by Rose Cody
“Yup, just my luck.” She says, tossing her hands in the air as she notices the hot steam raising from under her hood.
She uses her sleeve as a glove, gripping the hood and lifting it. She swats the steam out of her face.
“Who am I kidding, I can’t fix this.” She says to herself, a frog trapping her voice as the lump in her throat builds.
She rushes back over to the driver’s seat, sliding back inside and shutting the door as she searches for her phone.
“I just had it!” She says, looking under her coat and picking up her purse before rifling through its contents.
She gasps, squealing in relief as she finally finds her phone. Olivia opens the screen and flicks through her contacts before finally coming across the number for the mechanic shop by her house.
“Hello?” She says, as someone pick up the other line.
The man’s gruff voice tells her she’s going to have to wait a while.
“At least there’s someone on the way.” She says, clicking the screen off and tossing her phone onto the passenger’s seat.
She sighs, staring out of her windshield onto the dark road before quickly locking her door.
“You never know.” She whispers to herself as she reclines her seat.
Chapter 2
She wiggles her butt uncomfortably in the chair. Could these chairs get any harder?
Olivia gazes around the small, brightly lit front office. She scrunches her nose at the harsh smell of gasoline that fills the air as she counts the dark smudge marks on the walls. How are there smudges that close to the ceiling?
A tiny TV plays up in the corner of the room. Could be the weather channel, but it’s far too small to tell for sure. And quiet, too. There’s no way anyone could ever hear anything if they tried, the volume was far too low.
“What are you in for?” The man next to her chuckles.
She glances over to him quickly, noticing his dark, wool coat before smiling politely.
“I don’t know yet, I’m not a car person.” She says, looking down at her shoes.
“Yeah, probably why you’re here.” He says, sighing.
She glances back, sending the man a quick glare.
“Yeah, I guess.” She says.
Olivia leans back into her chair and crosses her arms. Can this dude really not see that she’s not in the mood for conversation?
“I’m not a car person either.” He says. “Why I’m here, too.”
“Yup.” Oliva snarks lowly, nodding her head.
“I uh…” He begins. “I didn’t mean to offend you, I was just saying…”
“No, you didn’t.” She says. “I get it. I’m just kind of frustrated right now.”
She turns towards him, smiling softly.
“Sorry.” She says. “It was funny, I’m just tired.”
He nods, his deep brown eyes squinting as he clenches his jaw into a soft smile.
“That’s understandable.” He says.
“Olivia Brooks?” She hears a gruff voice calling to her.
She turns her head, watching the mechanic walk toward her in a dark blue overall as he wipes the back grease on his hand onto a stained cloth.
“That’s me.” She says to him, standing up to meet the man halfway.
“So, about your car.” He says, smacking his gum.
She lifts her shoulders, holding her breath as she nervously waits for the diagnosis.
“It’s done for.” The mechanic says, shaking his head. “The transmission is shot and I’m going to have to order another one.”
“Well, gosh.” She says, her heart sinking. “How much is that going to cost me?”
“I can’t even think about ordering it until we’re paid for the tow and diagnostics… Got a boss breathing down my neck you know…” He starts. “But all together with parts and labor… I’d probably call it a good forty-five hundred.”
“Forty-five hundred?” She asks, he color draining from her face. “As in four thousand and five hundred dollars?”
She watches in disbelief as the mechanic nods his head.
“It costs what it costs.” He says. “I could probably work out a discount on labor, but the part is an expensive part…”
“I could go out and buy a car for the price you want to fix that old piece of shit!” She says. “And if I could afford that, I would have already done that!”
“Look, lady, I get it.” He starts sympathetically. “If you want, I can tow it back to your house, but that’s also gunna cost you.”
“How much?” She asks, walking back to her purse before picking it up and opening it.
She pulls out her wallet, pushing on the folded leather to unclick the magnetic clasp.
“Well, the tow here, the diagnostics and then the tow back…” He starts puffing his cheeks as he does his quick math. “I can do it at five hundred.”
“Five hundred dollars?” She asks, fumbling through her wallet. “I only have forty dollars cash and then maybe two hundred in my bank account…”
The mechanic shrugs his shoulders.
“Look, I understand…” He starts. “I can keep the car until you can pay…”
“If you keep the car, I lose my job!” She says, feeling her eyes well with tears as the lump in her throat grows.
“I’ll take care of it.” She hears as she feels a warm hand rest on her shoulder.
She turns to the man she was once sitting beside, a tear falling down her cheek as she lifts her hand to wipe it away.
“No, I can’t.” She says, shaking her head. “I don’t even know you, don’t be ridiculous.”
“Don’t worry, it’s fine.” He says, walking back over to his seat to pick up his black wool coat.
He turns back toward Olivia, smiling softly at her before walking back over to them.
“Let’s get this paid for.” He says to the mechanic as he gently folds his coat over his arm.
“Right away, Mr. Condello.” The mechanic says, motioning towards the secretary to get the transaction started.
“Olivia, right?” He asks her, watching her nod her head. “I’ll get it taken care of.”
“Thank you!” She says, at a loss for words. “Thank you so much! Really, I have no idea what to say…”
“Don’t even worry about it.” He says, pointing out the window at a car the mechanic’s assistant is parking in front of the shop. “That’s my car. If you want to wait by it, I can give you a ride home.”
“Thank you. Thank you.” She says to him as she walks toward the door. “You really have no idea how much you’re helping me out.”
She stands beside the passenger door of the black BMW, holding her purse close to her stomach as she watches the stranger pay for her repair work. Her gaze turns from the mechanic shop windows to the black tinted windows of his car. Squinting, she makes out the shape of a pair of tan leather seats.
“Where can I take you.” She hears, jumping as the man leans into her ear.
“You have a really nice car…” She says, blushing.
“Thank you.” He says, lifting the handle of the passenger side door before opening it up for her.
She slides herself into the vehicle, nodding politely at him as he closes the door behind her.
She leans back into the plush seats, letting out a sigh as her eyes catch the electronic screen on the dash. Her hand brushes over the metal trimmed wood grained accents. She never even knew cars this nice existed.
She quickly clicks on her seat belt as the stranger opens his driver side door and slides himself in, before pressing a button and starting the engine.
“I actually don’t live that far away…” She starts. “Maybe ten minutes if you stick to main roads.”
“No problem.” He says, backing out of the spot. “I don’t mind a little drive.”
“And again.” She says, glancing over to his chiselled jawline as he turns his head to look behind him. “Thank you so much. If you tell me a way to repay you… I just can’
t all at once, but I can give you a little at a time… My job just really isn’t paying well right now and…”
“Olivia, don’t even worry about it.” He says to her, chuckling. “Really. I don’t need repayment.”
“Even if you do have a lot of money,” She says, brushing her fingers over the fine stitches on the upholstery. “I don’t want to just take stuff from you. I don’t even know you and that just wouldn’t be fair.”
“Fair-shmair.” He says, slowing the car down as he watches the yellow light turn red. “Let me get my good deed in for the day.”
She smiles, sighing as she lets her head fall back against the head rest.
“I didn’t even ask you for your name.” She says, gazing out the windshield. “How am I going to tell my future grandchildren about the hero that saved the day?”
“Ha!” He laughs, gently pressing on the gas as the light turns green. “Vincent. Vincent Condello.”
“Well, thank you, Vincent.” She says, leaning her head over to look at him.
“But why would our grandchildren not know my name?” He smirks, glancing deviously at her as he pulls onto her street.
She giggles, blushing profusely as she points to her house.
“I’m not that kind of girl, Mr. Condello…” She says as he pulls into her driveway.
She opens the car door, stepping outside before reaching back in for her purse.
“…But let me give you my number anyway.”
Chapter 3
Olivia gasps as the bellowing ding o the front doorbell shakes her out of her slumber.
“What?” She says to herself throwing of the covers and yanking herself out of bed. “It can’t be any past 7 in the morning. Who in their right mind would ring someone’s doorbell at this fucking hour?”
She rushes down the hallway before hopping down the stairs.
“Just hold on! Just hold one for one second!” She shouts toward the door, hoping whoever is outside will hear her and stay put.
She glides over the hardwood floor of her foyer, reaching for the brass knob before twisting it and pulling the door open.
“Can I help you…” She starts, her voice trailing off as she recognises her sleep interrupter. “Mr. Condello? I, uh… can I help you?”
“I figured you’re probably going to need a ride to pick up your car, huh?” He says, his fresh face smirking at her. “I’m the one who brought you home, so I’m the one who should take you back, don’t you think?”
“This early, though?” She asks, finally getting a chance to rub the sleep from her eyes. “Would my car even be ready by now? Has it even been twelve hours? I thought they had to order parts for it?”
“Hm.” He smirks, chuckling. “You could say I know how to make things move quickly.”
“You’re not expecting me to move quickly, are you?” She asks, flushing as she feels the breeze from outside brush across her thinly clothed chest.
She covers her stiff nipple with her forearm as she nervously steps out of his way.
“Well, I guess you can come in.” She says, holding her arm out to welcome him. “I really need to put something else on.”
He curls his upper lip into a smile, averting his gaze as he walks through her front door.
“You can make yourself at home…Actually…” She starts before quickly turning to walk into the kitchen.
He follows her, watching in the doorway as Olivia frantically turns on the taps while looking for her kettle. She fills it while she digs through the cupboard, pulling out a ceramic mug before placing it on the counter and the kettle on the stove.
“Here.” She says, pulling a box of earl gray out of the cupboard. “I’ll get dressed quickly, but if the tea is ready then please, have a cup.”
“Alright, thank you.” He says to her as he watches her rush past him.
She bounces back up the stairs, blushing as she runs back into her room.
“First time a man has ever been in my house and I’m in these ugly, skimpy pajamas.” She whispers to herself as she pulls the thin tank top over her head, tossing it onto the floor over in a corner.
She walks over to her closet, pulling the large slotted doors open and grabbing the first shirt she can get her hands on, pulling it off the hanger as she jogs over to her dresser.
Olivia slides open the top drawer, pulling out a bra before quickly putting it on. She slides into the t-shirt, as she plucks a fresh pair of panties from the same top drawer before rushing back over to the closet to grab a pair of jeans off the rack.
“I get that he’s paying for my repairs, but a little warning would have been nice!” She says to herself, huffing as she changes her bottoms quickly. “And maybe it wouldn’t have been a bad thing to just give me a call and have me go and pick it up myself instead of showing up unannounced. Who does that?!”
She sighs as she walks over to her vanity, rubbing her face as she gazes into the mirror.
Olivia picks up a hair elastic from the table before grabbing her waving golden locks and tying them on top of her head in a messy bun.
“I guess it’s a glasses kind of day.” She says, picking them up off the vanity and placing them on her face.
She hurries herself out of her bedroom and makes her way back down the stairs, when she hears a soft metallic bang come from her kitchen.
Olivia pauses, trying to listen over her beating heart as she hears more commotion coming from across her house.
She takes another step down the stairs, her eyes widening as she sniffs the air, a confused smirk turning up her lips as she smells the rich warm smell of butter and cinnamon.
“Mr. Condello?” She says, her voice almost at a whisper as she enters the kitchen, seeing the stranger at her stove.
“You were faster than I thought you would be.” He says, turning around to face her as he holds a spatula in his hand. “Do you like French toast?”
“Yes…”She starts as she slowly walks towards her kitchen table and sits down. “I do…”
“Good.” He says, placing the spatula down on the counter and picking up his mug of tea to take a sip.
“Did you make some?” She asks, her eyebrows raising in confusion.
“I figured if you just got out of bed, you must be hungry.” He says as he picks the spatula back up and flips the French toast. “Was I wrong?”
“I uh… guess I could eat.” She says watching as he slides the French toast onto a plate. “It’s just that, people don’t usually go into a strangers kitchen and then decide to start cooking for them.”
“Stranger?” He chuckles as he walks towards the kitchen table.
He places down the French toast before walking back over to her counters and opening a cupboard. He pulls out two small plates before opening a drawer and pulling out two forks.
“I’m still a stranger to you?” He asks, walking back over to her to sit down across from her. “I would have thought we were becoming fast friends…”
She smiles softly, her cheeks flushing as she picks up her fork.
“Well then, thank you for breakfast, Mr. Condello.” She says, poking a piece of French toast and dropping it onto her plate.
“We should probably not waist time.” He says, picking up his own piece and cutting it with his fork before placing it in his mouth.
“Right, right.” She says, doing the same. “But thank you.”
Chapter 4
Olivia brushes her hand over her car’s rough paint job in the parking lot of the mechanic shop.
“Well, at least they didn’t scratch you up more than you already are.” She says standing up tall as she turns towards the dinging bell of the mechanic shop door as it opens.
She watches Mr. Condello walk towards her and she gives him a little wave.
“Keep this.” He says as he hands her a folded piece of paper. “It’s a recipe and if it fucks up again just show it to them and they’ll fix it for you for free.”
“For free?” She says. “Seriously? Oh,
my God, I don’t even know what to say.”
“Don’t mention it.” He says. “I have a lot of friends who… enjoy helping me.”
She lets out a soft laugh as she folds the receipt even further before stuffing it in her purse.
