Page 42 of Moonlit Kisses

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“C’mon,I’m taking you to dinner to celebrate the sale of the Sprint!” I clap my hands together in excitement as I step through from the office. She’s crouched down low, collecting the dirt she’s swept up from the workshop.

Molly stands, brushing her hands on her skin-tight jeans. “Congratulations.” Her smile is wide and excited as she leans forward to hug me. “I’m truly happy for you. It was such a magnificent car.”

“It certainly was, and I’m happy that she’s gone to a suitable home where she’ll be appreciated and looked after.” Molly chuckles and I pull back to look at her. “What?”

“Nothing. Do you realize you talk about cars like they’re people?”

“Well, duh. Theyarelike people. They have quirks just like people and we need to look after them, make sure they’re cared for, just as we would a loved one.”

She bends over with an all-out belly laugh and I feel great that I could make her laugh like that after the heaviness of her confession. I don’t suppose she has much to laugh about these days, not that I would have known if Beth hadn’t asked about why she moved here. She keeps her private life to herself and generally only shows a bright, cheery demeanor, maintaining a high level of professionalism. There have been times where I’ve noticed her staring off into space, a distant look on her face as though she’s lost in a memory, but she’s never let it affect her work.

“Come on. I want to take you to this Mexican hole in the wall place I found. I think you’ll like it.” She pauses for what feels like an eternity. “C’mon. Celebrate with me.” I lift my eyebrows, waiting as patiently as I can for her answer. I never usually celebrate selling one of my project cars, but I wanted an excuse to spend more time with her. After today, I want to check in with her, learn more about her.

Her dimples make an appearance. “I love a good burrito.”

“Great. Let’s go.” I grab her hand to pull her behind me to my car.

“Hang on. I haven’t finished here, and I should probably get changed.” My eyes skim over her. She looks perfect in her jeans, white t-shirt, and plaid shirt. “Don’t worry about finishing up. We can sort it out on Monday morning. It’s Saturday. Let’s go have some fun.”

She shrugs. “Okay, but will this be okay for where we’re going?” She fidgets with her shirt.

“Yeah.” I shrug. “You look great.” I tug her with me and this time she follows.

I find street parking close toLos Burritos. Whenever I get the urge to have authentic Mexican, this is the place I come to. The outside isn’t appealing in the least and I wait for Molly to arc up about eating here, but she doesn’t say anything as I take her hand and guide her inside. It’s still early, so it’s busy, but not crazy, as we step up to the counter to place our order. The scent of spiced meat sits heavy in the air, reminding me how much I love the food here. Glancing around, I spot a clear booth toward the back that would be perfect for us.

“If you tell me what you want, I can place our order.” I tip my head toward the empty booth. “You can take care of our booth.”

“Sure.” She studies the menu boards with careful consideration. “What do you normally have?”

“Honestly, anything you choose is gonna be amazing. I haven’t been disappointed yet. I usually have something different every time I come here.”

She nods and returns her attention to the board. “I think I’ll have the super burrito with the spinach tortilla and chicken, if that’s okay?”

“Of course. Go take a seat and I’ll be over once I’ve ordered.” The guys working in the open kitchen are calling out order numbers and requests for more ingredients. Orders are taken swiftly and served quickly with fresh and tasty ingredients. I place our order with the friendly staff member and then head to the booth to join Molly as we wait for our number to be called.

“I would have possibly walked right on past this place without a second glance. It doesn’t stand out from the street, but judging by how busy it is, the food must be fantastic.”

I glance around to see it through her eyes. “It’s not even as busy as it usually gets. We’re pretty early. By seven, there’s a line down the street.”

Her eyes widen. “That’s crazy.”

Our number’s called, and I carry our burritos and drinks back to the table. Molly’s eyes almost pop out of her head when she sees the size of the burritos. “Oh my gosh, that’s huge!” she says with her eyes trained on the food.

“That’s what she said,” I respond without thinking. Her eyes snap up to my face and she bursts into laughter.

“Maybe you could show me sometime.” I freeze and Molly snaps her mouth shut tight, a pretty blush rising from the base of her throat to her face. “Oh shit! I shouldn’t have said that. How embarrassing.” She covers her mouth with her hand and breaks out into silent giggles. I join in with her, shaking my head, because I’m the one who shouldn’t have said what I said.What is it about this girl?

We get stuck into our meals, enjoying the flavors as they touch our tongues. Molly moans in appreciation and my dick jolts in my jeans.Calm the fuck down.This is not the time nor the place. I need a distraction. “You wanna tell me about your family?” I want to swallow the words as soon as they fall out of my mouth. What a way to put a downer on the moment. I wanted a distraction, dickhead, not a fucking morbid reminder of what she’s lost. “Sorry. You don’t have to talk about them if you don’t want to. I’m not sure what I was thinking.” I give her an apologetic smile.

She finishes chewing the food in her mouth, and I watch her throat as she swallows it down. My dick bumps against my zipper, imagining what it would feel like if she swallowed around me.Fuck!

“That’s okay. It’d be nice to talk about them. Uh, I haven’t had anyone to talk to since it happened.” She gives me a sad smile. “My mom was seventeen when she got pregnant with me and only eighteen when she became a mother. She actually grew up here. I think I already told you that.”

I nod and she tells me that her father abandoned her mother, and her parents weren’t happy with the situation. Apparently, her grandfather wanted her mom to have an abortion, and that’s why she ran to the other side of the country.

“Anyway. Mom met my stepfather, Jack, when I was eleven and we moved into his trailer with him.” A smile touches her lips and she looks faraway. “We’d been living out of Mom’s car before that, so it was incredible to have a bedroom of my own and a shower and kitchen.” Jesus, the shit I’ve taken for granted my whole life is like a magical fairytale to her. “I think because of how things were, Mom and I were super close. She was my best friend.” Her voice shakes on the last sentence, so I reach across and take her hand.

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