Page 33 of Lady Luck's Kiss
“They sure are, sweetheart.”
Charlie glanced up at Jack’s voice. She saw him leaning against the cinderblock wall that separated the two garage doors of her shop. Her heart exploded with affection at the lazy smile and soft possessive look he gave her.
“Jack? This is Buddy. Buddy, meet my boyfriend - Jack Seguin.”
“We met over at Jimmy’s,” he admitted. “Buddy was there waiting for his next delivery. We got to talking about you and said he wanted to be there to see your face when you opened the boxes. Do you need some help?”
“Yes! Please!” she cried out, trying to peer in the hole that served as the handle. “Did you get me rims for Martha Stewart?”
“Would you be disappointed if I said no?”
“Very much so.”
“And if I said yes?” he asked with a wide smile, winking at Buddy who stood nearby laughing at her dancing around the boxes excitedly. He slid the crowbar up under the edge of the box to pop the reinforced lid open.
“I’d be thrilled,” she said happily, clapping her hands together as she knelt again once the staples popped free of the thick cardboard.
“And what if they were some sleek and sexy custom rims for your car? Would you be happy?” Jack leaned down and whispered in her ear, for her alone. She stopped and stood up, looking him directly in the face.
“Custom?”
“Custom, sweetheart.” He smiled and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear tenderly. “No one else will have shoes like your Martha Stewart. My pretty girl will always get the very best… for her car.”
“I’d be more than thrilled.”
“I’m glad. Now open your presents.”
Charlie opened the lid of the box and groaned as the rim was wrapped in Styrofoam and bound with packing tape. Reaching in, she pulled the rim free and began to peel back the foam padding that protected it. As she did, it revealed a wicked black pattern with chrome valve stems. This must have cost him afortune! She’d priced out rims before and that was why she’d opted for the steelies, due to price.
“This is too much,” she breathed and very nearly dropped the rim in shock.
“Buddy?” She heard Jack call out to the other man in a friendly tone, his eyes locked with Charlie’s. “You’ve known her longer than I have. Do you think she likes them?”
“I think you know the answer to that one. Enjoy your car, Charlie. I’ll see you later.” Laughing, Buddy shook his head and left the building. Alone now, she set the rim on the box carefully.
“They are too much. You have to take them back.”
“Do you like them?”
“I’d be stupid not to!”
“Then that is all that matters,” he said with finality and carefully popped open another box to reveal another black wheel.
“That isn’t all that matters. They are too expensive.”
“Would you agree that we have a strange relationship?”
“I don’t know if I’d call it strange,” she said, trying to keep the insult out of her voice. “But it certainly is different.”
“We’ve ignored the rules, made our own way and I’m quite happy about it. Are you?”
“Yes. But what does that have to do with the rims?”
“Well, if we were any other couple and the guy admitted that he loved the girl, what happens?” Charlie swallowed hard at his question and the tender look on his face.
“You don’t have to answer, but we both know what happens. When a man loves a woman, he tends to show it by showing her how special she is to him. Sometimes, it’s a promise ring or an engagement ring. We are different, and I wanted to show you how special you are to me.”
“You didn’t have to buy me rims for my car.”
