Page 9 of Minor Trouble
Lyla sniffed. “Unlikely, but I’ll cover with Principal Collins for you.”
“Thank you, I owe you one.”
“I’ll hold you to that. Let me call Maddox, and I’ll see you later.” She ended the call.
Relief washed over me. Normally, I wasn’t such a nervous wreck, but with everything that had gone wrong in the lead up to the move, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was the universe telling me I’d made a horrendous mistake. The lure of a Tim Horton’s coffee was becoming strong, but I couldn’t leave the car. Instead, I reached into my bag, popped another couple of Advil, and washed them down with a bottle of water. While I waited, I checked through my bag again to make sure I had everything I needed for the day at school.
A few minutes later, the rumble of a truck caught my attention, and I looked up to see a vehicle emblazoned with Riley’s Garage on the cab. Everything would be fine.
The mechanic jumped out of the cab.
Involuntarily, I gasped. Dirty blond, slightly spiky hair framed a face with cheekbones that wouldn’t have been out of place on an Abercrombie & Fitch model. A few days’ worth of scruff dappled his jaw, and when he turned his brooding dark blue gaze on me, I swear my ovaries jumped up and down in delight. Dressed in a pair of jeans slung low on his hips, a navy blue wife beater which clung to his muscled torso, and an unbuttoned red and black checked shirt over the top, I wondered if all mechanics in Cali Cross had part-time jobs swanning down a fashion designer’s catwalk.
He regarded me with much less interest than I had him. “Ainsley Coren?”
“Yes, hello. Thanks for coming out to me.”
He raised a shoulder. “Lyla called and asked. It’s my job. What’s the problem?”
“If I knew that, I wouldn’t need to call a garage, would I?” He was meant to be the expert, not me. I glanced at the time. No way would I make it before school started, even if this guy dropped me off on the way. “There was a warning light.” I relented.
“Let me take a look.” He turned towards the car, giving me an unexpected opportunity to gaze at his ass as he got into the vehicle.
It took him at least three minutes to identify the issue. He leaned out of the window. “Looks like you’ve got a problem with your oil pressure. I’m going to need to take this into the garage to check any engine damage. It’s probably a simple oil change in all honesty, but best to check it out now.”
“Right.” I nodded, pretending I knew what he meant. All I knew was that engine damage sounded expensive, but simple oil change didn’t. “If that’s all it is, can we get going?”
The mechanic cocked his head and observed me, shooting me a look that was dripping in disdain. “We’renot going anywhere. I’m not allowed to take you in the cab. I can take the car to the garage, but you’ll need to make your own way to wherever you’re going.”
“But…” My head swiveled around, not seeing any indication of a bus route. “How am I going to get to work? I’m already late. You have to take me.”
“Don’t get your panties in a knot, sweetheart. We’ll get you an Uber.”
“An Uber?” My voice pitched up a notch. “I don’t have time for that. I’m starting a new job today.”
He shrugged. “Not my problem. Your car is though, and I’ve already told you what needs to happen to that.”
Huffing out a short, angry breath, I opened up my Uber app and went to input the information about my pick-up location, then realized I still didn’t know my exact position. Knowing the mechanic was my only source of information, I turned to him. “Um, where exactly are we?”
“Here, let me.” He reached out for my phone, and I handed it to him, our fingers brushing. Never mind getting my panties in a knot, the delicate sweep of his skin on mine had my ovaries on standby again. “They’ll be here in five minutes.”
“Thank you.” I took my phone back, memorizing the information about the car and waited for the notification it was close.
“Can I get your phone number?”
The request seemed a little out of the blue, despite the thoughts I might have been harboring about him. “What for?” I snapped, checking my screen again for any update on the Uber. Time was ticking on, and I really didn’t want to risk Principal Collins’s wrath on day one, even if Lyla had put in a good word for me.
He chuckled, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “So I can call you when the car’s ready to be picked up.”
“Oh.” My cheeks flushed, as I realized I’d got the wrong end of the stick.
“Let me get the job sheet.” He strolled over to the truck and leaned into the cab, pulling out a clipboard. When he came back, he passed it over to me. “Fill in all the deets and we’ll get it back to you as soon as possible.”
“How long will that be?” I barely looked up as I scribbled down the information he needed. “I only moved to Cali Cross today, and I really need it to pick up supplies after school and finish moving.”
His dark blue gaze studied me. “Depends on when I can fit it in. We’re pretty busy this week. I’ll call you this afternoon to give you an indication.”
I sucked in my lips. “Right. Of course.” My phone pinged, and I glanced over my shoulder to see a car approaching that matched up to my Uber information. “My ride’s here.” I shoved the clipboard into his chest. “I’d appreciate it if you’d keep me updated on the car.”
