.”

“April.Aw. What a nice, wholesome name for a small-town girl.”

His words are polite enough but the tone behind them feels extremely condescending.

I’m not the only one who picks up on it because Chance’s thick eyebrows form an immediate and strict V over his eyes.

“Aprilis the name of a talented mechanic running her own shop and building a successful business.” In a blink, the intense expression is gone and he smiles at his agent. “That’s, I think, what you meant to say.”

“Uh, right. Yes… right. Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, April the talented and successful mechanic.” Derek side-eyes Chance as if to sayhappy?

Chance responds with a proud smile.

I walk backward. “I need to go check on my dad, but Chance about that date…”

He looks at me expectantly.

“Text me the details.” I raise both fists in a tiny cheer. “As per our agreement, I’ll have my game face on.”

“Wait. April…”

I do a quick wave and rush back to the cafeteria. Peeking through the swinging doors, I see Derek and Chance talking and then both men head to the exits.

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