Page 16 of Suits and Spark Plugs

“You left your phone downstairs and it’s been ringing for the past ten minutes. If you’re too preoccupied with your hobby here, I’d be happy to talk to this Blaine of yours.”

“Don’t be silly.” I snapped back to reality and set my brush down. “He’s thirty and you’re seventeen. He isn’t interested.” This time I did look at her.

She was still wearing pajama pants and a T-shirt, her uncombed hair high on her head in a messy bun. She did a funny little shake of her hips and smiled at me. “He could be.”

Entertained by the picture she made, I grinned. “You’re a dork.”

She tossed my phone onto my bed and shrugged as she left. Almost immediately the phone started ringing again. I hurried to wipe off a hand in order to answer.

“Hello?” I knew I sounded a little breathless.

“Olivia, there you are. I’ve been trying to reach you.” He didn’t sound annoyed, which made me relax.

“I’m so sorry,” I said cheerfully. “I left my phone downstairs and got caught up in my school work. My sister finally brought the phone up and told me to open my ears.”

“What were you working on this morning?” he asked.

“Physiology. Cells, tissues, organ systems, that kind of stuff,” I replied in an awkward voice as the lie made my cheeks warm.

“That sounds interesting.”

“Hmm. Very. How was your morning?” I turned to talk to him and was grateful when he picked right up and told me all about breakfast with his parents and errands he’d run that morning.

While he was talking I tried really hard to not worry about the fact that I should be doing my own errands, grocery shopping, thinking about what to make for dinner, and how I was going to pay Connor for the car repairs. I’d really wanted to relax and have a nice few hours off. It wasn’t easy.

“Hey, listen, I’d be happy to come with you to pick up your car. We can chat with the owner about your payment plan and make sure everything was done properly,” he said eventually.

My first reaction wasn’t polite, so I cleared my throat and tried for a nonchalant tone. “Oh, uh, that’s okay. I can take care of it.”

“Do you think there’s going to be any problem with the payment plan idea?” he asked after a brief pause.

“No. I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’m okay to go on my own.”

His voice fell to a whisper. “I know you can, but you don’t have to. I’d like to help you when I can.”

I let out a slow, silent breath. Poor Blaine. He was trying so hard, and I was maintaining the same distance that was in place when he’d first asked me out. The idea of actually steadily dating was still new to me, and I was unsure of what role to give him in my world. Bigger than that was the fact that I was still doubtful about wantinganyguy to have a permanent role in my life. It still seemed to me like the journey would be easier alone.

Regardless, I wasn’t a monster, and I felt a welling of guilt over his efforts. “You’re sweet,” I said. “It’s nice to have someone try to look out for me. I’m truly okay, though. I promise to call you as soon as I’m done and fill you in.”

“If that’s what you want,” he replied. His tone said he wasn’t thrilled, but I appreciated him backing down. We chatted a bit more, making plans to get together soon.

After he hung up, I cleaned my brushes, changed my clothes, and tried to tame my hair. When I was as good as I could get, I retrieved my backpack, bundled up, and walked the half mile to Mainstreet Mechanic. The air had a bite to it and my cheeks felt a little windburned when I entered the lobby, which was once again empty. I peeked through the window into the work bays and saw two men standing over the open hood of a car, along with a pair of legs sticking out from under it. The legs obviously belonged to Connor, as he wasn’t one of the standing men. My car was further down and no work was being done to it, which must have meant it was finished.

I waved and knocked lightly on the window. One of the men looked up and gave me a wave. He pointed down at Connor and flashed five fingers at me. I took that to mean I’d be waiting a minute. I glanced at the clock to see that I had about thirty minutes before I really needed to head to the grocery store and get back home to clean, so I gave the guy a thumbs up and went to sit on one of the lobby chairs.

In a moment of inspiration, I decided to access my physiology book online and do a little reading. Bonus points for actually studying today and making good on the lie I’d told Blaine. If no one appeared in the lobby in about ten minutes, I’d go back and really knock on the window.

I set my things on the chair next to me and got out my phone. I needed to finish two more chapters before the test on Monday. I crossed my booted feet and settled in. For ten minutes I read with no interruptions. I couldn’t believe how far I got in that time. It seemed that I never had ten solid minutes to just read. Home was hectic and the diner was totally off limits. I sank back into the chair and kept reading after the ten-minute mark. I was making good headway and didn’t want to give it up.

The sound of the door opening from the shop interrupted me five minutes later. I glanced up to see Connor, once again wiping his hands. Today his coveralls were gray, and he was wearing heavy black work boots. His hair stuck up in a way that reminded me of a troll doll, but I supposed being underneath a car wasn’t good for keeping hair nicely coifed...and who was I to talk?

He nodded at the phone in my hand. “Find anything good?”

“A physiology textbook.”

“Sure. Good choice for some light reading on a snowy weekend afternoon.”

“I’m learning ways to cause the most pain with the least damage,” I replied in a sugary sweet voice.

---