Page 79 of Vince
Sydney
Unfortunately,Vince isn’t able to fix my car. Since he has AAA, and it doesn’t cost anything out of pocket, he insists on having it towed to his place. When it got to his house, he took out the battery and took it to the parts store to have it tested. It was good, a bad battery and alternator have been eliminated. Knowing it’s likely the starter, we also price that.
Holy shit. I’ll still be out nearly four hundred dollars if I replace it with what is currently in there—and that’sifVince does the work himself.
There’s no way I can afford that this week. I’ll have to wait until payday to make that kind of purchase. Of course, Vince offers to pay upfront, but when I practically throw a fit, he quickly backs down, knowing how serious I am about handling it myself.
There’s no way I’m letting anyone pay my way. If I can’t afford something, I’ll go without it before borrowing money. Besides, money always muddies the water with relationships, and I never want to be indebted. I learned that lesson the hard way with my mom early in life. I simply can’t accept his offer. He’s kind enough to do the labor, but there’s no way I’ll let him foot the bill, even if it is just for a week or so. There’s no telling what might happen, and I won’t let money come between us.
Knowing I have to work within the hour, he doesn’t put up much of an argument. Instead, he offers to drive me to work and pick me up. Then he asks, “Are you busy tomorrow morning?”
“How early are you talking?” After this week, I’m sleeping in.
“Whenever you wake up. Vanessa’s off tomorrow, so I thought I’d pick you up tonight and maybe stay at your place. Then we can sleep in, and I’ll teach you how to drive a stick.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I offer, knowing he’s likely got better things to do than teach me how to drive.
“Uh… it’s for completely selfish reasons—trust me.” He chuckles at the end.
“Really? Why’s that?”
“Well, since you’re gonna be without a car for a week or so, there’s no way I’ll be able to pick you up at closing on the nights you work. I’d rather you have a vehicle so you’re not relying on others at that hour. I’ll teach you how to drive this, so you can.”
I’d rather not rely on rides either, but am I putting him out?
Apparently, he’s also a mind reader because he quickly tacks on, “I only use my Jeep when I have plans after my last class. Stop thinking I’ll be inconvenienced.” Then he goes for my Achille’s heel. “I know it’s hard to let others help you, but everyone needs to know how to drive a stick. This is a life lesson you’ll thank me for. Trust me.”
Yeah, I hate asking for help.
But it would be fun to drive this beast.
“And you won’t be mad if I mess up your clutch?” I ask, thinking of all the potential problems we could encounter.
“Uh… if you learn how to drive it right, that won’t be an issue. Besides, you can’t be as bad as Vanessa was when she learned how to drive. It survived then, and I’m sure it’ll survive you, too. Besides. I know a guy who can fix it if necessary.”
“And would that guy be you?”
He just shrugs and gives me a sexy as fuck grin.
That look alone could get me to do nearly anything.
* * *
When I walk out to the parking lot that night, I’ve never been happier to see Vince waiting in his Jeep for me. He gets out to greet me as Asher watches from the door that I make it to a vehicle safely.
Vince looks sexy as hell, even though he has dark circles under his eyes. He’s wearing a pair of dark-gray sweats and a black hoodie. When he greets me with, “Hey, Beautiful,” I’ll admit I swoon a bit. He pulls me in for a quick kiss before helping me into the Jeep.
Once we’re on the road, he’s quieter than normal as he reaches for my hand and drives us to my place. He looks exhausted, and I feel a twinge of guilt for keeping him up.
He parks in my spot in my apartment complex, since mine is on the street outside his house at the moment. He grabs a backpack then reaches for my hand as we walk up the stairs to my apartment. Once inside my room, Vince’s sleepiness disappears as he kisses me properly now that we have privacy.
When we break apart breathless, he asks about my night.
“It was good, but we’re training a new bartender.” Shaking my head, I cringe at the memory. “Man, the girl doesn’t understand that you don’t stand between another person and the bar. To the side, yes… directly behind them, no. I turned around in a hurry to serve the next order and ended up wearing not one but two glasses full. I desperately need a shower.”
I pull back my sticky shirt at the reminder. “Don’t get too close to me.”
“I’m sure a little drink won’t hurt me,” he says as he leans in to kiss me once more but keeps our bodies from pressing together, per my request. Damn. The man can kiss. He tastes entirely of him, and all I want to do is take him right here and now.
