Chapter Six
Tate
I laid on the couch until the sun broke through the window behind me. Sleep had avoided me since getting back from the party and taking a long shower, but I wasn't surprised. I felt dirty, angry, and used. I'd done it to myself again, and I would do it a million more times.
"You up yet?" My mom walked out of her bedroom and stopped by the opening to the kitchen.
"Yeah. I didn't get much sleep." I sat up and ran my fingers through my short hair as a loud yawn escaped me. "You sleep okay?"
"I did." She coughed as she walked into the kitchen, and I cringed at the sound of it.
"Mom. You gotta have that cough checked out, for real. Sam said that it sounded like bronchitis." I readjusted myself and pulled on my t-shirt before walking into the small kitchen.
She was busy making coffee and seemed to be ignoring my request for her to see the doctor. There was no surprise there, either. She was just as hard-headed as I was.
"You want me to make you some eggs before you have to get off to school?" She looked over her shoulder and gave me a warm smile.
"Mom, you heard me. Get a doctor’s appointment today or have one of those doctors you work with listen to your lungs. They have those stethoscope things around their necks all the time. Tell them to use it."
"Stop worrying about me. I've survived a lot in my life. You want breakfast or what?" She handed me a cup of coffee and turned away to cough again.
"Yeah, but I'll cook. You sit down. I don't think you realize how bad that sounds." I let out the growl of frustration that I was hoping to hold in.
"Tate. I don't have the money to see a doctor, and those guys at the hospital aren't kind to me or anyone else that's not wearing a white coat and sticking their fingers up people's asses for a living. Okay?" She walked to the table and sat down before pressing her hands to her face. "And, I'm late on the rent."
"I'll pick up a few extra shifts. It's okay. We'll work it out." I sat my cup down and moved to stand behind her, rubbing her shoulders softly as my heart contracted in my chest. I needed to bring more home in terms of money, but balancing everything was getting to be too much.
"No. You're trying to get through school and manage your job. I'll figure things out. I just need you to understand why I'm not rushing to the doctor’s office. I'm sure it is bronchitis, but I'll beat it. I always do." She patted my hand. "Hurry up and make some eggs. You'll be late to your first class and then drive like a bat out of hell. That scares me more than the thought of losing this old house."
"You're not losing the house. School can take a back seat. I'll drop out and start again later next year when we're back on our feet." I squeezed her shoulders once more and moved to the fridge to start pulling out stuff for breakfast. We had a few eggs left and some cheap bacon that burned no matter how slow you cooked the stuff. It was sad, but I was used to it. Besides, anything was better than living on the streets.
"No, you won’t. The reason I'm in this situation is because I didn't go to school like you are. My mom and dad warned me a million times before they passed that I should go get my RN, but I just didn't listen." She let out a tired sigh that turned into a terrible hacking.
I stifled the fear welling up inside of me. She wasn't doing well, but if anything happened to her, I wouldn't make it. Outside of Sam, she was the only person I had in the world. "This isn't about a degree. Life's tough sometimes, and we're good people because of the shit we've been through. I stopped to help some rich girl last night with her car because I'm a nice person."
"Was she pretty?" My mother lifted her eyebrows and smirked.
"Yes. Very, but that's not why I was telling you the story. She was shocked by my kindness, by my willingness to help her out. Being good is free and more people should have to go through shit to come out on the other side better for it in the long run." I shrugged and cracked the eggs into a bowl. I was hungry enough to eat all five of them, but we didn't keep much food in the house. Two would have to do. Besides, Jerry always had a big box of donuts at the shop, and much to the other guy's dismay, his secretary Sharon would save me a handful of them for my afternoon shift.
"This is true. You're a good man, Tate. I'm very proud of you." She coughed again and stood up. "I'm going to take a shower."
"No breakfast?" I glanced over my shoulder after cracking the third egg in the bowl for her.
"Nope. Eat my egg this morning. I'm too doped up on cough syrup to enjoy it, anyway." She picked up her coffee and disappeared down the darkened hall.
Something had to give. I could keep living like this forever, but she couldn't. She was sick and needed care; she was lonely and needed a good man; she was everything to me, and I wasn't measuring up.
"I'll fix it. All of it." I swallowed my worry and forced myself to whistle while I finished making breakfast. Today was going to be a good day. A great day, actually. I needed it to be too much to give up hoping for it.
*
After a long ass day on campus, I took the long way to the shop and tried to enjoy the feeling of freedom I had on the bike. It was freezing outside and I was bundled up in three layers, but I was happy. Content.
My classes had been hard as fuck, which I loved. A good mental challenge was the best stimulation I could think of. Well, almost.
I pulled up to the shop and parked my bike outside next to a few of the other ones sitting under a large canopy. Jerry had finally relented and let a few of us build the tent-like structure to keep our bikes from getting covered in snow while we worked. Now, we just had to take turns brushing the snow off the top of the contraption.
The familiar smell of oil and mint rushed across my senses as I walked into the front door of the small two-room office Jerry kept.
Sharon glanced up and smiled. Her red hair was wild and unruly, but it fit her perfectly. I always wondered if she and Jerry were seeing each other on the side, but never got up the nerve to ask them. I'd been working there for three years, so I was still the new kid on the block. It was getting old. I could run circles around most of the guys, Jerry included, but I was still the rookie in their minds.
"Hiya, handsome. How's your day going?" She popped her gum and handed me three clipboards with keys attached to them.
"Good. I'm ready to get to work. I've been sitting in a chair all day. My head is full of useless information, but I'm antsy." I took the clipboards and glanced around. "Everyone out in the shop working?"
"Yes, sir, they are. I saved you some breakfast burritos that Jerry brought in this morning. They're in the bottom left drawer of the fridge." She checked her watch. "You're a little early. Get in there and scarf them down before they see you or find them in the fridge. They were big, but delicious."
"Sounds good. Thank you, I'm starving." I rubbed my hand over my stomach and made a beeline for the break room. After setting down the orders that would fill up the rest of my evening, I got into the fridge and pulled out what would be lunch and dinner. My stomach was killing me, but it was nothing new. It was almost a comfortable reminder that I still had more to do, more to strive to be. I wasn't there yet, or anywhere close to it, but I was pushing hard and fast.
"There you are." Jerry's voice pulled me from my thoughts. He chuckled and lifted his eyebrow as I turned around. "Did Sharon save you those?"
"You know she did." I shrugged. "I'm young and studly. What can I say?"
"Nothing, Mr. Humility." He laughed and sat down at one of the three tables in the break room. "I got a bike coming in later today, so I might pull you from one of those brake jobs and get you to help me look at it. You know I hate doing those things. I'm an auto guy."
"Yeah, sure. I'm a 'whatever gets me paid' man, myself." I pulled the burritos from the microwave and sat down beside him. "You want one?"
"No, you need your strength." He tapped the table and gave me the once over as I dug in, unable to hold back as I scarfed them down. "Tate, you know I'm looking for someone to move up and become the assistant manager for me at this place."
"Yeah, but you know that spot belongs to one of the other guys. Lefty has been your right-hand man for 20 years. He's a good pick for that." I licked at my fingers and continued to eat.
"He's a good mechanic, but he has no business sense." He reached out and squeezed my arm. "I know you have a lot going on, but I see a ton of potential in you. I want you to think about it. It's a three dollar an hour raise, which I know will help out at home, but I need you here more."
I nodded and sat back in my chair as I popped the last bit of food into my mouth. "I'll think it over. I appreciate you thinking I'm capable of doing something so big around here."
"We all have faith in you. You're young, innovative, and full of energy. We need more of you, not less. Just think about it." He got up and walked toward the door. "Oh, and Sharon said some girl called earlier today and said you told her to bring her car by for a new tire. Said you were paying for it?"
I laughed and got up as butterflies danced around my chest. The girl from the night before, the one on the side of the road. How many times had I thought about her over the last 12 hours? Too many to count. It was weird, and I'd never label it as love at first sight, but a slight infatuation? Yes. Wanting to get into her panties? Fuck, yes.
"I told her she'd have to pay for the tire, but that I'd do the work for free. I'll do it after hours, though. I promise." I threw away the trash in my hands.
"I don't care when you do it. Sounds serious, though. You working for free? What I gotta do to get a little bit of free action out of you?"
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. "You gotta shave that scruffy-ass beard for starters."
He laughed loudly, flipped me off, and walked out.
The feeling of fullness after eating so much left me wanting to take on the world. It was crazy how much my hunger affected my mood.
I jogged back to the front of the office to give Sharon a smile. "That was fucking awesome. I feel like a million bucks." I rubbed my stomach and licked at my lips playfully.
"Stop it, you're turning me on. You're far too hot to be licking your lips like that. You'll make Jerry jealous. Having me blush around you and such." She smirked and turned back to her paperwork. "Who's the girl?"
There was no way Sharon was interested in me. She was a good 20 years older than me at least and had her heart set on the owner of our shop. They would be great together, but one of them was going to have to make a first move.
Good luck there.
"Just some hot girl I found on the side of the road last night. I'm too much of a gentleman to pass up the chance to help a lady. That and sell some business at this here lovely shop." I shrugged.
"You're a good guy. Remember that when she comes in here and steals your heart, hmm?"
"Nobody is stealing my heart. I have my job, my school, and my mother. I'm good." I turned and walked down the hall to the sound of her laughing. They all figured me to be a playboy, and maybe in some respects I was, but I wanted far more out of life than an occasional romp in the sheets. Funny how when I wasn't looking for anything but sex, all I could find was girls with love on their mind and diamonds in their eyes.
I finally grew up a little and decided that love could quite possibly enhance the package and the sluts officially came crawling out of the woodwork. Where were all these hot chicks who wanted a casual fuck when I was in my late teens?
Sadness worked to wrap around me at the thought, but I forced it back and walked causally out to the garage.
Everyone turned and nodded at me, some of them throwing cat-calls for fun.
"I'm working, so you guys keep it down. Alright?" I pulled on my goggles and barely caught a football that was launched at me.
"Hey, grease monkey. There's a girl up front asking for you. If you're too busy to take her...no worries. I'm more than happy to help her out." Nix smirked at me and ran his hand down his black hair before pulling at his ponytail a little. "She looks like she needs to be reminded what a good man can do in her life."
"Oh, yeah? I guess I should help her out seeing that you're anything but good. Scoundrel." I bumped my shoulder by his playfully before walking back up front.
Please let it be her. Please let it be her. Please...
Fuck.
It was her.