by Unknown
“You can borrow my car while I’m gone, but I know they’ll take care of it tomorrow.”
“Do you need me to drive you to the airport?”
“No, I have a friend of mine picking me up, but thanks.”
~~~~~
The next morning, I was all alone in the apartment. Brent was gone and that meant I was the boss for the next week. Nerves struck me. I was going to meet his staff. There were three other employees, and I knew they wouldn’t like me since I was an interloper. Brent told me that was nonsense because they were all nice.
I hurried down there to see four people waiting for me. One guy was leaning over the bar with his elbows. There were two women sitting at a table with the most attractive man I’d ever seen. I took a big gulp of air because suddenly I felt like I couldn’t breathe. My eyes immediately moved to his. Brent only had three staff members here, so who was the other person? The man in the chair stood up and I took a step back. Holy shit, what did they feed people here? I really hoped the over grown six foot something giant wasn’t a part of the staff. The feeling rushing over me just from the first glance hit me like a brick wall. It was straight up lust. I wanted to climb up him and grind my untouched body against his strong one.
“Um, hello, everyone. I’m Sonya, and I’ll be holding down the fort for Brent until he comes back. Although, I’m sure it will be simple since he raved about his team,” I said without taking my eyes away from the man in jeans and a black tee shirt that hugged the muscles on his arms.
One of the chicks at the table noticed my gawking and said, “Don’t worry, he’s a gentle giant. He won’t bite and he doesn’t work here.”
“Oh. So what are you doing here?” I asked with a sassy tone. I didn’t mean to, but why did mister perfection just mosey on in here when he didn’t even belong and fuck up my cool no nonsense way of managing a bar? It wasn’t time for the bar to be open for another five hours, so it was a fair question.
“I’m here to fix your flat apparently. I’m Shane Cline.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Oops, he worked for the tire place. I didn’t mean to be rude to him.
“No sweat.”
“Here’s your water, Shane,” the guy who’s name I couldn’t remember for the life of me said as handed it to the mechanic.
“I’ll be outside. I’ll let you know when I’m done,” he grumbled, strolling out of the place like he didn’t just knock my world off kilter.
“He’s not available, honey,” Mack said. That was his name. As soon as the big guy gave me room to breathe I could remember the other guy’s name. I was in big trouble if he came back in during working hours.
Chapter 2
It was the end of summer and more and more vehicles were on the road, more importantly motorcycles. It was my specialty. I owned Inclined Motorcycles and Auto Repair. The business started as a repair shop, but as my skills at building rides grew, I added custom motorcycles to my services. We had about ten orders a year and growing. With a small staff and the custom builds, I had to be careful what I could take on. Timing was important to my clients, and as a man of my word, I made all my deadlines. I didn’t care if I had to spend eighty hours a week in the shop to get shit done on time. That was just who I was; it was engrained into me. So I felt shitty that I hadn't kept my word to Brent. He was a good friend and needed me to do him a solid. Not that it mattered either way; my word was my bond.
When I pulled up to the bar, I saw the vehicle immediately. The rust bucket had a gangster lean about it. I had a feeling it was more than a bent rim. It was going to need to be towed into the shop. Now, I didn’t feel so guilty about the reschedule. I wasn’t worried about the cost because Brent was good for it. It was strange, though, that he was willing to pay for his new employee’s car to be fixed, but it was only strange until I saw her. She was fucking perfect and coming down from Brent’s place. Since Brent was estranged from his family, I knew she wasn’t related, so there was only one explanation for her staying with him. He was fucking her. I hated that bullshit because I wanted her, too.
My eyes had a hard time pulling away from her. I watched her legs slide one in front of the other as she walked down the stairs. She had on a pair of leggings that clung to her legs like they were painted on. I groaned internally.
I was sitting down next to the other two girls that worked at the bar, Chrissy and Susie. I didn’t invite them to sit next to me, but they always seemed to follow me around. Like somehow after four years of knowing them I was suddenly going to change and want to fuck them. It wasn’t going to happen. They were the typical buckle bunnies. They chased around the rodeo circuits looking for cowboys needing a night of relief after riding a bull. I wanted nothing to do with the two. Now the pretty brunette on the other hand could make me forget the promise I made. Unable to look away from her, I focused on her face. If I looked at her body with her curve hugging clothes, I didn’t know what I would do.
Her eyes. Damn her eyes were the prettiest blue I'd ever seen; it shouldn't be like that. Why the fuck did she have to come into my life right now? I took out my phone and looked at the cover picture. Remember my promise, I thought over and over. How could one woman take away your willpower away? I was single as they come, but I had made a promise that I planned on keeping to my twin brother. The thing was Will had suffered an accident damaging his groin and leaving him incapable of getting it up. It could be temporary or permanent, but I told him that I would stand by his side. I made a vow to stay celibate. It hadn’t been a problem until now. Now, it was looking like a really stupid idea.
I had to stand up and make my exit because my cock was feeling uncomfortable in that position. I was hard and I really needed to adjust myself. My jeans were just tight enough to keep the beast at bay but thankfully had enough room to hide my growing admiration for the sexy Sonya. I took a deep calming breath.
The instant I got a chance without making a scene, I left. I didn’t want anyone on to me. My attraction to her was more than I could handle. Heading back to my truck, I grabbed the jack, squatted, and set it in place. Standing back up, I looked inside her car. It was a mess. So she wasn’t the neatest person around.
I needed to know what I was working with. As soon as I dropped down to the ground, I knew I should set up a second jack for safety purposes. There was no way I was ever going to get pinned under a car for being a lazy motherfucker. We always kept two in the back of our work trucks.
Fuck, it was hot as hell this morning and steamy. Once I had the jack in place, I stood up because I was sweating like a sinner in church. I had to pull a rag out of the bed and wipe my face and neck. It wasn’t supposed to be this warm. It was already September and fall kicked in quick. The rain from last night must have made it so damn muggy this morning. Dropping back down, I tried to wipe away my thoughts of Sonya with her tight ass clothes and focus on car. Looking at it, I knew I had to take it in. The rear axle was cracked. Hopping back up on my feet, I lowered the car and set the jacks back in the bed of the truck.
The sound of the bar door opening caught my attention and I turned to see her walking toward me. Her breasts perfectly round, nipples hard enough to shave ice and bouncing with each step. I was in a world of trouble. I bit back the urge to pin her to my truck.
“So you finished really fast. I can’t believe it.”
“Actually, no, I didn’t. Your car needs to go to the shop. I’ll have it towed there shortly.” I managed to get all that out without telling her how fucking sexy she looked with that quirked brow and pursed lips.
“Really, oh no. Shit. It’s going to be really expensive, isn’t it?”
“Don’t worry about it, Sonya. Your boyfriend is footing the bill. You can relax your pretty head about it,” I snarled. She looked at me with a pissed expression. I didn’t mean to come off like a dick or make her feel like she was using Brent, but my plain fucking jealousy was too much to bear. She wasn’t even an option for me; yet, here I was aching for a taste of her.
&nbs
p; “Do you know how long it’s going to take?” She didn’t deny their relationship. Damn.
“I have to make sure I have everything I need in stock. If I do, it’ll be a day or two. We’re kind of busy right now. And if it’s not in, I’ll have to order it, and it could take a week.”
“Damn, well, I’m glad Brent lent me his truck,” she replied.
I tried not to feel the fucking sting of bitterness but I did. I wondered if he got it in one more time before he left this morning. I scrunched my nose at the thought. Fuck, I didn’t want to think about her with anyone but me, but I didn’t even have the right to want her.
“I have to go, but someone will tow this back to the shop and let you know what will happen by this evening.” I walked away without a goodbye.
The moment I hit the road I could breathe again. Jack was definitely getting the job. I couldn’t go near Miss Perfection. Fuck, I just realized Jack was single. He wasn’t a good candidate either. That motherfucker would love to get to know her. I thought about the other possibilities, but everyone was too busy with their individualized jobs. It was either me or Jack.
When I got back to the shop, I sent Ricky and Phil to go and tow the car back really quick. I tossed my keys on my desk and went to find Jack. He was sitting at the computer on the main floor. “Looking for something in particular?”
“Yeah, your brains. What the hell? We have too much on the plate today. You know that we already have a full week.”
“Then maybe your ass should work harder.”
“Or maybe you could hire another couple of mechanics. Joe and Davis are working on the bikes and when we’re not covered in paperwork or under the hoods of cars we have to get to the bikes.”
“Don’t give me shit. I thought you were looking into hiring? I remember you saying you’d handle it.”
He gave me a look like we already had this conversation and then it hit me; we did. “I did. I have three possibilities, but you said to wait until you could review them. One’s already taken a job elsewhere and the other two are on the verge.”
My mind was too lost in Sonya to think straight or to tolerate reasonable questions. Maybe time and distance would fix that. “Fine, just hire them on a probationary period.”
“Cool. I’ll go make the calls.”
I stepped into my office and ran through all the projects lined up today. There was a fucking boat load and heaven knew there would be a couple of tire repairs coming in. There always was. After about twenty minutes of looking for the parts for Sonya’s car, I headed out on the floor to check on everyone. I had to get under the hood of a classic ‘67 Chevelle for a tune up and it was going to take hours, but the owner only wanted me touching his baby.
I heard Jack whistle for me. Turning my head away from the engine, I saw him walking away from Sonya’s car. “So do you want me to handle the axle repair or are you on it?” he asked.
“I can handle it,” I replied, wiping my hands with a rag. I didn’t want to touch her car, but something about him fixing it for her bothered me. At least I won’t deliver it. I’ll let Jack do that tomorrow.
“Are you sure? I know you’re busy.”
“Yeah, so are you. Anything on the new guys?”
“Yep. They’ll be here tonight. I’m thinking we start them off as tire guys and see how they do. They’re both fresh out of school, so I want to feel them out.”
“Sure, sounds like a plan. Maybe have them do an oil change or two.”
“Okay, boss. Excuse me, but I have a sweet Harley I have to customize.” Lucky Bastard.
~~~~~
I poured myself a cup of coffee in my mother’s kitchen. Looking out the window, the clouds were looming in the sky. I knew that we were due for a heavy storm, but I didn’t care. Something felt different in me. I was missing something in my life.
“What’s wrong, Shane?” My dad walked up to pour himself another cup.
“Nothing, Pops,” I said, keeping my eyes trained to the sky. I was thinking about Sonya and what I was going to do.
“Are you worried about Will?” Yeah, how he’d react to me breaking my promise. I worried about him a lot. We were in our prime when we he got horned. He wasn’t a player or a ladies’ man, but he did have a girlfriend who abandoned his ass. Emotionally, he was defeated.
“Yeah, I am, but it’s nothing. I think I need the winter to sweep in. At least that will slow down the shop a bit.”
“Maybe you should hire at least one more person. I know you’ve got the capital to do it.”
“I do, but I it’ll slow down and then I’ll have a bunch of guys standing around fiddling with their dicks instead of working.” I turned around and placed my mug in the sink. “Listen, thank Mom for the coffee and breakfast, but I’ve got to get to the shop. It’s Friday and you know that’s when we’re the busiest.”
I drove my truck to my parents because after all these years of riding my motorcycles, it still made my mother fearful. She was a mom and I knew that was a typical response, so I obliged. It was good that I did anyway. The skies opened up as I hit the road. Rain came crashing down onto the windshield. Hitting the wipers, they did their job half-assedly. I guessed it was time to change them. I didn’t give my truck the love it deserved. When I hit one of the few stop lights in town, I looked around in my truck. It was filthy as fuck. One of the new guys was going to have a project today. We had the two younger guys that just started this week and maybe they both could get on it. They were apprentices anyway, and I just didn’t have time for that kind of shit.
When I pulled into the parking lot, I saw all my men’s rides out there. Good, so everyone was here. Time for a quick staff meeting then I could get some shit done.
“Hey, you finally made it. You didn’t bring us breakfast, too?” Danny, my custom paint guy, said. He was another young guy who came from getting into shit on the streets of Colorado Springs. He was sent to juvie and I gave him a chance to change when I read about his graffiti. The guy had a talent but no outlet for the creativity.
“Get your own moms to cook for your asses. Call everyone over for a quick huddle.” Danny ran to get the team. It took five minutes for the guys to get their asses out on the main floor.
“So what’s up, boss man?”
“We’ve got a very busy day today. I looked at the scheduled appointments and it’s full. If anyone doesn’t come in on time they are going to be bumped. I don’t think we have time to take walk-ins. In other news, your paychecks hit this morning with the new company running the payments. Did anyone check to see if their money was there?”
They all nodded. “The boys all got their pay. I checked this morning, so it’s working just fine,” Jack said.
“That’s great. So remember, it’s a long weekend with the holiday on Monday. Keep it cool and out of jail. I don’t want anyone needing bail money.”
“Says the guy who got into a fight with a punk ass college kid.” It was true. The little pussy was pissed because his girl was flirting with me. I had no interest in the chick, but he wanted to prove he was tough. I dropped his ass and continued to drink my beer. I put all of his friends on notice that I wasn’t one to fuck with, so they all backed the fuck up.
“Sometimes it just needs to be done. Don’t do as I do, do as I say, fuckheads. Now get back to work.” I didn’t have the patience to deal with their teasing this morning. It was barely eight in the morning, and I knew I wouldn’t be out of here until after nine tonight. Tonight was the night I’d have to see Sonya again since we met Tuesday. We were all going to the bar. Not that I didn’t want to, but I tried to stay away. First, I didn’t know if she was with Brent and that shit wouldn’t be cool. Second, I was trying to hold onto the promise. Something about her begged me to forget everything but her. I didn’t understand it, but I didn’t have time to work it out now. There was too much to do today to daydream around the blue-eyed brunette.
I loved working with my hands, whether it was working on making custom bikes or re
pairing cars, so that wasn’t the problem with the long hours. It was the paperwork that I hated. There was always so much of it and my handwriting was shit. Before getting started on the vehicles I needed to get some of that dreaded paperwork done. I think I needed one of those office chicks that managed everything without even trying. Maybe it was time to start delegating some shit to others.
I didn’t make an excuse to see her. It had been four days and I hadn’t see Sonya. It was a torture I had to deal with, but it was going to be hard to do tonight. It was our usual night to hit the bar and play a few rounds of pool. So now I was more than anxious to see her.
I wondered if Sonya would like to be my office chick. That would be some sexy as fuck shit. Closing my eyes, I envisioned her in one of those tight skirts with a white top that was left unbuttoned to her cleavage. I shook that thought from my head right away. She belonged to me; none of these fuckers were allowed to look at her like that.
I had my head under the hood of a Dodge Ram tightening the last few bolts when Jack leaned on the frame. “Are we still down for a game or two of pool tonight?”
“If you’d let me finish my work, I’d be able to go.”
“Damn, Shane what’s up your ass today?” I was irritable, but it wasn’t anything new. I’d been that way for a while. Four days exactly. It had to do with my brother and his problems. We were close as twins could get, and well, his problems were my problems. “Will is fine. He’s getting along without you worrying about him daily.” It wasn’t just him that was tearing at me. It was my sweet Sonya.
“Just leave it alone. I’m going to slaughter your ass tonight,” I snarled right back.
“It’s the only ass you go after. Now, I’ll be going after the new bartender’s ass. She and I had a long talk after I dropped off her car. Damn, I’m telling you, you could fall in love with her.” I wanted deck him in the face The beast inside me growled at him. I knew I shouldn’t have sent him to meet her.
