Page 26 of Truck You

Christian nods to me, then heads toward the mess of motorcycle parts and gets back to work.

I stand there unsure if I should stay put or head to the office. Liam didn’t tell Christian to send me in. I glance around and see a row of chairs in the adjoining room. I assume it’s the waiting room.

Not wanting to be rude and interrupt him if he’s in the middle of wrapping up some work before my interview, I turn toward the chairs. I only make it a few steps before he calls my name.

I spin around to find Liam walking out of his office with his hand offered for a shake. “Thanks for coming in. I’m looking forward to chatting with you.”

I accept his handshake, nice and firm, just like my dad taught me. “Thanks for agreeing to meet with me. I hope I didn’t throw you for too much of a loop.”

“Oh, you did.” He chuckles. “But that’s okay. I understand why you did it. It’s not like you lied or anything.”

I let out a nervous laugh. “I’m not so sure your brother sees it that way.”

“Who, Mac?” Liam waves off my comment. “Don’t worry about him. He’ll get over it. Come on, let me show you around. Then we can sit and chat.”

He spends about twenty minutes showing me around the garage and describing all the equipment to me. Most of it I’m familiar with from an academic perspective. I’ve worked in auto repair shops before, but only on simple things like oil changes and tune-ups. No one ever let me assist with bigger jobs like engine or transmission rebuilds. If he gives me this job, I hope that changes since they seem to do it all.

“As you can see, we’ve got a lot going on.” Liam says as he leads me into his office. “Christian does all the motorcycle builds. Ash and Chase are our experts with racecars. While they help with other small jobs, it won’t be enough. Mac helps us in a pinch, but I’m trying to free up his time to focus on racing. Your resume is impressive, and if you’re up for it, I think this could work.”

“Really?” My smile grows. “You’ll give me a chance?”

“Of course.” He smiles in return. “It’s clear you know a lot about cars. We won’t have to train you on oil changes, tune-ups, alignments, and tire changes. That’s what most of our jobs are, and we need someone who can jump right in. Plus, I’m sure Ash and Chase would love to teach you more about building racecars, assuming you’re interested in that as well.”

“Are you kidding?” My smile grows so wide it hurts my face. “I’d love that. If I’m honest, that’s why I want to work for you guys. I’m great behind the wheel, but I want to learn more about what makes a great racecar. I feel like that would make me an even better driver.”

“I’m sure it will.” He digs around his desk until he finds the folder he’s looking for. “Let’s get you started on this paperwork so I can get you on the books. When would you like to start?”

“As soon as you want me.” I take the paperwork, feeling like everything is finally working out for me, and I finally have the career I of my dreams.

I also hope Liam is right, and Mac will get over my minor deception.

Chapter7

Control is just an illusion.

Mac

“Rev it up again,” Ash yells at me from under the hood. I press my foot on the gas until I hit over seven thousand RPMs. I hold it there until he waves at me to let up. “Kill it.”

Once the engine comes back down, I kill the ignition and stick my head out of the window. “Well?”

We’ve been here all morning testing two cars Ash and Chase built that are finally ready. The first one is perfect—smooth, fast, and tight around the corners. This one, however, shakes when I hit a hundred and fifty miles-per-hour. Something is off, and they’ve spent the last hour trying to figure out what it is.

“You wanna take it back out? See if it’s any better?” Chase leans against the car and studies my face. He’s been watching me a lot more closely than usual this morning.

“Shut her up and let’s do it.” I nod toward the open hood.

Chase holds his gaze on me for a moment longer before he turns to Ash. “Alright, close her up. Let’s hope this fixes it.”

Ash drops the hood, then walks around to my window. “Take it slow on the first loop. Really listen to the engine and tell me if you hear anything off.”

I nod, slide my helmet back, and make sure my headset is on before I start the car. It roars to life as I give it more gas. The deep rumble combined with a high-pitch chirp of a perfectly tuned engine is music to my ears.

“She sounds great.” Chase’s voice rings through my headset. “Let’s see how she does on the first loop. Don’t take her above one-twenty.”

Without delay, I put the car in gear and squeal the tires as I take off. Dust clouds form around me, and the smell of burned rubber fills my nostrils.

When it’s just me, alone on the track, it’s a welcomed smell.

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