Page 41 of The Relationship Mechanic

Instead of deepening the kiss, she kept it surface-level and promised herself that it was for the best. When Vini pouted, Jessica smiled and patted her cheek. “Come on, Vini. No long faces. You need sleep. I don’t want you to be distracted and accidentally drop something on yourself in the garage. Aren’t you sleepy?”

Vini paused her fingers, softly brushing the skin of Jessica’s arm. She tried to ignore that touch even as it sent sparks along her nerves. “I am a little sleepy, but more than anything I’m excited to be alone with you.”

Her words made something unnecessary flutter within Jessica’s chest. There had been plenty of people who were excited to lie in bed with Jessica when it came to sex, but she had yet to have anyone say that they were excited to lie in bed with her just for the sake of just being alone with her. It made her soften to Vini’s desires, and she let herself fall again as Vini’s arousal enflamed her own.

Twenty-Two

Vini yawned, her eyes watering as something in her jaw clicked. She hadn’t gotten to the shop until ten after dropping Jessica back off at Grace’s house. They had spent the night trading slow kisses and heated touches until falling together in a heap sometime near dawn. It had been exhausting, and yet Vini had woken up feeling lighter than she had in a long while. They had barely been able to keep their hands off one another when they showered, falling into laughter when the water abruptly changed, pounding them both with drops of icicles. With teeth chattering, they had dried off and then put on their clothes from the day before and then checked out.

Vini hadn’t bothered going home, instead changing into the extra clothes she kept at the shop. When Aiden wandered in twenty minutes after she arrived, he’d given her a knowing smile and a thumbs-up before greeting the day’s first customer. Things had been steady all morning, and though Jessica hadn’t come by, Vini wasn’t upset. She knew Jessica was probably catching up on the sleep neither of them got. Hell, Vini would probably take an hour or so later for a catnap in her office.

By three, Vini was wide awake with a little extra pep in her step. She’d already finished an oil change and was working on another when Jessica called out from the lobby. With a wide smile, Vini stood up and grabbed the towel to wipe her hands. By the time she walked into the lobby, Jessica was already pulling out plates and setting them on the back counter.

“Seriously, Jess, you have to stop feeding Aiden, otherwise I’ll never get rid of him.”

“Ha ha. Funny,” Aiden replied, rolling his eyes. He took the offered plate. “I’ll make myself scarce so you two lovebirds can do your thing.”

He left before Vini could say anything, but also she didn’t want to deny it. Having Jessica alone was exactly what she wanted. “Sometimes I wonder if I could trade him in for a different model.”

“How much would you get for him, really?” When Vini laughed, Jessica smiled. “Did you miss me?”

Vini’s heartbeat quickened. “I saw you a few hours ago.”

“Yeah, but you still missed me.”

She shook her head but didn’t deny it. Vini leaned in, meeting Jessica’s lips and sighing at how right it all felt. She reached up, cupping her cheeks, and tilting her head up so they could press more firmly together. Vini was just getting into it, when a loud shriek cut through the air.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

Vini felt Jessica jerk back, and when she realized whose voice that was, her eyes shot open. She turned in disbelief to see Ava and Grace standing in front of the counter.

“What are you doing here?” Vini asked, confusion making her slow as her brain tried to understand what was happening. Ava’s hands were balled into fists at her side, and her gaze was hooked on Jessica. Vini glanced over and saw Jessica standing there, mouth parted as if trying to think of the words to say.

“What am I doing here?” Ava asked loudly as she shifted to look at Vini. “What the fuck is she doing here? And why the hell did we walk in on you two kissing?”

“Ava, maybe we should—”

Vini cut Grace off. “She’s here because she wants to be.” Jessica was still silent, so Vini continued. “And because I want her to be.”

“I told you to stay away from her,” Ava said pointing at Jessica. “I told you she was no good for you. Jesus, Vini. Why would you get involved with someone who has no plans to stick around? That’s just inviting trouble when you let the wrong people into your life.”

“Who are you to decide who is good for me?” Vini asked raising her voice. “Who I want to let into my life is none of your business.”

Ava narrowed her eyes. “It is when you lie to us. I can’t believe you let her—”

“Vini didn’t let me do anything,” Jessica said, finally speaking up. She crossed her arms, and Vini was dismayed to see her expression shutter, giving no insight into what she was thinking. She looked like the same Jessica she met six weeks ago instead of the open person she had gotten to know.

“So you’re saying you forced her?”

Grace stepped forward, putting a hand on Ava’s shoulder. “Come on, Ava. Jessica would never force anyone to do anything. She’s not like that.” Ava whirled around, shrugging off her hand.

“Are you seriously taking her side right now? Did you know about this shit?” Her voice went shrill, and Grace winced. When Grace didn’t reply, Ava’s eyes widened. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

“It wasn’t my busi—”

“Your friend was fucking my baby sister, and you knew about it and didn’t tell me?” Her voice echoed in the lobby, and Vini wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. This couldn’t be happening. Nowhere in her mind did she have this being a thing that would happen, and she wanted to rewind time.

“Actually, Vini is the one with the strap.” They all turned to look at Jessica. Vini was torn between crying and laughing hysterically, mostly because Jessica wasn’t lying. Ava, though, didn’t appear to find it amusing as she launched herself toward Jessica. If not for Grace, she might have actually made it.

---