Page 10 of Blame It on the Bikini
"It's not," Grayson said firmly. "It's just a bump."
"We should probably call it a day anyway," Frank said.
Grayson nodded, still pressing his palm against the injury. "All right."
"But if you want to help me tomorrow, I wouldn't say no," Frank added. "It was sure nice to have an extra set of hands, Grayson."
"I'll see. I'm not sure of my schedule." He handed a tool back to Frank. "I'll let you know."
After Grayson headed into the building, she turned to Frank. "How did you get Grayson involved in this?"
Frank shrugged. "He got himself involved. Came over and started asking questions. He used to work on cars when he was a kid. Since he seemed interested in helping me, I let him. It was going well, too, until you arrived," he added with a twinkle in his eyes. "You distracted him, Lexie."
Heat crept up her neck. "I didn't mean to. I was just so surprised to see him out of his suit and tie. And it seems very odd that he used to work on cars. His family is wealthy."
"He said the vintage vehicles belonged to his father, but the man who taught him how to restore them was his dad's driver."
"Well, that makes more sense. Did he say anything about selling the building?"
"We didn't get into that. We talked about the engine mostly. He's a smart guy, good with his hands, too. And very focused. But his mind went elsewhere when he heard your voice."
"And now he has a bump on his head," she said with a sigh. "That I caused. His stay here is definitely not going as well as I'd hoped."
"He'll be okay," Kaia reassured her. "And it's not like you did anything, Lexie. You just said his name, and he jumped. It was more his fault than yours."
"I wouldn't worry about it," Frank added as he put away his tools. "I don't think that bump is going to factor into his decision."
"Maybe helping you will. I'm glad you got him doing something he obviously enjoyed."
"It was nice to have the help. He reminded me a little of my son."
She hadn't anticipated that Frank would be the first one to find a connection with Grayson, but she was very glad it had happened.
"I should go inside," Kaia said. "I need to take a shower."
"I'm coming, too." She retrieved her camera equipment and walked into the courtyard with Kaia. "I can't believe Grayson was working with Frank on his car. He had oil on his jeans and on his hands, and before today, I would have thought he was a man who wouldn't allow a piece of lint to cling to his suit jacket."
"I thought this version of him was hot," Kaia said with a smile. "You like him, don't you, Lexie?"
"God, no! The man is trying to take away our home. I don't like him at all."
"You don't want to like him, but?—"
"No buts. I'm just trying to figure him out. I need to know who he is so I can find a way to change his mind. Since my plan of charming the hell out of him is not working very well, I might need to think of another approach. Anyway, thanks again for the ride, and have fun on your date. Tomorrow, I want details."
"If there's anything worth sharing, you'll be my first call."
After parting ways with Kaia, she headed into her first-floor apartment. Dropping her bags on the coffee table, she kicked off her shoes and flopped onto the couch for several long minutes, debating her next move. She'd planned to put on her sweats, heat up some leftovers, and find a movie to watch, but she couldn't stop thinking about Grayson and the injury she'd caused.
Getting up, she moved into the kitchen and opened the freezer. The ice pack she'd used when she'd pulled a muscle last week was right on the shelf. The least she could do was take him some ice and apologize again. Ignoring the fact that he probably had plenty of ice in his own freezer, she grabbed the pack and headed outside and up the stairs.
Grayson answered her knock, still wearing his same dirty clothes, faint streaks of oil still on his hands and forearms. The bump on his forehead was definitely swelling and turning purple.
"Ice pack," she said, holding it up. "For your head. I feel terrible about startling you."
"That's not necessary. I was just going to throw some ice in a towel."
"Well, this is better." She studied his head with concern. "I could take you to urgent care, if you want to get it checked out."
