Chapter 2
BLYTHE
A year later…
It still stung,and Blythe had to be a masochist deep down in her heart to continue to torture herself mentally after all this time. Loading up the screens on her computer, she punched in the next VIN number and began typing the customer’s name into the credit application.
“You just sit there and look pretty,” she hissed at the heart-shaped frame on her desk that held one of the photograph. Like a blooming idiot, she’d bought two copies of that infamous calendar. That calendar haunted her, making her life a nightmare because everyone who’d purchased one recognized her - and him. A few autographs, a few questions, several comments from other employees asking just how much her ‘date’ cost… yet she couldn’t let that photo go.
There was a look in his eyes, a yearning in his knowing smile, and she couldn’t even begin to count the number of times she’d allowed herself to fantasize about what could have happened. Regret was a heck of a thing… and she never imagined that she would ever regret having a strong backbone, morals, and ethics.
“You ready, Killer…” her boss asked, walking past her open office doorway and giving her a thumbs-up. “I’ll bring ‘em back to you if you are ready to get in the ‘ring’ with a big, fat T.K.O. for the team. Remember, if we hit our numbers, we’re all going for steak when we close out the month.”
“I remember.”
“Smile, take a deep breath, sharpen those claws, and go for the jugular, Blythe. You’ve got this…”
You are a slime bucket and the reason I drive a used car, she thought, plastering on a saccharine smile on her face as she gave him a thumbs-up. I’d rather pay a tech on the side and buy the parts myself than give this dumpster fire of a workplace another dollar. If you didn’t pay the bills so well, I’d quit!
“I’m soooo ready, boss,” she replied in a falsetto voice and shoved those feelings deep down inside. Her paycheck covered the bills, paid for her car, and helped build a little nest egg in case she finally cracked under the pressure.
One of these days…she smiled and gave him a thumbs-up again as he clapped enthusiastically, walking down the hallway to get her next victim. It was only seconds later that she heard her boss, Jack.
“Let me introduce you to the real lifesaver here at the dealership, Blythe. She does all the magic, makes things happen, and has saved all of our necks at one time or another. Blythe, you take good care of these folks, hon…”
Smiling easily, she extended her hand and shook theirs, waving her hand at the chairs.
“Smart choice,” she began, practically pressing the play button in her mind as she launched into her well-rehearsed script. “I was eyeing that beauty on the showroom floor myself, as my car is giving up the ghost – and it’s such a bargain! I mean, can you believe that it comes with free maintenance for three years?”
“It does?”
“Oh yes,” she agreed. “Now, let me tell you about another little-known secret. Have you ever heard of GAP? It sure saved me one time…” and internally sighed, feeling more despondent than ever.
Yep. She was putting on a performance and cashed the check bi-monthly just like anyone else who worked on a commission basis in the customer service field. If people only knew how much some of these policies were marked up… and she paused mid-sentence as she saw Lance walk past her office, talking to one of the service advisors.
“Can you explain the ‘tire and wheel policy’ again?” the woman was asking, and Blythe hesitated, coming back into focus and stepping back into her role.
What was he doing here?
Twenty minutes later and another happy customer, Blythe turned in the deal jacket to her boss… and took off toward the service department on the other side of the building. Her heels were clicking on the tile as her eyes searched carefully every corner where a guest could be waiting or hiding.
“Ernesto, pull up your screen and tell me who’s handling a truck belonging to Lance Cortes…”
“Hey baby, I got you,” the service advisor began and winked at her.
“Don’t call me ‘baby’ and pull up the file or move over,” she snapped, trying to get her ducks in a row before she tracked Lance down.
“He’s getting an oil change – and that’s it. What a freakin’ cheapskate. Declined the tire rotation and replacement of the pollen filter.”
But Blythe was already on the move, ignoring the other man’s scathing comments. She went directly to the parts counter.
“Give me a pollen filter for a 2019 Ram Truck.”
“You don’t have a truck…”
“Are you refusing to sell me a filter?”
“No,” the know-it-all guy retorted. “What engine?”
“Hemi – and we both know that doesn’t matter,” she replied coolly. “You think I can be in this field for ten years and not pick up something? I may not work in service, but I know what I’m doing.”
“Fair enough,” he chuckled. “That’s $38.95…”
“Employee pricing?”
“Fourteen bucks, sheesh. Are you trying to take my bonus?”
“We both know if one air filter is preventing you from hitting your numbers, this place has bigger problems.”
“Anyone ever tell you that you can be mean sometimes?”
“Daily,” she chuckled. “Charge it to my employee number. I’ll take the filter and receipt.”
Gathering the two, she dropped them in her office, under her desk, and continued her search – mentally kicking herself for doing something so ridiculous as trying to help the man who was an utter cretin the last time she spoke to him, and she saw him talking to Ernesto - who pointed at her.
Lance got this satisfied smile on his face and lifted an eyebrow before waving his fingers at her. Blythe held up her middle one in greeting – and heard his bark of laughter despite the closed doors between the showroom and service.
“Whoa there, Blythe… put the finger guns away,” her boss laughed, coming out of his office and looking down the hallway. “Unless you are giving Ernesto the bird – then I’m in. I hate that smart-mouthed kid.”
“I’ll be right back,” she murmured and took off toward Lance, who was already walking in her direction. As he stepped inside the showroom, she slid a hand into the crook of his arm and steered him toward the parking lot where his bright red truck sat, still dripping with water from the car wash.
“What the…” Lance began, and she pinched him – hard.
“Say nothing and come with me,” she hissed.
“Yes, ma’am,” he chuckled, stepping into a role too as he leaned down toward her. “Are we supposed to be affectionate, or are you hiding from someone?”
“Keep walking directly to your truck,” she hissed.
A moment later, she was squinting at the blinding sun, realizing her office was exceedingly dim despite the lights directly over her desk. He unlocked his truck and opened the door only to have her look at him.
“You need that pollen filter to keep up your warranty,” she whispered at the shocked look on his face. “They’ll deny a claim if you turn down the work. I bought it and have the receipt, so you have a leg to stand on, but I can’t give it to you now, or I’ll get fired. Do you understand?”
“Blythe,” he whispered, hesitating. “Why… why thank you. I really appreciate the head’s up because they wanted to charge sixty-five bucks to put it in the truck, and well, it’s something I can manage.”
“Exactly,” she muttered. “When do you work at the station again?”
“Tomorrow.”
“I’ll drop by tomorrow after I get off work, giving you the filter and the receipt. Just keep it in your glove box, and if anyone asks you – we’re related or some goofy excuse.”
“We’re dating?”
“We’re not, remember?”
“We’re banging each other?”
“Yeah, and that sentence right there is why I need my head examined for helping you out,” she muttered, starting to walk away… only to hear his soft laugh as he grabbed her hand.
“I’m kidding,” he admitted, looking at her. “But maybe someday we can grab dinner eventually.”
“When I want to dredge the sewers – perhaps.”
“Ouch, I have feelings, you know.”
“Let me guess – they’re all in your pants?”
“Clever girl,” he grinned, winking at her. “Gosh, I adore a feisty woman and…”
“Lance, don’t,” she began, looking at him, feeling a knot in her stomach because her radar had been soooo wrong regarding him. “Whatever you are about to say, just let it go. We obviously have two different views of what dating, relationships, or what intimacy looks like.”
“I haven’t stopped thinking about you,” he admitted in a hushed voice, his eyes holding hers. “If we need to take things slow, we can.”
“Lance, look, I’ll be honest with you,” she whispered, her eyes searching his, looking for any clue that he was shutting down. “I’m not your type. Am I attracted to you – sure – but we have very different values. I’m looking to have a partner in life. Someday, I want to get married, have a child, the works… and if you are looking for that, then I’ll happily admit that I am wrong about you.”
And there it was.
She could see it in his eyes the second those hazel orbs flicked to the side. He was about to lie to her, give her some false hope, or spout out a line of hooey that wouldn’t be worth the paper it was written on, and she braced herself.
“I’m not ready,” he said hoarsely, not looking away from her. “I really wish I was right now, but I won’t lie to you either.”
“Thank you,” she whispered tearfully, realizing that it was at least something. He respected her enough to give her the truth and if nothing else, she could appreciate that. “I would like to maybe talk someday or have coffee. Perhaps we could grow to be friends… but I just don’t think it’s in the cards for us, no matter what else is there.”
“Those feelings in my pants?” he chuckled softly, his eyes warming as he tried to crack a joke to bridge the divide between them that seemed to be yawning and growing wider every second.
“Exactly,” she smiled, nodding. “I’ve got to get back to work.”
“See you tomorrow?”
“I’ll drop it off.”
“Thank you again,” he began and hesitated. “Would it be weird if I kissed your cheek as an ‘I appreciate this’ gesture?”
“Probably,” she chuckled. “Goodbye, Lance.”
Backing away, she gave a little wave before turning and striding back across the parking lot toward the showroom doors. Yeah, she had just done her good deed for the day, hopefully countering the rest of the garbage she was spewing with each contract.
Sure enough, her boss was watching.
“Boyfriend? I recognize the photo on your desk.”
“Ex-boyfriend,” she amended, realizing it was a half-truth. She did have a photo on her desk, and she wished he was her boyfriend, but there was no way they were dating right now.
He was barely a friend – who was a boy – and that’s all there could be.
The next afternoon,when Blythe got to the fire station, Lance was out on a run. She walked inside as a man in his forties walked out of his office. She almost did an about-face when she realized it was Lance’s boss from the photo shoot.
“Can I help you?”
“I was just dropping this off for Lance Cortes.”
“Oh hey – I remember you,” the man began, smiling. “I’m Chief Carpenter, and we really appreciated your donation last year. You know they bought the children bicycles at the orphanage with the money we raised. I love doing stuff like that where it goes to good use, you know?”
“I agree,” she smiled easily, nodding. “It’s hard when you don’t see where the money in the boot goes to…”
“Ha, ha, ha,” the fire chief chuckled. “That’s why we don’t do the whole ‘waiting around at the stop sign’ peddling. People don’t give, and I don’t want to put anyone in danger. We’ll just come up with other creative ways to raise money like calendars, bingo, or chili cook-offs.”
“Well, there you go!” she praised and hesitated. “Can you give this to Lance for me? I’ve got to head home.”
“Sure thing,” he smiled. “What was your name again?”
“Mud,” she chuckled. Mud spelled backward was dumb, and she sure felt like it sometimes. “He’ll know who it’s from.”
“You want to leave him a message?”
“Nope.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. It’s easier. Have a good night, Chief Carpenter.”