“What am I supposed to do now? How am I supposed to live without him?” She screamed out to God as she continued to drive, blinded by her own tears. It was a miracle she made it home without killing herself in a car accident. Wounded and hurt, she didn’t care whether she lived or died. Ken was her life and she could not imagine a life without him.
As she drove into their garage, Kiara sobbed louder. She didn't want to go back in their home. She had moved there with Ken. The house stood for their so called happy life together. Their life, their love, all boiled down to one big fat ugly lie.
Ken was a lying, cheating, rattle snake who stole her future right from beneath her feet. She was so close to finishing college and starting a lucrative career of her own. Instead, she gave it all up to play housewife to this sack of dog shit!
In a few minutes her whole life had been shattered into a zillion painful little pieces. This was the ultimate betrayal. Kiara wondered how long it had been going on. Then she realized it had been going on since the beginning and she was probably the last one to know. Everyone who knew Ken was keeping it a secret from her, including Mary. She felt stupid, used and defeated.
After a few more moments of trying to gather herself, she finally got out of the car and went into the house. Chances were strong Ken had reported her to the police. If he didn’t report her, the hospital would. It was just a matter of time before a warrant for her arrest would be issued. She had to get out of Buffalo immediately.
Packing her clothes, taking only the bare necessities, she found herself numb with fear and grief. She didn’t know what to do or where to go. Then, as if by magic, the phone rang. It was her mother. Calm and collected, she answered the phone.
“Hello.”
“Hey baby! It’s me, your mother.”
“Yeah, I know. Your number came up on the caller ID. Hi mom.”
“Kiara, I had this strange feeling. You know how I am when I get one of those feelings, so I had to call. What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” Kiara casually lied.
ghtnot>“Girl, don’t lie to me. I only get these God awful feelings when something is wrong with one of my babies. This one had your name all over it. So, I’m going to ask you again. What’s going on?”
Kiara knew very well how accurate her mother’s sixth sense feelings were. It was fruitless to lie. Besides, this was probably her one and only lifeboat from God. So she told her mother the modified truth.
“I don’t have all day, so go ahead and spit it out girl. If not, I’m going to go to the airport and fly to Buffalo to drag it out of you, so what’s it going to be?”
“I went to Ken’s office to surprise him with a picnic lunch. I caught him with his girlfriend. They had been having sex. I was angry and I threw a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup in his lap. I think I may have disfigured him.”
Kiara’s mom suppressed the pressing urge to laugh. “Is that everything?”
“No… I can’t stay here and I have no money and nowhere to go. Oh yeah, and I think the police may be issuing a warrant for my arrest for attacking Ken,” She confessed.
“Okay! I’ve heard enough. Go to a bank. I’m putting a thousand dollars in the bank account you had when you were in college. You still have that account right?”
“Yes, mam,” Kiara managed, fighting back her emotions.
“Okay, I’m going to transfer the funds online right now. Get on a plane and come to Miami.”
“I have my car, I’ll drive.”
“No! Get on a plane. You’re too distraught to drive that distance. I don’t want to take the chance. This feeling is too strong on me. Call me when you get to the airport. Leave now and take only what you can carry in a carry on suitcase.”
“Ma, what about my clothes and my things?”
“Leave them, we’ll get them later after things settle down between you two. I’ll take you shopping after you get here. Come home, Kiara. Your father and I will take care of everything.” Naturally, Kiara’s mom was upset, but remained the composed one in order help her. "Don't worry, honey. Comto her parent’s house. t conote home for now. We will get this arranged. We will take care of everything. It will be alright. Okay?"
"Okay, mom. I'll come home. I’m leaving now," Kiara choked back her tears and calmly replied.
“Good. Now get to the airport. Love you, baby.”
“Love you too, mom.”
Kiara remained eerily calm until she hung up the phone. Then she burst into a full body sob as she grabbed her suitcase and walked their home for the very final time. Packing her things in the car, she vowed to never return. She drove to the airport, boarded a plane to her hometown and moved into her parent’s house. One week later she filed for a divorce.
FOUR
Four agonizing months have passed since Kiara left her husband and moved back to her parent’s house. Distraught and hurt, she quickly sank into an unhealthy melancholy mood she just couldn’t shake. Quickly residing to the fact her marriage was over, she filed for divorce and was granted one ninety days later. Ken called frequently, but she refused to take his calls. Surprisingly, her dad, Dan, fought for reconciliation of their marriage, but Kiara was adamantly against it.
Kiara came from a wealthy family who came from a combination of new money and moldy old money. Her mom’s dad was extremely rich and left his vast estate to Kiara’s mom, Stacey, when he passed away. Now, Kiara’s grandfather and her dad never really saw eye to eye. Her grandfather thought Dan wasn’t good enough to date his daughter, so he forbid their relationship. Young and in love, Kiara’s mom continued to see her dad behind her grandfather’s back.
Kiara’s granddad didn’t like Dan because he was a member of the working class when he met Stacey. Dan worked hard to prove to his would be father in-law that he could take care of his daughter. So, he put himself through college and started a small mechanic’s shop. Within a year he’d made a name for himself and enough money to buy his first home. Still, that wasn’t good enough for Kiara’s grandfather. He refused to give them his blessings. The couple didn’t care and soon moved in together. A few months later Stacey became pregnant with Kevin, Kiara’s brother, and the couple ran off to Vegas and were married. Two years later they had Kiara.
Against the odds, Kiara’s father f
As fate would dictate, Dan opened his seventh auto diagnostic center and hired Kiara to manage it. The new state of the art facility was fully operational and staffed. All it needed was a bright, energetic manager with a head for business and the heart to manage twelve men and an old woman. Kiara was almost perfect for the position. She was just a semester shy of getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and she had a pretty good eye for business. Unfortunately, she didn’t know a thing about running an auto repair shop.
Nonetheless, the new shop was an hour away and would give her the excuse and money she needed to move into an apartment of her own. So, Kiara jumped at the chance to take the position. She figured she’d soon learn all she needed to know once she started working there. Kiara realized there would be a slight learning curve, but she was up for the task. Besides, it beat staying at home thinking about Ken fucking Rebecca or whoever else he fancied.
Now, even though Kiara had a great job and a new condo, she wasn't happy. She was divorced, alone and horny as hell. In addition, she really had not settled well in her new position as shop manager. It was hard managing a bunch of men. Kiara knew exactly what everyone in the shop seemed to think of her. They thought she only got the manager’s position because of nepotism, and not due to her competence. They also felt she was too stupid to run the place and knew absolutely nothing about cars, let alone auto diagnostics and repair.
Everyone hated the fact she was under qualified and overpaid. It was obvious Kiara had no credentials to run the place, except for her own belief she could do it. Frankly, they were right. It was, indeed, nepotism and she knew absolutely nothing about cars except how to drive. So, Kiara could hardly argue with them.
Still, she was determined to prove them wrong.
Spirited by their team leader, Val Hanson a master mechanic, they were routinely insubordinate and condescending to her. Sure, she could whine and complain to her dad about their behavior, but she didn’t. It was a family owned business and her dad trusted her to carry her weight and to be a great manager just like Kevin, her brother. Bottom line, this was her damn shop and Kiara was determined to run it whether they liked her or not. Unfortunately, until she proved herself to the mechanics, her life at the shop was going to be a living hell.
As Kiara pulled up in the parking area ten minutes late she was instantly greeted with an insult from Val. “You’re late, Your Highness!” His gruff voice not their relationship. el Inoted as he looked at the clock and eyeballed her.
Val was five years older than Kiara, a master mechanic and Kiara’s number one hater. All he had ever known was being a mechanic. He was raised in his dad’s shop and he used to own a shop of his own. Unfortunately, as an independent mechanic, he couldn't fight a big chain, like Dan’s. So, he took Dan up on the offer to become the lead mechanic at Kiara’s shop when he was offered the position. Naturally, he wanted the manager’s position, but soon discovered the position had been filled by Kiara, Dan’s daughter. There was no secret he despised Kiara for taking his spot.
He thought to resign the second he found out, but Dan convinced him to reconsider. No one knew it, but Val was offered and paid more than Kiara. After a little soul searching, Val realized he could make a hell of a lot more working for Dan’s chain than running his own shop. His old business was barely profitable, despite working long, hard hours. It also landed him on the wrong end of an ugly divorce. So, he soon withdrew his resignation.
Kiara actually liked Val. In fact, she kind of had a little crush on him. Val was tall, tanned and extremely handsome. Watching him strip off his shirt to cool off was the highlight of her day. His body was ripped and toned like a gladiator. The thought of what lied beneath those overalls and hung between his legs often kept her up at night, snuggling with her vibrator.
On a professional level, she saw him as an excellent resource and asset to her shop. Val was really good at his job. He was an excellent mechanic and a great shop leader. All of the mechanics respected and admired him. There was just one problem as far as Kiara was concerned. Val hated her guts. Well, at least that’s how Kiara felt.
"Look everyone! Our wise and exalted leader has finally arrived! All hail the Queen.” He continued in a sarcastic tone, trying to get a rise out of her.
"Shut up, Val! I’m not in the mood for your malicious sarcasm this morning." Kiara grunted, as she pushed past him and headed for her office. She was sick of him and tired of his snide remarks. She had officially had it.
"Or else?" Val laughed. "What? You gonna fire me?"
"I might if you continue to dance on my last nerve." She said as she spun to face him. The icy stare she flashed him revealed she was pissed. Val simply laughed and walked away.
Kiara slammed her office door shut to the roaring laughter of everyone in the shop. Sulking, she spent the remainder of the day in her office. She was afraid if anyone said anything to her rude, insubordinate or crass she would fire them immediately. Her office was a safe, hassle free zone, so she locked her door and camped out there until the end of the day.
Kiara had a cashier who took payments, answered phones and scheduled appointments. So, she spent the bulk of her day marketing and crunching numbers. She really wasn't needed that much in the daily operation of the shop. She saw herself more as a puppet master who was pulling the strings in the background. In fact, the few times she tried to interfere with the daily operation, all ended in disaster. She just wound up making herself look like a stupid fool. Val was the one who supervised the actual work. And, even though they didn't get along, Kiara knew she could trust Val to make sure everything ran smoothly.
FIVE
At the end of day, after the cashier and the mechanics left, Kiara finally ventured out of her office. She needed to talk to Val before he locked up and left for the day. She didn't really want to deal with Val, but enough was enough. In her eyes, he was a stubborn and mean man. She’d rather stab herself in the eye than to confront him, but it had to be done.
Val was always the last person to leave. When Kiara entered the garage he had just finished washing his face and hands from the oil and grease of the day. Kiara caught a whiff of a subtle, musky scent of masculinity as she approached him. His shirt was off and his chest was moist from the sweat of a hard day’s work.
"Val, can I speak to you for a second before you leave?" Kiara asked in a professional, non- threatening tone.
Val wiped his sweaty chest with a clean towel as he eyed the stunning Kiara. A slick grin creased his handsome face. “Sure, go ahead.” Before Kiara could say a word, he said, “Okay, stop. Times up.”
"Stop playing! That’s not funny.”
“What? You said you wanted to talk to me for a second. Don’t blame me because you’re slow.” He chuckled as he continued to taunt her.
“You know what? Enough! We need to talk. This isn’t Comedy Central and you are not funny!" Kiara insisted. get to the airport. Lkey fa
"Sorry, what is it my queen?" Val asked with a hint of venom.
Kiara felt the sting, but decided to ignore it. "I’ve been running the numbers and it seems to me we are ordering way too many surplus parts. I was thinking we could save money if we cut it down."
“I have two problems with that.”
Kiara waited for him to speak, but Val said nothing. “Okay, so what’s wrong with what I just said?”
“First, it's always a good idea to have some extra parts on the shelves. We don’t have to wait on standard parts we need and it guarantees we do not run out of parts we use every day. So, technically, there are no excess parts on my shelves.”
“Okay, I get that. Now, what’s the second problem?”
Val eyed Kiara as he tossed the used towel into the laundry hamper. She was a pain in his ass but he had to admit she was an incredibly gorgeous woman. “Never mind. It’s been a long day and an even longer week. It’s Friday night and I just want to get a couple of beers in me, kick back and relax.” He conceded as he suddenly realized he didn’t want to fight with Kiara.
“I understand and as soon as our meeting is over you’re free to do that. So, what was the second problem?” Kiara responded with a hint of attitude.
Feeling the sting of her words, Val quickly changed his mind. It was obvious Kiara was smelling herself and had rustled up the courage to exert her authority. “Okay! You sure you want to do this?”
“Actually, I do. I’m just waiting on you. This is way overdue.”
“Alright! You want to do this, then let’s do this!” His sultry voice challenged.
“Still waiting on you.” Kiara retorted. “Bring it!”
“You said you were thinking. Please don’t! Play to your strengths, and thinking isn’t one of them.”
“Did you just imply that I’m stupid?” Kiara asked offended. the manager’s positiondou>“Well, if you’re too dumb to know when you’ve been insulted then you probably are stupid!” Val snapped and walked away, as if the matter had been solved.
Kiara followed on his heels like an angry Chihuahua. “Where do you think you are going? Don’t you dare walk away from me!” She snapped. “Get back here! We are not finished with our meeting.”
Val spun around and faced her. He was officially pissed the hell off. “Oh yes we are! I got off an hour ago! You asked for a second of my time and now you’ve pissed away fifteen minutes of it with bullshit! If you don’t know what the hell you are doing then leave the thinking to me! I’m better at it! Meeting is fucking adjourned!”
“You know what? FUCK YOU VAL! You have under minded my authority and position in this shop from the day we opened. You turned all the men against me and made them disrespect me! I don’t want to, but I will fire your arrogant fucking
ass tonight if I have to!”
“So what? Go right ahead. I can work in any shop in Miami, including any one of the shops your father owns! Yeah! I’m just that damn good! I don’t need this bullshit!”
“Good, then get the FUCK OUT OF MINE!” She screamed.
“Don’t worry! I can’t get my white ass out of here quick enough!”
“So, is that it? You’re a racist as well as a sexist! Is that why you don’t respect me, because I’m black?”
“Don’t be absurd! You know better than that. Your father’s black and your brother’s black and I’d work for either one of them in a heartbeat! Hell, if you must know, my ex-wife and my two children are black! So, take your golden race card and shove it up your ass!” He screamed in her face! Kiara was stunned. She had no response. “The reason nobody respects you is because of the way you dress and carry yourself.”
“What? What’s wrong with how I dress?”
“Look at you! First, you don’t have a bra on!”
“I’m wearing a halter top and I have perfect breasts! I don’t need a fucking bra for your information!” She snapped. their relationship. :ghtnot
“I agree, they’re perfect, but you still need to wear a damn bra! You work in a shop with twelve horny ass men! Put some fucking clothes on!” Val yelled back. “Second… Your fucking skirt is so damn short you need two haircuts to wear it!”
“SUCK MY CLIT, VAL!” Kiara jumped in his face and screamed.
Suddenly Val’s face turned beet red. Something inside him snapped. Kiara was screaming and spitting obscenities in his face so fast he couldn’t think. Her lips were less than a millimeter away from his. Rage and lust quickly consumed him. He lunged at her.
“Woman, you are driving me fucking insane!” He screamed back.
Startled at his aggression, Kiara tried to retreat. She scurried backwards until she couldn’t take another step. Her ass was against an old Camaro the guys had been restoring since the shop opened. There was nowhere to run. She was trapped.
Mechanics of Lust Page 2
