Page 36 of Crash
She wasn’t sure how much longer it would take for Griffin to repair her car. Last she knew, he was still waiting for the parts to be delivered. Unfortunately, there was a manufacturing shortage. So what would normally be here in a few days could end up taking a few extra weeks.
The thought of being stuck in Willowbrook longer than she planned didn’t send her into a panic frenzy like she thought it would. She didn’t have a job to rush backto. In reality, Quynh welcomed the extra time in town. The delay worked out in her favor. She could use the extra time with her father while waiting for her car to be repaired, though it was probably annoying for Griffin to be her chauffeur. He seemed like he was always so busy at the shop.
She’d have to look into alternative options for rides. Maybe Julio or Sean could give her a ride on their way home. Or, she supposed she could call Cindy and ask if she could send a car to get her.
By the time she mustered up the courage to head downstairs, Griffin was nowhere in sight. She experienced a mixture of relief and disappointment at not seeing her grumpy mechanic. Her walk to and from the coffee shop was uneventful, other than the thoughts swirling inside her mind about her conflicting feelings about Griffin. By the time she came back, the garage doors were wide open, music pumping through the speakers, and voices drifted through to the parking lot.
She shouted a hello in greeting as she quickly made her way into the office, careful to avoid making eye contact with an especially grumpy pair of eyes peeking out from under the hood of the car at her.
She settled in to begin the workday. While most of the tasks were administrative: checking on orders, sending invoices, checking emails, answering the phones, and organizing around the office, she found she quite enjoyedthe work. Sure, she wasn’t seeing patients, prescribing medications, making medical diagnoses, or fighting with insurance companies, but it was still fulfilling to check off a task once it was completed.
Ironically, the administrative tasks were always something she dreaded at her last job. Not that she didn’t enjoy the work, obviously, but there just never seemed to be enough hours in her day to be both the provider, prescriber, and her own secretary. The staff were always willing to help, but quite often, the patients would refuse to discuss anything with anyone but her. It made her job more difficult when she was doing the work of multiple people.
A few days away from work made her realize how intensely burned out she was. It did no one any good because her mental exhaustion left her too drained to care for herself. In a way, working for Griffin had a therapeutic effect on her.
In her mind, she pictured her mental and social batteries recharging like a phone that was blinking red and was finally plugged into the charger. By the time she got to Willowbrook, her battery levels were critically low. She probably should have recognized the signs earlier, but she didn’t see the signs when things were at their worst.
It was only after the devastating loss of her job and, pretty soon, her father, that she realized how unhappy she was with her life.
seventeen
QUYNH
The sun was setting over the horizon by the time she heard the telltale signs of the garage bay doors closing. Julio and Sean popped in occasionally throughout the day to grab water from the water station and steal some snacks Griffin left for paying customers.
She’d laugh at their antics when they’d come inside. It was always nice to have a break in the monotony of the day. Sean would grab a bag of chips and munch on them loudly, giving her a playful wink before strolling back outside. He was probably a heartbreaker with his smooth-talking tendencies, while Julio was happily married with a baby on the way.
Julio was the quietest of the duo but no less friendly. She likened him to a golden retriever with his affable personality. While Griffin, the grouch, as she’d heard both Julio and Sean refer to him, was probably the grumpy cat meme she loved.
His tendency to lean more toward irate than friendly didn’t bother her. It was refreshing to meet someone who didn’t fake being happy in front of other people. There was no pretense with Griffin. What you saw was pretty much what you got. Well, for the most part.
She had no clue how he felt after last night. The few times she’d seen him since, there was the same permanent scowl across his face. Quite honestly, she was too much of a coward to meet his eyes for more than a couple of seconds before she averted her gaze. Pretending to be busy with something else.
Oh, shoot!That reminded her. She needed to order the parts he’d asked for earlier this afternoon. The ones he needed to fix her car. The sooner he could get the parts, the sooner he could finish the task. She wouldn’t be so dependent on him for car rides anymore. It would be a relief to gain some of her independence back, though she’d be lying if she said she wouldn’t miss his calm demeanor on their rides. It helped to soothe her anxiety about the upcoming visit with her father.
The side door opened.
Her skin prickled with a familiar awareness. She didn’t need to look up from her computer screen to know who walked in. She cleared her throat, pretending to be hyper-focused on the task at hand. Truth be told, it was really a simple task to order the parts. The login information was already saved. Griffin gave her a notepad with theparts he needed, so all it took was using the search function, adding to the cart, and then pressing the order button.
Voila!
The whole checkout process was made easier since the payment information was already saved to the account. Unfortunately, the shipping time frames were hardly accurate, per Griffin. So, now, it was just a waiting game.
When she was done with the order, she finally glanced up to find Griffin leaning on the high-top bar with arms crossed. A playful smirk hinted at the corner of his upturned lip. The mischievous glint in his eyes made her sit up straighter.
Gulping, she met his gaze. Heart racing, she was caught in his snare, like a lion with its sights on its next meal. There was no graceful way to escape her predicament. It was now or never.
“I’m just about done in the shop. I’m taking Rover for a walk by the lake before dinner. Care to join us?”
She glanced down at her simple blue sundress paired with ballet flats. Hardly an outfit meant for a stroll around the lake.
“Umm…I’d love to, but let me change first.”
“Meet me at my place when you’re ready. I’ll close up the shop.”
He tapped the counter twice with his fistbefore pushing away. She tried not to stare at his ass in his tight coveralls, but it was hard to resist. She jumped when she heard him clear his throat, only noticing he’d caught her staring at his ass.
Oh my god! Did he just catch me checking him out?
