Page 60 of Trick or Treat Nurse at My Feet
Her tone makes it clear that "catching up" isn't all she has in mind. Something uncomfortable twists in my stomach.
"Sorry," Marcus says, not sounding sorry at all. "Tyler's station is full at the moment. But Ethan and I will take good care of your car."
She finally looks at us, her gaze lingering on me with obvious assessment. "You again," she says.
"I'm just helping out." I can feel a fake smile take over my face.
"How nice," she says, her voice dripping with insincerity. She turns back to Marcus. "I can wait for Tyler."
"We try to keep things moving efficiently," Marcus says firmly. "And there's a line forming. So, if you'd like your car washed, we're happy to do it. Otherwise, I can direct you to the exit."
Cher looks like she's about to argue, but then Tylerappears at the next station over, pulling off his soaked white t-shirt and using it to wipe his face. A bunch of people in line make sounds like they're enjoying the sight, and honestly, I get it. Water droplets run down his chest and abs, catching the sunlight.
When he lowers the shirt, his eyes meet mine, and he smiles, that genuine, warm smile that seems reserved just for me. My unease about Cher evaporates.
"Fine," she says tersely, breaking my focus. You can wash it." She walks out of the car deliberately, stretching to show off her figure.
Marcus rolls his eyes behind her back. "We'll have it done in less than 10 minutes."
"Take your time," she says, pulling out her phone and wandering toward where Tyler is now rinsing a minivan.
"Sorry about that," Marcus murmurs to me as we get to work. "She's been trying to get back with Tyler for weeks."
"It's fine," I say, though I can't help watching as she approaches Tyler, tossing her hair back and touching his arm as she speaks.
"Don't worry," Marcus says, clearly noticing my concern. "Tyler's been shutting her down pretty hard. And now I see why." He grins at me.
Blushing, I focus on washing the convertible's hood. "We're just... It's new."
"New is good," Marcus says quickly. "And for what it's worth, I've known Tyler for three years, and I've never seen him look at Cher or anyone like he looks at you."
His words make something warm bloom in my chest, and I hide my smile by ducking down to scrub the car's license plate.
I've mostly pushed my jealousy away when we finish Cher's convertible. Marcus is right;whenever I look over, Tyler is keeping a polite but clear distance from his ex, even though she keeps finding reasons to touch him or stand too close.
"Your car is ready," Marcus calls to her, and she breaks off mid-sentence to Tyler, who looks relieved.
She checks the car carefully, then tosses a twenty in the donation jar without looking at us. As she gets into the driver's seat, she throws out one last comment just loud enough for me to catch.
"When you're done with your little experiment, Tyler, call me."
My gut sinks as her words hit home, bringing up all the fears I've been trying to ignore. Luckily for me, another car pulls up, and we get busy with work again.
The next hour flies by in a mix of soap suds and laughter. I'm caught off guard by how at ease I feel with the frat guys, who make me feel like I'm one of them. Many customers try to flirt with me while I’m washing their cars, including this guy in a BMW who asks for my number when his girlfriend steps away to use the washroom.
I notice Tyler watching as this guy talks to me. His face gets all serious when the dude leans out his window to say something that makes me laugh awkwardly. Once the BMW drives off, Tyler comes over with some clean towels.
"Making friends?" he asks, his tone light but his eyes serious.
"Not intentionally. Apparently, car washes bring out the bold in people."
"Tell me about it," Tyler grumbles, glancing across the lot where Cher is still lingering, pretending to talk to some friends while watching us. "Sorry about her, by the way."
"Not your fault. Besides, Marcus ran interference pretty well."
"Yeah, he's good at that." Tyler lowers his voice. "For the record, she and I were done long before... this." He gestures between us.
"I know," I say. "You and your brothers made that pretty clear."
