Page 22 of Crash
After troubleshooting common issues, he finally figured out the culprit. It was good news on one hand, but likely not the news Quynh was looking for.
Sighing, he started cleaning up. The sun set a couple of hours ago. The office was quiet. He assumed Quynh probably retreated into the apartment once the workday was over.
He shut the garage bay doors and locked the front door. Running across the street to his house, Griffin started undressing in the doorway. It was late, and he still needed to cook dinner. He’d left the chicken to thaw in the sink, and it should be ready by now. He normally cooked enough leftovers for lunch the next day, but tonight, he decided to share his meal with Quynh. No doubt she had little else to eat besides the single slice of pizza she ate at lunch.
The apartment was hardly stocked with any fresh food. Only canned goods and some snacks. She could probably make it work if necessary.
He hurriedly prepped the chicken and boiled water. As the stove was warming up, he ran upstairs to change out of his sweaty clothes. He’d shower after dinner.
It didn’t take him long to prepare dinner. He had a plate wrapped in aluminum foil and was running across the street before he knew it. Unlocking the front door, the bell above it chimed at his entrance. He made sure it was locked behind him before making his way to the back. Climbing the steps two at a time, he stood on the welcome mat, suddenly unsure.
Taking a deep breath, he knocked once. The sound of her shuffling footsteps preceded the door slowly creeping open. When she realized who was at the door, she opened it wider. She was dressed in the same damn shirt from the other night, but underneath it, he saw a pair of shortspeeking out. Thank god. He definitely couldn’t handle the temptation right now.
“Griffin? Is everything okay?”
He held the plate in front of him as a peace offering.
“I made too much dinner.”
“Oh! Thank you. It smells delicious.” She tentatively reached out to grab the dish from him. Their fingertips brushed, and a surge of awareness shot to the base of his spine.
“Would you like to come in?”
He really shouldn’t even entertain the idea. Besides, he still had his own dinner at his house to eat, though the thought of them both eating alone seemed silly now.
“No. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Griffin turned and left before she said another word.
He’d never been a coward before, but retreat was the only thing he could do. He couldn’t very well shove her up against the door and have his way with her.
He was in for another long, sleepless night.
ten
QUYNH
Quynh stretched her aching muscles, groaning softly as the incessant blare of her phone alarm finally pulled her away from her dreams. Mornings always involved a symphony of buzzing alarms, each one ignored for at least a few snooze cycles before she could muster the energy to open her eyes. Getting out of bed was a different story.
To say she wasn’t a morning person was an understatement of the year. Yawning, Quynh rolled over in bed, her sleepy brain slowly realizing she was not in her own apartment. The events of the past couple of days flooded her mind. With a groan of annoyance, Quynh heaved herself into a sitting position.
She had high hopes today would be a better day. A person can only endure so much negativity before they eventually break. Unfortunately, she was on the verge of a breakdown.
My god, she was utterly exhausted. It wasn’t the type of exhaustion that a few cups of coffee could fix. This was a heavy, leaden feeling, like a physical weight pressing down on her, leaving her utterly drained. She moved as though weighed down by countless burdens. A wave of melancholy washed over Quynh as she wondered if her mother experienced this same sense of loss and grief in the years after leaving this town. The irony of her situation was not lost on her. She was back in the town that broke her mother’s heart. And, if she wasn’t careful, it would leave her broken, too.
The wooden floor was chilly beneath her bare feet as she rushed into the bathroom to take care of her full bladder. It was still early enough in the morning for her to take a walk and grab a cup of coffee before Griffin opened up the shop. With the promise of her favorite drug, caffeine, in her near future, Quynh washed up and got dressed in a green dress and a light eggshell sweater with floral beading. She didn’t bother doing her makeup. It was too early for her to care. She would probably regret the choice later, but it was a problem for future Quynh and not present Quynh to worry about.
By the time she made it back from her early morning coffee stroll, Griffin and the gang were already busy working in the garage bay. She yelled a greeting from the parking lot and made her way into the office.
Her first call came from Mr. Henderson, whom she got to knowpretty well yesterday when he called. She soothed his ruffled feathers and let him vent his frustrations about not having his “precious baby” under the same roof as him, even though he begrudgingly admitted dropping by unannounced was not his best idea.
Mr. Henderson seemed placated by her platitudes, and they spent a few minutes chatting before he promised not to call again until tomorrow. She reassured him she’d call him the first moment before anything changed, and if his car was miraculously ready for him.
The rest of the phone calls were simple questions she could answer. In between phone calls, she started organizing the messy office. There was something to be said about having to work in a clean space to help ease anxieties. Once Griffin’s desk looked like it could be featured in a magazine, she stood at the doorway and admired her work. She was pleased with herself.
“Looks great in here.”
Griffin’s deep voice startled her as she whirled around, hand against her heart as it raced. She pretended it was the shock of his unannounced visit that sent her heart racing.
