Page 4 of Hot Shot
Except the worst possible thing happened—they lost their funding. I’m pretty sure they’re still battling that contract breach in court. That left me without a job and with a nearly empty savings account.
A deep voice pulls me from my thoughts. “Ms. Harris.”
The older mechanic, Curtis, is staring at me from the counter, and I wonder how long he’s been calling my name.
“That’s me.” I jump to my feet.
“Your car’s ready. Needed a new battery.” He tells me the total and I dig through my purse and hand over my credit card.
“Thank you,” I say with a smile when he hands me my keys.
I’m already heading for the door when he says, “Tell your aunt Curtis says hello and I’ll give her a call tonight.”
I glance over my shoulder at him. “Will do.”Interesting.
I’ll have to ask my aunt about that. I get into my car and I breathe a sigh of relief when it starts on the first try. I’m not sure what I thought was going to happen—Curtis just drove it from the garage bay, so clearly it started.
My car is getting up there in years and mileage. Something that EJ liked to remind me of all the time. He was always trying to get me to trade it in for something newer and fancier and I always refused.
Mostly because I don’t want to have a car payment again, but also because I’m not ready to give up the first new car that I bought myself. He would have had a field day if he heard what happened today, but he’s not in my life anymore so I don’t have to hear his opinions. With a sigh I pull my seat belt on and put the car in gear to head home.
“Hey, sugar.” My aunt calls through her kitchen window as I’m getting out of my car.
I wave and head to her house instead of my apartment at the back of the property. I open the door and am promptly pulled into a hug.
Judy is a hugger and she always seems to know when a person needs one. I relax into her embrace feeling the weight of the day lifting.
“How about a snack? Dinner is probably going to be late tonight,” she says once I’ve been thoroughly hugged.
I chuckle because no matter how many times I’ve told her she doesn’t have to cook for me, she insists.
Judy is my mom’s older sister. She never married nor had kids, and I sometimes think she views me as her daughter instead of her niece.
Instead of arguing I accept the plate of cheese and crackers she hands me and sit down on one of the stools at her kitchen counter.
“So, what happened today?” she asks, patting her hands on a dish towel.
I huff out a breath and launch into the story of my car refusing to start this afternoon, how I had to climb into my back seat and ended up flashing the tall handsome stranger who walked by, and how he helped me.
“Did you get his number?”
“No, I didn’t.” I shake my head, shoving a piece of cheese and a cracker into my mouth.
“He sounds like a looker. Should have asked for his number in case your car breaks down again and you need rescuing. Or your engine needs tuning up.”
“Aunt Judy!” I laugh, shaking my head at her ridiculous innuendo.
I don’t need to drag someone else into the mess that is my life right now. It’s probably best that Hunter simply remains the nice guy who helped me with my car.
But then again.
Maybe I should have asked for his number or given him mine. Not that I’m ready to date anyone.
But you could have made a new friend,the little voice in the back of my head says. I sigh. I don’t have many friends—just my aunt and Rachel.
But I didn’t give him my number, and there’s nothing I can do about it now. I’m a firm believer in the idea that if the universe wants something to work out, it’ll work out. So if the universe wants Hunter and I to be friends, somehow we’ll cross paths again. And if we don’t, it wasn’t meant to be.
“Come on, girlie, you gotta have a little bit of fun.” She shimmies her shoulders and winks at me.
