Page 33 of Mechanic

“And whatgi-irlmight that be?” she asks cockily.

Clenching my jaw, I speak through gritted teeth. “You knowexactlywhich girl I am referring to,” I grind out.

“Well, I don’t know exactly,” she says, acting coy. “The bar was pretty busy,” Rhodee taunts. “Ohh,” she says with a snap of her fingers. “Is it Roree? Or, or mayyyybe it is Raelee?” she teases with a waggle of her eyebrows.

“Arrgh!” I groan out before stomping back into my office, punctuating my frustration with the slamming of my office door.

Rhodee’s laughter echoes through the office after my outburst as I slump into my office chair, silently chastising myself for letting her get under my skin.

Chapter 20

Antonia

The day, while boring, was thankfully uneventful. Staff in the Padston Wildfire is much more relaxed than in Las Vegas.

Of course, the atmosphere in the town is also drastically different.

After returning home, with a quick shower and a change of clothes, I head downstairs for a celebration.

A bunch of guys are shooting pool, and a couple is sitting snuggled up in a booth on the far side of the room.

Taking a seat at the bar, I wait patiently for Gypsy to come out.

I don’t have long to wait as she steps out of the kitchen, a tray laden with plates of food propped up on her shoulder.

“Be with you in a second, hun,” Gypsy calls out on her way by.

A heartbeat later, a drink is set in front of me as Gypsy lets out a heavy breath.

“Are you okay?”

My question seems to catch her off guard. Gypsy smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

“Do you want food?” she asks me, and I let her change the subject.

“Yes, please,” I respond.

“Do you know what you want?”

“Surprise me,” I tell her, and a gleam shines in her eye that wasn’t there a moment ago.

Gypsy’s eyes widen for a second before she grabs a clean glass and pours a draft. She sets the beer down on the bar next to me as I catch movement next to me.

Focusing on the mirror behind the bar, my breath catches when my gaze meets the male specimen watching me.

“Hello there, officially,” he says with a chuckle.

“Hi,” I mutter before lifting my glass and taking a big gulp, immediately regretting it as memories of how strong Gypsy makes her cocktails.

A hand pats my back as I cough.

“Are you alright?”

The deep bass of his voice has goosebumps breaking out over my body.

“Y-yeah,” I stutter.

“Rod, is everything alright?” Gypsy asks, her concerned gaze focused on the two of us.

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