Page 45 of Mechanic

“Me?” she asks, her head rearing back as if slapped. “I-I work here,” Antonia says defensively.

“Bullshit!” I yell, pissed off.

Antonia’s eyes narrow at my outburst as she plants her hands on her hips.

“Toni is my scheduled dealer for tonight. I don’t know who thought this would be funny, but you need to take that off,” I say, gesturing to the uniform someone dressed her in. “Before he gets here.”

“IamToni,” she says, sticking to her story.

The employee from catering steps into the room, taking one look at the standoff Antonia and I are locked in, before immediately retreating back to the kitchen.

“YouarenotToni,” I argue.

“Call and ask Shawna,” she says expectantly.

Knowing Shawna’s name proves nothing, but it does have me curious. How did this girl get her hands on one of our uniforms? How does she know Shawna’s name?

“For fuck’s sake,” she mutters before moving past me. Lowering herself to the floor, she reaches under the couch, stretching her arm out.

Returning to her feet, Antonia steps toward me, arm extended with my phone in her hand.

Once I take it from her, my eyes track her movements. She pulls a chair away from the bar, glaring daggers at me. Crossing her arms over her chest, one of her brows rises expectantly.

Unlocking my phone, I decide to call someone I trust more than Shawna. Pressing the button, I put my phone on speaker, and the sound of a ringing telephone fills the room.

“What’s up, Roderick?” Aymond questions. Antonia’s eyes widen at the sound of his voice. Keeping my gaze trained on her face, my lips tip up in a smirk. I got her!

“Just a quick question, won’t keep you,” I explain, feeling smug.

“Sure, what’s going on?” Aymond asks, obviously confused.

“Do you know Shawna’s friend, Toni?”

“Yeah,” he answers. “What about Toni? Is everything alright?”

“I need you to settle an argument,” I explain before I prove this girl wrong and have security remove her from the building. “What doeshelook like?” I question, strongly emphasizing gender.

Silence fills the air, and I quickly glance at my phone to make sure the call hasn’t dropped.

“Well,” Aymond finally says. “Toni isn’t a he. Toni is a she,” he says as the smile on Antonia’s face starts to grow and mine starts to fall. “Toni is actually short for Antonia,” Aymond says, delivering the final, humiliating blow.

My smirk falls away at his revelation, causing Antonia’s smile to take over her face.

“Is everything alright?” Aymond asks, reminding me that he is still on the line.

“Yeah, it’s fine. I’ll call you back tomorrow,” I say, immediately hanging up before he can ask more questions.

“Happy now?” Antonia snarks. “Can I get to work?” she asks, gesturing to the table.

My head jerks once in affirmation. Antonia rises from the bar stool, giving me a wide berth as she crosses the room.

Tracking her with my eyes, I run through every conversation in which Toni’s—Antonia’s—name came up, my mind reeling.

“Son-of-a-bitch,” I mutter, realizing that Rhodee knows who Antonia is and never said a fucking word.

Stepping behind the bar, I pour myself a drink, forcing myself to sip it instead of guzzling down one after another like I want to.

Catering must realize that the coast is clear as they edge back into the room and set up the food.

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