Davis, Liz - Slivers of Moonlight (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Liz Davis

  “No, not really.”

  “Why, what’s wrong?”

  “My car was having some trouble, so I had to get it towed.”

  “Oh man, sorry about that. When did this happen? Maya, you should have called me.”

  “I did call you, but you weren’t available.” Feeling self-conscious, she was trying to keep her voice low.

  “Oh, well, I must have been busy or something because I don’t remember the phone ringing.”

  “Yeah right,” she responded flatly.

  “No, really. Listen, I’m sorry I didn’t pick up, okay?” He gave a pause and then asked, “What’s that noise?”

  “I’m getting a ride home in the tow truck.”

  “Oh, okay. So when will you be home?

  “I don’t know, half an hour maybe. What does it matter?”

  “Babe, please don’t get mad at me. This isn’t my fault, okay? So don’t take it out on me.”

  “I’m not, it just would have been nice if you had answered the phone.”

  “I said I was sorry about that. Look, when you get home, call me, all right? Maybe we can hang out or something.”

  She knew what the words “hang out” meant. To Dylan, hanging out consisted of coming over and having sex, then waking up in the morning and expecting her to cook a full breakfast for him. No way, this time she wasn’t going to give in. She was not in the mood for it tonight.

  “No thanks, not interested.” She said it with an air of indifference.

  “Maya, come on. I just want to—”

  Cutting him off, she said, “Just leave me alone, okay?”

  Then she flipped the phone closed. All he had to say were lies, anyhow. She was done listening to him.

  “Bastard.” She said it quietly under her breath so that it came out as barely more than a whisper.

  Evan glanced over at her and offered a look of concern. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” She turned her head to look out the window, watching the scenery of the town pass by.

  Unsurprisingly, her cell phone began to ring once again. This time she switched it off before it could make it to the second ring. She continued staring out of the window, hoping they would arrive at her house soon. It had been a long, difficult evening, and she just wanted it to be over.

  As if to cut the tension, Evan cleared his throat. “Listen, I know it’s none of my business, but if that guy’s harassing you, there are ways to get him off your back.”

  “How’d you know it was a guy?” She turned her attention from the window to look at him.

  “Well, I just assumed. It was, wasn’t it?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, my ex-boyfriend.”

  “Glad to hear he’s your ex. He doesn’t seem like he cares very much about you.”

  Even though it was the truth, it still hurt for her to hear it. The words stung a little.

  “How would you know how he treats me? I’m sorry, but you have no idea what our history together is like.”

  “Well, that is true, but having some experience with relationships, I can tell when someone is being taken advantage of. I’ve been in your shoes before.”

  She didn’t say anything, only stared ahead as they made their way down the highway. He was the first to break the silence.

  “So you are in a relationship with this guy, then.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I thought you said he was your ex.”

  “He is, sort of. We’re just going through a rocky time right now, but we’re still seeing each other.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  She could hear the puzzlement in his voice and knew he was probably wondering what the heck she meant by that. Even she realized what she’d just said hadn’t made much sense.

  “What I mean is we’re in a strange place. Sometimes we’re together, and sometimes we’re not.”

  “On and off, huh?” he asked.

  “Yeah.”

  She didn’t know why, but she felt comfortable opening up to him. Although he was a complete stranger, there was something about him that made her want to share her troubles.

  “Been there, done that. Just got out of a relationship that nearly drained the life out of me. If I can give you some advice, it would be to leave and don’t look back. It really isn’t worth it.”

  “Sometimes that’s easier said than done.”

  “Yeah, I know it takes time. Believe me, I know. Just don’t let him take advantage of you. You deserve better.”

  Her eyes came to rest upon him once again, and this time she realized that his interior was just as attractive as the physical features he had been blessed with.

  “That’s nice of you to say. I appreciate it.”

  “Well, it’s the truth.”

  As the truck pulled off the highway and onto the street, the sound of the Pet Shop Boys singing about West End girls floated from the speakers. When they came to a stoplight, she couldn’t help noticing from her peripheral vision that Evan’s eyes were studying her. Every few seconds he would look away, but then she would feel him watching her once again. Feeling too shy to meet his gaze, she pretended as if she didn’t know that he was looking at her. She knew she wasn’t currently in top form appearancewise, and found herself intrigued by his interest in her.

  Her hair was wet and clipped into a messy updo, and nearly every trace of makeup had been washed off by the storm, so all that was left was Maya in her bare, natural state.

  If there was something to be thankful for, she supposed it had to be her smooth, flawless skin. It was of a medium-brown color and her even-toned complexion allowed her to still feel comfortable without wearing any foundation.

  Moving her hand up to her neck, she began to toy with a brass locket which hung there. Her fingers slid over the fan design which was engraved in it, and she gave a little sigh as her mind began to recall events which were long past.

  “Nice locket.”

  As Evan’s voice cut through her thoughts, Maya turned her head to look at him. “Thanks.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking, who gave it to you?”

  Maya held the keepsake in front of her eyes and gave it an admiring glance. “My aunt. It was one of the last things she gave me before passing away.”

  “Sorry to hear.”

  She was touched by the sincerity in his voice. “It’s one of the few things I have to remember her by.”

  “You must have been pretty close to her.”

  “She was the only family I had.”

  “What happened to your parents?”

  The words he asked caused a feeling of unhappiness to wash over her, and she retreated into a gloomy silence.

  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you that.”

  Glancing out of the window, she stared into the stormy night. “It’s fine. I wasn’t bothered by you asking.” She allowed a few moments of silence to pass between them and then said, “My dad split before I was even born, and my mom abandoned me when I was six years old. She just dropped me off at my Aunt’s house one day, and then never came back.”

  “That’s awful. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

  Following the directions on the GPS, Evan made a right onto Delancey Street and pulled up in front of her apartment. He exited the cab to release her car from the flatbed, and she waited patiently as he did it. As she watched him work, she found that she was actually hoping to see him again. She checked her purse to make sure the business card he had given her was still in there, and saw that it was. She was definitely looking forward to taking her car in tomorrow.

  Once her car was off the flatbed, he climbed back inside and began to fill out a form which was attached to a clipboard. Once he was finished, he handed it to her so that she could sign it.

  Glancing at her fancy signature, he was just barely able to make out her name. “Maya. That’s a nice name, I like it.”

  Her face heated up from his compliment. “Thanks.”

  �
�You know, I could just tow your car into the shop right now, if you want. You said it was having some issues with the brakes, right?”

  “Yeah, but I think I’ll be okay to drive it tomorrow. It’s not supposed to rain, so I can bring it in.”

  “You sure?” There was concern in his warm brown eyes.

  “Yeah. Thanks for asking, though.”

  As he finished filling out the papers, she found herself sneaking little peeks at him and realized that he wasn’t just handsome, he was gorgeous. Besides his looks, there was something else about him that drew him to her. She supposed it was the fact that he’d seemed genuinely concerned about her. In fact, he seemed to be the exact opposite of Dylan.

  She found herself wondering if he had a girlfriend, and if so, what did she look like? Maya was curious about the type of women he went for. She didn’t know why she wondered this, because it wasn’t like they were ever going to be together. It was a foolish thought, and she knew it.

  He tore off a copy of the papers and handed them to her, then said, “Well, I guess that’s about it.”

  “Yep.” She stuffed the paper into her purse then opened the passenger door.

  “Wait.” Placing his hand on her arm, he looked into her eyes, fixing her with an intent gaze.

  “Yes?” There was hope in her voice, and she felt her heart jolt a little from his touch.

  “Will you be coming by the garage tomorrow? I’m just wondering so I can tell my uncle that you’re stopping by. We can get pretty busy sometimes, so I just wanna make sure that we have space for your car.”

  “Yeah, I’ll stop by. Probably not until the afternoon, though.”

  “Okay, cool. I’ll see you then.” He offered her a soft smile.

  “Yep, later.” She hopped out of the cab and onto the pavement, then closed the door behind her.

  Maya could still hear his truck idling as she unlocked the door to her apartment, and it wasn’t until she made it inside that she heard him put the truck in gear and take off down the street. She was touched that he’d actually waited to see that she was safe before driving away, and was impressed by the fact that he seemed so gentlemanly. It wasn’t a huge thing, but she did notice small things like that about a person. Feeling an urge to look outside, she walked over the window and parted the curtains, glancing out just in time to catch sight of his red taillights as they faded into the distance.

  Chapter 2

  As the clock ticked closer to noon, Maya found herself brimming with excitement. She didn’t have to go into work until after two, so she had taken her time getting ready. After taking a shower and eating breakfast, she did her hair, straightening it into the pressed style that she preferred. She applied some lipstick and mascara, and then she got dressed. Before she left the house, she took a quick look at herself in the mirror, making sure that everything looked okay. The jeans she had on emphasized her small waist and curvy hips, and the white uniform top she wore for her job clung tastefully to her bust.

  It almost felt to her as if she had been getting ready for a date because she found that she was actually feeling nervous. She wasn’t sure why, though, nor was she entirely certain just how interested Evan truly was. The way he’d touched her arm before she exited the truck last night had silently expressed that he did have some interest, but then again, guys could be funny sometimes. One day it seemed as if they couldn’t stop calling you, and the next it was as if they were bored and couldn’t wait to move on to the next woman.

  After grabbing her purse, she exited the apartment and made her way toward her Honda hatchback. As she drove along the streets, she noticed that there were still knocking noises coming from the engine. She was also having the same issues with the brakes, but she didn’t feel as nervous about driving it as she had the previous night.

  According to the driving directions she’d gotten off the Internet, the travel time to the repair shop wouldn’t take more than fifteen minutes. As she was driving along, flashes of the previous night came back to her. She thought of his eyes and his smile, and she also thought of his hair. It had been black and shiny, and she’d found herself wondering what it would feel like to touch it. And those lips—they looked soft and sensual, and she was certain that he knew exactly what to do with them.

  She found herself getting a bit worked up at the thought, so she pushed the erotic images out of her mind and focused on the road. Before she knew it, she had arrived at the auto repair shop and was driving into the back parking lot. The door to the garage was pulled up, and she could see a couple of mechanics inside working on cars that were on the lifts. After putting the car in park, she got out and followed a sign that directed her to the office, and as she entered, she saw a middle-aged man sitting at a desk typing something into a computer. He took a glance up at her.

  “Hello, what can I do for you?” His hair was graying around the edges, and he had a baseball cap on.

  “I need to have my car worked on. I’m having some issues with the brakes, and there’s a weird noise coming from the engine.” She saw from the embroidered tag on his shirt that his name was Gary.

  “We can take care of that for you. Have you been here before?”

  “No, I got your business card from the tow truck driver who took me home last night. His name is Evan.”

  “That’s my nephew. He’s here right now, actually. He told me you would be coming in today. You’re Maya, right?” He gave her a funny little smile, as if he knew a secret that she didn’t.

  “Yep. So do you think you’ll have time to inspect my car?”

  “Oh yeah, sure. Are you parked in the back?”

  “Yep, I pulled up right next to the garage. It’s a blue Honda hatchback.”

  “Okay, great. Just follow me, and we can go take a look at it.” He gestured for her to walk through a door that led straight into the back area.

  Maya’s car had already been pulled into the garage by one of the mechanics, and she was surprised to find that someone was already beneath the car working on it. She watched as Gary headed toward her car and bent down to speak to the mechanic.

  “Hey, Tonska, the lady you were talking about is here.”

  Evan slid out from under the car on a trolley, then placed his tools on the ground and stood up. His uniform was smudged with grease, and he smelled heavily of WD-40. It wasn’t a bad smell, though. She liked it.

  “Hey there, Maya.” He gave her an appreciative once-over and then quickly brought his gaze back up to her eyes. “Good to see you again. Do you have a moment to talk?” His eyes broke from hers and darted toward his uncle’s in a brief glance.

  It seemed to her that Evan had relayed a silent cue with his eyes, because Gary broke out in a smile. “Well, guess I better make myself scarce. I have lots of paperwork to do anyway. Your car is in good hands, Maya. He’s the best mechanic here.” He gave her a friendly smile, then walked away.

  Once Evan’s uncle left, Maya found herself seeking the answer to a curious question.

  “So is ‘tonska’ your other name?”

  Evan’s eyebrows lifted in surprise, and his eyes glinted with amusement. “‘Tonska’ means ‘nephew’ in Lakota.”

  “Oh.” She felt herself grow hot with embarrassment and couldn’t help feeling a little stupid.

  He laughed a little then said, “So I checked your engine out, and it looks like the rod bearings are loose. When is the last time you had your oil and filter changed?”

  He may as well have been talking Greek to her because when it came to cars, she was clueless.

  Shrugging her shoulders, she replied, “I don’t know. But the last time I took it to the mechanic, I’m pretty sure I remember them saying that they changed it.”

  “And when was that?”

  “At least eight months ago.”

  “Okay, well you’re supposed to change it at least every six months, so you’re overdue. The bearings are pretty worn down. Now, I can replace the bearings, and this will buy you some time, but in the
long run, it looks like the crankshaft will have to be resurfaced.”

  She didn’t know what the crankshaft was or what it did, but it wasn’t difficult to figure out that it was a pretty serious issue.

  “And how much will it cost to have the crankshaft fixed?”

  “Well, that’s basically an engine overhaul, so it could run you anywhere from two thousand to twenty-five hundred dollars.”

  “Oh wow. Okay.” With a steep price like that, she knew she couldn’t afford it—at least not right now.

  “If you want I can just replace those bearings. That should keep you going for a while at least, but in the long run, you’d still need to get the crankshaft fixed.”

  “Well, I guess I really don’t have much of a choice, do I? So I’ll just have the bearings replaced.”

  “All right. Well, it usually runs just a little over five hundred bucks but I could bring the price down to three for you.”

  “Wow, really? That would be great.”

  “I know how expensive car parts can be, so I don’t mind cutting you a deal.”

  “That would be wonderful. Now how much will the brakes run me?”

  “Well, luckily that’s a simple job, so it shouldn’t cost more than eighty. All I have to do is go in and bleed the brake line. No big deal.”

  “Okay, so how long will all this take?”

  “Two, maybe three days.” He reached over to grab a clipboard from off a counter where a computer was located. “Just fill out your information, and I’ll give you a call once the car is done.”

  She filled out her information then handed the clipboard back to him.

  Taking note of her work T-shirt, he noticed the silk screened logo on it. “You work at Shorty’s?”

  “Yeah, how’d you know?”

  “Your T-shirt has the logo on it.” His lips curled upward.

  “Oh, right” She gave a sheepish smile.

  “If you need a ride to work I can take you.”

  Glancing at her watch, she replied, “Well, I do have to be there in the next half an hour, so that would be great.”

  As her dimples made an appearance, Evan’s eyes were instantly drawn to them. “Great, well, I’m parked out in front, so follow me.”