The Reason

by Jen Andrews

  “Hola, Zoey,” my mom exclaimed happily when she answered. Gotta love caller ID.

  “Hi, Mom,” I said. “I wanted to let you and Dad know that Andy’s all moved in.”

  “Oh, I’m glad to hear it. Did you meet him yet?”

  “Yes. I did. We spent the entire day together, shopping for things he needed for his apartment. He even took me to dinner last night.” I went on to tell her about everything that happened with Rob but omitted the hot ear-nibbling part, of course.

  “I’m glad he was with you, Zoey.”

  I was glad he’d been there too. “I’ll see you at work sometime tomorrow, Mom. Have a good night. Love you.”

  “Goodnight, Mija,” she replied cheerfully.

  I mixed some fresh ranch dressing for my salad, and then started making the mac and cheese for dinner. I decided to throw two gigantic chicken breasts in the oven to bake, too. At least I would have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

  Wondering if Andy was going to fix dinner at his place or not, I sent him a text before I changed my mind.

  You cooking anything for dinner? Come over if you want. Dinner is at seven.

  A few minutes before seven, my intercom buzzed. It was Andy. “Hey, I would never turn down a home-cooked meal. I brought drinks, too,” he said. I hit the button and buzzed him into the building.

  Even though I spent the whole day with him, I felt like I wanted to spend more time getting to know him. We were neighbors and coworkers now, after all. Yes, that was me making excuses to spend time with him. Shit…

  After I let him in, he kicked off his shoes and joined me in the kitchen. He leaned against the counter and watched me work on dinner after I refused to let him help.

  A few minutes later, there was a knock at my door. “What the heck?” I stated nervously. Nobody had access to the building without a key or being buzzed in by Will, Justin, or me. I looked through the peephole and was pleased to see my neighbors on the landing outside my door.

  “Hey, guys, what’s up?” I asked as I opened the door. “Come on in.”

  They came inside, and Justin was the first one to speak. “Hey, Zoey, we just wanted to check up on you. We saw a superhot guy walking across—”

  He stopped talking when he caught sight of Andy standing in the kitchen. An excited expression washed over his face when he turned to face Will and me. “Well, I guess we know where the hot guy went, Will,” he announced enthusiastically. “Zoey, are you gonna introduce us, or what?”

  I silently hoped he wouldn’t drool on my floor. “Guys, this is Andy, the new mechanic my dad hired. He’s renting the apartment over the shop, too.” I was trying to be nonchalant about it. They were constantly on my ass about getting out and dating, and I didn’t want them to get their hopes up, especially since there was a hot man standing all sexy-like and looking completely at home in my kitchen.

  They shook hands and introduced themselves to one another. I was unsure if Andy had heard Justin say he was superhot. He didn’t let on if he had.

  Will and Justin sat on the barstools at the counter, talking with Andy about New Zealand, while I was getting dinner ready. I laughed to myself as I heard them convince Andy to teach them a few slang words and sayings that were common in New Zealand. They seemed to be having a good time together, so I continued to prepare dinner.

  Since I made a ton of mac and cheese, and it would take me days to eat it, I decided to see if the guys wanted to stay for dinner. “Do you two want to stay for dinner, since you’re here?” I asked Will and Justin. It was the least I could do for them feeding me all the time. “There should be enough, if you don’t mind splitting a piece of chicken with each other, and there’s plenty of mac and cheese.”

  “You had us at mac and cheese, Zoey,” Justin admitted. So easy to please that guy.

  After the food was ready, we sat down and had a nice dinner together. We were all getting to know our new neighbor, although, it sort of felt like a double date, since Will and Justin were a couple.

  Andy had brought over some beer and a bottle of Johnnie Walker, so with the food and drinks flowing, I was really enjoying myself. We told Andy all about our days in the high school choir together and even sang a few songs for him at his insistence.

  Luckily, I had a buzz. Otherwise, I never would’ve had the nerve to sing in front of him.

  After dinner, I went to the kitchen to load the dishes into the dishwasher and left the men to hang out. Justin came in to help me, leaving Andy and Will in the dining room, both of them laughing their asses off about something. Andy had a great laugh. It was deep and sexy.

  “Zoey, it’s so nice to see you looking so happy! Are you and Andy seeing each other?” he asked.

  “We only met yesterday, Justin,” I stated, surprised by his question. “Besides, he works for my dad, and you know what happened with Rob. I am not going down that road again.”

  Rob could’ve taken a lot more than my car. He could have taken my store, which was a business my dad co-owned. He could have ruined my dad’s business, too, if things hadn’t ended the way they did. I knew I would never put my family or myself in that position again.

  In the process of what Rob did to me, he had knocked me down a peg or two, so I had a hard time trusting people.

  Rob didn’t deserve a cent, because he put no time, effort, or money into The Speed Shop. I did the majority of the work, with my dad helping with the startup costs and co-signing on my loan. My dad was a silent partner and only stepped in to help when I asked for it. We had a great working relationship, however, he could still get hurt financially, if my business took a hit.

  It wasn’t that I thought Andy was like Rob. They were nothing like each other.

  “Earth to Zoey…” Justin said in a goofy singsong voice while snapping his fingers in front of my face. The thoughts about Andy and Rob disappeared from my head.

  “Sorry!” I laughed, realizing I had completely tuned him out as I immersed myself in my thoughts. “Justin, I know where you’re headed with this,” I whispered to him, not wanting Will and Andy to hear me. “I do like Andy. He’s a great guy. Do I think he would pull the same shit Rob did? Hell no! But, he works for my dad, and after what Rob did this morning, I have no intention of being involved with someone I work with.” Again.

  Justin raised his eyebrows, and I knew by the look on his face that he was going to get pissy. “What the hell did Rob do this morning, Zoey?”

  I explained to him what happened at the store, and what Andy did to get Rob off my back.

  “Face it, baby girl. That sexy beast in there just might have the hots for you, and you would be crazy not to act on it. If he did what you said he did, and he only knew you for twenty-four hours, I’d say you can trust him not to fuck you over.”

  He was right. I shrugged, not really wanting to continue the conversation because it was depressing. I knew I could never become romantically involved with Andy as long as he worked for my dad.

  Justin got a nasty grin on his face. “You can at least give him a blowjob after what he did for you this morning.”

  I smacked him hard on the arm. “You are not right in the head, you know that?” My face got hot and it was, no doubt, bright red from embarrassment. “Besides, I’ve never given one before,” I whispered. I really was buzzed, because every tiny thought that popped into my fucking head was coming out of my damn mouth.

  Justin raised his eyebrows. “Well, the first thing you wanna do is…” He went on to explain to me how to give the perfect blowjob, in graphic detail.

  I was too intrigued and laughing too hard to care how embarrassed I was by the conversation. I had been married before, but I wasn’t experienced when it came to anything other than good old missionary position. Besides, Rob only cared about getting himself off, so I spent the majority of our marriage completely unsatisfied in the sex department.

  From the dining room, Will bellowed, “Hey! What’s taking you hoes so long in there?”

  “Mind y
our own business!” I yelled back. “I’m learning how to give blowjobs in here!” Ouch, that sounded really, really bad. Good going, Zoey. Must…stop…drinking…

  Suddenly there was a commotion coming from the dining room. Chairs scraped across the floor, and heavy footsteps thundered toward the kitchen. Andy and Will fought each other through the doorway between the dining room and kitchen. Andy won.

  Justin and I laughed at them. “Jesus, you two,” I squeaked. “I’m not learning how to give one literally! He’s gay, remember?” I blurted out, pointing at Justin.

  By the time I finished my sentence, we were all in hysterics. I swore I saw a relieved expression pass over Andy’s face. I sent the men back to the dining room while I finished in the kitchen.

  When the dishwasher was loaded, I rejoined them for a few more drinks. By the time we finished off the beer, and most of the bottle of Johnnie Walker, I was close to being drunk. Unfortunately, the alcohol was making me extremely tired. It had been a long week, then a long weekend, and we had to work the next day.

  Andy noticed I was fading fast, because he spoke up, “We’d better get out of here, guys. It looks like we’re losing her.” He was completely adorable with a happy grin on his face and sleepy blue eyes from drinking.

  They stood from the table and put their empty beer bottles in the recycle bin. I walked them to the door and held it open as they made their exits. Justin and Will both gave me a hug and wet sloppy kisses on the cheek.

  Andy gave me a hug, too, but the kiss I received on the cheek from him was not wet and sloppy. He rested the palm of his big hand on my cheek, and his fingers tangled slightly in my hair. His warm lips brushed my cheek, and it made my skin tingle.

  “Thank you again, for everything, Zoey. I don’t know what I would have done without you this weekend. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Goodnight. Come see me in the office tomorrow morning. We’ll do your paperwork and get your uniforms ordered.” He nodded his head and started down the stairs.

  “Hey, Andy?” He stopped on the stairs and looked back up at me. “Thanks again for this morning with Rob. I’m glad you were there.”

  He smiled at me and gave me a little wave. “Me too. Sleep well, Zoey.” He continued down the stairs and out the lobby door.

  After shutting and locking my door, I went to my room and got ready for bed. I was too tired to add anything to my daily journal, but I did decide to change the ringtone Andy had set for his calls on my cell. The one he set was funny, but definitely not fitting for him. It didn’t take me long to find the perfect song for his ringtone, and I decided it would be my song of the day, too.

  “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon.

  The next morning, I woke up feeling tired and a little crabby. Maybe it was a hangover. Who knows? Again, I did not sleep well and woke several times during the night. Each time, the first thought that entered my mind was about what Rob had done, and how sweet it was for Andy to defend me.

  It took a while for me to get back to sleep each time, so I had plenty of time to think about how great Andy was. I knew I shouldn’t think about him as anything other than a friend, though.

  All the festivities of the previous week and weekend had finally caught up with me. My muscles were sore from cleaning, painting, and being tense, so I spent a little extra time in a hot shower after I dragged my ass out of bed.

  Sitting down on the shower seat, I turned on the body jets installed in the wall and enjoyed a nice back massage to ease some of the fatigue. I finished my shower, dried off, and pulled on my cozy, hot pink, fleece robe from Victoria’s Secret.

  My days with my birth mom, then my days in foster care, made me appreciate the nicer things in life. Until my adoption, I never owned anything new. Shit, I never owned anything. My former foster parents let me borrow items that previously belonged to someone else. No matter what foster home I went to, I was always wearing someone else’s old, unwanted, underwear, socks, and clothing.

  Aside from my old black Chucks, I liked to treat myself to new, girly, pretty clothes. They made me feel good and gave me a bit of a confidence boost that I truly needed, even if it was something simple, like my favorite pajamas, which were simple tank tops and boxer short sets from Victoria’s Secret.

  I worked my ass off, so I deserved it, right?

  Suddenly, I found myself wanting this funky depression to stop. I decided that as soon as Andy was squared away at work, I would call my hairdresser to see if I could get my hair cut and styled later in the day. With the anniversary party coming up, I needed to look presentable for it as well.

  Stepping from my bathroom to my bedroom, I slipped my robe off and let it drop to the floor. I dressed in a matching bra and panty set, a pair of jeans, and a James Racing T-shirt for work. Once dressed, I returned to the bathroom and applied a bit of makeup, and then combed and blow-dried my hair straight.

  My stomach growled loudly, begging for food, so I headed to the kitchen, turning on my iPod when I walked past the dock. With plenty of time before I had to be at work, I made a cheese and mushroom omelet and a bowl of fruit for breakfast.

  Sitting alone in the dining room eating, my thoughts kept drifting to Andy. He was undeniably sweet, gorgeous, sexy, and virile. Truthfully, he seemed to be the perfect package.

  He would definitely make a wonderful boyfriend for some lucky girl. It just wouldn’t be me.

  My cell phone pinged with a new message, breaking my train of thought. Thoughts I had no business having. I forgot where I left my cell the previous night, especially once we started drinking.

  After searching for five minutes, I finally decided to call my cell from my home phone. I found it in the living room between the couch cushions. How it ended up there, I would never know. I touched the screen to find I had missed eight calls and two text messages.

  I cringed when I scrolled through the missed calls. They were all from Rob, of course, and he didn’t leave a message. Big surprise. I’d considered changing my number several times, but it was too much of a pain in the ass. Deleting Rob’s messages was easier than having to send out my new phone number to everyone.

  There was a text from my mom telling me she would be late to the office, and I would need to get started with Andy’s paperwork and new employee spiel on my own. No problem, I can handle that.

  It would be nice to spend a few minutes alone with him. I knew it was stupid of me to think it, but I couldn’t help it. I knew we could never be anything more than friends, and I was getting a little bit ahead of myself. He might not even be attracted to me, but I was definitely attracted to him. Crap. I need to get my mind straight.

  I thought back to the previous night, when he kissed my cheek. I knew he probably did it because Will and Justin both did as they were leaving…but, holy hell. My face flushed at the thought of his warm lips on my skin, a hint of Johnnie Walker still on his breath, the sexy as hell stubble on his face, and the way it tickled as it brushed my skin.

  Did I mention the way he touched my face? I loved the way his palm rested easily against my cheek, with the tips of his fingers in my hair, and the way my entire body tingled when his fingertips grazed the same earlobe he gently bit.

  Holy fucking hell. I was going to need a cold shower. Or sex. Lots and lots of sex with the very nice looking new neighbor.

  My cell phone pinged again with a text, snapping me out of thoughts that were very quickly turning pornographic in my head. Speaking of the sexy new neighbor… The text was from Andy.

  Good morning. Did you eat yet? Getting ready to fix something if you want to come by. Had fun last night with you and your friends.

  I messaged him back.

  Sorry, just finished eating. Yes, it was fun last night and they are great aren’t they? See ya in a bit. 8 am sharp!

  He sent a text back with a smiley face and a message.

  :) Yes ma’am! Who’s being bossy today?

  Guess it was my turn to be bossy for the day. He was bossy with me the
previous day at lunch, when he made me eat part of his sandwich. I definitely won’t forget to eat with him around, although that might not be a bad thing. I pulled my pants up from my lower hips and decided to go put on a belt. It seemed I had managed to lose a few pounds over the last several months.

  I arrived at work around seven-thirty and decided to clean the office. Finding the spray cleaner and a towel, I dusted all of the surfaces of the desks, and then swept the floor. It didn’t take long at all, and by the time I was done, it was a few minutes before eight, and my brothers were loudly making their way through the back door.

  They must have met Andy outside and introduced themselves already. Noah held the door open, while Andy and Jeremy pushed a giant rolling toolbox through it.

  “Thanks for the help,” Andy told Jeremy and Noah as they showed him where to put his toolbox at the back wall of his new work bay.

  The James Racing shop had five large work bays. There was one for each of my brothers, and then one for Andy. Each bay had a car lift, and the mechanics brought in their own toolboxes and tools.

  At the opposite end of the shop, there was another large bay for the dyno machine, where they measured the torque and horsepower on the drag cars. The mechanics could make the necessary changes to the engines to get the cars running to their best performance potential by using the dyno machine.

  Directly behind the bays was a large machine shop, where they custom built anything they needed for the drag cars. Next to the machine shop was our break room, newly refurbished customer lounge, and the office. The lounge had large windows facing the shop bays, so the customers could see the mechanics as they worked on their cars if they wanted to.

  While my brothers helped Andy get situated in his new work area, I went out to the front of the shop to pick up the mail out of the locked mailbox. On the way, I stopped at the main entrance and asked our front desk girl, Mandy, how her weekend had gone. We talked until the phone rang, so I waved goodbye to her as she scheduled an appointment.