CHAPTER 4

ADAM

 

I watch her mouth move and think about how much I want to kiss her, devour her.

She takes a sip of coffee; her tongue slips between her lips to remove the froth that’s gathered there – it’s a good job this table is in between us so she can’t see the raging boner I’m sporting from that little innocent lick of her lips.

I order myself another drink because I don’t want to cut this short, she’s actually talking to me, not rolling her eyes or sighing at me and I’m not going to waste the opportunity.

Remembering the last question about the money, I reply, “Yeah sure, or you can keep it, I’m sure I’ll have to come in again for some reason.” Flashing her another grin she gives me a sassy one back.

“I’ll make sure I’m off that day then!” She bites down on her bottom lip and raises an eyebrow.

Oh fuck! This girl is making me lose all train of thought.

I laugh loudly and she smiles right back at me and it’s gorgeous – but then I guessed it would be. I don’t even have a reply to that and that’s not like me, she gets me all tongue tied – I normally have an answer for everything!

She looks away from me and gazes around the café. When she turns back to me, the smile which lit up her whole face is gone.

“Adam, I’m sorry I was such a bitch last week, I’m not always like that,” she pauses for a second, “actually... yeah I am!” She covers her face with both of her hands and groans. I reach across and move her hands, put them on the table and push my luck by placing my hands over hers.

“It’s fine really, we didn’t have the best start I suppose.”  Moving my head from side to side and smile. She looks down at our hands and pulls hers from underneath mine.

“Are you apologising for the sexist comment then or just in general?”

“What sexist comment?” I ask her frowning, “okay then, maybe just in general, I suppose I am a handful…”

“You think? I was actually talking about the one about a woman being a mechanic.”

“Oh shit! That comment, yeah, that was a joke… I’m not really sexist. My mother would kick my arse, I swear.” She smiles widely. “I didn’t mean to offend - pinkie promise.” I hold my little finger out to her.

She laughs again. I’d love to be able to make her smile or laugh more. Drinking the rest of her coffee she puts her cup down and picks up her muffin that she hasn’t touched and stands.

“I have to get back. Those figures aren’t going to work themselves out.”

Shit… I can’t let her go just yet.

“Darcy, wait,” I quickly scribble my number down on a scrap piece of paper from my notebook. “Here’s my number.” I hold it out for her to take.

“What do I want this for?” Darcy asks straight faced.

“Um… well,” I’m stuttering over my words like a complete twat. “Just in case you need to text me or whatever really.”

She looks at me with a smirk – she’s got me good. “I thought we could do this again.” I say nervously.

“I already have this, you wrote it on an invoice, remember?” she says smartly.

Chewing on my lip I say, “Yeah well you got it twice now -  just in case you lose one, or if I piss you off and you throw one away.” Remembering what Chris said last week about being friends, for once I heed his advice. “Friends?”

Nodding at me, she says, “Yeah, friends.” She puts her small hand in mine but my hand drowns hers, I grip it lightly and shake, she loosens my hand eventually and walks towards the door, as she pulls it open she looks back at me.

Not losing my composure a second time – I wink at her. She shakes her head at me but gives me a cute little smirk too - Smiling widely, I put my hand up to her in a wave and watch her leave.

I stay a little longer in the café and try and finish up what I was working on earlier before Darcy came in, but to be honest my flow has gone, so there’s no point in staying here. I pack everything up pay my bill and head home.

 

Pulling up at home I have the biggest smile on my face. I put my laptop bag on the floor in the corner of the lounge and go into the kitchen.

“There she is, the most beautiful woman ever!”

“What are you after, Adam?” Mum says sarcastically as I kiss her cheek.

“Mum, how can you say that? That hurts - right here…” I bang my chest with my fist to make her feel bad; it doesn’t work though, she’s a hard woman my Mum.

“So, why are you so happy?” she turns to face me, “and why are you grinning like that, what are you up to now?” Mum asks suspiciously.

“Why do I have to be up to something for me to be smiling?” I shrug my shoulders and grin.

“Because my darling, Adam. Out of all my children, you were always the mischievous one. The one I had to watch to see what you were up to next – and I know you’re up to something.” She taps my cheek lightly and turns back to the cooker.

“Yeah whatever. You know I’m your favourite!” Mum rolls her eyes and turns back to the cooker. Ha she knows it, don’t let her fool ya!

I haven’t stopped smiling since Darcy left the café and I’m still smiling like a nutter now, grabbing a drink from the fridge, I get my laptop from the lounge and head upstairs to my office.

As I’m working, my screen lights up with a text... unknown number. That gets my attention. Opening up the screen, I read the text:

 

Unknown: Thanks for the coffee

 

Feeling a smirk pull at my features I pick up my phone,

 

Me: I’m sorry who is this?

 

Smiling again I but my phone back down, but as soon as it touches the desk it pings again so I add her name to my contacts,

 

Hot mechanic: Yeah, very funny... do you have coffee every day with a different girl then?

 

Me: Now that would be telling…

 

Darcy: Oh, please…!!!

 

Me: I know you were checking me out!

 

Darcy: Yeah, you wish! I have to go now, about to head home. Speak to you later.

 

Me: Later, hot stuff.

 

Oh yeah, I’m going to have to watch her. Turning back to my computer with a huge smile on my face I re-open my document and get back to my story.

 

DARCY

 

After talking to Adam in the cafe today, I feel a little more at ease. I do feel an attraction to him and he doesn’t seem so bad after all, I was a little harsh on him. With the pressures of the garage though and with my Dad poorly, I just haven’t got time for a proper relationship.

It’s been so long since I’ve had a man try to chat me up, I’m not sure how to take it. If he really meant what he said about being friends though... I could try and manage that… I think.

All the numbers on the screen are all forming into one jumbled mess again, I save my work, stretch my neck and back, they’re aching from being sat at the desk for so long. I look at my phone and a grin works its way onto my face for the first time in a while after seeing what he called me - it’s nice, I suppose if I wanted to be all girly of course.

I drop my phone into my bag and walk around to the guys, I tell them I’m leaving and I’ll see them in the morning. I jump in my car and make a detour on the way.

 

* * * * * * *

 

Walking into the hairdressers, I sit down in the large black leather chair and take the bobble that’s keeping my messy bun in place… I shake out the knots in my hair and run my fingers through it,

“Hey D, what am I doing?”

“Hey you. I really don’t know - but it’s boring don’t you think?” I look at my very lank hair in the mirror and wish it was better, I hate my red hair, it’s all one length to mid back - ugh! “Leah, please do something!”

“Okay, do I get free reign over it.” nodding at her through the mirror, she gives me a devilish smile.

“Don’t go mad, okay?”

“Yes ma’am.” She starts brushing through my hair then goes to fetch her trolley. “Okay, how about I cut it, put some shape back into it and give it some highlights?”

“Whatever, I’m in your hands.”

Winking at me in the mirror she begins her to do her job.

Leah is my best friend, the only friend I’ve really got. When I had to take over the garage at nineteen, my so-called friends didn’t like that I stopped going out with them because I was too tired.

The only thing they were interested in were men and getting drunk every single weekend. With Dad’s surgery, depression and taking over the garage it was just too much. The only person to stick by me was Leah.

She’s the complete opposite to me though, I love getting my hands dirty and Leah - well, she’s such a girl, if she breaks a nail it’s the end of the world. But, as much as I don’t mind the grime of my job; I do like getting my hair done every now and again, and seeing the mess it’s in today it’s waaaay overdue.

We met when we were eight, it was a show and tell day at school and she took my toy car, I had all the vintage ones, Rolls Royce, Jaguar. She made fun of me and called me a boy because I liked cars, so I stole her Barbie doll and after the whole ‘my cars are better than any smelly Barbie,’ we were made to sit in the same room and to shake hands by the teacher.

After that we became friends; not without arguments over the adolescent years, but by the time we got to high school we were happy we were different from one another... it made us stand out from the rest. Friends came and went, but Leah, she was always the one in my corner, cheering me on.

Leah’s hair is dark brown and cut into a funky bob which hangs lower at the front and drops into points and in a ‘V’ at the back, she’s always changing her hairstyles. She’s pretty too with striking blues eyes and an olive skin tone, the men fall over her, but luckily, she has a boyfriend named Dan.

They’re perfect for each other and have been together for about a year now. They got engaged at Christmas and it was so sweet; he took her to New York and proposed to her in front of the Rockefeller tree. It was so romantic. The pictures were beautiful, it was snowing too. Getting a dreamy look in my eye, I snap back to now and look in the mirror when I hear Leah’s voice.

“Oi, D. What are you thinking about?”

“Oh nothing. Oh my God, Leah, I look like an extra-terrestrial with all these foils in my hair.” She looks at me confused. “You know E.T?”

“God D, why do you have to watch all the old films - I never know what you’re going on about!”

“One day I’m going to educate you.” I poke my tongue out at her and raise an eyebrow as she just laughs…

“Yeah, mature.”

“I never said I was.”

Two hours later, my hair has been cut into long layers, washed, blow dried and I have two colours running through it; blonde and brown and it looks awesome!

I shake my head and watch my hair, “Oh my gosh Leah, I love it! Thank you so much.” She takes the bib off me and shakes it on the floor as I jump up from the chair and wrap my arms around her. She’s taller than me by about four inches.

I sit back in the chair while she sweeps and cleans up as we’re the only ones here. I wait for her to finish so we can go and grab a bite to eat. While I’m waiting, I send my Mum a text telling her I won’t be home until later and get ready to spend some girl time with my best friend.

I followed Leah home so she could drop her car off as we headed to the pub not far from us. As soon as we were sat at a table we ordered a drink, me a lemonade and Leah had a glass of white wine. Once we knew what we were having I order our meals - a thank you for doing my hair, as she wouldn’t have any money for doing it, then sit back down.

“So, come on then what’s new?” Leah asks linking her fingers and resting her joined hands on the table.

“Not much really. Dad’s no better, the garage is very slowly going downhill and I don’t know how to stop it. I can’t tell Dad because it’ll make him worse... I asked him this morning if he wanted to come to the garage for a bit but he just refused, he wants to sit there and wallow in self-pity and make us do the same.”

“Oh babe, I’m so sorry. If I could help out I would.”

I place my hand on top of hers and smile sadly, “I know you would and thank you.” I look into my glass and swirl the clear liquid around, I can feel Leah’s eyes on me, so I snap out of my subdued mood and smile at her. “Come on then what’s new with you. How’s Dan the man?”

“You know he hates it when you call him that?!”

“I know,” I say with a nod and grin smugly, “It’s why I say It.”

I take out my phone from my bag to see if my Mum has texted me back and see I have a text, but not from Mum:

 

Player: Hey, friend. What you up to?

 

I look up to see the waiter at our table and bring our food over, so I quickly type out a text back and change his name in my contacts.

 

Me: Hey, I’m just out with a friend. How about you?

 

I drop my phone back in my bag and start eating my Scampi as I feel Leah’s eyes on me…

“What?” I ask confused.

“So, anything new?”

I consider what to say to her - if I tell her about Adam now she’ll get the wrong end of the stick and then get all excited that I’ve got a new boyfriend. I actually haven’t been with anyone since I was nineteen... so you can imagine, she’ll have me married off in weeks.

Instead, I give her a vague excuse and tell her it was just my Mum texting me to ask me to pick some milk up on the way home. She’ll kill me when I do tell her but we’ll deal with that then, for the moment - we’ll see what happens.

For the rest of the evening we laugh, talk and enjoy our girly time before dropping her off at hers and I drive home.