Nineteen
T he chill in the air matched the chill in Jessica’s skin. She pulled the blanket around her shoulders to ward against the cold. It had been two days since they returned from Atlanta, and the weather had decided that it was time to get serious about it being winter. It wasn’t that Jessica had never lived somewhere with an actual winter, but it had been a while. She and her parents tended to flee toward warmth, and Jason lived in SoCal. Winter wasn’t a thing any of them did on a whim. Cold weather was something they planned out, so this abrupt dip into below-fifty-degree weather was enough to have Jessica’s teeth chattering. It made her wish for warm kisses under even-warmer sheets.
“What are you doing sitting out here by yourself?”
Jessica looked up when Grace came out onto the porch. She was decked out in a thin jacket, but that was it. It made Jessica colder just looking at her and the lack of covering. “Aren’t you cold? Shouldn’t you have more on than just that jacket?”
Grace shrugged and gave her a lopsided smile. “It’ll be back in the sixties by the afternoon. Trust me. We’re still early in winter for it to stay cold for long.”
“This weather doesn’t make any fucking sense.”
“That’s Georgia for you.” Grace gestured to her car. “I’m headed to work. You sure you’re going to be okay being in the house all day?”
Jessica smiled. “Aw, you worried about little old me?”
“Always,” Grace replied with a shake of her head. “I’m sorry I couldn’t take yesterday or today off. Testing days are usually a no-go unless your arm falls off or you vomit up your spleen or something. Robert would blow a brain cell if I called out.”
Jessica waved off her excuse. She was fine. She didn’t need a babysitter to get through the day. “Go and mold young minds, Obi-Wan. I can entertain myself well enough.” Grace chuckled but nodded. When she got to the bottom step, she paused and turned back to Jessica.
“Maybe you should go visit Vini.”
That had Jessica raising an eyebrow. This was certainly a change compared to the last few conversations that had to do with the mini mechanic. “Whoa. What is this? You’re encouraging me to fraternize with the enemy?”
Grace rolled her eyes. “Vini isn’t the enemy. I just figured since we had a good weekend with no drama, maybe things are fine.”
“It’s about time you saw it my way,” Jessica snarked. She smiled when Grace rolled her eyes again. “Somehow, I’m enjoying this whole freezing-for-the-Southern-morning aesthetic. I’m going to sit out here for a little while longer.”
Grace nodded. She gave Jessica one final wave before getting into her car and making her way down the driveway. Jessica watched until her car was out of sight before leaning back against the back of the couch she was lounging in. She wasn’t lying about enjoying the aesthetic. The sun was slowly lifting over the tree line, gradually lighting the sky. Over the past five weeks, Jessica had come to enjoy the slow passage of time that was moving from morning to afternoon. It was weird to think that when she’d first got to Peach Blossom, she had been so worried that she wouldn’t find enough to do here. Now that her visit was winding down, she almost didn’t want to leave. She knew that was mostly due to one person.
“Fuck,” she groaned, leaning her head back. It wasn’t that she had never thought about Vini before, but now it was like she was all Jessica thought about. Her hands. Her voice. Her laugh.
Her smile.
Jessica stood up, barely managing to catch the blanket before it fell to her feet. She had planned on spending more time relaxing, but that seemed to be the worst plan now. She only had so many days left, and being alone for them seemed to be the worst plan by far. She wanted to spend it with Vini, and there was nothing wrong with that. Hell, Grace had just practically given her blessing. Jessica would be a fool to let that go to waste.
Now that Jessica had made her mind up about what she was going to do, nerves she hadn’t known existed set in. She went through the motions of showering and deciding what to wear. In front of the mirror, she put one outfit in front of her before switching to the next, a frown marring her features. It shouldn’t be this difficult , she thought to herself. It’s just Vini. They had been hanging out for the past five weeks, so why was she making it weird now? With a moan she threw the skirt and shirt in her hands onto the bed before digging back in her suitcase for a comfortable pair of jeans and a sweater. She didn’t doubt that Grace was right that it would be warm by the time the afternoon hit, so she put a camisole underneath. That way, if it got too warm, she could pull the sweater off and tie it around her waist. She pulled her hair back away from her face, turning her head before letting it drop back down over her shoulders.
“Oh my God, this is ridiculous,” she hissed at herself. Vini never seemed to care what Jessica was wearing. In fact, the only thing she seemed to really care about was how quickly she could get Jessica out of her clothes. It was that thought that finally brought a smile to her face, and Jessica quickly braided her hair, securing it with a band before grabbing her purse and heading out the door.
It had been a couple hours since Grace left, but the temperature had already risen a few degrees. Jessica rolled her sleeves up before getting into the car. She hadn’t mentioned to Vini about coming by the shop, but she figured the morning was probably not too busy. Just in case, she decided to stop at the diner in town and grab a couple of breakfasts to go, if only to bribe Aiden into making himself scarce for an hour or so if they weren’t too busy.
Driving through town put a smile on Jessica’s face like it always did. Peach Blossom really was an amazingly quaint town that, for its small population, still offered a fair bit. She had enjoyed wandering the aisles of Blank Pages Bookshop and sitting outside with a cup of coffee as she watched people go about their daily lives. It was almost more enjoyable than people-watching when she visited Jason in Los Angeles. There, people seemed to hustle and bustle from one place to the next, but here in Peach Blossom, people meandered as if just enjoying the fresh air and the lack of traffic. She could understand why some people wanted to make this place their home.
She parked her car, not bothering to lock it as she walked toward the diner. It was relatively empty, though that was to be expected for a Tuesday morning after the prework breakfast rush. Jessica decided to grab her own bite to eat and was quickly shown to a small table.
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen you in here.”
Jessica smiled up at Thomas, the owner of the diner. The first time she had come in, he had been her waiter, and when she’d mentioned being from out of town, they had gotten to talking. He wasn’t the type to be overly chatty, but all the same Jessica appreciated the few conversations they’d had over the weeks, especially since he was also not originally from Peach Blossom.
“We just got back from Atlanta a couple days ago,” Jessica said before picking up the menu. “We went to celebrate Vini’s birthday.”
Thomas nodded. “Oh, that’s right. I remember Brad saying something about Ava going up to Atlanta. If not for him coaching over the weekend, he probably would have convinced me to join you guys.”
“That would have been a lot of fun, actually. Don’t you still have a restaurant up in Atlanta?”
Thomas nodded. “I have a couple still up there, but I don’t plan on going back anytime soon. My sister is running them for now, so I only go back and help out maybe once or twice a year. Plus I much prefer the slower pace of living down here in Peach Blossom. The traffic getting into town and heading home is incomparable.”
Jessica knew exactly what he meant. The traffic in Atlanta had been horrendous no matter which direction they were headed. Even though they had left in the afternoon on a Sunday, there was still traffic backed up until they got past Peachtree City. She should be used to that kind of traffic, given she and her parents used to live in Seoul. But with the public transportation there, a car wasn’t always necessary. Even though most of her extended family didn’t live in Seoul, her parents maintained a condo in Gangnam that was free whenever they didn’t have vacation renters.
“Are you getting this for here, or are you planning on getting it to go?”
“I plan on grabbing a bite for myself, and then I’ll get a couple plates to go for Vini and Aiden. She promised to look at my car one more time before I head back up to Atlanta to drop it off.”
Thomas nodded before taking her order. A small smile and a cup of coffee later and Jessica let herself relax back into the booth. She wished she had brought a book with her until she remembered she had downloaded a couple books on her phone. She took her time enjoying her breakfast of scrambled eggs, thick-cut bacon with a maple glaze and the fluffiest Belgian waffle she’d had ever had. The first time she had tasted it, she swore she saw the face of God. Then again, it might have just been the culinary wizard behind the kitchen door. You could fault the South for a lot of things, but you couldn’t fault them for some damn good cooking.
The morning passed easily enough, and when it started bleeding into early afternoon, Jessica grabbed the to-go boxes and paid her bill before heading out the door. She waved one more time to Thomas just in case she didn’t have time to stop back into the diner before she left on Saturday. She had already gotten his contact information and was looking forward to being able to keep in touch with him. She told herself it wasn’t to keep a link with Vini, but at this point even she didn’t truly believe those words.
She slowly drove back through town heading in the direction of Vini’s shop. The people and cars thinned out until she was the only one on the road leading to that part of town. Before long, she found herself pulling into the shop. She swallowed hard against the lump that appeared suddenly in her throat and tried to push away unhelpful thoughts as she parked and got out. When she pushed open the door to the lobby, neither Vini nor Aiden were anywhere to be found. She called out looking around the corner to the back room.
“Vini? Aiden? You guys here?”
Rustling from the back room reached her, and then Aiden popped his head around a corner. His familiar cheeky grin lifted Jessica’s spirits, and she marveled at how his golden-retriever energy was so potent that it picked her up without her even thinking about it.
“Why are you always hiding out in the back room?” Jessica asked as she placed the food bag on the counter. “I swear I have only seen you working on a car like once.”
Aiden shrugged before his head turned up like he was sniffing the air. He looked so much like a curious dog right then that Jessica didn’t even try to hide her giggling. She shook the bag at him.
“What’s wrong? Did you not eat a good, hearty breakfast before coming to work?”
Aiden snorted before reaching for the bag. Jessica had no desire to tease him further and gladly let him pick up the sack so he could inspect what was inside. He groaned when the scent of bacon wafted up from the bag, so potent that even Jessica found her mouth watering again, even though she had already eaten.
“Are you sure you have to leave?” Aiden asked as he pulled out the two containers. He glanced at them before taking the one marked for him. It wasn’t the first time Jessica had brought them food, so she knew exactly what he and Vini liked to get from Thomas’s diner. “I know you have zero knowledge of cars, but we could train you.”
“Why are you volunteering my shop for tutoring?”
Jessica turned, and Vini came in from the garage area. Jessica hadn’t seen her out there when she pulled up, but there had been a few cars blocking her view, and with Vini’s petite stature, she could have easily been eclipsed by one or all of them. When she saw Jessica, she paused so briefly that if Jessica hadn’t been paying close attention, she wouldn’t have noticed. As it was, she did notice, and she wondered what that was all about. Jessica tried to think back to whether she done anything to cause such a reaction with Vini. They had texted here and there since coming back from Atlanta, but this was the first time she had seen her since being dropped off. Jessica decided to go with it and pretend like everything was just fine.
“I thought I would bring you guys something to eat in case you hadn’t already,” Jessica said. “I know I missed breakfast, but I figured a good brunch couldn’t hurt.”
Vini nodded. “True. I didn’t have breakfast this morning, so this is more than a little helpful.” She glanced up at Jessica from beneath long eyelashes, and Jessica tried to pretend she hadn’t lost her breath from that one look alone. The way Aiden smirked, she knew she wasn’t particularly successful.
“Well, you know me. I live to serve,” Jessica said, trying to stall for time while she attempted to reboot her damn brain. It wasn’t fair for anyone to look that cute while wearing grease-stained overalls. “It seems like you guys are busy, so feel free to tell me to leave.”
Aiden pointed at Vini. “You should probably stay and help that one get out of whatever funk she’s fallen into. I thought getting out of town for her birthday this past weekend would have made her more agreeable, but she’s been super grumpy.”
“Anyone would be grumpy when they had to deal with your incessant off-key singing all morning,” Vini shot back, giving Aiden a sharp smile.
“Hey, my singing is delightful.” Jessica had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep the giggles in. She had heard Aiden’s singing and readily agreed with Vini’s assessment of it. She contemplated recording his singing to use as her alarm. If anything would shock her ass awake, it would be an unfortunately sharp rendition of whatever song Aiden was enamored with at the time. “Anyway, thanks for the food. Good luck with this one.”
Aiden gave her a quick salute before grabbing his food and heading to the back room. Jessica watched him go for a moment before turning to Vini. “Well, I was going to suggest us going into your office so you would have privacy and time to eat. But since he’s back there, maybe it’s better if we just stay up here.”
Vini nodded. “True. We could always eat out back.”
Jessica tilted her head in confusion. “I thought there was nowhere to sit back there.”
Vini shrugged before gesturing toward the back door. “I might have added a picnic table back there so we could have a little bit more privacy.” She glanced up again, looking bashful, in a way she hadn’t since that first week they met. “But we don’t have to. We can always chill at the table in here if you want. Did you already have something?”
Jessica nodded. “Yeah, I decided to relax in the diner and talk with Thomas for a little while. I just wanted to bring you and Aiden some food.” That wasn’t completely true. Jessica wanted to see Vini again. She needed to take advantage of every moment possible for the next four days to get her fill of this place before she had to watch it fade away in her rearview mirror. “But if you have a picnic table back there, then absolutely, let’s sit.”
Vini gave her a crooked smile, the one that always made Jessica feel a little drunk. “What are you going to do, sit there and watch me eat?”
This time, Jessica answered with a sharp smile of her own. “Watching you eat is one of my favorite things to do.” She knew Vini meant it in a different way than she did, but when Vini’s eyes darkened with heat, Jessica knew she understood exactly what she’d meant. It was the truth. Vini was more than a little talented when it came to her eating technique, and just the thought of it left Jessica clenching her thighs with arousal.
“If I didn’t have three cars to get out by the end of the day, I would give you a reminder of just how good I am.” Jessica didn’t have to be told to follow Vini out the door. She went more than a little willingly, her eyes glued on the way Vini’s ass looked in her overalls. If she were a weaker woman, she wouldn’t have been able to resist reaching out and touching.
Jessica sat across from Vini, unable to keep her eyes from doing anything but following every movement as she unboxed her food and took a first bite. When Vini’s eyes fluttered, Jessica laughed knowing that she was milking her reaction just to get a rise out of Jessica. “You are something else.”
Vini didn’t reply as she dug more into her food. Normally Jessica would feel the need to fill the silence with words, no matter what the words were. And yet for some reason in the here and now with Vini across from her and only the sounds of birds chirping in the background, she was okay with not speaking. It reminded her of when she would walk into a room and see her parents sitting together quietly on the sofa, not conversing yet somehow soaking up one another’s company. She had always found it strange before and would speak as soon as she came into the room, but now she understood. There was no need to say anything just to hear the sound of her own voice. The silence was not uncomfortable. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Vini seemed to feel the same way as she continued digging into her breakfast, not uttering another word until only a single strip of bacon remained.
“Do you want the last slice?” Vini asked looking up. She picked up the bacon between her fingers and held it out to Jessica. The scent drew Jessica in, but instead of taking the bacon from Vini with her own fingers, she leaned forward letting part of it rest on her lips before sliding it into her mouth and taking a bite. She hadn’t planned the action, and yet she couldn’t deny that she enjoyed the reaction it invoked.
Vini’s eyes widened slightly, and she could feel the heat in them as they looked down at her lips. Vini’s hand didn’t move, still offering up the bacon as a sacrifice, one that Jessica planned on readily accepting. Something about it being from Vini’s hands made it taste all the better, and Jessica didn’t stop to think before leaning in for a second bite. This time she took a larger bite, letting her lips brush against Vini’s fingers as she bit through the meat and leaned away. This time Vini’s eyes were on hers, their gazes locked in a standoff as they waited for one of them to make a move.
The moment was electric, and Jessica felt it go through her like a zap of lightning. The day was cooler, and yet she could feel sweat starting to build on the small of her back. She needed Vini to move away because Jessica was no longer sure that she could be trusted not to try to take things further. She was almost disappointed when Vini seemed to hear her thoughts and pulled back. These moments, while few and far between, had been the most connection she had felt to someone in a long time. They were the reason why she pushed down her disappointment.
They had time.