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Post by Thursday on Jul 23, 2008 1:59:34 GMT -5
Rachel Waterman stood on the balcony outside her bedroom looking out over the clear blue water of the Gulf of Mexico. The cool ocean breeze whipped her soft, blonde curls around her face, but Rachel didn't mind. She loved the sea with a passion that verged on the edge of obsession. She especially loved this sea. This beach. This house. As far back as Rachel could remember, she had been coming to this sleepy, little beachside town to visit her grandparents who as soon as they had both retired, high-tailed it down to the coast (as retirees are wont to do) and purchased a crumbling Victorian house on the edge of the ocean. Some of Rachel's earliest summer memories were of hot, sunny days spent at the beach with her parents and brothers and sisters. The kind of days before boys and breasts and bikinis, not necessarily in that order. In many ways it had been a much simpler time. Rachel sighed. The beauty of the shore at this time of day always seemed to make her a little bit wistful. It was the summer before Rachel's junior year at The University of Texas. She and a couple of friends were staying at the now completely renovated beach house while her grandparents spent the summer touring Europe. Rachel breathed in the moist, salty air and smiled. Ever since her break-up with her long-time boyfriend, Jake Morrison, Rachel had felt like she was walking underwater. Now, in this place, with a long, glorious summer stretched out before her, Rachel felt like her head was finally breaking the surface. It was a perfect place. A place to forget, Rachel hoped as well as a place for new beginnings. Her bruised and broken heart was ready to heal and it seemed like the world was full of new possibility. For once, Rachel couldn't wait for what tommorow would bring.
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Post by Thursday on Jul 13, 2009 16:59:40 GMT -5
Ben cursed loudly as a large drop of oil dripped onto his face for probably the fifth time that day. He sighed and pulled himself out from under the silver Volvo he'd been attempting to work on all morning. He sat up and flipped his long dark hair out of eyes. Ben hated to admit to himself that she was the cause of his lack of focus. He had been trying to forget, to move on but as soon as his mind had a free moment, her twisted, lying face flashed into view. "You alright there?" His coworker Frank asked wiping his hands on a rag. "Yeah, I'm fine. But I'm calling it a day. I'm going to go head out to the bar early today." Frank looked concerned but didn't pry. It was one of the reasons Ben enjoyed working with him so much. Ben stood up and breathed in the scent that comprised his shop. The thick, heavy scents of gasoline, oil, and car exhaust which to anyone else would cause their noses to wrinkle in distaste. But he lived for it. The shop was his baby, his first business. The bar had come later at the insistence of his interfering mother, who wasn't particularly fond of his obsession with motorcycles. He smiled a little, thinking of the little old lady, who despite her delicate exterior was as tough as nails underneath it all and after hearing the news about Nicole had exclaimed, "What a little bitch! I never liked her, Benjamin." But thinking of her was a mistake. He could feel the rage start to boil under his skin. He took a breath to steady himself and began to move slowly through the shop between his mechanics and their projects, the rolling tires, and narrowly avoided a few oil spills which his men constantly hit him up for worker's comp when they slipped on it. He didn't know how to make it go away, this anger. He'd considered showing up at her house, demanding to know why she had done it. If he had known the guy's name maybe he would have found him and broken his nose, the way she had broken his heart. But Ben knew it wouldn't help him. Just add flame to the fire. He winced as he remembered the accusations she had screamed at him that night. Blamed him for her infidelty, like it was his fault. Ben shook his head as if to erase the memory. No more, he silently promised himself. He was not going to waste a single more moment of his time on that curse named Nicole.
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Post by Thursday on Jul 13, 2009 21:26:21 GMT -5
Just by looking at Benjamin Morgan, you wouldn't think affluent, talented business man, but that is exactly where stereotypes prove wrong. He was tall and wide shouldered, with dark hair that always seemed to be in need of a haircut. His wardrobe consisted mainly of tee-shirts and old, faded Levi's with a few too many holes. When he wore suits for meetings with his accountants and lawyers, his discomfort was palatable and his face set in a permanent scowl. Entrepreneur was a career goal that had never really crossed Ben's mind. He had spent his first two semesters in college majoring in partying and girls and spent all his spare time tinkering with his bikes. But the summer before his sophomore year, his father passed away from a heart attack. It jolted Ben uncomfortably into reality and a modest inheritance gave him the idea to open a garage. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in business and a Master's in mechanics and engineering. It wasn't long before his skills were sought after with a vengeance. Patrons came from miles away for his expertise and fair prices. His shop took off providing him with a healthy income but he was always happier working under a hood and especially on a motorcycle. He left the most of the paperwork to his best friend, Jet a college buddy with excellent managing techniques. The bar was his next challenge and it too was a success. Almost too much.
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Post by Thursday on Jul 13, 2009 21:56:42 GMT -5
Nicole blew into his life like the hurricanes that pounded the Texas coast. Powerful, beautiful, and underestimated. Like the fools who stayed in their homes, even as the winds tore off roofs and the waters swept away cars, Ben had been ignorant, determined to ride it out, and so sure he had the upper hand. But she hadn't been what he thought she was. Selfish, greedy, looking for a man to take care of her. She dazzled him, and Ben thought nothing of the jewels he bought her, the nice dinners. He thought she loved him, but as it turned out she loved his money more and didn't think twice about cheating on him in his own house. But it wasn't this that occupied Ben's thoughts as he pulled on his helmet and hopped onto to his vintage Indian. Instead he thought of his bar, of the beautiful women that came in every night. He was sick of commitment. The latest incident proved that. Ben needed to just have fun, no strings attached. A rebound, or really rebounds was just what the doctor ordered.
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Post by Thursday on Jul 14, 2009 8:14:58 GMT -5
"Rach!" a voice called loudly down from the house. Rachel looked up reluctantly from her book. She was enjoying the sunset on the beach, relishing the feel of the sand between her toes. "What?" "Stop being a nerd! We're going out!" Her friend Emily yelled. Rachel sighed but picked up her towel and started heading towards the house. Emily and Janet were her best friends but they had come with her to the beach for one reason; they were on the prowl. Not that she wasn't in the mood for a little boy chasing, but it had been a while since she had been single and Rachel wasn't quite sure she knew how to do it again. Jake had been the center of the her universe for the past two years. But that was over now and it was about time she had a little fun. Nothing serious, a summer fling, over come September. Rachel took one last, longing glance as the sun sank slowly into the horizon over the shimmering water. Night had come and with it, who knew?
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Post by Thursday on Jul 14, 2009 19:06:59 GMT -5
"I looooove this song!" the slightly more than tipsy University of Florida student breathed into Ben's face behind the bar. He smiled at her, but it was a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Instead of answering her obvious attempts at flirting, he turned away helping the next customer. When he had pictured this night, a much different scene had played out. But he shouldn't have been surprised. While his bar was popular with locals during the off season, they knew better than to come around during the summer, when the quaint little beach side town filled up with college kids from around the country. "...you're soooooo cute!" the co-ed whose name he vaguely remembered was Jessica was saying. "Thank you," Ben said for lack of anything better, but quickly moved down the bar switching places with his assistant manager Roxy. She flashed him a death glare. There was nothing she disliked more than dealing with little girls who couldn't hold their liquor. Ben shot her an apologetic smile and she melted. His charm was legendary but Roxy was the most level headed of his female employees, who were few. Ben was like a big brother to her. Endearing, yet irritating. Ben quickly went back to filling drinks. The joint was packed tonight. The dance floor a throbbing mass of bodies, the music blasting so loud, the customers were yelling to be heard. It wasn't a very sophisticated place, little more than a rowdy honky tonk, reminiscent of the places he himself had frequented in his college years but it was clean, had cold beer, and was a great place to have fun. Ben sat up for the moment his hands free and surveyed the crowd. He smiled watching the older couples twirling around with eyes only for each other, the young girls barely eighteen, X's on the back of their hands, and the guys shuffling awkwardly beside their gyrating dates. Then his eyes fell upon her.
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Post by Thursday on Jul 17, 2009 0:03:46 GMT -5
She was being twirled around the small wooden dance floor awkwardly by a middle aged man with a pot belly and something that could only be called a "porn" stash. A pairing wrong on so many levels. The first thing he saw was her hair. Soft, bright, golden curls falling just below her bare shoulders, like sunshine. Her light blue sun dress looked out of place between the shorts and tee-shirts of much of the crowd, yet seemed just right for her. It was like she had stepped out an old movie, the kind in fuzzy black and white and varying shades of gray. Then, she laughed and like a bell being rung it brought her into sharper focus. Her eyes were dark in the dim bar, but twinkling with laughter. A pair of pink lips inevitably curled into a smile even as her partner attempted to dip her and nearly dropped her. She was petite, her dress only emphasized her small waist and dipped low over her surprising ample cleavage but somehow managed to remain tasteful. With a few skilled maneuvers she attempted to avoid her toes being stepped on by the man who seemed to be dancing more with himself than with her. Graceful was the word that came to mind. She stepped lightly, softly but every movement held an undercurrent of strength and resolution. Despite her unfortunate dance partner, she seemed to be having a good time. Ben saw her exchange a few grinning glances with other girls across the room. Ben felt a strange urge that he wanted to protect this beautiful stranger. She evoked in him something he couldn't describe. Not lust, to which he was not unfamiliar with, more like a curiosity and an overwhelming feeling that he needed to talk to her, to touch her. Ben took a deep breath and signaled to Roxy that he was taking five and walked to the dance floor with purpose. It was time his lovely fairy be rescued.
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Post by Thursday on Jul 17, 2009 0:17:03 GMT -5
As Rachel tried again, unsuccessfully to extricate herself from her overzealous partner, she couldn't help thinking it was just her luck. Emily and Janet had been claimed by while not ideal candiates, at least better than what she was now stuck with. Too nice to say no, when Harry from Nashville asked "this little darlin'" for a dance Rachel knew she didn't stand a chance. Still she wasn't too miserable. Harry was quite a laugh and without the mustach and sweat stains now proliferating themselves under his arms, he wasn't too bad looking. Rachel was determined to have a good time even if it killed her which judging by the wild moves of her partner might not be unlikely. Distracted by yet another troublesome dance move, Rachel didn't notice the man come up behind Harry until he tapped on his shoulder and spoke. "May I cut in?"
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Post by Thursday on Jul 17, 2009 0:50:22 GMT -5
The voice was low and thrilling. It shot through Rachel like lightening. She glanced up quickly and caught her breath. Her savior towered over Harry from Nashville by as least a foot and she tilted her head to look up into smiling eyes the color of the ocean in late afternoon. Not quite blue and not quite green but a delightful mix that beckoned Rachel deeper. He had dark hair that ran on the longish side and gave him a rakish look that reminded her of a pirate. She smiled in answer and was hardly aware as the man expertly switched places with Harry, despite the man's sputtering protests. "Thank you," Rachel breathed, her voice strangely an octave higher than usual. The man had slipped one hand around her waist, she was unable to ignore the shock that echoed through her body as his large, warm hand touched her. Her hand settled naturally on his shoulder and their free hands intertwined as he skillfully pulled them both into a two- step. "No problem," the angel replied. "It was the least I could do. I'm Ben," he added. "Rachel," she replied. Her heart thundered loudly in her chest and not just from the dancing. "I couldn't figure out how to get away." Ben laughed. A deep, lovely sound that made Rachel smile. "You seemed to be managing yourself quite well." It pleased her for some reason to know he had been watching her. They danced a few more moments in silence and Rachel admired how well he moved, easily, confidently not like most men. The song ended and they pulled apart as society dictated was proper, though their fingers seemed reluctant to let go. "Let me buy you a drink," Ben said. Rachel hesitated but only for a fraction of a second. Ben seemed like a dream, almost too perfect. She was afraid that he might not turn out to be what she thought. But she shook off that manner of thinking. That was why she had come here. To take chances, to meet people and if Ben didn't work out, there was always someone else, another chance somewhere. So she smiled, a brilliant expression that seemed to light up her entire face. "Absolutely," she said with certainly and let Ben take her hand and pull her away.
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Post by Thursday on Jul 17, 2009 22:41:13 GMT -5
As Ben led Rachel to the bar, he wasn't thinking about the things he should be thinking about, like the way her soft, hand felt in his rough one or the real reason he had come into the bar tonight, getting her (or whoever) into bed. For some reason she didn't strike him as the one-night stand type which didn't bother Ben a bit. From the moment he saw her, he knew she was something much more than that. Instead he was trying to figure out a way to keep Rachel from finding out that he owned this bar. His experiences with Nicole had made him cautious and he wasn't ready to let her in on that part of his life just yet. Not until he knew her better. Even after fifteen minutes with her, Ben believed they would see each other past this night. They approached the high, wooden counter and Ben shot a quick look at Roxy, silenting pleading her to play along. She seemed to understand and only raised her eyebrows but didn't ask any questions as she expertly continued to fill glasses, the right way to keep the beer from foaming over the rim. "Pick your poison," he invited Rachel, letting go of her hand to turn and look at her. Her lips were parted slightly and her cheeks had flushed a light red, just visible beneath her tan. "Just water," she answered with her intriguing little smile. "I'm the DD tonight." "Two waters," He called towards Roxy. Rachel either didn't notice or care that no money seemed to change hands and their waters were delivered ahead of several already waiting customers. Ben breathed a quick sigh of relief but didn't test his luck. "Let's get some air," he suggested.
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Post by Thursday on Jul 23, 2009 22:56:58 GMT -5
Rachel was breathless as they left the building. She felt giddy, a little light headed, and there was a feeling in the pit of her stomach she could only chalk up to anticipation. It didn't matter that she hadn't had a drop to drink. It was as if Ben's mere presence was intoxicating enough. For once she was glad she was sober. Rachel needed her wits about her with Ben and she didn't want to make a fool of herself. She was used to being the designated driver with her friends and didn't mind much. Rachel didn't drink anymore, not after a night her sophomore year involving her sorority, a Twister game, and massive amounts of rum. She almost preferred it this way. She hated not being in control. But there was a part of her that was always just a little bit regretful, like she was missing out on something. And drunk people are only fun to be around when you're drunk too. Together, she and Ben walked out of the crowded smoky bar into the clear night. It occurred to Rachel maybe a little too late that it wasn't the wisest decision to be going off with some guy she had just met. But this was a small town and there was something about him made Rachel implicitly want to trust Ben. "This way," Ben told her and led her towards a narrow, rickety looking staircase. At the landing there was a small terrace surrounded by a few small wooden table and lit by a few Christmas lights and some cheesy Chinese paper lanterns, overlooking the avenue. "This is nice," Rachel commented, going to stand beside the railing. The bar was on a main street still teeming with people even at the late hour. She leaned against it and looked out into the sky. The moon was low and half full. The velvet black sky sprinkled with a dusting of stars. Ben came to stand beside her, also looking out at the street instead of at her. There was a tension in the air that Rachel couldn't describe. She was afraid to look at Ben and be lost in those strange blue-green eyes. "I like it. It's always nice to get some air." "You come here often?" Ben turned towards her and smiled. "You could say that." Rachel tried to ignore how her heart suddenly started beating faster at his smile. Really, she had just met the guy. True, he was very cute and so far had behaved the perfect gentleman, but the night was young. "Where are you from?" he asked her. They seemed to be standing far too close together, their hips almost touching. Rachel blushed, slightly flustered by his proximity. "Austin. I'm a junior at the University of Texas." She hoped he wouldn't notice how breathless she was. "Good school and Austin is a great city. The local music scene is incredible ," Ben replied. "What are you studying?" "Well, I'm-", she was cut off abruptly by two girls below them yelling her name. "RACHEL!!!!Where are yoooou?" Janet and Emily called, stumbling around. Rachel shook her head at them but smiled. "Sorry, those are my friends." She looked into Ben's eyes and sighed. Of course. Emily and Janet's timing was impeccable. "I should go. It was really nice meeting you." She hesitated waiting for him to say something, anything to keep her there for just a minute longer. As she started walking towards the stairs, he caught her arm. "Wait, can I see you again?" he asked. His hair had flopped into his face and he pushed it back impatiently with his hand. Rachel had to tilt her head to look up at him. She couldn't resist smiling. "I'd like that," She pulled a pen out of her purse and grabbed his hand. She quickly wrote down her name and number and then raised her eyebrows as seductively as she could manage when her heart seemed to trying to leap out of her chest. "I'll see you later then. Good night Ben." "Good night Rachel."
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Post by Thursday on Jul 26, 2009 17:27:44 GMT -5
As Ben walked slowly down the stairs to go help Roxy close up, his mind was elsewhere. Rachel. Her golden hair and easy smile seemed to be stuck in his brain like no other girl had been in a very long time. Okay, she wasn't the ideal rebound, i.e. not some barely legal lush but Ben was certain that it wouldn't matter and the rebound rules would not apply. Rachel was different. He could just sense it. As he remembered her dancing with that beer-bellied old man, he laughed out loud. "Okay, what is up with you man?" Roxy demanded as he walked into the emptied bar. "What?" "You ditch me in the middle of a rush for some floozy? I know you need a good lay and that's the only reason I didn't make a scene in front of the customers. And now you're still here. What gives?" "Slow down there," Ben warned her. "That girl is not some floozy and how do you know I need a need a good lay? My sex life is none of your business." Ben was trying too hard to be the outraged boss, but he'd known Roxy for too long and she never put up with his bullshit. "Please, Ben. Ever since The Wicked Witch of the West screwed you over you've been out of commission. You've got to get over her dude. She's not worth it." "I know. I'm working on it," he answered through gritted teeth. He had made Nicole Unmentionable Number One but Roxy hadn't seemed to have received the memo. "I saw," Roxy snorted as she walked around picking up half full glasses and dumping them into a bin. "She's cute but not your usual type. Too nice. I though you only liked those bitchy girls." she added with a mischievous grin. "Thanks." Ben rolled his eyes at the dig. "Do you know her?" Roxy shrugged. "She's been in a few nights with her friends. Good tipper, doesn't drink." "If you see her again, don't tell her I'm your boss. I just help bartend a few nights a night." Roxy raised her eyebrows but shrugged and Ben knew she would do as he asked. He grabbed the nights receipts and headed to the small office at the back. The small, cluttered room was a reflection on the way he ran things. No one else could find a single thing in there, but it was part of his system. He knew exactly where everything was. He sat down in the desk chair and instead of working, he leaned back and looked at the messy scrawl on his hand. He ran a finger over the numbers and wondered how soon was too soon to call her.
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Post by Thursday on Jul 28, 2009 18:47:30 GMT -5
Rachel woke the next morning, not as usual to the sun streaming through her bay window, but instead to a loud crack of thunder. She rolled over and sighed. The day was still dark, lit only by an occasional flash of lightening. The clock on the bedside table told her it was just past six. Rachel flipped back the covers and hopped out of bed. It was no use trying to sleep. The storm was just beginning, it's full fury yet to be unleashed. She hadn't been sleeping well anyway. All night long, she had tossed and turned, thinking of the man named Ben. Rachel searched with her feet until she found a pair of slippers and shuffled quietly to the kitchen. She shouldn't have bothered. Emily and Janet were both dead to the world, sleeping off the night before. She hit the power button on the coffee maker and busied herself straightening up the kitchen. It made her smile to remember the all too brief meeting last night. She had no idea what he did, where he was from, but it didn't matter. His face was the chief occupant in her mind. His eyes, the too long hair, the faded jeans and old tee-shirt. But even stronger was the memory of his touch. The big, work roughened hands in hers, on her waist, pulling her up a staircase. Rachel shook her head, trying to clear it. She didn't know if she would even see him again, men not always being the type to call, but she hoped. Most reverently, she hoped.
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Post by Thursday on Jul 29, 2009 3:29:56 GMT -5
As there wasn't much to do in a beachside town in the rain, so Rachel spent the morning on the porch watching the worst of the storm until it subsided into an exhausted drizzle. She figured she would run a few errands later that day. By that time Emily and Janet were while awake, not exactly firing all cylinders. "Damn! My head hurts!" Janet exclaimed heading straight for the aspirin while Emily sunk into one of the iron backed table chairs and moaned. "Morning guys," Rachel said brightly and a little louder than necessary. "Ugh," Emily and Janet complained simultaneously. "A little quieter if you please!" Rachel laughed, a tinkling, bell like sound and went to take care of her friends. "So who was that hottie last night?"Janet asked as they sat down to breakfast. Emily, the slightly more tactful one of the pair added, "I'm really sorry we interrupted..."her voice trailing off suggestively. Maybe not so tactful. Rachel shrugged, unfazed by her friends teasing. They knew as well as she did nothing had happened. "Whoever he was, don't let him get away. He was a fox!" "Okay, now you sound like my grandma. Fox? Really?" Rachel asked rolling her eyes. Janet held up her hands in a defeated gesture. "Gimme a break. Mornings and I don't mix. But seriously what happened? Dish." As Rachel told them the story starting with her fateful dancer partner and the brave rescue. They oohed and ahhed in all the right places but underneath it Rachel would sense something else. Concern. Emily and Janet had been there for her during what happened with Jake not to mention every relationship, every date she had had since their high school years. They knew how she could get about guys and wanted to make sure she didn't get hurt. "Guys," Rachel spoke, getting their attention. "It is nothing serious don't worry. A summer fling." "That's a relief," Emily commented. "I think that's just what you need." "If he calls," she added darkly.
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Post by Thursday on Jul 31, 2009 13:41:34 GMT -5
Glancing out of the garage bay into the rain, Ben could tell it was going to be a slow afternoon. Not that he minded, his thoughts otherwise occupied, if he had attempted so much as a tire rotation, Ben knew he would have completely botched it. The number Rachel had scrawled on his hand last night had long since washed off, but not before he’d copied it down in a safe place. He would not be taking chances. Still, Ben couldn’t figure out the right moment to call her, not wanting to seem over eager or just creep her out. As he was pondering this, he wandered back into the office to try and get something, anything done. Just as he was finishing up the paperwork on an old Toyota that had needed a new transmission, he heard a voice in the garage. “Yeah, I know. It’s my grandfather’s car. He refuses to get anything else.” There was something familiar about that voice. Where had he heard it before? Curious to see who had come in the current weather conditions, he walked out into the garage. “This Buick is his baby even though it costs him more in repairs than a new car probably would.” Ben’s mouth fell open at the site of the little blonde talking about her grandfather’s car with Frank. “Rachel?” he asked unable to contain himself. She turned away from her descriptions of her grandfather’s car, to Ben. She seemed as surprised as he was. Her bright yellow raincoat was slick with moisture and her curls were dampened by the mist. Ben thought he had never seen someone look so enticing. “Ben? What are you doing here?” “I guess I didn’t get a chance to tell you last night, I’m a mechanic. This is where I work.” Frank raised his eyebrows at this simplification of his boss’s job, but seeing he was no longer needed, shrugged and turned to work on his current project, restoring a 1967 Thunderbird. “Well it’s a small world,” Rachel told him with a grin. She unzipped her coat showing that she was still in her pajamas, a pair of plaid cotton pants and a tee-shirt advertising the action hero, Green lantern. Ben smiled as she noticed his gaze and blushed. “I didn’t intend going out today, but my granddad’s car was begging for an oil change.” “Let me take a look,” Ben offered, walking over to the baby blue monstrosity that called itself a car. Ben let out a whistle. “52’?” He asked. “53’,” Rachel replied rolling her eyes. “Grams and I have been trying to get him into a new car for years but he insists that they just aren’t made like this anymore.” “That’s for sure. So just an oil change?” “Yeah, that’d be great.” Here she was, right in front of him and all he could talk about was her car. Great. He needed more time. “I can have it done in half an hour, if you want to wait and then maybe we could go grab lunch somewhere?” His pulse raced waiting for her reply. Would she think it was too soon? Would she say no? “I’d love to.”
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