Chapter 4
Hey, Clark,” Mack calls out, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. “How was your night?”
“Fine,” I say. I’m not like Kid, who shares the details of his exploits with women. But even if I was, everything feels different with Betty, like it’s something I’m better off not broadcasting to my co-workers.
“Come on, man. You were helping Betty with some repairs, right?” He leans against the toolbox with an expectant expression.
I may not want to discuss Betty with these guys, but trying to keep something a secret doesn’t last long.
“Yeah, I did,” I admit, hesitating before continuing. “I went to update her about Leo’s estimation of the work needed, and she invited me to stay for dinner.”
“Really now?” Mack raises an eyebrow. “What did you guys talk about?”
“Work mostly. I got to know her a little better. She’s a good woman.” I remember how Betty spoke passionately about her career at the bank and how she wanted to build more for herself and her future children. She’s more ambitious than any woman I’ve met in a long time.
“Sounds like a good time, Clark,” Mack teases, giving me a knowing look. “You’re not going to say more about her, are you?”
“You got that right.” I agree, turning my attention back to the engine.
“Yo, Clark,” Kid pipes up as he slides out from under a car, his voice holding a familiar edge of provocation. “Leak in a closet? Yeah, sure.” He smirks. “Is that code for ‘went next door to bang my hot tenant?’”
“Knock it off, Kid,” I growl, my anger rising unexpectedly. “Betty”s a tenant, nothing more.” Ever since I made an offhand comment that I thought Betty was attractive, Kid and the guys tease me like I’m a teenager with a crush. I may feel exactly like that, but that’s not the point.
“All right, all right.” Kid holds up his hands in surrender. “Just having some fun.”
I glare at him, and Kid has the sense to keep his mouth shut.
“Kid, I can’t wait for the day a woman knocks you off your feet,” Roman calls from under the truck he’s working on. “You think women are playthings, but there is so much more than getting your rocks off with a pretty girl. Eventually, you’ll realize you need a woman in your life, not just in your bed for an hour or two.”
“That’ll be the fucking day.” Kid rolls his eyes, clearly unable to consider a future that involves settling down.
“Roman’s right, you know,” Mack says. “Right woman will make any man want to settle down. You need to find the woman who will give your life purpose.”
Kid’s laugh is quick and sharp. “No disrespect, Mack, but you’re not one to talk. When was the last time you even went on a date?”
“Boy, if you need to preface something with ‘no disrespect,’ you need to think twice about saying it.” Mack’s voice is low, and even Kid flinches at the warning in it.
“Chill, man. Chill.” Kid backs down, knowing better than to piss Mack off. Mack is generally pretty laid back, but he doesn’t tolerate bullshit and won’t hesitate to stand his ground if someone gets on his bad side. “No need to get all bent out of shape. You fuckers can’t take a joke.”
“Seriously, Kid. Cool it,” Roman chimes in, giving Kid another warning glance.
“Got it,” Kid replies, pushing off with his feet and sliding back under the car at his station.
Mack and I stare at the car, listening to Kid grumbling to himself as he goes back to work.
I try to focus on the engine in front of me, but I can”t shake the unease in my gut. The idea of anyone talking crassly about Betty makes me want to punch something. I”ve never felt this protective over anyone, especially not a woman I barely know. But there”s something about her that”s gotten under my skin.
“Clark,” Mack calls out, concern etched on his face. “You sure you”re good?”
“Yeah, I”m fine,” I reply, forcing a tight smile as I turn back to my work. “Let”s finish up here.”
“Hey, Clark,” Wes says, standing and stretching his muscles. “You got a date for my wedding yet?”
I glance over at him, caught off guard by the question. I’ve been ignoring that I should take a date to his wedding. In the absence of a serious girlfriend, it’s a minefield to take a woman to a wedding. They think you’re the settling down type and that it’s some kind of signal that you want to settle down with them.
“Uh, no, not yet.” When did Rebel Autos become Gossip Central?
“You should bring this Betty lady.” Wes winks and grins. The man is in love and wants everyone else to be in love, too.
Though maybe that’s not a bad thing.
“I don’t know her that well,” I say, trying to deflect all this talk about Betty. I like the woman – a lot – but these guys are matchmaking me more than I’d ever imagine any man doing.
“Sure, why not?” Wes continues, leaning against the hood of the truck. “You seem to like her, plus everyone loves a wedding.”
I look at Wes, skeptical. Everyone hooks up at weddings, too. Maybe inviting Betty is better than going solo and fending off bridesmaids in ridiculous dresses.
“Kira”s been asking if you”re bringing anyone. She wants to make sure there”s enough seating,” Wes adds, raising an eyebrow as if to challenge me.
“All right, all right,” I relent, my cheeks heating up at the sudden image of Betty in a form-fitting dress. Would it be cut low, so I could sneak glances at her full breasts? “I”ll take it under consideration. No promises.”
“Good man.” Wes pats me on the back and returns to work.
As I continue working on the engine rebuild, I think about the previous night at Betty”s place. The smell of her perfume and how her eyes sparkled when she laughed still lingers in my memory. We were standing so close in her kitchen when the lights went out during the storm.
“Damn it,” I mutter under my breath, trying to shake the image of her mouth turned up to mine. I wanted to kiss her, but our lips had barely touched when the lights flickered back on, and the moment shattered.
“Clark? You okay, man?” Mack asks, noticing my distraction.
“Fine,” I reply, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand. But deep down, I know I”m not fine. I”m torn between the desire for Betty and all the reasons I haven’t invited a woman into my life.
Maybe it”s time to take a chance on something real with Betty.
* * *
“Hey, Mack,”I call out as I grab my jacket and keys. “I”m heading out. I’m meeting Leo to let him and his guys in to start their work.”
“Right. Where you at with that engine?” Mack asks, nodding at the truck I’ve been working on this week.
“Getting there. Once the part I ordered comes in, I’ll be able to finish it.”
“Excellent. Catch you tomorrow, man.” Mack turns back to the vintage car he’s been working on and strokes the fender before sticking his head back under the hood. That man loves vintage cars more than anything else in the world.
“See you guys tomorrow,” I call out as I head out of the garage.
“Later, man,” Kid says, wiping his hands on a rag.
* * *
“Shoot,”I say, bracing myself for the worst.
Leo leans against my living room wall, having just returned from Betty’s side of the duplex.
“Turns out it”s not only the closet wall,” he tells me, his forehead creased. “The damage is more extensive than we thought.”
“Damn,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair. “How bad are we talking?”
“It’s not the worst damage I’ve seen, but it’s good she caught it when she did. Your tenant shouldn”t be sleeping here until it”s all fixed,” he states bluntly. “The damage might go along the back wall, the one with the window. It’ll take at least a few days to assess everything and get to work. We’ll need to tear out the wall in the closet and probably most of the back wall, too. Hopefully, the water damage didn’t spread further than that.”
“Shit,” I rub my hand over my face and through my hair. This is going to cost a fortune. “All right, Leo. Thanks for letting me know.”
“Anytime, man,” he replies, pushing off the wall and walking over to me. He slaps me on the shoulder and nods. “We”ll get this sorted out.”
“Good,” I nod, then hesitate. “Leo, can I ask you something?”
“Sure, what”s up?” he asks, his eyes meeting mine.
“How did you know about Karla? That she was the one.”
Leo looks at me and laughs. “You finally meet a good woman? Everyone assumes you were going to be a lifelong bachelor.”
I chuckle. “Possibly,” I admit. “It’s the woman who lives here. Betty. I don’t know if it’s right to pursue something with her, though, since she’s my tenant.”
“I don”t see anything wrong with it, so long as you”re both on the same page. What’s she like with you?”
A vivid memory flashes in my mind of her in my arms, her mouth tilted toward mine, our bodies burning against each other when the power went out. Even now, my cock tightens at the memory. “She’s giving off signals.”
At this, Leo roars with laughter. “Giving off signals? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
I bristle at his laughter, then chuckle when I realize how old-fashioned I sound. “Well, we kissed the other night. She’s always been a little flirty, but she invited me for dinner, and it felt like more than her being nice.”
“Hey, man, life”s too short,” Leo says with a wink. “If she is, as you say, giving off signals and you’re interested, go for it. What have you got to lose?”
“She’s my tenant. Last thing either of us need is for things to get weird. She’s my damn neighbor. What if she says no? It’s complicated.”
“Complicated?” Leo chuckles. “Man, nothing worthwhile is ever simple. If everything feels different when you”re with Betty, it”s because she”s special. Don”t ignore your heart when it talks to you. This might be the most important decision you will make in your life.”
“All right,” I nod, taking a deep breath. “I”ll talk to her.”
“Good man,” Leo pats me on the shoulder. “I hope it works out for you. Karla made me the happiest man on earth. I know you’ve been a solitary man for a long time, but you deserve the same kind of happiness.”
I’m silent as I listen to Leo. What is it about married men getting all mushy when it comes to women? Though when I look at how happy Leo, Wes, and Roman are…there are certainly worse fates than finding the woman you love and building a life with her. Maybe it’s my turn.
“I should call her,” I say, pulling out my phone. “Let her know about the repairs.”
“Catch you later,” Leo says, slapping me on the shoulder and then heading back to his truck.
“Hey, Betty,” I greet her when she picks up on the other end. “It”s Clark.”
“Hi, Clark,” she replies, her voice hesitant. “What”s up?”
“First of all, I wanted to apologize for last night,” I start, my face heating. “I didn”t mean to create an awkward situation.” I half-stumble over the words. Apologizing for nearly kissing the most attractive woman I’ve ever met doesn’t feel like something I should apologize for.
“It”s okay,” she says, though I can”t help but feel she”s disappointed. “I understand. It’s no problem.”
No problem?Fuck. How can she be so understanding and blasé about this? I wish we were having this conversation face-to-face so I could see her face and her real emotions.
“Thanks,” I sigh, relieved. “Look, I”ve got some news about the repairs. Turns out there”s more damage than we thought. You”ll need to stay somewhere else while it gets fixed.”
“I… Oh.” Betty pauses. “Where am I supposed to go?”
“Well...” I hesitate, swallowing hard. “Option one is that I can pay for you to stay in a motel. Option two is that I have a second bedroom. You can stay with me if you like. No funny business, I promise.”
“Are you sure?” she hesitates, sounding a little unsure.
“Positive,” I reply, my heart beating faster. “It shouldn’t be for long – a few days, maybe a week. Leo will know more when they tear out the closet and investigate. We”ll keep it professional.”
“All right, then. I think that can work,” she agrees finally, though I can still hear the wariness in her voice. “Thank you, Clark.”
“Of course,” I say, trying to sound casual. “Just knock when you’ve picked up some things and are ready to come over. See you later, Betty.”
“See you later,” she echoes before hanging up.
As I pocket my phone, I wonder what the hell I”ve just done. Having Betty in my home will be a constant test of my self-control. How will I sleep with a bombshell of a woman on the other side of the wall?