CHAPTER 2

ADAM

 

Parking behind Chris’s Audi, I walk into the house. I asked Chris to pick me up but Taylor turned up, not that I mind of course! Taylor’s sitting next to Todd, they’re laughing about something but I ignore them both and greet my Mum with a kiss, then go back into the lounge and sit down.

Closing my eyes all I can see is the image of Darcy. Fuck. Darcy… that’s a hot name!

“Dude, you should’ve seen my mechanic today, fuck!”

“Got a thing for mechanics now, bro?” Todd winks his eye and I realise then how it sounded when I said it.

Rolling my eyes and sighing I say, “Fuck yeah I do when they come in the tight little package like that one today did. Shit! Red hair, dirty overalls, I’m telling ya, bro, she was drop dead gorgeous!

“She?”

“Yeah, she.”

“So, when are you taking her out?”

“Ah well, we’re going to talk about that another time, she’s um…” I rub the back of my neck as I think what to say, “She’s a tough one to crack.” Avoiding my brothers’ stare, Taylor bursts out laughing.

“Oh my gosh, Adam, really? She didn’t look very happy with you when she brought your truck out, in fact I’d go as far to say that if looks could kill you’d be on the floor, mate.” I watch as she turns back to Todd, “I don’t think she fell for his so-called charms…” laughing, she leans across and kisses Todd’s cheek, smacks his thigh and stands still sniggering.

“You’re just jealous, Tay, I mean, you could have had this, but nooo…” I motion up and down my body with fingers and raise my one eyebrow at her, “I mean I am the hotter brother!”

She cups my face with her hands. “Aww Adam, you really are delusional. I do love you though.” Taylor kisses my cheek then turns to face my brother.

“Todd, sort him out?! I have to go, Chris is on nights.”

“Don’t forget your dinners,” Mum says as she walks in from the kitchen with a crock pot in her hands. Taylor takes it from her and gives her a kiss to the cheek.

“Mum, you’re amazing. Thank you.”

“Later's.” Taylor shouts from the door as it bangs shut behind her. Taylor started calling our Mum ‘Mum’ after she came to terms with what her own mother done to her, that woman really was vile! What kind of mother abandons their child and returns later when they’re older just because they’re sick? Taylor didn’t have a ‘real Mum’ for years, so our Mum dotes on her.

“Your mechanic was a woman then!” Todd asks.

“Ahh yeah, a fucking gorgeous one at that.” Shaking my head in Todd’s direction, “dude, I think I’m in love! She had oil smeared up her face and these dirty overalls tied at the waist and big boots, she had red hair and these cute freckles… she’s every man’s wet dream! Fuck, she was hot!”

“Owww!” I shout as Mum smacks me at the back of the head for swearing... again. She always catches me.

“Adam, your mouth is pure filth. I know you’re an adult but really – all the time?! Now come and get your dinners.”

Getting up grumpily, I make my way to the kitchen while Todd laughs behind me.

“Shut it, you’re as bad as me!”

Todd continues to laugh and whispers from behind me close to my ear, “Yeah, but not in front of Mum, you tool and you’re not exactly quiet about it.”

I sit down at the table still rubbing my head, tuck into dinner and wander off into my own world.

Lying on my bed after dinner, hands crossed behind my head, relaxed; the hot little redhead from earlier today passes through my mind, Darcy. She seemed kind of angry, moody. I can cope with that, I just need to think of a way to get through to her. I wonder if I can make an excuse to go back to the garage… hmm, give it a couple of days. I’ll be back.

Pulling over my laptop I open my word doc and start writing, something I’ve had no desire to do in a while.

******

 

A couple of days of writing and I’m beginning to get cabin fever, I haven’t been able to get Darcy out of my head and I need fresh air. Jumping in my truck, I head out and as always, my camera and laptop get placed on the back seat because you never know when inspiration will strike.

I’m driving past the garage as an idea hits me. I head towards the nearest side street, swing the truck around and pull on the front. I jump out to see if can see her but she’s nowhere to be seen.

Seeing the young kid that works there I walk towards him.

“Hey bud is Darcy around today?”

“She’s busy, can I help?” he lifts his chin as he asks me.

“No thanks, I could really do with seeing Darcy to be honest.”

Scowling at me he says, “Wait here, I’ll go see.”

“Thanks pal.” I look at my watch and see it’s only just past eleven. I slide my hands into my pockets, turn towards the street and watch people milling about, rushing around, then wait to see if the pretty mechanic will come out to see me.

 

DARCY

 

Sitting at the desk in the office with a cup of coffee, I decide it’s time to go over the books. Business isn’t too good at the moment. I don’t say anything though – I’ll sort it. I try to keep Dad involved in the day to day running of it all but some days he doesn’t want to know. I can’t run a business like this, I need to get these figures sorted out so as I know what I’m dealing with.

 

I love my Dad so much, but it’s also hard with his depression because no matter how much he tries to tell me he wants to help and that he’s fine – I know he’s lost in his own head and then things get missed.

The guys here aren’t good with figures either, one has been here since my Dad opened the garage fifteen years ago. Then there’s Steve, he’s been here about five years now, he’s a little older than me. I love these guys, they help me with the running of the garage the best they can but this side of things – I’m on my own.

 

An hour later, I still can’t get my head around these figures. I plant my elbows on the desk, and rub my eyes as I drag my hands down my face until I hear a knock on the door.

I look through the gaps in my fingers as I see Steve open the door.

“What’s up?” I ask him, my voice muffled.

“There’s someone asking for you out front.”

“I’m not expecting anyone, who is it?” shaking my head as I ask him.

“He didn’t give me his name!” Steve says as he walks away from the office.

He? For fucks sake, I need to go and look now.

I make my way through the workshop until I can see out through the opened shutters – I see his truck before I see him. Great that’s all I need today!

I wander out to the front slowly his back is facing me and as much as I don’t like cocky men I can appreciate a nice arse. Staring for a little too long at his backside I speak up,

“What’s wrong with it this time?”

Spinning around to face me he grins at me. He clears his throat and looks towards the floor, he seems a little nervous to me – this could be interesting.

As he looks up though that cocky mask takes over again. “Ah, I love seeing that smile.”

Annnd there he is. Rolling my eyes at his comment, I purse my lips at him and wait for him to carry on. “I think there’s something wrong with the exhaust.”

“Really? It sounded okay to me the other day?” Looking him in the eye I smirk at him slightly.

“Well maybe it’s something that’s started today and it obviously requires your expertise.”

“Ohhh, right then. Well, pull into the garage then and I’ll get one of the lads to have a look at it.”

“Um, can’t you do it?”

“Wow, did I impress you that much the other day?”

“Well I was hoping to get to see you bend over the bonnet again....” he closes his eyes tightly and cringes at his own comment. Completely dismissing what he said, I turn and begin to walk away then shout over my shoulder,

“Come on, let’s see what my magic touch can do!”

He smirks but as he turns I hear him say ‘I’m sure those hands can work wonders.’

Secretly grinning to myself and refusing to let him dazzle me, I watch him walk back to his truck and drive it inside. He jumps down from the truck and hands me the keys.

“If you want to leave it with me, I’ll look it at later.”

“I’ll wait if that’s okay?” he smirks as he answers me.

“What if I’m really busy today?” I shouldn’t be difficult as it’s a customer at the end of day and its customers we’re lacking at the moment.

He raises his eyebrow at me and looks around the workshop. “It must be lunchtime then, I’ll wait.” Smarmy fucker!

Fuck! I don’t want him to wait, he puts me off and distracts me. Smiling at me, he grabs a chair, sits backwards on it and leans his forearms on the top of it. “I’ll just wait here and watch you work those magic hands.” My stare stays on his bare forearms a minute too long before he catches me and grins.

Embarrassed at getting caught, I sigh loudly and turn away from him. I pull the trolley out so I can look under his truck.

After ten minutes, I’ve poked, prodded and I can’t find anything missing underneath, I roll myself out, climb into the drivers’ side and start the engine. Revving the engine, I can’t hear it blowing either, that little fucker is wasting my time.

I jump down from the cab. “Are you just wasting my time, um…

“Adam,” he says pleased with himself. Ugh, he’s so smug!

Folding my arms across my chest, I tap my toe on the ground and wait for an answer. “Well?”

“Look, I thought there was something wrong with the exhaust and I was passing, so I thought I’d pop in on the off chance and see if you were free to look at it for me, that’s it. Maybe it wasn’t mine after all.”

“So why did you ask for me? If that was the case any one of them could’ve looked at it, couldn’t they?”

Adam dips his head as he runs his fingers through his light brown hair. He tilts his head to one side and looks at me with a questionable look.

 

“Okay, I can’t help it. I like you and maybe I wanted to ask if you’d like to go for coffee with me.”

“Oh yeah, I don’t think your girlfriend would like that and I don’t like cheats.”

Adam’s brows crease with a frown as a confused look takes over his features. “Girlfriend? I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Oh right, so the pretty blonde that picked you up the other day isn’t your girlfriend then? I mean you looked happy to see her.”

He bursts out into laughter as I huff at him and walk away from him.

“Darcy, wait,” still laughing as he calls out to me. Entering the office, I slam the door behind me.

Knocking on the door, I see Adam as he stands on the other side. I look away as he opens the door cautiously, I sit at my desk and get on with the books.

“Darcy, I’m sorry. You think she was my girlfriend?” I don’t answer in fact I try not to look at his handsome face at all. “Do you mind if I sit?”

I shake my head slightly but I still don’t look at him.

“Look, it’s not what you think. Taylor is my sister in law, well as good as – she’s my brothers’ girlfriend.”

“It’s really none of my business.” I say with a shrug and stare long enough for him to see how pissed I am, then drop my eyes back down to look at the books.

My Dad did everything on paper and soon I’m going to need to put it all onto the computer, I don’t know anyone that does it like this anymore.

“Well you obviously think it is.” he mumbles, “look can we start over, please?” he asks hopefully but I ignore him. Sighing heavily, he stands from the chair and drops some notes on the desk in front of me. He stands there for what seems like minutes but was really, only seconds. He picks up his keys, then turns back, “See you ‘round, Darcy.” His eyes linger on mine for a beat too long then walks from the office back to his truck.

I watch him walk past the office window until I can’t see him. On hearing the loud rumble of the engine start, I move towards the door of the office and watch from the doorway as he reverses out. Our gazes lock again as he looks over at me, a small smile pulls at his lips as he manoeuvres the truck and pulls out of the garage.

Shit! Good going Darcy…

I pick up the notes from the desk and see he’s paid me £50 for basically nothing.

Darcy Ambrose, you are a bitch!

I need to think of a way I can get some of this back to him. Flipping through the invoices I find

Adam’s invoice from the other day and sure enough he left his number on it. Pulling out my phone I store it in my contacts then try to concentrate back on the accounts. The only problem is all I can see are those blue eyes fixed on me.