Page 39 of Grease Monkey
Same routine, day after day.
“I’m glad you managed to sneak out tonight,” Teddy says, bringing my knuckles to his lips. “I sorta missed you.”
I pretend to gasp, all the while slowly melting on the inside into a gooey puddle on his seat. “You missed me?”
He flushes, and I want to reach out and poke his cheeks to see if it’s real. He never blushes.
“Don’t tell anyone. You’ll ruin my street cred.” Pushing the turn signal down, he clears his throat. “So, what’re Mommy and Daddy doing tonight that you could sneak away?”
“Dad’s got a city-wide town hall, and Mom obviously has to go and show support.” I glance out the window and watch the city go by.
“You didn’t want to go?”
I scoff an ugly and unladylike noise. Oh, how my mom would disapprove of me right now.
“I don’t get to go to those things. I don’t even think my dad really wants my mom there either.” I shrug. “Besides, I’d skip every single one just to spend time with you.” I cringe. “That was really mushy, wasn’t it?”
Teddy kisses my knuckles again and smiles wordlessly, but I hear him. Or at least I hope I do. The undercurrent of words we want to say—I want to say—but know we shouldn’t.
Pulling into his father’s auto shop, Teddy kills the engine. “You can wait here if you like. I’ll only be a sec.”
“And miss out on seeing Teddy in his natural habitat? No way, I’m coming.” I grin when his smile widens, taking over his entire face.
Unlocking the side door, he holds it open, arm spread wide. “Welcome to where the magic happens.”
“I thought that was your bedroom?” I tease, and he groans.
“I knew a dirty girl was hidden underneath that good-girl-next-door vibe you give off.”
Teddy has brought out this new side of me; relaxed, easy-going, and entirely insatiable for him. Whenever we are together, I can’t keep my hands off him, always needing his lips or hands on me, and he’s just as bad. But it’s not just the sex stuff. He brings calm to the constant storm that is in my life. He makes me see the world in a different light, and I’ve experienced more with him in five short months than I have in my seventeen years on this planet.
“Come over here,” he says, sliding his hand into mine and pulling me over to a huge flatbed truck. “This is what I’ve been working on this week.”
Running my hand along the grill, I stare at him in awe. “This is huge.”
“That’s what all the girls say.”
I cock a brow and laugh, before turning back to the truck. “You know how to fix one of these?”
“Yup.” He nods and drags over something similar to a skateboard with his foot. “Want to see underneath?”
My eyes widen as he drops to the board and spreads his legs, patting the space in front of him.
“Are you sure we won’t get stuck?” I ask, nibbling on my bottom lip.
Teddy lies back and slides under the vehicle. I drop down to my haunches and watch as he moves his hand between his chest and the underside of the truck.
“Think we’ll be all good,” he says and shuffles back out with his heels. “C’mon, Ana Banana, hop on.”
I position myself between his legs and lie back against his chest. Slowly, he pushes us back under and starts pointing out components, excitement and passion dripping from every word. His whole body is animated as he describes everything in great detail, and all of it goes straight over my head. But listening to the way he talks, the way he clearly loves cars, only reiterates that what I feel for him isn’t simply lust. I don’t think it ever was. I love him. Full-blown and head over heels in love with him. I release a shuddering breath. I am so screwed. The unknown expiration date—like a huge clock,tick, tick, tickingin my head—is sounding louder, drowning out Teddy’s words with white noise. But a small glimmer of hope that this could be something more, something permanent, comes in the form of a small white rectangle tucked away inside my bag.
He has to feel this too. That what we have could be real. We are stronger than two silly young people pretending to be in love.
Teddy’s arm slips around my waist, and his hand splays against my stomach. “What do you think?” Teddy asks, kissing the top of my head, breaking me out of my thoughts.
“Huh? Oh, it’s incredible.”
His chest vibrates under my back as he chuckles. “You had no idea what I was talking about, did you?”
